Jewelry Box

The music was on the radio, the leaves were falling, all I see is a long dirt road ahead of us and behind us. I look at the map the relistate agent gave us and told my husband turn right past the fallen down old school house.

I was sitting at the edge of my seat, looked in the review side mirror to make sure the U- Hall trailer is still attached and the back of the truck was tied down. We had our lifes possessions with us, and we were about to embark on a new business plan. My husband lost his job a while back, and we decided to sell the house and buy a bed and breakfast out in the country.

The car stopped in front of the huge house, I stepped out and smelled the country air, I could hear the leaves under my feat, and my eyes take me to the roof of the house were their was a raven looking at us and swooped down to check us out. The shutters were closed on the house, and a board was nailed across the door. I looked at my husband about to cry and he said, “let’s go look inside”.

We walked up, my husband had the hammer in his hand, and pried on the board, used the key and we entered. It was beautiful, everything was white. The curtains were white, the sheets on the furniture, the big beautiful fireplace could be seen in the kitchen as well as the living room. Oh I could cry, I was so worried. The rest of the house was all white and newly renovated. I asked my husband to start by opening the shutters, and I was going to walk around to stretch my legs.

I walked towards the pond that you can see from the house, it was beautiful. I picked up a rock to skip it, like my dad tought me when I was a child. The rock touched the water, froze in the air, touched, froze again and dropped into the water. The ripples were going inwards towards each touching spots. That was eiry, I thought to myself, shook my head and continued on my walk. The hair on the back of my neck stood up when I crossed the little bridge, and for a second, I thought I saw a reflection of a girl in the water. I looked again, and the image was gone. I was drawn to look again but nothing. It sent shivers down my spine.

Back in the house I was upstairs taking off the sheets from the bed, chair, dresser, little table in front of the window and I heard something! What was it, a musical chime? I thought. I shrugged it off and thought there must be some wind chimes somewhere. I unpacked our clothes, sheets and made the bed.

Downstairs my huband was bringing the last of the boxes from the back of the truck. Sat down and wanted to take a break. We grabbed the wine and glasses from one of the boxes marked “kitchen essentials” and talked about the house and all of the things we needed to do. He said to me “ you know that raven that was outside when we arrived, he dove at me every time I wanted to enter the house, isn‘t that strange”? We talked some more, and I was happy that we bought a pizza for supper tonight. The rest of the unpacking would have to wait until tomorrow.

The next day, we were woken by a knock at the door. My husband put on his robe, and got out of bed. I said “Who could it possibly be”. He looked at me and said “Let’s go see”. I put on my robe and followed him downstairs. There were two people with suitcases standing on our porch. “What do we do, I whispered, we are not ready for customers yet”. He shrugged, raised his eyebrows, yawned and opened the door.

The two people looked nice, she had on a straw hat to shade the sun, and he had on a suit. They were about our parents age, they both had bright shining eyes and asked if they could come in. My husband opened the door and told them that we were not opened yet but said come on in. He was leading them into the kitchen and I was about to close the door but the two rocking chairs on the porch were rocking. I peeked my head out, and they stopped. I went to close the door again and they were rocking again. I was puzzled and thought to myself ‘CREEPY’.

I could hear my husband talking, and smell the coffee bruing and dashed up the stairs to get dressed. When I went downstairs a few minutes later my husband passes me a cup of coffee and told me about the couple. They were at our Bread and Breakfast 20 years ago, their daughter had an accident and drowned in the pond out front. They wanted to come and see if the Inn was opened and happy to see a car parked out front. They came a long way to spend some time here to feel close to their daughter again. I mentioned if they could go to town and pick up a few things, while we got their room ready, and they obliged. “Anything to help out, we are so grateful for your hospitality and would pay double for three nights“ the man said. “That’s settled then”, my husband said, and off they went.

My husband and I were delighted to have our first visitors and whirled around the house. In the bedroom my hair went up on my neck and felt cold for an instant and felt like someone brushed by me, and the chimes again played. I thought to myself ‘I need to find the wind chimes, because they freaked me out’. I put towels in the bathroom and all of the essentials that they might need, and hoped they would be back soon so I could start supper for the four of us.

The elder couple Jack and Elsa spent most of the day by the pond, while I made supper and my husband piled some wood by the fire place and outside by the fire pit for later. While I was preparing supper I heard a voice behind me that said “ leave, you must leave”. I turned, no one was their and the knife slipped and cut my finger. It took a while for it to stop, and I put a rubber glove on over the bandaide and finished preparing supper.

Supper was delicious, Elsa insisted to help with the dishes. We headed out for a fire pit, it was a cool night but beautiful. I went into the house to grab some marshmallows to roast and I heard footsteps walking up the stairs. I followed the sounds, they were coming from the attic. I opened the door and turned on the light. It was swinging from a chain, it smelled musty, and pink insulation were in the walls, some on the floor and I could see some old stuff. I looked around and there was a box on the little round table. It opened and the ballerina spun in time with the chimed music playing. I froze! The light switched off , and the door closed!

I screamed for my life, and was walking with my arms out trying not to trip on anything. In the corner I saw an image of a girl, in a white dress. I said “what do you want?” She was gone.

I felt like she brushed by me, and I twirled in the direction I thought she was headed. She appeared again by the door.

I heard my husband yelling “ where are you Rebecca”? I yelled back “ In the attic, hurry!” The music stopped and the light turned on just as he was opening the door. I ran into his arms, sobbing. I told him everything, including the voice I heard earlier in the kitchen. I was terrified, the image of the girl in the white dress is burned into my thoughts. My husband turned off the light and shut the door. I went to bed, and my husband went outside to entertain the guests.

Nothing happened the next day, I was beginning to doubt myself and wondered if it were all a dream. I took the truck into town for some groceries while my husband cut the lawn and the older couple went to the graveyard to visit there daughters gravesite and to plant some flowers. It was a great day, and met some people and introduced myself.

That evening I went to lay down, and I heard the chimes again upstairs. I thought to myself - ‘my husband told me he threw it away’. I got up and went to the attic one last time. I turned on the light and the ballerina was spinning to the music. I looked around and said out loud “ we are not going anywhere, so show yourself”. The little girl in the white dress appeared and pointed towards the jewelry box and was gone. Inside, there was a little black book. I noticed that there needed a key to open it. I closed the jewelery box, picked it up and walked to the shed outside.

I put the jewelery box in the shed to be burned. I went to walk out and she was there. We looked at each other and she ran towards me. My eyes went wide and she went right through me. I felt my body shake, I fell to the ground. My hand was in my stomach and shivers were running throughout my body. I was scared once again, I tried to get up but felt weird-dizzy like and felt sick. My hand was still on my stomach, I sat for a while wondering if we should move or not. Then I saw it, a key!

I picked up the jewelery box, my body was trembleding again, and my hands shook. All I could think of was the little black book. I took it out as fast as I possibly could ( this musical jewellery box made me feel faint). Then threw it away from me, toward the wood pile. I focused on the black book, found the key whole and opened the black book, inside was an envelope with tons of money. A paper wrapped around the bills marked $20,000. Inside the book had writing. I fumbled a few times, but finally found the words printed in crayon, a few letters backwards -child like! The note read:

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CoNGraTS, thiS is a baBY gift, use the MoNEy for WhAt you nEEd

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I stood up, not understanding what just happened or what this meant. In bed that night my husband and I talked and talked. In the morning I went upstairs to the attic and the music ballerina box was gone. I ran downstairs and said “everything is going to be alright, I don’t want to move”. My husband hugged me and said “ neither do I”. The older couple were going to leave after breakfast, they were just upstairs packing there things.

A week later...

We found out I was pregnant!