The attic basket

An original fiction passage set in the nineteenth century.

Rain tapped against the roof as Annie climbed into the attic to look for an old shawl. In the darkest corner, she noticed a wicker basket beneath a dusty sheet. Its lid creaked when she lifted it. Inside was a small portrait tied with green ribbon. A brass key lay on the floor beside the basket, but Annie left it there and carried the portrait downstairs.