The Book of Common

The Black Box

Well now I'll tell ya, I sa patrolling Oh around the
Wet Lands just south of place called Cocoa Beach.
When I stumbled on a curiosity that I'm wondering
If I was seeing things. Well the curiosity was a tall
looked like a grave marker, half buried in the sand
and what topsoil or dirt ya have in the Wet Lands.

Tell ya what first got my mind a lookin is theys
a snake my gosh big enough to swallow myself
now I'm not foolin, gosh darn thin scared the
well you no what out a me. Now I've seen gators
Lan sakes that swallow a man, this blasted snake
well gator wouldn't have chance. Writin on the thing said Time Capsule Year 2025.

I was a stayin my distance mind ya, I could see part
of it was broke away. Well inside that broke part
was a chamber of sorts. I could see a black box inside. Well old Common wanted to know what
that was. Mind ya now I don't like snakes they
Scare me, past logic ya know that run don't stay
type fear.

So I told myself Common I say, let's ride off let
that snake be. Come on back later, it a be gone.
Besides my feet are soaked. Ya see the Wet Lands
is like a swamp, in some ways thin water all around ya. Hardly any dry ground except the Beach some places its dry for a mile or so.
Common get on track, like I was sayin decided
I'd ride off some find a decent place to camp.
Ifin I can that is. 

Well I find this Seminoles village, they are nice people. Well for the most part, don't care much
fer visitors. Rangers they don't mind much, guess
we are to much like them. We live best we can with what we gots. Plus we don't stay long, that
really helps. I speaks with the Elder mind ya now,
I'm a wondering if the snake would of been better.

He told me I could stay the night, which was good
the village is raised up out the water dry and all.
Good gator proof fence. Then they was a but, darn
it all. I ask what this but is. He said theys a snake
big son of a buck. Called a conda, its done ate
couple small pigs and they think a child.

Well he described the darn thing, I say well saw a snake just like that back aways. Don't know ifin
that is the one. I sure would like a close look at
the thing it was wrapped around. Well guess I
shoulda kept my mouth shut. This Elder mind ya
that's a title he wasn't old now. Grabbed his spear
and knife says show me! Now! Dear me I look at him say that blame thing to big to tangle with.
I show him a thirty six caliber ball, says don't
think that a do it. He says we kill it we kill all
Conda's! Went to get on my horse he stops me.
Leave horse, we walk how far? I say only few minutes.

Wouldn't ya know it that Conda still wrapped around that thing, black box still stuck in that
chamber. Elder shouted Conda! Lan sakes he is
a walking towards it. My legs don't want ta move,
I says Common move you a Ranger now go!
Pistol and saber are pulled. I plan on shootin the blame thing then takin its head off!

That Elder stops looks hard at it. He doesn't see its
head. Asks you see its head. My mouth is dry my
hands are wet with sweat. I says I don't see a blame head don't want to neither!  He smiles at
me you afraid of diein? Hell I says they a tried
ta kill me few times. I just don't press my luck.
He says to me it has to be killed. I'll poke it you
watch for its head. We must know where the head
is. Well I shouts poke the darn thing! Big mistake!
Real big mistake! That Conda brung that head out!

I jumped back five steps Ifin not more. That head folks, I'm tellin ya my gosh I know it could swallow me now. Teeth curved back look like daggers thousands of them. Oh it started slithering around
that stone. Fraid take my eyes off it. Elder says
I'll poke it again shoot it! I manage to say yea.

I cock my thirty six, my left hand is hurting I'm
holdin that saber with a death grip. He pokes,
Blam blam! I start a jumpin I gots ya darn snake!

Well between us we get the rest of it off the stone
thing. Darn snake was close to thirty feet long.
Big around lets just say a guess of eight inches
in diameter. That is under sizin it.

I grab up that black box, heavy thing took me and
that Elder to get it back to the village. They close the gate to the village. Start fires all around it.
Little warm for all that ain't it? Elder says watch
fires help keep the danger out. I nod do it stop
snakes? No we can see them though. 

Before I even try and open this blame thing we totted back.
Elder I'm sorry never proper introduced
I'm Common and you be? Conda. I says named after the snake. He smiles yep, because I kill all
Conda. They don't belong, not from here. You
got Corn drippin? Sure do lets open this box
first see what's in it, then we can have some.

Well I gets to lookin no hasp no lock that takes a
key. Kinda dirty so clean the top off. Just could
make out the writin, push to unlock. I looks over
at Conda say well figured out how to open it.
You ready? He smiles open it. I push I hears a click
I pull up it opens. I'm smiling I may of just found
Somethin special. I looks in I see a small box says
ATC under that it says American Telephone Corp.
What in the world does that mean? Theys a white
round ball red stitchin on it, inside a glass box.
Says on top of the glass. 2025 World Series Home
run ball, hit by Nick James. Gots this black scribble
on the ball. News paper article talkin about this
Nick James, how he hit three home runs in the World Series. Local boy does Florida proud.

The paper has a picture now, not drawn I don't
rightfully know what it is. Guess the picture is
that Nick James. More News Paper I open that
box up. Now I've got an oddity here, thin can't be
more than quarter inch if that. About seven inches
long. Four inches wide, looks like glass on one side
really smooth steel or somethin on the other.
Light not like steel and glass be much heavier.

Theys a paper with how to use your smart phone on it. Dear I can't even read it the print is to small.
I puts it all back, Elder that wasn't worth carrin
back heavy blame box. I reach in my bag pull
out the Corn Licker, me and Conda have a drink.
Next might just talk about Maggie yep just might.