The Gray Fantasy

[Depths of the Timberlands]

Since he already got the box, he should now unlock it. Before that, he continuously rubbed his hands to each other, to intensify his zest in waiting.

 

“Hmm, I predict something inside was delicious. It must be precious”. He confidently believed that his hunch had a big chance to happen. He could portray lots of wealth hiding there; shiny gold and diamonds twinkling in it. Excitement was itching in his palm.

For a short time, he paused. Scrutinizing its surface, he could freshly smell the sweet tree balm from a cotton tree. As pleasant as perfume, it’s pleasing to sniff.

He breathed heavily, then carefully pulled out the lid of the chest.

Amused in the present he sensed, he wrongfully punched both sides of it. He was furiously disappointed that he could set it to fire right after luring him that it possessed a valuable prize.

His eyes pointed heavenward, blaming the unpleasant reward they’ve seen. It was empty and nothing except a free-roaming air, which eventually got freed after being imprisoned in a silly container. Even him, he didn’t expect that coming, as just pile of treasures stacked in what he thought. Due to uncontrollable fury in what he saw, he heated up promptly. Until a time came and he was about to throw it outside when…

The wooden chest hopped on the floor and glowed brilliantly, as bright as a blue star. His fingers twitched in shock, as a more shocking phenomenon wiped his inspired, rock-hard bravery. A dusty sight baffled him.

The next scene was the most unbelievable transformation he’d witnessed. At first, he became suspicious to the box, until he shrieked as he curled in fear on the rough, marble-tiled floor.

Ordinary box. Nothing but a wooden box before. When white, big fangs sprouted on the sides of the lid bottom, he roughly panicked as he tried to seek for help, but he could not open the tightly-locked doors. It was followed up by a slender, wriggling tongue like that of viper, which protruded out of the box.

It was like a monster, with no eyes, no limbs and no feet. He kept on kicking the door, punching it and knocking his head onto it until he saw a thick blood on his head.

             

Like a vicious black hole, the creepy beast box sipped everything in the room. He kept holding on in the bed posts but it was like a strong gravitational force that he couldn’t counter. Even the lights in the room didn’t escape the cruelty of the box.

Soon, he lose grasp and was also sucked inside it. Along its zigzag, muddy path, he rolled unstoppably as he heard different voices, moaning for help. Amid the passage were tons of skeletons lying. The voices might came from the skeletons that were stuck in the lining of the passage. Possibilities stayed afloat in his head, whether they had died due to fear or they hadn’t made it to vamoose that they suffered an agonizing fate. He was about to expel when the skeletons pulled his feet, dragging him inside. He forced to get free as soon as possible, or else he would perish together with the disgusting bones. He could be one of them if ever he didn’t flee. They chased him as he ran even though he didn’t know what path he’s taking. Even though he didn’t have any idea where might it lead him. After weathering the storm, he was nearly choked to death but still, he’s alive. Half-dead.