Dean had always enjoyed playing with the little figurine of a man holding a knife and wearing a trench coat. The fact that it was just a strange children's toy was what fascinated him most. Who would play with a man in a trench coat? He used to think. Well, I would, I guess.

As he grew older, Dean grew less interested in the little man, he just wasn't as fun as video games then those weren't as fun as his new car, and then the new car was just a means to pick up chicks. Deep down, Dean still cared about the toy because he never let his younger brother Sammy chew on it or lose it behind a dresser. Dean kept the man on a high shelf, out of Sam's reach. By the time Sam was taller than Dean and able to reach it, it had been forgotten and covered in dust.

Dean went away to college for four years and Sammy took over his room until he graduated high school. The man in the trench coat stayed on the shelf until Sammy was packing up to move in with his girlfriend and Dean was selling things so he could go on a road trip. Their parents decided it was time for them to get a smaller house so everything had to be removed.

Sammy brushed his hand along the top shelf to see if anything was up there among the dust and his hand knocked over the little toy.

"Hey, Dean. You remember this?" He wiped off dust and a spider web from the toy then turned to his brother who was tearing apart his old bed. "I vaguely remember you freaking out and putting it up here after I pointed at it on your dresser when I was, like, 6. "

"Yea," Dean got up from the floor and took the toy from Sammy's hand. "This was my favourite thing in the entire world when I was little. Most boys had Hot Wheels, I had a ceramic man with a knife. I'm surprised I didn't turn out crazier than I am."

"Boys! Have you checked the attic yet?" Their mom called from downstairs. "I might have stored some of grandma's things up there ages ago!"

"We'll get to it now!" Dean put the figurine in his jacket pocket and he and Sam walked to the hall. Sam reached up to pull down the step and Dean ascended first. He reached out blindly, remembering there was a light somewhere, and pulled the chain down. The bulb was dim but they could see all but the corners of the tiny attic. A chest filled with old lady clothes, a small cabinet or jewelry box sort of thing, and a key on top of that were the only things in the attic besides more dust, spiders and their webs, and termite damage.

"I think we had a yard sale once, selling most of grandma's things…" Sam said as he looked around the lack of interesting things to play with. "I mean, I was hoping for a giant portrait and a treasure map, at least."

"These clothes have holes from mice so we can just toss these. The chest probably has a hole somewhere, too, so that can go. Mom might want the jewelry box thing."

"Done and done."

Sam and Dean dragged down the chest and tossed it into the dumpster then went back for the box. They dusted it off, unlocked and opened it then cleaned the inside. When it and its key looked new and shiny, they brought it to their mother who was sitting in the kitchen, taking a break with some lemonade.

"Your dad went to get pizza and more cardboard boxes. Sit, rest, have some lemonade. The neighbours brought it over. They're sad to see us leave."

"I'm sure they are sad to see our 'eye sore of a green fence' be painted white by the realtor before she sells it." Dean sat down and poured himself a glass of lemonade.

"I'm surprised Mr. Hudson hasn't done it himself already. What's that behind your back?"

"Something we found in the attic." Sam set the cupboard on the table. "We thought it was a jewelry box but it has shelves not hooks… Do you still want it?"

"My mother used to tell me stories her mother told her about this." Their mom gasped, recognizing the box. "She said it was magical, that you could put any toy inside, lock the door, and then open it again and the toy would come to life. She would never let me try it and she always changed the subject when I asked if she tried it. You boys probably don't have any toys left hanging around so you can just dump it. Besides, there's no such thing as magic."

Dean volunteered to take the box out to the dumpster but instead, he put it in the trunk of his car. He set the figurine of the man in the trench coat beside it and added the key to his key ring.

It seems like a waste to clean it then trash it… And you never know, it just might work.