The wind rustled the chestnut trees outside the window, and Grandma Zosia's kitchen smelled of cinnamon and baked apples. Lila spread coloured buttons on the table, arranging a heart out of them, and Antek was drawing a torch with a silver handle. The cat Pod, fluffy and brindle, sniffed everything one by one and purred like a tiny engine. - Remember, don't run barefoot into the garden after dark. Wet grass and then a runny nose,' said Grandma Zosia, pouring tea with raspberries. - And when you're done, you can play in the attic. Just be careful. Lila and Antek exchanged glances. The attic at Grandma's house was like an enchanted box: old trunks, Grandpa's fishing nets, boxes full of scarves, and under the small window - a basket of apples that smelled sweet even in winter. When Pod saw Lila tying her shoes, he suddenly jumped up, claimed the red ribbon with his paw and ran towards the stairs. He stopped at the folding ladder to the attic and started meowing. - 'All right, let's follow the guide,' laughed Lila. Antek grabbed a torch decorated with star-shaped stickers. Snap. The light was soft and warm, like yellow honeycomb. The attic smelled of wood, dust and dried flowers. Skylights of dust danced in the torchlight sheaf, and overhead a beam creaked as if an owl had moved its wing. Under the small window was a rug of green yarns, and next to it was a large wooden box with metal corners. It had a brass lock in the shape of a sun. - Oh my... what a beauty," Lila whispered. Pod jumped onto the lid, sat down and curled his tail around his paws. Suddenly all three of them heard: tap... tap... tap. - Did you hear that? - Antek straightened up like a string. - I heard it. Maybe it's a twig against the roof? - Lila leaned closer. Clatter... pausa... clatter, clatter. This time the sound came clearly from inside the box. Not loud, not threatening. More like a gentle knocking on the door. - Grandma? - cried Antek down through the ladder hole. From the kitchen came the sound of a kettle and Grandma Zosia's voice: - I'm already going to get the mint in the garden! I'll be back in a minute! Silence returned, only the wind rustled somewhere in the gutters. Lila knelt by the chest. Attached to the lid was a tin with an engraved pattern of waves and stars. The lock had a small hole, and next to it someone had long ago burned a tiny dot into the wood, like a freckle. Tap. Tap. Donut set his ears. His tail wagged like a bottle brush. - Maybe it's something asking to be let out? - whispered Antek. - Or... maybe it's just a ball bouncing against the walls. Lila swallowed her saliva. Great and clever children often like to know what's tapping. But they also like to know if it's safe. - 'Let's first see if it can be opened at all,' she decided. They walked around the box. Next to it lay a roll with a world map, a feather in blue and an old string with knots that looked like little buttons. On a beam, just above the chest, hung a red string on a nail. And on the string... a key! It was narrow and slightly crooked, ending in a star-shaped circle. When Lila picked it up, a quiet sound danced in the air, like a bell moved by a light gust. - It fits! - rejoiced Antek. - See, the same sun on the lock and the star on the key. Like night and day. Tap. Clatter, clatter. A little faster, as if someone inside couldn't wait. - 'If it's scary, we'll close right away,' said Lila, looking at her brother. - Promise? - I promise - nodded Antek. - Let's count to three. One... - Two... - added Lila. Donut murmured: - Mrrr.... - Three! - they said together. The key went into the lock with a quiet click. Antek turned it slowly. The lock trembled, as if he had dragged himself out after a long nap, and... click! At the same moment, a thin strip of light flew out of the hole. Not white. The kind, like a bright morning after rain, with a hint of blue and gold. It smelled of sea and cinnamon at the same time. - Can you see it? - Antek opened his eyes wide. - I can see it. And I can feel it. Like someone is baking an apple pie on the beach - Lila giggled nervously. The box vibrated slightly. A tap. This time the sound resembled a humble 'knock, knock', so polite that it was hard to be frightened. Yet it made Lila's and Antek's stomachs feel warm and ticklish, as if from a carousel too fast. The sheen in the opening shimmered. Flecks hovered in the air, glittering like confetti from the sun's rays. For a moment they seemed to hear a soft "pssst", as if someone was whispering from behind a wall: "Hello?" - Maybe we should wait for Grandma - Lila lowered her voice. Antek looked at Pod. The cat looked serious and tapped the lid with his paw. Like a stamp: yes. - We'll just make a tiny crack - Antek decided. - Just enough to look through. Lila put her hand on the lid. It was smooth and warm, like a bench exposed to the sun. Together with her brother, she lifted the lid with a horn. The hinges beeped tinily: iiiii.... At the same moment, the wind blew in the small window and a whiff of mint, scented by the garden, fell into the attic. The light inside the box trembled. Donut jumped down to the floor, grew a moustache and stood like a guard. - Ready? - whispered Lila. - Ready - replied Antek and took a deep breath. The lid lifted a centimetre. Two. Three. A streak of glittering pollen slipped out from inside, danced in the air and brushed Antek's nose. The boy sneezed quietly: - Apsik! A pop. Now the sound was just, just there. Like a small hand gently asking for attention. Lila bit her lip. The light danced across their faces. Their hearts beat faster. The whole attic seemed to hold its breath for a moment. Even the beams stopped creaking. - Three... two... one... - whispered Antek. Lila lifted the lid even higher and looked inside...