The Box

Awakening

I wake up in the living room of a house, disoriented and uneasy. Something feels off, as if the world around me is shifting. I look towards the front window, expecting sunlight to illuminate the room, but instead, I notice flaws developing on the glass. Shadows dance across the walls, and the brightness of the day wavers, creating an eerie atmosphere.

Did it just get really dark in here? No….it’s perfectly lit. Did that happen?

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As I try to make sense of my surroundings, I realize that the furniture is arranged in a peculiar manner.

The box, in all its enigmatic simplicity, stood in the center of the room like an ordinary cardboard container. Its unassuming appearance held no grandeur or ornate embellishments, contrasting starkly with the peculiar events unfolding around it. It seemed like an artifact of mundanity, with no indication of the mysteries it concealed within.

The surface of the box was plain and unadorned, a humble facade that betrayed no secrets. It bore no intricate carvings or elegant patterns, just the rough texture of brown cardboard. Its corners were slightly dented, bearing witness to the wear and tear of its journey, adding to the unremarkable nature of its appearance

On one side of the box, the word "Croatian" was carelessly scrawled in haphazard handwriting, as if an afterthought or a hurried addition. The letters appeared sloppy and uneven, lacking any aesthetic finesse. They stood out in stark contrast against the plainness of the box, their sloppiness serving as a stark reminder of the enigma that surrounded us.

Am I in Croatia? How did I end up here?

I'm not alone. Other people are also in the room, their presence equally bewildering. Tension hangs in the air, and unease grips us all.

Unable to contain my curiosity, I break the silence. "My name is Todd," I introduce myself. "Please, introduce yourselves and give a bit of backstory. Why are you here, and where exactly is 'here'?"

An Introduction

A voice quivers with fear as Steve speaks up. "My name is Steve, and I need to leave!" He rushes towards the front door, desperately searching for an escape route. But as he tries to open the door, he realizes it's locked tight. Panic sets in as he frantically attempts to find a way out.

Driven by determination, Steve retreats to the opposite doorway, preparing for a daring escape. He takes a running start, covering an astonishing distance that seems to extend beyond the limits of the house itself. We watch, filled with suspense, as Steve hurtles towards the door. But to everyone's shock, disaster strikes. He collides with the door and is instantly flattened, his lifeless body pulverized into a momentary gruesome sight as he is consumed by thin air. His disappearance leaves us all stunned and mystified.

“Is anyone else named Steve?”

The girl in the corner lets out a blood-curdling scream, her cries growing louder and more piercing with each passing moment. Suddenly, the corner of the house extends forward, distorting its dimensions and forming a grotesque mouth. In a horrifying turn of events, the corner engulfs the girl, swallowing her whole. There's no trace left, no remnants of her existence. The once-lively room falls silent, engulfed in an eerie calmness. Outside, clouds gather, obscuring the natural daylight. The remaining occupants of the house are paralyzed with terror, their screams silenced by an unknown force.

Transformation

As we stand frozen in fear, the room undergoes a surreal transformation. Ceilings rise, and the space expands, stretching beyond our comprehension. A figure hovers in the far corner, contorted and suspended in mid-air. With astonishing speed, the figure hurtles towards us, defying the laws of physics.

Before I can even process the situation, I wake up abruptly. The room returns to its previous state, unchanged from when I first arrived. However, something is amiss. A figure stands outside in the front yard, peering into the house. Darkness cloaks their features, adding to the enigma surrounding their presence. The house remains unusually illuminated, devoid of light switches or outlets, emanating a piercing brightness that defies reason.

The other three individuals in the room are still unconscious, unaware of the impending transformation that will forever alter their lives. An aura of uncertainty hangs in the air, foreshadowing the profound changes that await us.

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What's in the Box?

Morning breaks, and the clock on the wall reads 8 o'clock. The remaining occupants of the house awaken, their faces etched with deep contemplation. Outside, a small crowd has gathered, their murmurs filling the air. Tension permeates the atmosphere as anticipation builds.

Suddenly, a voice booms from the box, answering the question that has plagued us all. "You are, Chad. You are in the box," it says, sending shivers down my spine. Chad, taken aback, rises from his spot, but a dark cloud materializes beneath him, enveloping his body. The cloud ascends, swallowing Chad entirely, leaving no trace behind.

Claire, Chad's sister, rushes to the box, desperate for answers or a glimpse of her brother. Darkness greets her gaze as she peers into the box. The bottom of the box transforms into a swirling void, and before anyone can react, Claire plunges into the abyss, disappearing into nothingness. I stand there, astounded, unable to trust my own eyes.

Admittance

Sharon's voice breaks the silence, revealing a crucial piece of the puzzle. She confesses, "I know why this is happening." Her words hang heavy with guilt and realization. She recounts the events of our ill-fated night, a celebration at the club after Chad passed the BAR exam, and her consumption of a pill for her Fibromyalgia. A strange dizziness had clouded her senses, making it hard to see clearly. Something terrible had occurred, but the details remained hazy in her memory.

Unbeknownst to Sharon, her collision with Elijah, our neighbor's 16-year-old son, had resulted in a tragic accident that claimed his life. The night took an unexpected turn when Chad, mischievous as ever, seized the opportunity and pilfered some of Sharon's pain medication. With a sly grin, he expertly crushed a pill and discreetly added it to her drink, unknowingly setting in motion a series of bizarre events. As the night progressed, Claire laughed, playfully suggesting that the drink needed a proper mix to avoid arousing suspicion. Little did they know the dark consequences that would follow.

Meanwhile, Steve's true identity remains shrouded in mystery, his presence lost amidst the chaos and terror that unfolded around us. Everyone knew each other in that room though, I can feel it. The inside of the house is filled with blinding light.

The crowd outside watches in awe as the house, engulfed in an inferno, burns with an intensity that defies explanation. The flames consume the structure, yet never spread beyond its boundaries, confounding onlookers and amplifying the sense of otherworldly occurrences.

The fact that this fire had been burning for five days didn’t reinforce natural explanations. Especially since the house had burned down 20 years ago.

As I awaken once again, I find myself in an unfamiliar setting—a dimly lit warehouse. The shadows play tricks on my eyes, and a sense of foreboding fills the air.

A box sits in the center of the warehouse.

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