Flash Fiction: The Key to Time

The Key to Time

by Mel Dawn

Jane was going through the junk in the attic of the new house they had just bought. The former owners had never tossed anything out. Annoyed, she grabbed stuff and tossed it into a garbage bag. 

She grabbed another book off the shelf. Something dropped to the floor by her feet. It was a set of ancient brass keys. 

She briefly wondered what they could be for, but remembered there was an old desk here.

Now, she could see what was inside. The third key worked.

The drawer opened. Inside were several photographs, letters, and a small jewel box. When she touched a girl’s ring, the ghost of a little girl popped out of the box. 

Jane smiled at the image. 

“Hey, Jane, are you done up here yet?”

“Just a minute.”

“Do you have the garbage?”

“No, I want to have a better look.”

“I thought you said it was junk.”

“I think we can donate some to the Museum. These things belonged to a family and were very important to them. I’d feel bad just tossing it all out.”

“Works for me,” said her husband.

How to Save Money in the New Year

You’ve over-budgeted the Christmas gifts, the groceries cost double what you expected, and your liquor allowance went through the roof. It’s after Christmas and you’ve sat yourself down to have a good hard look at your finances, but you don’t like what you see.

How are you going to survive through January, if you don’t have enough money to cover your perishables and necessities for even one week?

Here’s a few tips on helping you survive through the New Year until you bring in a few paycheques to cover your credit card bills.

Dig to the backs of your cupboards and fridge. I know food doesn’t last long in the fridge, but you can dig to the back of your freezer too. I have some frozen vegetables in there from the fall which are still perfectly well within their expiry dates but not too appetizing. So what? Cook them up and add salt and pepper and butter. Likely you have enough food in your fridge and freezer to get you past the first two weeks. Dig to the backs of your cupboards. Everyone has bags of pasta back there that can be added to those veggies.

Have you run out of dish soap? Head to the bathroom and dig out those bottles of stinky shampoo that you bought but didn’t like. They make great dish soap! They can also be used as bubblebath.

You can also interchange shampoo with dish soap. I’ve used an unscented on occasion and it’s great, no allergies!

Run out of lipstick or toothpaste? Really? Now is the time to clean out your bathroom closets and drawers. Use up all that junk that you bought, tried and hated. No point in buying more when you already have supplies. Use up all those hateful products. Why not? They’ll do the job just fine. So you have to double rinse to get the smell/taste out, who cares? Don't lick your lips!

Clothes getting a bit tatty? I’m sure if you cleaned out your closets you’d find dozens of items that are in perfect condition. Styles don’t evolve as quickly as they used to. You’ll be fine at work.

I’m sure you have absorbed the idea now. Use what you have, don’t buy anything more until all the items in your home have been depleted. Repurpose, reuse, recycle and you’ll be well on your way to having your bills paid off by February. Have a Happy New Year!