His Soul

Hello, Detective!

A couple of weeks went by and your life felt surprisingly mundane.

After an eventful case where you trapped a magical creature donning a jester costume, you were left searching for further work. But no one has approached you with any interesting propositions since then. You were involved in a couple of minor cases - solving where someone's stolen car had gone and what delinquent was stealing from neighborhood mailboxes. But none were as exciting as your last big case. You kind of missed the thrill that came with getting mixed up in magical creatures and major disappearances. Not that you didn't enjoy having some peace, but you wished something big would happen again...

You resorted to finishing up your paperwork and picking up a novel you'd been meaning to read. Besides your busy work, you were left twiddling your thumbs in your office. You'd stopped to catch up with Audrey a few days prior. You shared a little of your adventure with Andrew Collins' case and she loved the little bits you indulged her in. You still refused to speak of Curioso or share the morbid parts of the story. Some things you'd rather keep to yourself. But it was still a relief to get some of it off your shoulders and receive a warm bagel in exchange.

Boredom has gotten the best of you. You'd been swiveling around in your office chair wondering how much laundry you had to get done before something occurred to you. You hadn't checked on Curioso's box that day. It wasn't like the thing would randomly grow legs and walk out of your office, but you wanted to make sure it was still there. Something just itched when you remembered what was inside, and you wouldn't be satisfied until you ensured it was in its place.

You had driven yourself mad with suspicion, convincing yourself that this box was a hex and simply having it in your possession was dangerous. You always felt a little on edge, prepared for him to break free and cause havoc again. But the box didn't move. It didn't glow, make any noise, or do much of anything, really. You must've looked crazy, speaking to it and holding it every now and then. You were starting to think this thing was taking control of your life. As if you had become... obsessed, as ironic as that was.

You looked up from your desk in the direction of the memorabilia and found nothing had moved. You got up and approached it, eying the box in wonder. It was still hard to believe you owned the thing now...it's existed for decades, but the paint was still pristine and the gems shined like they were brand new. You guess it made sense - the thing was magical, after all. It was reassuring it could still be taken and broken apart...if the worst came to worst...

"Enjoying the view, Detective?"

You nearly jumped out of your skin at the unexpected voice. It rang as clear as day, like it was right behind you, but it also sounded somewhat distant. Instinct had you spinning on your heel to see who was there, only to face your empty office. You furrowed your eyebrows together and looked back at the box. The top was glowing a familiar blue, but the color was dimmer than you remember.

It dawned on you that Curioso might've just escaped his containment and you hadn't caught his departure. You looked around again with a little more urgency but still found no one. That didn't mean anything, though - this jester could teleport and project himself anywhere he wanted. He could be a small face hiding somewhere out of your reach for all you knew.

"Where are you!?" You exclaimed, tossing your drawers open and checking all the papers. His face appeared on your invitation once, so it wasn't far-fetched. "Don't try to hide; I'll find you."

"I have nowhere to go," A calm voice responded. It was definitely Curioso, but it was nothing like the high-pitched, teasing voice that you recalled.

You followed the direction of the sound right back to the box. You tilted your head curiously, reaching out to grab it but stopping yourself. What if he could escape if you touched it just now? You'd never held it while it was glowing. You kept your distance but refused to move your stare.