The Mystery Box

 

Anne heard a knock at the door of her parents’s, home where she was staying during Christmas break. She hadn’t been home longer than a day and all of her friends from highschool had called. She suspected the person at the door was her best friend Melanie. They had arranged to go put the finishing touches on their Christmas shopping. When she got to the door, she was stunned to find no one there, only a large box sitting on the steps beside the door. It was wrapped in brown shipping paper and had her name typed in capital letters. Curiously she lifted it up and carried it into the house. Setting it on the coffee table, she examined the outer wrappings of the parcel.

Who could have sent this? She wondered aloud to herself. There wasn’t a return address or postage marking. There were little messages written all over the box. Open Me! Who could have sent me? What could I be?

Carefully Anne unwrapped the paper, and found a white cardboard box. She pealed the tape away from the sides and lifted the lid. Inside, she found another box, wrapped in shiny red paper. There was a card attached and she hoped it would tell her who sent it. It didn’t.

"Open me!" was all it read.

"Oh brother." Anne sighed, as she tore at the nice paper. Beneath the paper, there was another layer of wrapping paper. As she continued to unwrap the parcel, the white telephone that sat beside her on the table rang.

"Hello?" She answered it.

"Hi-ya Annie!" the voice of her best friend, Melanie said.

"Hey Mel." Anne said, putting the parcel on the coffee table. "What’s up?"

"I can’t make it today. Bradley is sick, so I have to take him to the Doctor." Melanie said. "Let’s go tomorrow?"

"For sure. Just take care of my Godson, you hear?" Anne said.

She hung up the phone and walked into the kitchen to make a sandwich. She left the parcel on the table and carried the wrapping paper over to the garbage container.

A short while later, Anne walked back into the living room and put her sandwich on the table beside the parcel. She stared at the wrapped box in front at her. Somebody wanted to keep her guessing. She knew it could be only one person, her boyfriend Peter. He was always pulling practical jokes on her. One year, she remembered, for her birthday, he wrapped her gift with duck tape. She wouldn’t put it passed him to do it again. How could it have arrived on the doorstep when he wasn’t getting into town until later that evening.

By the next level of wrapping paper, Anne was beginning to feel frustration set in. Whoever sent this parcel to her really wanted to make her work.

"Oomph if I ever get my hands on the person who sent this – I’ll kill him." Anne sighed, as she tugged at the tape. It wouldn’t budge, so she got up and went into the kitchen for a pair of scissors.

By the time her parents returned from work that evening, Anne still had not finished unwrapping the present. She got to one layer and found another card which read:

"Don’t open me! Wait for Peter!"

"Hah! I knew it was from Peter." She laughed. Walking into the kitchen where her mother was peeling vegetables for dinner. "Hi Mom. How was work?"

"Oh it was alright. Have you heard from Peter?" Her mother asked, putting a silver pot on the stove.

"Yes, he sent me a parcel today, or at least I think he did. I mean it is something that he would do."

"What did he send you?" her mother asked.

"I don’t know," Anne sighed. "I haven’t been able to get it open yet."

"When is he getting into town?" her mother asked.

"Tonight. He’s going to his parents’ first and then he’ll be coming over." Anne smiled. "I can’t wait to see him. I’ve missed him."

"Anne-Marie, could you please set the table?" her mother asked as she began frying some lean ground beef to use for the beef and barley casserole she was making for dinner that night.

"Sure," Anne said, walking over to her mother’s white china cabinet, where her dinner dishes were kept. As she was putting the plates on the dinner table, the phone hanging on the wall beside the refrigerator rang.

"Hello?" Anne answered.

"Hi Babe!" the voice of her boyfriend, Peter said.

"Hi…" Anne said excitedly. "When did you get in?"

"Five minutes ago… How was your trip home?" Peter asked.

"It was slow… I was stuck at the boarder for 45 minutes."

"A lot of travelers going home?"

"No, I had to declare all of my Christmas presents." Anne sighed.

"Oh that’s too bad." Peter said, sweetly. "Well, Mom has dinner ready, so I’ll see you around seven?"

"Okay… I love you." Anne said softly.

"You too babe." Peter said, "Bye."

"Bye."

"Was that Peter?" Anne’s father asked, walking into the kitchen.

"Yes." Anne sighed, leaning against one of the white walls of the kitchen. "How was work, dad?"

"Busy, busy, busy." Her father said, pouring himself a drink.

When Peter arrived at seven o’clock, Anne’s parents were out at an office Christmas party. They sat in the family room and watched television.

"What is that?" Peter asked motioning to the wrapped parcel on the hearth.

"Oh, I received this today. It was out by the door this afternoon. I wasn’t allowed to open it until you got here." Anne said getting up and walking over to get the package. "You don’t know anything about this do you?"

"Me?" Peter said hiding a grin. "Why would I send you something when I got in town only two hours ago?"

"Well if you didn’t send it, you can still help me open it." Anne said putting the box on Peter’s lap.

"Why? It isn’t for me." Peter said with a smirk.

"You’ll help me and you will like it." Anne slugged him softly on the arm.

"Okay, okay, okay, you twisted my arm." Peter said as he tore off the wrapping. The box beneath the wrapping was a Black and Decker Kettle box. "Oh wow… you got a kettle. How exciting."

"Oh very funny." Anne laughed, opening the lid. Inside she found another card and al lot of tissue paper.

"Well, what does the card say?’ Peter pressed.

"Will you marry me?" Anne read the card. "Love Peter."

"No, it can’t say that… I didn’t write that!" Peter grinned.

:Do you mean it?" Anne asked.

"Look there’s something else in there." Peter said picking up a plush ring box and he got down on one knee. "Anne-Marie, will you marry me?"

"Yes Peter." Anne cried. "Yes I will marry you.

Peter slipped the perfectly sized engagement ring on her finger. "Merry Christmas Sweetheart."

Author's Note

This is one of my earlier pieces - it was written in my early 20s. My writing has matured alot since then.

Reviews

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A nice Christmas story! Well done!

The dialogue here is pretty even; it kept me going. Too, the mystery of the gift. The hook: what is it?

My best to you and your work--

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