The International Institute · Department No. XII ·
The International InstituteOrdinary & Remarkable Knowledge
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No. XII The Unclaimed Register · Twelve items · Fully described

Department No. XII · The Register

Twelve items, no owners.

Everything handed in and never missed, described as found. Claimants should read the claiming rules before pointing.

12Items held
3Years to permanence
1Reunion, spring
The twelve items
  1. Umbrella, black
  2. Glove, left
  3. Scarf, striped
  4. Key, red tag
  5. Paperback, page 214
  6. Spectacles, taped
  7. Tupperware lid
  8. Lunchbox, KEV (claimed)
  9. Water bottle
  10. Shopping list
  11. Hat, loose bobble
  12. Novelty tie

Item 01

Umbrella, black Unclaimed 3 yrs

Wooden crook handle. Left in the stand by the door.

It has outlasted three winters of other people’s rain. Now permanent.

Record. Stand by the door, October 2023. No initials; forty like it.

Item 02

Glove, left, grey wool Unclaimed 2 yrs

One of a pair; the right is at large.

The thumb is thin from holding railings. The right has never been handed in.

Record. Bus stop, February 2024. Smells faintly of bus.

Item 03

Scarf, striped Unclaimed 2 yrs

Moth-nibbled at one end. Fringe knotted by habit.

Somebody’s grandmother knitted the stripes; somebody’s moth found them.

Record. Cloakroom, Room 5G, March 2024.

Item 04

Key, Yale-type, red tag Unclaimed 1 yr

Tag reads “SPARE??” in biro.

It opens nothing in the building. It has been tried, twice, in everything.

Record. Windowsill, June 2025. The question marks are original.

Item 05

Paperback, page 214 Unclaimed 1 yr

Bookmark: a till receipt for socks.

The novel was finished by staff during quiet shifts. The ending was adequate.

Record. Reading Room, August 2025. No name inside.

Item 06

Spectacles, taped arm Unclaimed 1 yr

Left arm mended with tape, twice.

The prescription is mild and the tape is strong. Recognisable at twenty paces.

Record. Bench, Room 1 · Floor 2, September 2025. Case missing.

Item 07

Tupperware lid, only Unclaimed 8 mo

No box has ever accompanied it.

It fits no container in the collection. It fits the shelf exactly.

Record. Staff kitchen, January 2026. Stained faintly orange.

Item 08

Lunchbox, KEV Claimed spring

Empty. Initials scratched on the lid.

The sole success of spring. See Reunion II.

Record. Cloakroom, February 2026. Smelled of cheese.

Item 09

Water bottle, dented Unclaimed 6 mo

Stickers from three counties. Dented on one side.

The dent suggests a single decisive drop. The stickers suggest travel.

Record. Stairwell, Room 5F, March 2026. Half full, then empty.

Item 10

Shopping list Unclaimed 4 mo

Eggs, string, more string.

The string was never bought, or was bought and is also lost.

Record. Trolley bay, April 2026. In pencil, underlined.

Item 11

Hat, one bobble loose Unclaimed 3 mo

Navy. The bobble hangs by a thread.

The thread has held for three months. The department respects this.

Record. Corridor, Room 5H, June 2026. Smells of rain, as everything does.

Item 12

Novelty tie Unclaimed 1 mo

World’s Best Grandad. Worn once, by the look of it.

The claim, if true, is unverifiable. The tie is kept either way.

Record. Closed Kiosk, Room 5J, August 2026. Still knotted.

To claimDescribe the item without saying “mine.” Rules of claiming.