"A Letter From Lacy"

A mysterious package arrives on the door step of Lacy Woodside. Whatever you do DO NOT OPEN THE BOX!

“A Letter From Lacy”

By Cody Williams

 

To whom it may concern:

My name is Lacy Woodside. By the time you read this letter I shall be no more. This letter is meant as a goodbye note to tell my story and as a companion to the box in my closet. Whatever you do DO NOT OPEN IT! I sure wish that I didn’t.

 

The box arrived on my front porch about two weeks ago. I heard the postman honk his horn. Something about the box must have frightened him off because when I answered the door he was gone and all that was there was the package.

 

As I would normally do, I picked up the package and carried it inside. I carried it to the kitchen and placed it on the wooden counter top. I looked at the white label on the dorsal side of the package where it read TO: LACY WOODSIDE. FROM: ROBERT SMITH. This sent chills up my spine.

 

Robert was a deer old friend of mine who worked in the Science Department of the University where I worked. He died nearly two years ago from an unknown illness. Curious to what was inside, I grabbed a large knife from the uninstall drawer and cut the masking tape off of the top of it to open it. I pulled back the light brown colored pieces of cardboard back from the center of the package revealing a rectangular dark brown wooden box.

 

On the top of the box in big golden letters read DO NOT OPEN THIS BOX!!! Underneath the box was a vanilla colored envelope containing a letter written by Robert.

 

The letter went on for several pages about how he came in contact with the box and by the time I received the box he would be dead. I guess he died before he could mail it. He also went on for several more pages warning me not to open the box.

 

I wish I had listened! Why didn’t I listen? I guess my curiosity got the best of me. Like the old saying says; “The curiosity killed the cat.” In this case I am the cat and it is absolutely true! I cannot stress that enough! What is in that box wasn’t meant to be seen by human eyes. It was not meant to be known!

 

Anyway, I did exactly what he told me to do and I placed the box on the top shelf of my hallway closet…at first. I know this sounds crazy, but every time I walked by the closet, I could hear it call my name.

 

Being the scientist that I am I naturally began to get curious. I began to feel a bit over confident. I began to think to myself; why shouldn’t I open it? What could be so horrific about a 12in. by 6in. wooden box? I opened the closet door and stared at the box for a moment. I reached up and grabbed it off of the shelf. I put it under my left arm and closed the closet door.

 

I carried the box into the kitchen where I placed it on the counter top where it was before. I began to inspect the box. I realized that on the face of the box was a golden lock. I felt a mixture of relief and fear. But still I felt the nagging feeling that I needed to open it.

 

I remembered the brown envelope that came with the package. I reached over, grabbed it, and poured everything out of it. Pouring out of it was all of the documents mailed to me by Robert and a small golden key. “You don’t need to do this! What will opening that box really do for you? Remember what Robert told you!” I thought to myself. I ignored it and decided to open the box. I don’t know what it was about the box that made it so damn attractive. But I needed to know what was so horrific about it. It seemed like I would go crazy if I didn’t find out. Against my better judgment I made the final decision to open the box.

I grabbed the key, slipped it into the keyhole, and turned it to the left. I heard the lock being disabled then I pulled out the key. I placed the key on the counter next to the box and took in a deep breath. I knew that I shouldn’t do it, but I felt that I needed to.

 

I placed both hands on the wooden box and lifted up the lid. To my amazement there was nothing in there. Nothing but a red felt lined box and a glass door. I noticed a small white square shape piece of paper at the bottom of the box through the glass door. I opened up the glass door and grabbed the little piece of paper.

 

The paper read:

 

“WHO EVER OPENED THIS BOX HAS GIVEN IN TO THE WEAK TEMTATION OF MAN. YOUR PUNISHMENT WILL BE A SHORTENED LIFE. FOR EVERY HOUR YOU REMAIN ON THIS EARTH, YOU WILL AGE FIVE YEARS.”

 

I am now 85 years old. I don’t know how much longer I have left to live. Six hours ago I was only forty five years old.

 

The box is now where it should have remained, on the top shelf in the hall closet. My time is quickly running out. I can feel it. But just forget about me. Soon there won’t be nothing left of me as I slowly turn to dust. Whoever you are, whatever you do, please DO NOT OPEN THAT BOX!!!

 

Sincerely,

Lacy Woodside

Lacy Woodside

July 4, 2013

 

Copyright 2013 by Cody Williams
Courtesy of TRUE TERROR PUBLICATIONS
A division of TTP Entertainment

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Author's Note

Leave me a comment and tell me what you think! Also please check out my other short story "Mortality"

Reviews

[Astro]

There's an interesting concept explored in this piece that lends itself to introspection and contemplation of society. Some of the grammar could be cleaned up and the math on the years is wrong 6x5=30 so Lacy would be 80 not 85. Other than that this is a fun little short story. I think you could draw out the temptation aspect of opening the box so that the non-exciting revealing of what's in the box has more impact with respect to the curse.

[Cody Williams]

Thanks for the review!

-CW

[Astro]

You're welcome, sorry I took so long.

[zainul]

I started to get the goosebumps from the very beginning and felt it until the last.
You crafted everything as they were real and happened next door.
I congratulate Cody for the great write.
May I request you check the spellings again and fix them where there are problems?
One problem is:
“A Letter From Lacy”
My name is Lucy Woodside
Lacy or Lucy which is correct?

[Cody Williams]

Thanks for the review! Lacy is correct and I will take care of it.

-CW

[zainul]

That would be great.
Thank you dear friend.

[Unclouded Eyes]

A Pandora tale, there are many. Forgive me but I have found that if I read my work aloud I catch most every mistake in spelling and grammar. ('Utensils drawer')
Nice build to the suspense though it could have lasted a little longer, more build-up would have been OK.
I used to write short stories. I would write the first paragraph and then the last paragraph. I would then write the middle fill. Just a thought explained to me by a writer long ago.

[RainDancer1997]

I think this is a clever story and lesson in life:) Love it:)!

[Cody Williams]

Thanks for the review!

-CW

[G.A. Collins]

As soon as I started reading this piece, I became completely desperate, much like the character, to know what was inside this mysterious box. The pace of your writing helped create that desperate and urgent feel, and it completely enthrals the reader into the story. I particularly liked the content of the story; the strange, allusive box that curses whomever has buckled to the "weak temptation of man" -'incredibly clever. The closure of the piece is equally evolving, as you pass the torch of fear onto the reader, and almost instantly, we feel as though we are destined to share the same fate. Brilliant!

[Cody Williams]

Thanks so much for the review!

-CW

[Nia Hope]

This is an amazing story, there were a few typos but plot line and character development and everything else were fantastic. Great job!

[Cody Williams]

Thanks for the review!

-CW

[Christopher Angel]

There was a distinctive Lovecraftian flavor to this story which I favor very much. Your story moves on at a nice pace and is suitably creepy and relevantly urgent. The reveal at the end was good although a little underwhelming for me. I suppose it's all a matter of perspective.

There were a few errors, one where you spelled 'dear' as 'deer'. I'm sure Robert was not a deer otherwise it'd be even creepier that an animal had the ability to pen a letter and mail a box!

I liked this story on the whole but I feel that the language was too...pristine. For someone that was aging this rapidly, she'd certainly be victim to a host of ailments that an elder person would have only in her case, it would come as swiftly as aging did. I imagine she'd at some point in the letter, have dementia and forget the point to it all.

But still, it was a really good read! Very interesting and well-written sans a few typos here and there.

[Cody Williams]

Thanks for the review! I was reading a lot of Lovecraft at the time I was writing it. I value your criticism.

-CW

[Angi]

I was thinking, 'Open it! Open it!' I wonder why Robert Smith sent it to her in the first place... Angi~

[dw817]

⊰ℛℛ⊱
This is good, yet, someone sends a a box that says, "Do not open !"

Hmm ... To open or not to ? I think she would feel a little like this poor guy:
https://www.youtube.com/v/FHy8kW632dE

If she shouldn't open it ? Why was she sent it in the first place ??

Ah well, if it was really that bad I woulda taken a hammer to the thing and smashed it all up and say, "There ! Now no-one will know 'bout it." :)

Creepy way to end it tho, reminds me of Hoffal's Radiation.
One spooky write, definitely for the Halloween books.

[Prritiy]

An interesting and gripping story, moved along with character and certainly the curiosity was there which killed ''the cat''.

liked the story.

[Anand Sehgal]

great story-line. riveting work mate. :) kudos

[Cody Williams]

Thanks for the review!

-CW