Page 15 of Treasured

"This is the last time we do a job for Maxine. I don't care if she is our oldest customer." I cough on the dust and I'm sure there's a spider web in my hair.

"I don't see a leak, either." We've made it to the back corner of the attic, which is little more than a crawl space, as evidenced by the fact that we're both on our hands and knees and I've just about got my face in Jake's ass. Yeah, this is shaping up to be a real treat of a day.

He tilts his head upward, shining the light all along the attic ceiling and wall. It's dirty as hell, but sealed tight. Which would also explain the stagnant air and heat up here. Sweat trickles down my back and pools near my butt. Great. Just great.

We've got appointments with prospective customers after this and I'm going to need a shower before we can go out in public again.

Assuming we ever get out of this incinerator of an attic.

Jake moves the headlamp all around the space inspecting the ceiling, walls and floor.

"There's no leak up here." He shuffles around on his hands and knees so we're facing each other. I know we're twins and everything, but this is a little bit too much into my personal space.

"What are you doing? Back up," I say. "Gah. You stink, too."

"You should see yourself. I think there's a spider crawling inside your collar."

I start swatting with one hand and when I feel something tingle on my skin, I'm sure it's a spider, or worse. Forgetting about the cramped quarters, I pull back to sit on my haunches and crack the back of my head on a beam on the ceiling. A cloud of dirt and rotted wood comes down and clings to my sweaty face.

"Let's get out of here," Jake says and I spin around, retracing our path to the door and ladder to fresh air. And standing up straight.

I don't even need the light, I just keep crawling until I touch the trap door. "Why didn't she leave the door open so we could talk to her?" I ask.

"Or breathe," he says.

"Maxine," I pound on the door, "we're ready to come down now. You can open the door."

"Um..." We hear her muffled voice. "It might be stuck."

* * *

Tracy

There's a truck in the driveway and I hurry onto the porch to see what's going on.

"Aunt Max," I call out before I even step through the door. "Where are you?"

I kept my panic at bay while driving home, fortunately it didn't take long, but now I'm worried.

"Here I am," Aunt Max calls and I glance up the staircase to see her standing beneath the door that goes to the attic. There's a hell of a commotion coming from the ceiling above her.

I rush to her. "What is it? Raccoons?" Then I hear voices. Male voices. "Oh my God. Did you trap some burglars up there?" I reach for my phone. "I'm calling 911."

"No, no need for that," Aunt Max says. "I know who's up there. A couple of repairmen. But the door seems to be stuck. Maybe if you pull on it? I'm sure you're stronger than me."

"Sure," I say as she moves aside. I take hold of the rope and give a mighty tug, expecting the door to be tight. But, it opens so easily I end up on my butt on the floor.

A gust of stale air comes out of the opening to the attic along with angry voices. "What the hell, Maxine?"

I'm still sitting on the floor but nobody is going to talk to my aunt that way, so I scramble to my feet. "Hey, I can just as easily shut this door again if you can't be polite."

Two dust covered faces peer over the edge of the opening at me and my whole body begins to tingle.

* * *

Jake

I stare down from the small attic exit and my heart thunders in my chest. A pang shoots through me, starting in my heart and spreading to my whole body.

---