The Wolf's Eye: A Series of Short Horror Stories

Maria's Box

She sits to watch her morning cartoons, holding still so her mother can braid her hair. In her hands is a small shoebox. She clutches it, the contents rattling as the box moves. Maria can't let the box go. In the box is everything she loves.

She goes to school. She sits down with her box, setting it beside her on the desk. And then she listens. She listens to the conversations of the people around her. She hears a boy laughing and laughing. And she turns to see him laughing and pointing at a girl, who sits with a stuffed animal in her lap. She has her head down as she hears his degrading words.

And Maria doesn't like this. She doesn't like it at all.

She opens her box. Inside, there's a small doll with buttons for eyes. Besides that, there are several sharp, sharp needles.

So she takes out the doll. She holds it in her left hand, then picks up a needle with the right.

The boy laughs and laughs. A tear goes down the girl's face.

And Maria stabs the doll in the shoulder with the needle.

The boy freezes. He lets out a strangled cry as he collapses on the ground, clutching his shoulder. And then he looks at his hand to see a dark red color coating it. Blood runs down his arm, and he screams.

And Maria, she simply smiles as she puts the doll and needle back into her box.

When Maria comes home, she hears shouting in the kitchen. Her mother and father are arguing again, just like many other times. Maria is about to go up to her room, but she suddenly sees it. She sees her father lift a hand and slap her mother. Her cheek red, tears dry on her face, her mother backs away.

Enraged, Maria takes the doll out of the box again. She picks up one of the needles and jabs it into the doll's soft cotton-stuffed belly. Her father drops to his knees, blood pouring from the wound. Her mother screams and sobs.

Maria hears the sirens coming down the street as she goes to her room.

Years pass, and Maria keeps the box still. Inside the box is everything she loves.

The twenty-four year old works as a banker and keeps the box shoved inside of her purse. Throughout the years, she's dealt with the hatred surrounding her using her box.

Standing behind the desk, Maria concentrates on her work, but her eyes flick over to her purse again and again. Something's gonna happen, she thinks, something.

Just then, she hears, "everyone stand up!"

And in the doorway is a man with a gun.

Everyone stands, lifting their hands above them as the masked man points his gun at them all. The safety is still on, Maria thinks, rolling her eyes. He doesn't know how to use that.

She reaches down and takes the box out of her purse, opening it and setting the doll on the desk. Then she takes out a needle.

"If any of you move," the man says, "you're dead."

Maria lifts the needle and jabs it into the chest of the doll.

Immediately, the man falls. He lets out a choking sound as he clutches his chest. A few minutes pass, and he falls dead.

The police arrive. No one is able to determine the man's mysterious death. Maria puts the doll and needle in the box and puts it away. As she slings her purse over her shoulder and walks out the door, she grins and licks her lips.

Inside Maria's box is everything she loves. Everything she enjoys. Everything she needs.