The Lunchbox Collector

The longer I sleep, the longer I sleep, and I won't awaken unless someone sets me loose. I will be found in the cold of the ground, and I may be dead already. I think I'm dead, but not yet for eternity. Will you be the one to set me free?

***

Hey little girl, are you crying? I can sense you, little girl, in the blue jumper dress, standing by the lake.

Do you hear me? Ah, yes, you can. I feel you in the park by the lake hiding behind a grand oak tree. Why do you cry?

Were those kids mean to you? Did they call you names? They wouldn't pick you to play in their game? Did they make you sad? Kids are so mean. Awwww, poor darling, I will be your friend, but I need your help to free me.

I'm ecstatic knowing you let me in. Do you like my voice in your head? Do you like me because I picked you?

Oh, yes. I sense your smile now. Yes, I picked you.

You can come to tell me all your troubles, and we can play. Who needs those mean kids? Do you? No, you don't. We can be friends and never need anyone else.

Please come find me. I will guide you here.

You can be my hero, and I will be forever grateful. You may receive a medal from the mayor. Would you like to be a hero? You will be on television and the news when they give you a long parade. You will laugh at all the bullies when you're famous.

You're looking my way. Yes, you are, and I can stop crying now. Search to your right and find the old path by the willow tree near the water? Yes, by the edge of the lake. Go toward the sun and keep walking. I'm not far.

Yes. Good girl. Runaway from those evil people. Oh... the bands are going to play at your parade.

Roses are Red,

Violets are blue.

You're going to find me,

and I will have you.

Yes, yes, sing with me.

You will like me, I think. Like you, I grew up in this town, and I went to school here and stayed in the school for many years.

A teacher? Oh, ha hahaha. No, thank goodness. I stayed in the basement and fed coal to the furnace for years. They were mean to me and made me stay in the dark under the school.

I observed the little ones from the cellar's high windows when they played in the yard. They played Red Rover, swung on the swings, and see-sawed. A boy named Billy and his friends said he'd play with me, but they only wanted to be mean and call me names. They'd tap on the glass and say, "Come play with us," and I believed them. They told the principal, and I was chastised for coming outside. The children, all of them, laughed at me.

I became hot and mad, but not as hot as the furnace Billy learned. The heating system becomes super hot if you put too much coal in the firebox. Billy disappeared and was never found. They suspected me, and it wasn't fair, but he was never found. He had an adorable Superman lunchbox too.

Are you mean? I hope not. I need to know before you come here. If you're not kind, you should stop and not be the hero. If you're mean, there will be no gold medal for you!

Please, come play.... I mean, free me. You're worried about me because I'm sad, like you. You are so sweet.

Are you alone? Please tell me you are and don't tell anyone. They will make fun of you and say you are crazy with voices in your head because they don't want you to have a wonderful friend like me.

Oh, please hurry; the sun will soon set over the lake and be dark. I do not like the dark.

Take the path by the old Mill canal that feeds into the lake? Yes, you are doing fantastic. I am so happy; I have stopped crying. Turn right onto the path and follow the trail. You are so bright; I can't wait to meet you.

Yes. Did you find the path? Excellent. Go past the red flaked Midlake School sign, through the rusty gate and follow the way across the old playground. Don't worry about the No Trespassing sign. The mean people want to keep us from being friends.

In years past, Kids played, danced, skipped around the playground, and had the most fabulous lunchboxes.

Did I tell you I collect children's lunchboxes? I love lunchboxes, and I had over fifty before the day they told lies about me. Each lunchbox was special to me and held unique memories of each one's owner. I collected them from schools all over the county. I have Bugs Bunny, Flipper, Elmer Fudd, Sesame Street, and many more.

My favorite was Rambo because he was bullied too but fought back. I loved the mixed odors of old baloney and stale peanut butter blended with the decaying scent of apples and oranges when you opened them after being closed for weeks. I found one with a note inside.

I Love You, Joey.

Mom

The note was dear to me, and I'd pretend my mom had written me. I wished my name was Joey.

The school has been closed for years, abandoned, and why I'm trapped here, and only you can free me. There are wild stories about me; please don't believe the lies.

I didn't hurt any children; I swear I didn't. Those children were mean to me and made fun of me, and they called me names like the mean kids called you terrible names. We will be best friends.

The police and the principal, Mr. Bartles, wanted my lunchboxes and told many lies about me.

I wanted to play with them, but a little boy named Joey was a mean tyke. He was a bully too. Joey told them about my lunchbox collection, and I locked him and his friends in the cellar when the police came. I warned them to stay away, but they didn't listen. Why didn't they listen to me? Do you have a lunchbox? I would love to sniff the inside of yours. Is yours exotic?

I closed the windows and locked the door because of the cold, and the kids were crying. I become agitated and nervous when kids cry and scream. The vents were closed, and the exhaust gases backed up into the basement, and they had a long nap time. The cellar became deadly quiet, and I liked the silence after so much noise. Do you like nap time?

Children become so well-behaved when they sleep. I should have been the teacher of the year.

Do you read Nancy Drew or The Hardy Boys? Aren't they cool? I bet you do. You will solve this mystery, and your name will be in the newspaper headlines as a hero. I will not let anyone make fun of you again because you're my friend.

How have I deserved such a lovely young lady to worry about me; I can sense you. You're worried I will be here when night falls, and you don't want me to be scared and alone.

You are so close. Keep walking past the old swing. I loved to swing high after school when the children went home.

I went to school here, and many years later, I worked here to shovel the furnace coal in the basement and enjoyed the kids on the playground. A little boy named Johnny fell off the monkey bars, broke his arm, and scared everyone. The next day he was so proud when everybody signed his cast.

No one ever signed my cast when my dad came home drunk one night, slapped and punched me, threw me against a porch pole, and broke my arm. I didn't have a cast until the teacher worried about my black and blue arm the next day at school, and they took me to the Doctor.

What game do you want to play first? I have a red ball, and we can play kickball or hide-and-seek. You could go first, and we will have so much fun.

Don't stop now; you are so close. Walk to the rusted trash barrel beside the thorny wild bush by the wall? The sweet, rotted stench might choke you from the embedded mud of years past dredged up from the lake floods. Don't worry, soon it won’t bother you.

Push the tall weeds aside and walk down to the cellar. There you go, one, two, and three steps. You are wearing such a cute blue dress and what stylish blonde curls in your hair.

The sun is setting; it will be dark soon, but you'll be okay. I'll make sure to take care of you. You are my new friend and hero, and everyone will think beautiful things about you soon.

The door is in front of you. Ignore the dirt. I'm trapped behind the door, and I can't wait to meet you. I can't wait to show you my collection of lunchboxes.

Touch the handle and open the door. Yes, yes, grab the knob, twist, pull hard, and say come out, come out wherever you are, and we can play. Play and splash in the muddy waters.

Perfect. You are so smart and have such a sweet voice. Don’t be scared. Thank you.

Our friendship is forever, and no one will ever bother you again.

Now that you see me, why do you scream? You are mean, just like everyone else. You lied to me.

Scream as loud as you want. No one is nearby to help you. Oh my, you have a Barbie lunchbox. This will be my first.

Come, and see my lunchbox collection, and after, you too will have nap time.

***

I no longer sleep, no longer sleep. I have awakened, for you have set me free.

Hey little boy, yes you by the lake. Are you crying?

Roses are Red,

Violets are blue.

You're going to find me,

and I will have you.

Yes, yes, sing with me.