Music Box

I heard a ka thunk at my door and wondered who or what it was.

It brought me back to reality and I looked up.

The sky had turned twilight while I was curled up on my living room couch, it was soft and cozy- Brown microfiber upholstery with hazel & cream patchwork throw pillows, zoned out on my phone.

I found myself doing this quite a bit lately. It helped me to forget who I was and what my life was.

Now don't get me wrong, if I was being objective, my life was the same as many other peoples.

Not bad, just not worth living.

Every day was the same.

I got up took a shower and ate oatmeal , drove to work, had a salad for lunch, drove home, stared at my phone until my stomach told me it was time to nuke a TV dinner, ate and then went to sleep.

For the last 2 years I hadn't slept well so I took sleeping pills at night.

In 2 years I had gone from half a pill at nights to 3 pills per night.

My keycard from work lay on the coffee table circled by the stiff grey & navy blue lanyard that had been issued with it, I normally hung it up by the door so I could grab it as I left in the morning, my unsmiling 3 years younger face stared up at me from the little picture on it right above my name - Samantha Light.

It was ironic due to how dark my days felt.

I sat up on the couch, not wanting to look at the keycard, my phone or anything that was supposedly mine anymore. I don't know when it had happened, but I couldn't stand my life. I had built it with fervor and had been excited for it to start....and then I just lost interest in anything. I was always irritable, unless I was on my phone and then I was a zombie. I would hate who I had become but I just didn't have the energy to right now.

I just wanted to sleep.

I sat up, sighing and ran my hands down my face, I held them pressed palm to palm in front of me with my thumbs under my chin as I stared out my large picture window-I had framed it with coffee colored curtains when I moved in here- at the darkening sky.

I used to like this time of day, now it made me uneasy as I knew I would sleep soon....well in reality I wouldn't sleep but toss and turn fitfully until I went unconscious for a few hours before my alarm for work went off and I would repeat this dreaded cycle all over again.

I got up gingerly, stretching the stiffness from my limbs and back, I should go see what was going on at the door and then make myself something to eat.

As I padded over to the front door I saw some kids playing hoops in the parking lot a little ways off of my kitchen window, it was nice to see.

I always liked kids, I could never relate to them but it was good to see them so happy with the simplest things.

I had loved how many windows this place had when I moved in, for an apartment it was beautifully designed with a lot of light coming in.

I opened my front door and there was a little red drone hovering in the air with a bulky package attached to it. I took the package from it and the thing hovered up and just dissipated ....I shook myself and if it weren't for the bundle still in my hands I would have thought that I was dreaming.

Disappearing drones........Well that was one way to protect the environment I guess.

I closed my door and walked the package over to my kitchen counter, the address was correct but there was no return address.

I turned the white & red wrapped bundle over looking for a seam or a postmark and found none.

After tugging on the bright red ribbon winding around the package to no avail, I tried slicing through the white wrapping paper with my kitchen scissors which promptly broke in half.

Wow! Whoever wrapped this did not want anyone to accidentally open it!

Shrugging, I pulled a chef knife from the rack-spilling my recharge essential oil blend that I used to motivate myself to eat at nights, I would clean it up later- and sliced open the white paper wrapping, which melted away like fresh fallen snow on cobblestones.

Where had that thought come from, that was odd...And I had never been around cobblestone.

Inside was a weather old wooden box with a clasp and a small wooden scroll slid through where a lock should be. Hmmm this was interesting. I pulled the scroll and tried to read it but it was written in some odd language so I set it aside and carefully opened the box.

Inside was an intricately ornate box, it had to be an antique; it was black with gold inlay and scarlet patterning all over it. I pulled more red ribbon from the lock hasps and lifted the lid to find rich crimson velvet in perfect condition and a beautiful tiny ballerina doll.

The doll was unlike any I had seen...she almost looked real with how much detail had gone into her face and clothes. Dark brown-close to black- hair swept into a ballerina bun high atop her head with a gold tiara with red jewels, red & pink ballerina dress complete with silk, lace & tulle.

But my attention was most drawn to the dolls large bright green eyes; they seemed to have a light all of their own.

This thing had to be worth a small fortune.

It looked to be an old style music box, and I searched for and found the stand to place the doll on so she could twirl in place to whatever music the box played.

I tenderly picked up the little thing and placed her in her Red & Pink stand-the newer ones all came with the doll attached, but I really liked this kind- and then turned the little gold key set into the stand.

No sooner had a few warbly notes escaped when I felt a whoosh and a sharp pull forward. I became light headed and blacked out.

Wow, that had been horrible. I attempted to blink my eyes and found them already opened. I looked around and found I was in my bedroom.

I tried to turn my head and could not, Oh no I hoped I hadn’t had a stroke.

I tried to look this way and that and as I looked up ........I saw myself. Or should I say whoever was wearing my face and body.

I felt my brain begin to skip through the events of the evening and my mind twisted in on itself a little.

Whoever was wearing my body looked down as if noticing me for the first time, what had once been my full lips stretched into an almost obscene smile-

The thought struck me "Wow I am really pretty! I never knew."

“Samantha, you are quite right, you are absolutely beautiful. I always wanted to be blonde in my previous life.

Well before Blondie and her entourage accused me of witchcraft and had me hunted down for it. “The person wearing my body flicked what used to be my hair and purred

"It’s a good thing I knew a spell or two or I would have gone mad when those two bit warlocks for hire shoved my essence into that little doll , they thought it was hilarious that I would be atop a music box destined to twirl for whomever owned the box. "

"What?" I was petrified , a terrible & insane thought hit me....I looked as far down as I could on where I was currently and spied bright red tulle. Then upon a limited visual inspection I saw the red velvet that I had thought so pretty within the music box. No! I couldn't be the doll. And I wanted my body back!

"Yes you’re in the doll Samantha. And of course you do! I did too." my former mouth twisted in an ugly fashion

"You know it really is nice to talk again, and to move about freely. I missed that. But Sam, I do feel for you so I will explain what’s happening. You must be so curious!"

I tried to nod

"Don't bother, it won’t work.

Your soul is currently residing in a detachable ballerina doll that sets within a music box while I am in your body.

My name is Selena Ofeal.

I was cursed into that doll because my mother was a witch and I was too stupid to leave my town once she died.

My body was destroyed so that I could never rein habit it, otherwise I would never do something like this.

I’ve been in that doll for over 500 years.

And before you ask the million dollar question of why you, do you know how rare it is to have all of the right circumstances to uncurse oneself? She stared into my bedroom mirror and smoothed my green Baseball t-shirt over my former breasts, turning left and right.

"How would I know? I'm a data processing clerk." I could hear my voice hitting a hysterically high note.

Selena looked at me again "I suppose your right. First it takes a blood moon, the correct incantation, multiple other astrological alignments, spilled perfume, and a soul who has given up on its body.

Oh and it takes the doll being placed atop its stand or stage within the music box by said hopeless individual.

That's a lot to get right by sheer manifestation alone.

First time in more than 5 centuries in fact. So while I regret this turn of events, I refuse to spend any more time in that horrible tiny doll!" There was pure unhinged rage in those green eyes, if I could have shivered I would have. The same color green as the dolls had. My eyes were brown, almost black.

Some if the humanity bled back into her eyes

"I wasn't an evil witch, Sam. I was just a stupid girl who knew some spells and was dumb enough to wear a red ribbon in her hair. That ribbon brought terrible attention and worse consequences.

I am truly sorry that this had to happen, but there is simply no other way, and I intend to stay free.

So you will take my place.

And think of it like this, you weren't happy with your life anyway, you were already much like a doll.

Now you have a different life and I have yours.

Of course I will be making some serious changes to it, I mean seriously Sam....if you fixed yourself up you would be an absolute knock out!!! And you’re a great cook, a singer and a better writer. And I have all of your memories. And to answer your unasked question, I am the only person who can hear you due to my being the prior resident of the doll."

I would have gaped at her if I could; instead I stood with that ridiculous smile on my face. This was hell!

"It is hell Sam and you've only been in there for 20 minutes. I’d love to say it gets easier, but it doesn't. I will do my best to take care of you. Now, Unless you can trick someone else into the doll....the doll is your home ...the odds of switching with someone else are slim but not impossible."

I wanted to cry.

"It's too bad; the one who truly belongs in that doll is long dead. She was the worst kind of witch.

You know, it’s amazing the things that you find out after you die.

I learned after I lost my body that that horrible woman had even body swapped herself into her own stepdaughter and then cut out her old bodies tongue so she could never tell.

Her stepdaughter Angelina was a gorgeous and sweet girl, simple to be sure, but kind until that witch took over her body.

Entrice although I doubt that is that witch's original name, was the one who took interest in my red ribbon and followed it back to my mother’s cottage door.

Upon seeing me, she had thought to switch into my body and had made my mother an offer for the trade.

Mother had sent her packing and was strong enough to scare Entrice out of causing too much mischief for us.

And so she had taken Angelina, which had always been her plan anyway, but it was still a terrible thing. My mother even warned me about her...to no avail." A tear strayed from her eye.

Selena swiped at her eyes with her left hand (I was right handed) “Never the less, what's done is done. And I need to get to the store. Time to fix you up Sammy until you shine! Then, I quit that crappy job of yours and find something better…ooof, just the thought of what you do has me sleepy!” She pulled on a long peasant style skirt that I had never worn and bounced out the door sporting a smile to light up the neighborhood.

I felt myself wither. Was I truly stuck like this?

Months would pass before Selena moved out of my nice apartment and into a gorgeous townhome. And a few weeks later a little 8 year old girl named Annie would pound on our door.

And that's where the real story begins.