Alchemy

As Joe dragged the last box across the dusty floor of the attic of his childhood home something on the floor caught his eye. Sliding the box to one side he knelt down and brushed the dust aside to reveal a hidden hatch in the floor that he had never seen before. On it was inscribed symbols which Joe did not recognize. Feeling around on the floor, he looked for a handle or other way of opening it with no luck. Sitting for a while Joe just looked at the hatch in the floor staring at the symbols, trying to figure out their meaning.

After a while he pulled out his phone and took a photo of the hatch.Then he remembered a book his dad had shown him as a child. A book full of symbols. Then he remembered what his dad had said that day. "One day son this book will become a useful tool for you, it will help you in a quest you will take once I am gone." This conversation had intrigued him for about a year and he had read the book cover to cover. But as he hit is teenage years he started to forget about it and what his dad had said. Now he wanted to find that book again and see what these symbols meant.

Dragging the last box to the open hatch he carefully climbed down the ladder sliding the box with him. Joe spent the next hour rummaging through the boxes that now filled the front room of the once bustling house. The book was not in any of the boxes, however an old, tattered photo of his dad in his study made him remember something. Running back up the stairs Joe tried the study door. It was locked as it had been now for 10 years since his father passes away. It had been his wish that no one should enter this room once he had gone. It was to remain locked until such time as his wife passes away.

Trying to remember where the key was put after his dad died Joe searched his memories. When it came to him it was not a helpful memory at all as the key had been placed in the casket with his fathers ashes. And then an image of the key came into his head. It was topped with a circle containing triangles and another circle topped with a cross. The same symbol as one of those he had seen in the attic. "I must get that key" he thought to himself subconsciously reaching into his pocket for his phone. He was ready to ring the cemetery where his dad's ashes were buried and his mums were due to be buried the next day. But just as he was about to press send his phone started to ring. Joe stared at it for a moment as if willing a number to appear on the screen. Wondering who could be calling him he pressed the answer button then placed the phone to his ear.