Other Worldly Box

It was a frigid and icy day, one that could have been in the record books. I couldn’t leave the warmth of my house to do the stuff I needed to do on my checklist. I contemplated that at least I need to do my Christmas shopping, since it was getting dangerously close to the holiday. I sat with my glass of wine and my grey fuzzy blanket and hunkered down for a few hours of online shopping. As I came close to the end of my list, there was a knock at my door. I found this to be quite unusual because I hadn’t heard a car or truck pull into my driveway. Also, the weather wouldn’t have allowed for a vehicle to travel in it. As I checked my ring doorbell, I noticed that no one was at the door. What I did see was a package that was wrapped in silk. How, if no one was at my door, could I have this package?

I proceeded to speak through my ring doorbell but there was no response. I then shouted to see if maybe they were further away then I had thought. Again, no response. I found this to be very odd. I wanted to see what was on my porch but was frightened to do so. What if this mystery person and package were a decoy to lure me out of my house? As I pondered on whether to get up, I was encouraging myself to just do it. I proceeded through my dimly lit living room, through the foyer, and up to the door. As I looked through the tiny peephole, all I saw was the blistery winter whipping the feathery, fresh snow that was dancing in the wind. I decided that, now was the time to open the door. No matter what I was going to find.

When I opened the door, I found the package that I saw on my ring doorbell. It was propped up on some sort of table, but not any table I have seen before. It was ornate and beautiful. Like it was out of a fairy tale but no fairy tale I have read before. The package was wrapped exquisitely. What I first thought was silk, ended up being gold. The wrapping was so thin that the slightest of breath would have ripped it. There was a purple and yellow sash that held the wrapping in place. On that sash were the greenest of emeralds. Green like fresh grass on a warm summer day. I wanted to pick it up but was afraid I would damage the gorgeous wrapping. Plus, what if the box was sitting on top of something that could cause harm. I’m not saying it did, but you never know these days. I let go of my fear and went for it.

As I picked it up, it felt both light as a feather and heavy like a log. How could that be possible? Things can’t be both! My mind couldn’t wrap itself around this concept. What was in this delicate yet cumbersome package and who did it come from? There were so many questions and so few answers. I put my questions and worries aside and brought the package into the foyer. I began to inspect it further now that I wasn’t standing in the tundra that was the outside. I found that there were little words, like a puzzle, written on every inch of the wrapping. At that moment, I wasn’t sure what to make of it. More questions began to swirl around in my head. Again, who would send this to me and why?

I was curious, so I retrieved a pad of paper and a pen and began to try and decipher this puzzle. After, what seemed to be an eternity, all the words were written down for me to figure out. The words didn’t make any sense after they were laid out for me to see. I thought, maybe this was a word search, but not like any word search I has ever seen. So, I arranged the words in a way that I could circle what I saw. At this point, the words that appeared were limited. Open, down, fear, anguish, and wish were the only words I circled. With so many words written on the wrapping, how can these few words be the only ones I found? Now I was getting even more concerned. This was not a holiday package. The individual that dropped off this package seemed to be sending me ill will. Or so I thought. My mind was racing, and fear set in. I must try to figure out the disturbing message these words convey.

I wasn’t interested in what was inside, only the words that were in front of me. Had whoever placed this on my porch been trying to warn me or terrify me? If it was the latter, then it worked! The words fear and anguish were the ones that I had stuck in my brain. Were these all the feelings I was having when I first saw this package? I closed my eyes and imagined what I felt when I first saw it through my ring doorbell. It was fear because I had no idea where it came from. Some anguish for the fact that whoever placed it on that table was out in this weather. I did wish for the person to be okay, even though I saw on one. As for down, that word wasn’t even on my mind. The last word open, well of course. I wanted to dive into the wrapping and find out. Okay, so maybe these words were my thoughts and feelings coming to the surface and imprinting on the package. After all the panic and worry subsided, I began to open the box.

Since the wrapping was so thin, all I had to do was wipe it away. I delicately pulled at the sash, as to not tear or ruin it. The emeralds all fell away and hit the hard wood floor with a thud. After I had removed all the wrapping, all that was left was the hand carved wooden box. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my face and initials etched into the side. On the other side was a scene that made me wonder. There was a rolling fire, a wolf, and five ancient people. They were thin, almost emaciated, their clothes were different then any I have seen before. They had masks grasped in their long-fingered hands. Again, it appeared a though, they represented the words I had found on the wrapping. I wish I could say that this made me calm but I was far from that. Were the carvings there already or did they appear just like the words did? If they were there, then how could they have known what I was going to feel? This thought alone sent me into a tailspin.

I decided that I needed to open the box to see what was inside. Maybe I can find the answers there. I tried to pull the lid open, but a lock appeared as I struggled. The lock was not there a second ago! This was getting more and more confusing by the moment. The lock was made from a material I have never seen before. It shimmered like a diamond ready to be cut. When I would touch it, it appeared to move with each stroke. Almost like it had a mind of its own. There was no keyhole to open it just a small spot to put you finger in. Who would or even could make a lock like this? I put aside all my feelings at this point and placed my index finger on the lock. How did they get my fingerprint to lock this? I couldn’t fathom the possibilities. My mind wouldn’t let me go there. As soon as I did, this bright colorful light shot straight out of it. The different tones and reflections it cast were almost like the northern lights but more vibrant. Like you took all the stars and engulfed them in a rainbow. It danced like a shaman wanting so desperately to cure the sick. When it was over, I felt a feeling of tranquility wash over me. It felt like I was coming home but to no home I have been to before. Then, there was the feeling of falling into a bed of feathers and then darkness.

When I awoke, I found that the box was open and there was a glowing orb floating in the middle of it. The orb looked as though it had clouds swirling inside of it that spoke to you when you moved it in different directions. Not speaking in words but in thoughts. I found the thoughts to be quite comforting and calming. All the fears I had were open for me to release. I felt the presence of hands being placed on my shoulders and applying the slightest bit of pressure. Just enough for relief to wash over me. I now know what the words meant in this moment. This mystery package was sent from another time in space to relieve me of those feelings I didn’t know I was having. This other worldly package gave me serenity in a time of strife.