"Lost Things" by Rochelle Leya Watts

    Ike whistled. His coffee spun round in the microwave. He used one of the single's packets because it was faster. It wasn't better than brewing, but being faster made it worthwhile. School would start in exactly twenty-two minutes and three seconds. Ike hated being late to school. He hurried to finish packing his lunch and drink his coffee.
    In his room, everything was in its place. He had made his bed after getting up this morning. On his desk lay last night's homework, a chest he'd unlocked and found full of gold. He was sure it would get him another, yet another, A.
    He picked up his books and set them into his backpack. He took his coffee back to the kitchen and washed it out. He turned off the morning news, which he had watched for the weather before dressing. He picked up his backpack, then his jacket, then his keys.
    Actually, he didn't pick up his keys; they weren't in their normal place on the ring beside his door. He thought he picked up his keys for a second. Then, dropping his backpack and jacket, he thoroughly searched his room. When that turned up nothing, panic set in. He'd be late. Maybe late enough to not get his homework turned in. That couldn't happen. Ike looked in every nook and cranny and space in his house where the keys might be.

    They weren't there for a very good reason. They were somewhere else, to be precise, somewhere far away. The keys had fallen, through not fault of their own, through a dimension portal behind Ike's desk. They now resided in the kitchen of a little imp.
    The little imp was sitting at his table, and looked up from his newspaper. He sighed as the keys clinked down. This was the eleventh pair this week. He had wondered when he bought this place why it was so cheap. He had found out when little lost articles of the big humans started falling into his kitchen. He sighed again and stood up, turning up his shirtsleeves at the same time. With a grunt and heave, he pushed the keys upright and then over into the slowly closing portal. With a final jingle of farewell and thanks, they tumbled away. " There you go, " the imp returned to his breakfast and reading.

    Ike frantically ran from room to room. School was only seven minutes and fourteen seconds away. At this rate, he'd definitely be late. He found that idea sickening and sank down on his bed. He murmured curses. He heard a soft jingle, like money in the deepest of pockets. He looked up and saw his keys hanging on the ring beside his door. He must have imagined them being gone. He sighed with relief, grabbed them, his backpack and jacket, locked the door behind him, and got to school only one minute late. But he got his homework turned in.