Penny and the Box

The little blue dress she had worn was chosen specifically so that I could look knowing that she wouldn’t let me touch. For the life of me I couldn’t understand Penny. She wanted me around, pleaded with me to be at her beck and call yet when I tried to get closer she backed away. I knew she had secrets. I guess I just never understood how deep they ran. Now here I am again fixing a broken window at her house while she flounces around in that delectable dress talking about the sleepless night she had. Mine was sleepless too. All I could do was think of her. 

“I’m all finished with the window. You really should replace these before winter comes around.”

“I know,” she said. “I can’t seem to catch a break lately. When it rains it pours, right? I told you I haven’t been sleeping. I keep dreaming about something bad happening. I can’t ever remember what actually happens but I remember it’s terrible and it’s always my fault.”

Penny stopped short letting out a ragged sigh and I couldn’t help myself. I went to her, wrapped my arms around her and pulled her to me. I expected her to pull away like usual but she didn’t. Penny slid her hands around me and pressed her body against mine making my blood pump quicker. Feeling brave I ran my fingers through her yellow hair and lifted her chin and before I could think she was kissing me. Our hands started groping, clutching at whatever they could find. Mine had found her dress straps and how easy it was to slide them off her slim shoulders. I was so close, too close to stop, and the doorbell rang.

“I should probably get that.”

I nodded and tried to calm myself. God I wanted her and I had been right there. Who the hell was at the door? I followed behind her but she had already closed the front door, kicking it shut as there was a large box in her hands. It was black like it had been singed and smelled musty and old. Oddly there were chains and great locks keeping it tightly shut and a bright red ribbon on its top.

“What the hell is that thing?”

“I don’t know,” she smiled, “but I think we should open it and find out.”

I didn’t want her to. We didn’t know who had left it and anything could be waiting inside that strange box. I worried for a moment but then I realized Penny couldn’t open it. We didn’t have the keys to the locks but three hours later she was still cursing and tugging on the chains.

“Come one Penny, you’re not going to be able to open it without the keys. Why don’t we go get some dinner and forget about it?”

“I want it open now!” She pulled angrily on the lock and to my amazement it snapped open. She looked at me and I could see the glitter of excitement in her eyes. My mouth went dry as she removed the chains, the other locks had seemed to open just as easily and now all that sat between Penny and the boxes contents was the lid. Her hands rested on either side of it as she took a steadying breath. “Here we go.”

“No!”

I don’t know why I shouted. Penny turned to me and showed me the empty box obviously disappointed. I sighed with relief and laughed a little. I don’t know what I had been so afraid of. It was just an empty box. Then Penny started to violently shake, blood poured from her eyes, mouth and ears and a darkness spread from the box as black fog bringing with it strange inhuman cries and blinding pain.

The world has gone dark. I still don’t know what was in the box but all I see now is blackness, all I can feel is nothing and all I can hear are Penny’s screams.  

To Be Continued . . .  

This is the first story in my micro dark fantasy blog series The Devil's Box