The package on my doorstep had my name, but I definitely didn’t order it. A blank, cardboard box with “David Reti” furiously scribbled across the top in black was before me. Picking the box up, I shook it and heard some clanking inside. Maybe something metallic, like chains. I thought about the absurdity of the package and considered tossing it out, but I didn’t. Bringing it over to my living room, I sat down and examined it. Who could have sent this? I pondered. The past few months of my life had been mostly solitary. I never left my small house aside for necessities and had been unemployed for quite some time. No friends, or even close family were readily available to me. Ever since that day, I chose to live a secluded life on my lonesome. So who sent it? This was far too informal to be from some business or the government. And so, the only plausible option was that it was a prank by some unknown person. But even then, how did they know my name? Growing a little concerned, I feared that there was some malicious intent behind the package. So I poked and prodded some more, but I could never bring myself to open it. Seizing the mysterious box in my hands once more, I took it back outside and threw it in the trash bin. Hearing the violent clanking as it slammed into the rest of the garbage, I shut the lid, permanently letting it sit in darkness.
As the day passed on, I busied myself with other chores around the house. I wasn’t that tidy, nor meticulous of a person, but I had been wanting to change that for a while. Practically deep-cleaning my entire home, I went from the kitchen, to the living room, to the bath, and finally my bedroom. My home was nothing short of subpar in terms of size or utilities, but it was enough for me. Living on my own had its ups and downs. The sense of freedom that riveted through me with each passing moment was one of my greatest joys. No one judging me, or correcting my behaviour. I was the bird who escaped the cage. Of course, the downsides were numerous. For one, I had to do everything on my own. But that seemed to be the price of liberty. And while others might have been dismayed by the solitude, I revelled in it. Even after being fired from my job, I was still happy. More than enough money was in my account to last a year or two extra. Reclining on my couch, I cupped my hands over my face as I knew I would have to get another job after my funds expired. That’s definitely not happening.
The sun was already setting, and so I took a half-empty can of soda on my table and drank it. Since it had been idly waiting for hours (or maybe a day), it gave a flat and dull taste. Still, it was sufficient for me. Blasting the TV for an hour or two, I tired myself out and stumbled to my bed.
Shimmying in the blanket, I looked at the ceiling and my eyes dilated. A black moss was up there, contrasting the whiteness surrounding it. Blinking quickly, it vanished into thin air. With my bedroom having the weakest external lighting of all, I just assumed it was my eyes adjusting to the dimness.
But as I shut my eyes, I couldn’t seem to fall asleep. Every minute or two, I would open them, out of fear of the black moss. Of course, it was never there, but it felt more than ominous. I felt afraid, for some reason. After a quarter-hour of failed sleep, I shuffled over to my nightstand and turned on a lamp. Again, nothing of any sort was in the room, but at least I could sleep in peace now. With the illumination, my eyes gradually closed for the night.
Waking up the next day, I sluggishly left my bed and freshened up. Once done, I headed down my narrow hall to the kitchen. I spent some time thinking about what breakfast to make, finally stumbling on Eggs-in-a-Basket. Getting the eggs, and carving up the bread, I heated the pan and let the flame beneath do its work. Sizzling pops and crackles infused with the aroma were always the best parts of cooking. DRKKK! Snapping my head back, I saw my closet door in the aforementioned hallway was open. Turning the flame down, I walked over and saw a spilled set of photos and documents. I kept those miscellaneous items up at the top shelf inside, since I never needed, nor had any reason to discard them. Picking up the papers and photos, I wondered how the closet door opened. Figuring it probably was slanted and pushing out over time, it was possible that it had just happened to fall now.
Sorting through the scattered mess, one photo caught my eye. It was of me and a coworker from way back when. Lisa was her name. The image was taken on Halloween, with her dressed like a cat, compared to my low-effort “Error 404. Costume not found,” shirt. Seeing it once more, I stared for a while and zoned out on Lisa’s face… SSSZZ! KRPP! The eggs were starting to pop on the pan. Quickly putting the photo away, I shoved it deep into the top shelf once more, making sure it wouldn't fall over again. Closing the door and rushing back to the stove, I plated my food. A little-burnt, but not a big deal. Chowing down on it on my couch, I thought about what else I could do in my free-time. There’s only so many leisurely activities to do, especially on your own. Thinking and thinking, I decided that I would finish reading a book that had been collecting dust for many years. Laying in the fairly empty space that was my bookshelf, I picked it up and made my way outside. On my porch was a chair, and reading there would be the best way to get some sunlight in the meantime. The book was titled, “The Flames Beneath.” Vaguely recalling the plot, I picked it up where I left off. A couple fights, character deaths, and a shocking ending later, I completed the novel. Checking the sun in the sky, no more than three hours even passed.
Going back inside, I thought about napping some more. Months of this lethargic behaviour had accumulated to this unorthodox lifestyle, but I was fine with it. Trodding back to my bedroom, I glanced over at the living room to see a horror that would cause any man to turn to stone. The ominous box had returned!
Sitting patiently on the middle of the table, it waited. My eyebrows were twitching as my breaths grew shallow. Someone must have entered the house. Stepping backwards and staying vigilant, I entered the kitchen and grabbed the largest knife I owned. I then proceeded to clear each and every room. Starting with the living room and ending with my bedroom. No one was hiding anywhere. Travelling back to the horrid box, I pulled out my phone and dialed for the police. As the number rang, I stared at the messy scribble of my name atop the box. Finally getting on a line, I spoke as quickly as I could. So quick in fact, that it took me a few seconds to realize that the line was of pure static. What?! That didn’t make any sense. How could an emergency line be down? Darting my eyes back and forth, I struggled to decide my next move. And for some odd reason, I impulsively chose to check the box again. Hoisting it up with my hands, I shook it once more to hear the same metal clanks from earlier. Just what was this box? Examining it some more, I twisted my hands to see each side of the box. It just so happened that the one side I didn’t check before—the bottom—had a few words written on it: “From, Lisa Carson.” Unable to even react, my mind folded in on itself. Lisa had been dead for months. The Halloween photo of us was taken only a few nights before she perished. So how… How could this be from her?! Dropping the box and grabbing the knife again, I stumbled backwards. In my panicking fear, I shouted out, “WHO’S THERE! SHOW YOURSELF!” But deep down I knew that was futile. Whatever this was, there were too many uncanny elements. Something was horribly wrong.
Becoming too scared to stay, I stepped backwards to the front door whilst keeping my eye on the box. Once I bumped into the door, I felt around with my hand until I found the knob. Latching onto it, I twisted and yanked it. Feeling some resistance, I tried to open the door again, but to no avail. Turning my head, I saw the black moss from the night before seeping into each crack and crevice around the door. Now audibly mumbling in fear, I tried slashing the moss with my knife, but it was as firm as a rock. Looking back, I saw that the light shining through the windows was dimming. From the window behind the box, I could see the black moss growing across it. Something supernatural was occurring. I don’t know why, but I just knew that being in the dark with that box would hold a grim fate. I ran to each light switch I could and flicked them on. Thankfully, they still functioned. Amidst my hoarse breathing, I gulped as I kept my eyes fixated on the box. Realizing just how insane this was, I concluded that I must have been hallucinating. Trying to slow down my breaths, I repeated, “It’s just a dream,” over and over. Calming myself over the course of a minute, I believed that I would finally awake. However, the box had its own plans. As I grew relaxed, I noticed the light above me was flickering…
Knowing that the safety of these lights would be gone in seconds, my mind raced to any solution. As the kitchen bulb fused, I moved out to the living room. By now, every other light was also dimming. My slow pace then turned to a blitzing dash as I approached the box and raised my knife, stabbing it as far as I could. As I did, the light above me went out. I was now in the dark, praying my attack was enough. For a few seconds, I thought I did it. I thought I defeated whatever paranormal monstrosity this was. But I was naive. Moans and groans of the most discomforting kind bellowed from the box. Out of instinct, I tried to pull my knife out to stab it once more, but it wouldn’t budge. My only means of defense was now inconceivably stuck.
The harrowing sounds grew louder and louder, invigorating so much fear in me that I fell backwards on the floor. I could barely see anything, and the worst was on its way. Staring at the box, I watched it for a whole minute as it uncomfortably let out all its sounds. And then… RRKK! A pale hand broke through the top of the box. It was here. The force was so strong that the knife shattered immediately, leaving just the handle to be launched to a corner. Petrified, I watched as the ghostly creature struggled to exit. Soon after, another arm launched out. The two arms grabbed the edges of the box to push itself up. Slowly but surely, a head popped out. First, I saw dark black hair, but then I saw something even worse. A thick metal chain was wrapped around the head a multitude of times, covering at least half of the face. The eyes, nose, and mouth were mostly covered, and deep scarring could be seen over much of the skin, even in the dark. When the neck ascended, it was clear most of the wrappings were done around it. Deep gashes were present there. Truly a horror to witness. As the rest of the body somehow managed to squeeze out of the box that could not have physically contained it, I picked myself up.
Bumping into walls, I ran to the hallway closet to hide. No longer capable of seeing it, I listened as the monster finally escaped the box. Harsh thumps and sliding chains could be heard dragging along the floor. The closet itself was built with angled slits, allowing me to see outside. I held my breath as I heard the abomination get closer. Groans from hell came from it as I finally saw it cross my view. The gashed and bruised face limped on through as I noticed that the chain was extremely long. Its ends dangled off its neck and were causing the clatter on the floor. Trying my very hardest to not emit a single sound, I watched in silence. It kept on walking, and unfortunately, I knew that it was the ghost of Lisa. Even with the disfigured face, she was still recognizable.
Once she fully crossed the closet, I hastily tried to think of a plan to escape. Surely there had to be a way. I couldn’t die here. No. I couldn’t. PRWWW!! Lisa doubled-back and instantly appeared before the closet, looking straight inside. I gasped out loud, confirming her suspicion. Taking her hand, she grabbed the closet handle and began opening the door. Trying desperately to keep it shut, I used my hands and feet to resist the movement. I had no handle to use though, meaning I could only slow the inevitable. Once the door was a third of the way open, I knew I had to make a desperate attempt at running away. Looking back up to the top shelf, I used my right hand to grab the case of documents above. With my distraction, I then let her fully open the door…
Seeing the ghost in her full terror, I paused for a second. Gathering my courage, I then threw the open case onto her and booked it right past, back to the living room. As I ducked behind my couch to hide, I heard profuse sobbing from the hall. I hid for minutes, but the sobbing wouldn’t cease. I don’t know why it made me leave my spot, but I stood up and peeked down the hall. Lisa was on her knees, staring at the image of her on Halloween. Seeing me, she looked up and croakily asked through the chains on her mouth, “Why?”
I remained silent. She asked again, but I kept my mouth shut. Crawling on the floor in a desperate manner, she approached me not emitting fear, but grief. It was like she was a scrawny vermin on the verge of death. “Why did you do this to me, David?” She begged for an answer, one more time.
Seeing the atrocity before me, I simply stated, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Immediately becoming furious, she lunged towards me, pinning me against a wall. I tried breaking free, but I couldn’t. She then took a loose end of her chain and wrapped it around my exposed neck. With each wrapping, my airways grew tighter and tighter. She kept on asking why, but all I could muster was an “I’m sorry,” over and over. Each time I said it, she tightened the chains. With imminent death on the horizon, I looked up to the dark ceiling as my vision began to fade. And that’s when I finally said it:
“I’m… not sorry, Lisa.”
Hearing those words, Lisa’s rageful grip came to halt. Finally being able to slightly breathe, I desperately gasped for as much air as I could. Having enough air to speak, I continued: “I would wrap those chains around you, again and again if I could, just to see you scream one more time.”
That’s right. I murdered Lisa. Just for the hell of it as well. Her grip on her chains continued to loosen from her shock. Once she realized that she was giving me air, she tried to tighten them once more. But I slipped my hand between her chains and my neck, grabbing them as tight as I could. Looking the miserable ghost directly in her obscured eyes, I told her of how even though I was the prime suspect of the crime, there was never enough evidence to prosecute me. “I covered my tracks well. And it’s so funny how justice will never be served for you,” I blurted with my sick humour. Due to the incident, I was fired for my suspicion. That day, I was to be forever alone for the crime that everyone knew I did. But I didn’t care, because I got to see Lisa’s limbs stop moving as she begged for air. That was worth all of it.
CHNK!! The chain snapped from my grip! I laughed continuously as Lisa had that guttural fear absorb her once more. She stumbled backwards as I realized that I could torture her poor soul for a second time. Stepping towards her, a devilish smile formed across my face. Embers from nowhere appeared in the room. Each step I took cracked the walls and floor by some amount, as well as strengthened the embers. Soon enough, flames manifested around us as Lisa tried so hard to crawl away from me. But both of us knew she was going to suffer once more. Grabbing the chains behind her head, I pulled them and made them dig deeper into her eyes. Insufferable screams of misery could be heard, just like last time, and I was revelling in it. I pulled so hard in fact, that the chain broke once more. Looking around to admire the fire, I cackled like the devil I was. After admiring the hellscape, I looked back at Lisa, who was crawling towards the front door. I was surprised she could still see with her ruined eyes, but it was pointless. She was done for. I took another step—SHRRWW!
What? The floor before me crumbled, revealing the glowing and endless pit of fire beneath. A hole was created between us, trying to stop me from torturing her. I wasn’t having it though. I tried walking around—SHRRWWWW!!
NO! The hole increased in size. Each step I took had increased the gap between Lisa and I. Soon enough, the gap became too large for me to even imagine jumping. The fire had grown so rampant that even the black moss outside the house was being consumed by it. But as it burnt away, a divine light shone through each window. Heaven was on the other side, and Lisa was crawling towards the door to it. I watched in shock as her hand grabbed the knob and twisted it, revealing the serenity beyond.
“NO! LISA, YOU CAN’T GO! I WON’T LET YOU! EVEN IF I HAVE TO SCALE THE PITS OF HELL, I WILL—”
The fire consumed the floor beneath me, stealing my footing. I watched as Lisa crawled her disgusting body over to God’s Dominion, while I fell to my demise. The flames that I thought were mine had now begun burning my skin. My infinite fall through Hell. That was what Lisa came back to achieve.
The supernatural events that occurred in my home did transfer through to the real world. Albeit, without the pits of Hell and light of Heaven. My house burned down, from which the police assumed that I intentionally did so. No body or box was ever found. The hand of justice had found me even after I hid for so long. I was the bird that had broken free of his cage, just to be shot down. All due to Lisa and her box. That damned box…