“Jack-In-The-Box”

Author’s Note: This is a Take Ten to Write story and has not been proofread for errors. If I feel inspired or if there’s interest in the story, I’ll post a revised, edited, and extended version at a later date. Happy reading!

Jack-in-the-box.

If you were to ask me right now what my favourite childhood memory was, it would any memory before that awful jack-in-the-box.

Alright, let me back up a bit. I used to love playing with my dad. We would play with anything from trains to stuffed animals to robots. Everything in my life was just perfect.

Christmas came around and I was as excited as any ten-year-old could be. I got every toy I could ever dream of and more. I just felt like the luckiest kid in the entire world.

There was one last present under the tree and it was for me. I remember feeling so much excitement, because what else could possibly top the other toys that I’d already received?

I ripped open that box like there was no tomorrow. When I saw what was inside, my entire body immediately froze.

I remember the feeling of the box slipping from my fingers. It fell, almost in slow motion, before crashing against the hardwood floor. I watched as the corner of the box crumpled, saving its contents from total annihilation.

I slowly bent to pick up the toy, that horrible jack-in-the-box. It was a toy of nightmares, not because of what it was, but because of the note that accompanied it.

“For my big boy. I’m so proud of you. Lots of love from Dad.”

And in that moment, everything from the past year came flooding back.

The news of Dad’s death.

The feeling of being lost in your own home.

The incapability of being able to function.

It’s been twelve years since that Christmas and I still haven’t been able to recover.

All because of that stupid jack-in-the-box.

Final Comments: I didn’t really know where I was going with this one… It honestly wasn’t supposed to end so dark, but it just kind of happened that way (whoops?).

Overall Rating: 😬