Things You Find in Old Attics (and One Thing I Can't Tell You About)

Our new house has an attic.

When we moved in, Mom said nobody was allowed up there. She said it was dangerous and probably full of mice.

Which is exactly why I wanted to see it.

(For the record, I asked permission eventually. Sort of. Okay, Mom was making dinner and very busy. We’re working on it.)

Here is my official report from the attic.

What you need first

Dust. So much dust. When I sneezed, the dust sneezed back. So I ran to my room and grabbed two hair bandanas, and Rylee and I tied them over our faces like bank robbers.

“How do I look?” Rylee asked.

“Fabulous, darling,” I told her. “Attic-exploring chic.”

This is now a real fashion category. I invented it.

What we found (the box-by-box list)

• Box 1: Porcelain dolls. A high ten on the creep meter. I closed that box very fast and set it aside before the dolls could form opinions about me.
• Box 2: Old dresses. In style approximately fifty years ago. Rylee said they were “vintage.” I said they were “a choice.”
• Box 3: A box of bills. Boring. Rylee read them anyway.
• Box 4: A wooden train set. Somebody played with this a lot. You can tell, because the paint is worn off right where little hands would hold it.
• Box 5: Old jewelry. Brooches and chains, and a little velvet-lined box inside the box. It went straight into my keep pile. A girl needs a keep pile.
• Box 6: Photographs. I’m not going to say much about this one, except that we sat on the floor for twenty minutes and didn’t say a word, and it was the best twenty minutes of the whole year.

Stella’s tips for your own attic adventure

1. Ask a grown-up first. Attics have nails, loose boards, and wasps. Also mice, apparently.
2. Cover your face. A mask or a bandana. Your lungs will thank you.
3. Work corner by corner. Rylee’s idea. I wanted to run around and open everything at once. She was right. (Don’t tell her.)
4. Keep a keep pile. Not everything. Just the things that make your heart do a little skip.
5. Look at the old photos. Every picture is a story somebody lived. Ask your family who’s in them. You might be surprised what you learn.
6. Watch your feet. Seriously. Old floors are full of surprises. I found one with my knee.

And now, the thing I can’t tell you about

Okay. So.

The best thing we found up there wasn’t in a box at all.

That’s all I can say. I’m sorry! I want to tell you SO badly. I typed the whole story out three times and deleted it three times. Rylee read over my shoulder and said, “Stella. No.” In her librarian voice. You do not argue with the librarian voice.

Here’s what I can say: it has our names on it. And it changed basically everything.

That’s it. That’s the hint. You’re not going to figure it out, so don’t even try.

Okay, fine, you can try.

Stella

P.S. If you find a little metal hook sticking out of your attic floor, curled up like a question mark, do not ignore it. That’s all. No reason.