Short story with 5968 words. Esther is a middle-aged woman whose mother has just died. In going through her mom’s effects she finds a large chest, securely locked. She has a faint sense of foreboding about what she’ll find inside. She hires a locksmith to undo the lock but doesn’t let him lift the lid. When she herself opens the chest it’s even worse that she’d anticipated. On display are all her mother’s shocking secrets. In coming to terms with the contents of her mom’s mysterious strongbox Esther embarks on a sensual journey that forever alters her life.