Inside the box

Another day, another half a dollar I thought as I crawled out of bed. Time for a hot shower and a hot coffee before work.

As I got in the shower the doorbell rang, I presumed it was a delivery but knew even by now the courier would have left. So either the parcel would be by the door, or I would have a note telling me where I needed to go to fetch it.

I decided the shower and coffee came first, the Suprise at the door could wait. When I made it to the door, finally, there was no card. Therefore, I thought there could be a box. Not expecting anything I opened the door.

Sat there was a box, with only an address label giving a clue what it was for. After checking the address was right it was time to bring it in. Even though the box was quite big it hardly weighed anything. After putting it on the kitchen table I started guessing what it contained.

I hadn't ordered anything; it wasn't my birthday, so it was a mystery. The mystery deepened once the box was open, it was completely empty. I was used to a box far to big for its content, but never a box with nothing in it. I checked for anything stuck in a corner, any holes or for any sign it might have been opened before reaching me.

Totally bemused and confused I left the mystery and went to work. On arrival home it was time to check the box over one more time before getting rid of it. After looking all over it and even under the label I gave up, the mystery would remain a mystery.

After cutting the bits of tape I started to fold it up. Then I found the only thing the box contained, a message.

It said"please help us, we are working for horrible people and they wont let us leave. Please, wherever you are please tell the authorities. " There followed an address in the middle east.

Not totally sure what to do or even if it was true. I sat and wondered what to do. I decided to trust the computer and asked my favourite search engine what to do. It didn't understand the question but gave me some ideas.

The only solution I could find was the address of the British embassy in the country next door to the box company. I found a number and realsied I had to persuade someone I wasnt dreaming or drunk. The story seemed bizarre to me and I was the one in the middle of it. Even worse was I got an answer machine, so I had to try to explain my bizarre story.

I waited for a call back, surprisingly enough one came. Even more suprsingly the caller wasnt suprised I had called. Apparently the box maker s had sent boxes to random addresses near where some of them had relatives. The boxes were empty, so they were cheap to send, the workers only ever went to the courier's office to send parcels so had to use it to call for help.

The workers had been rescued and the factory bosses were waiting their punishment. A good deed done I hung up after the call and congratulated myself.

A few weeks later it was again coffee and shower time. Again the bell rang , this time when I got to the box it was a lot heavier then before. Inside were thank you letters and a small gift from each of the rescued staff of the box factory.