The Black Box

9

I'm so bored. I don't want to play with Toby or bug Saige while she's doing homework. I lay on the couch for sometime.

Then my eye catches the closet's doorknob. It's a honey-colored brass. I feel the urge to touch it so I get up and walk to the door. I put my hand on the knob and twist it to the left.

I opened the closet. Now I'm looking at piles and piles of junk. Some of it spills out of the closet. Great. Now I have to clean it up. Just as I'm about to pick up some of it and throw it into the closet, my eye catches on a black box.

I drop the stuff in my arms, and pick up the box. It's not really a box, more like a black cube. It's smaller than my palm, not too small or too big. I twist it between my hands and my hands brush against something. I look at it and it's like a light switch. It's switched downward, meaning it's off.

Now I feel curious. What does the switch do? I don't want anything bad to happen, then again it could just be a switch on a black cube that does nothing. I hope it does that.

I go upstairs, leaving the box in the closet, and grab an Exacto knife. I don't know why I feel the urge to have it, but if something does happen I'll have some sort of protection. More or less.

I run downstairs and grab the box. I'm about to flip the switch but my mom calls my family for dinner. Shoot. I can't believe this happens. This so anti-climactic.

I run back upstairs and still at the table with the box in my pocket.
"What are we having for dinner?" I ask my mom.

"We're having chicken and mashed potatoes," she replies. I put some chicken and potatoes on my plate and start eating. I feel anxious.

Toby's in his chair and is playing with his mashed potatoes. Luckily I sit away from him, but not directly in front of him like the last time when we had tacos. I listen to my parents talk about politics and work and what we're doing for tomorrow and stuff like that.

After dinner I set my plate in the sink and head downstairs. I go into the closet and close the door. It's very cramped in there. I feel around for the light switch. I flip it upwards and the lightbulb turns on. Now I have this black box in my hands in a cramped closet with no one knowing where I am. I guess that's sort of a bad idea if anything happens to me.

I hear the door close and footsteps going down the steps. My heartbeat stops. I don't want to be caught hiding in the closet. I breathe as quietly as I can and become like a statue. It's so hard from moving in the closet 'cause I'm becoming restless. My mom's probably getting more dish detergent or soap. She walks up the stairs and leaves. Phew. That was a close call.

I look back at the box in my hands. It seems like it's hollow but it doesn't have a lid or any opening for that matter. I check my phone for the time. It's 6:30. I take the courage from my self-confidence, which I have little of, and carefully flip the switch.

Then I blackout. Ugh, not again. I swear this is the last time I'll blackout, not like that's in my control. I feel for the light switch but it's not there, neither are the shelves and walls. I feel what's under me and I feel a pile of rock. Like a huge hunk of raw granite's beneath me. I check my pockets to see if I have anything that produces some light. It's still pitch black so I need some light to see where I am.

I found the Exacto knife, but nothing else in that pocket. I check the other and find my phone. Good thing is that it's a smart phone so I can see if there's any cellular bars in this black place. You know I'm kidding right?

I turn it on and turn on the flashlight setting.

I scream.

In front of me is a girl. She has shoulder length blonde hair like it was bleached, but the tips are a light blue. Strange. She looks frail but strong and I don't think I could take her. She's slightly shorter than I am and is wearing all black. That's not what's worrying me.

"Hello Peter Ceiler. I'm Christie Barbados and I've come to help you," says the girl named Christie.

God I'm scared to death. I don't trust her. The thing that's worrying me and wanting me to scream out are these big black swords strapped to each of her sides on her back. Probably has daggers in her belt too. All I have is an Exacto knife.

"Um hi,"I start to say, "How do you know my name? I've never seen you in my entire life."

"Because I am your protector," She replies with her light green eyes locked on mine.