They were the first peaks of jagged earth to rise above primordial seas, and those barren slabs of rock became a dwelling place for strange creatures that knew not of human life, and could never embrace it. They do however occasionally touch our lives and influence us in ways we cannot explain. I knew I had discovered such a strange place when I opened the attic door. A gust of warm and fragrant air almost sucked the breath from my lungs. The high spiral stairwell was double-planked with wooden treads. Dust lay thick upon a net of cobwebs, where spiders managed to accomplish their finest work. In the light that filtered through louvered attic window screens, I could see old boxes and barrels, packing crates and things I knew would reveal answers. The attic, however, was not silent. I could hear breezes sweeping in through the eves, whispering enticements to the cartons, flirting through the rafters and running across the floor, playing with the flapping ends of cloth and curtains. I started up the stairs feeling my way.
