Gemotions

The attic air tasted of dust and forgotten things, but Leo didn't mind. He skipped ahead of his sister, Maya, the beams of his flashlight dancing like mischievous sprites across the cluttered space. "Bet I can find the coolest thing first!" he called over his shoulder, a grin splitting his face.

He ducked under a cobweb-draped chandelier, his stomach doing a funny little flip. He reached for a trunk embossed with faded gold. It creaked open, revealing stacks of meticulously folded letters tied with ribbons. Each one he plucked out, he held up to the light, scanning the elegant cursive.

Leo whooped with delight as he discovered a letter to their great-grandmother, a secret code scribbled across the bottom. The potential for intrigue sent a shiver of excitement up his spine. Maya, he knew, would be engrossed in the history, but he just wanted to crack the code.