The Box Paradox | ✅

Chapter 7

Micaela was scared. There is nothing more terrifying than having a knocking box in your room. She thought through her options, telling herself that her father was only a few doors down and the PA was probably downstairs and the gardener was in the garden and the maid was making the beds. They could all help her.

But there was something telling her that they wouldn't help much in this situation.

She couldn't hold it any longer. The sound of thundering footsteps could be heard as she made her way down the glass staircase. She sounded like a herd of elephants charging in panic.

That's what she felt. Panic.

Pure panic.

She figured the PA would be her best shot. He was a sort of guy who didn't believe in nonsense but, if agitated enough, would do anything to make sure Micaela's gob was shut.

She skidded to where the PA was ruffling through stacks of papers in the office. By the looks of things, they were old papers that had no use and he was going to feed them to the shredder.

He looked up. "Yes?"

"Um... long story short. You know that box you brought up for me? Well, I think I'm hearing knocking noises."

The PA's mouth curled into a smile. "You think you're hearing knocking?"

Micaela nodded frantically.

"Well," the PA drew his hand to his chin in mock thought. "Why does that sound so strange? Maybe your papa finally decided to escape that luxury office of his and see the true world?"

Micaela was in no mood for games. "Look, can you please come and help—"

"Yeah, I'm your Personal Assistant, Miss. But I do not 'come and help' in such a way to provide for a girl's imagination."

"I wasn't imagining it!" she hurried on. "I heard it, I swear—"

"Don't swear. I can't stand sw—"

"Just come!" shrieked the little girl in such a way that the PA jumped in fright, knocked the papers into the shredder, which began to whirl. His face twisted into a face you might see when someone's being force-fed with a lemon. Under other circumstances Micaela might have laughed. She was delighted her plan at pulling a tantrum had worked so well.

"My finger!" the PA yelled. "My finger!"

Micaela tried not to roll her eyes as he nursed his perfectly fine fingers that the shredder hadn't touched and wailed like a five-year-old. This PA was unpredictable.

She hurried out of the room with the man trailing after her, still wailing about his poor fingers. The shredder hadn't even touched his hand—only the papers—and yet the noise it had made provoked the PA's brain to pretend there was pain.

"So much for imagining things," she muttered as they stomped their way up the staircase and into one of her many rooms. As they neared the box, the knocking was still there, louder than ever now.

"Can you hear it?" the PA whispered. "Or am I going crazy?"

"No, I can hear it," Micaela whispered back. "It's louder than before, though."

The PA didn't reply—he was cowering back towards the door, his face petrified.

"I don't like this," he murmured. "I don't like this at all."

"Please, just help me look at it. I want to see what they want."

The PA now went pale. "'They'? There are people in there?"

Micaela suddenly felt bad for this man. He obviously hadn't taken a look at what was inside the gigantic box.

"Don't worry," she said reassuringly. "They're only dolls."

Now the man looked more nervous than ever. "Oh, God. Dolls? What, like creepy voodoo dolls?"

The little girl felt like laughing but then stopped herself. "No! They're just figurines. Like soldier figures but dressed like normal people."

"Um, tell your father I've resigned," the PA muttered before dashing out of the door and, before Micaela could move, the front door clanged shut.

"Such a sissy," Micaela muttered more for herself than anyone else. She was terrified but after seeing what had happened to the PA, she realised this fear wasn't anything to be scared of. There was more courage above anything else.

"Ok, Micaela," the little girl said, taking a deep breath as she climbed the ladder to the lid of the box. The knocking was as loud as it would ever get now.

She lifted the lid open.