Thing 26: Something you found

Originally posted to Facebook on July 8th, 2013. I'm not entirely pleased with the concept, but the writing's okay.

Thing 26: Something you found

Doctor Frankfurt's eyes glowed brighter than his lamp as he softly brushed the dust off of the small box before him. While his entire body shook with anticipation, his hands were perfectly steady. Each measured stroke of his brush revealed even more of the glinting gold beneath thousands of years of neglect.

It was more beautiful than he could imagine. The thing was priceless, to be sure, but it represented the culmination of his entire career's work, and to him that was far more valuable.

He held his breath as he licked his lips, lest any of the moisture escape and contaminate his prize. After all of this time, after all of this effort, he would be damned if anything were to come between him and his glory. Dust filled the air, pushed aside by the careful strokes of his archaeologist's brush.

His diligence was rewarded as a handle emerged from the grit on either side of the box. He let his hands glide gently over the surface of his before grasping them in a firm grip. The ancient tomb melted away, leaving nothing but the man and his prize. Seconds, and then minutes passed as he held his treasure; felt the realness of it. He could see nothing else. His tired muscles, the stuffy, dry air -- all meaningless and distant entities hiding deep within his subconscious. The tension in his arms steadily increased as he gingerly began to lift the golden box. His unblinking eyes glistened impatiently at the slow ascent, but he dared not take any chances.

So enchanted was he by the action that he didn't even hear the click.