Black box

It was early January, and the celebrations of Christmas were now a thing of the past. My boyfriend Peter was taking down the Christmas lights, and the January blues were beginning to kick in. I guess the Christmas dopamine was wearing off and reality was returning.

I was hanging the laundry on the radiators when I noticed something unusual coming closer to the house, a drone. It sounded like a large bee buzzing, and it was rather unsightly, but what was more unusual was that it left a package at the front door.

Peter had not noticed the drone, so I rushed downstairs and opened the front door, and there it was. A black box wrapped in a black silk ribbon and was addressed to me. I felt excitement run through my body. I rushed back upstairs and bounced on the bed. Unwrapping the ribbon felt like Christmas all over again. Was it a belated present from my boyfriend or family? I lifted the lid, and confusion washed over me. All that was in the box was a card with an address on it.

I was not sure what to do; I did think of throwing it away and forgetting about it, but it had sparked my curiosity. Do I go to the address? do I tell Peter? Who sent the box? All these questions raced through me. Peter walked into the room and caught me deep in thought.

"What have you got there?" he inquired.

"A package was delivered; I’m not sure what to make of it," I replied, and I handed him the box and note.

"That’s strange, do you know the address?" he responded.

"No, shall we go?" I hinted. I could feel my puppy eyes forming.

"Phhhh, I don’t know, it’s a bit weird, but I know if I say no, your curiosity will get the better of you and you’ll end up going anyway." He smirked

"I’ll get my coat and you can drive," I replied. I ran downstairs to get my coat and shoes.

Peter was already in the car by the time I grabbed the house keys. I’m pretty sure he was more excited than me. Peter keyed in the address into Google Maps.

"This address is for the old, abandoned logging warehouse, are you sure you want to go?" he asked.

I’m not sure how I looked at him, but it was enough for him to not need an answer. We set off on our journey. A big smile lit up my face. I am not sure why I was so happy. Here I sit with a strange black box and a random address on my lap, which could lead me to my demise, yet I was too thrilled by the adventure. I am so glad Peter loves me enough to follow me. One thing I can say for sure is that I was no longer feeling the January blues.

We pulled up to the warehouse, it was old and grey. The windows were all smashed in, and the doors were barely hanging on. It was covered in graffiti and overgrown weeds were making their way up the structure. The damage was really a shame, as the warehouse was surrounded by acres of beautiful forest. The warehouse just seemed out of place, it used to be owned by a logging company that went bust. Now here it stands, forgotten and alone.

We headed in, and there were old mattresses and rubbish scattered. You could tell someone use to lodge here. The interior was intact, and the warehouse looked well preserved. We walked around, and there was nothing in relation to the box. As we made our way to the third and final floor, the room lit up. There were fairy lights scattered all around and the most beautiful Christmas tree in the corner of the room. The room looked like a fairy tale, full of magic. As I turned around, Peter was on one knee, tears were in his eyes. I could tell he was nervous but excited.

"Will you marry me?" he asked.

"Yes," I responded. I leaped into his arms.

Peter held me and kissed my forehead. I turned and looked at him and asked. "Why here"?

"This is now our new home," he responded.

"What, here? It will take a lot of work to convert," I said hesitantly.

"Yes, well, I know you don't like the normal things, so this is a project we'll do together, for a home that we’ll live in for the rest of our lives." He spoke.

I was so over the moon, although the warehouse gave me a little anxiety, it was perfect. It came with a patch of forest, and a forest home was always my dream. The mystery box was, in fact, a box of love.