the box excerpt

8/8/2019 The Box Excerpt

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!Dood$% 4red said. He grabbed the handle of the bucket and lifted it up ith a groan.

(e all alked back to the house. " tried to get Eo-i to let #e help hi# carry one of his buck/

ets$ but he insisted that he could #anage.

(e took the buckets of fish into the garage. Against the back all of the garage as a

#etal table that looked like the kind of table you #ight use for autopsies. At the end of the

table as a large deep sink. &here as also a faucet under the table ith a green garden hose

attached. Fust under that faucet as a drain in the floor.

!(e re the best prepared in the neighborhood.% Brenda bea#ed hen she noticed #e

checking out the set up.

!Al ays have been$% 4red said. He sat the bucket of fish on the floor ne't to the table.

Eo-i and ve did the sa#e.

!"t*s going to take forever to clean all these fish$% ve said.!6on*t orry about it$ Baby. "*ll clean hat " can$ and "*ll put the rest in the deep free e$

guts$ scales and all.% Brenda #otioned to the long hite free er in the corner by the door

that led into the kitchen.

!"*d be happy to help$ Brenda$% Eo-i said. !" orked in a fishery in Alaska one su##er

during college. "*# the fastest fish gutter in the est.% Eo-i #i#ed so#ething that " assu#ed

as supposed to be gutting a fish.

Brenda laughed. !5ou need to get so#e sleep. 5ou have a long drive ahead of you.%

!5eah$ she*s right$ kids.% 4red as ashing his hands vigorously in the deep sink. !"t*s

late. Do get so#e sleep.%

??

" couldn*t sleep. " lay in bed listening to ve snoring$ #y eyes ide open looking around

the darkness. " could #ake out the silhouette of the bo' on the desk. "t looked like a nor#al

bo' sitting there in the dark un#oving$ silent.

very ti#e " closed #y eyes " felt a rushing all around #e$ like the bed as falling

through space. pots of red and green sho ed on #y eyelids. " lay there a ake all night. " as grateful to see the da n,light seeping through the slits in the blinds.

" got up and got in the sho er before the rest of the house oke up$ but by the ti#e "

got out$ Brenda as already cooking breakfast. " could s#ell fried fish. " ent into the kit/54


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chen and she as standing in front of the stove in a red t/shirt and deni# shorts that ca#e

to her knees. & o pans si led on the stove before her. 4red as reading the ne spaper at

the kitchen table.

!Dood #orning$ "ndy$% Brenda said.

!Dood #orning.%

!6id you sleep ell+% 4red asked$ peering over the ne spaper.

! f course$% " lied. " didn*t really think of it as a lie though$ because " had slept ell be/

fore the -ubilee.

!" thought e could have so#e of this fish for breakfast. 4ried fish and ho#e fries$

doesn*t that sound good+% he t isted her upper body to s#ile at #e enthusiastically over

her shoulderI the spatula in her hand dripped grease. !6oes ve eat fish+%

!No$% " ans ered.!"*ll #ake her so#e scra#bled eggs. he eats eggs doesn*t she+%

! he has to eat eggs$% 4red chi#ed in. !(here else does she get protein+%

!Beans$% ve said. he entered the kitchen in a nightshirt ith a teddy bear in a pink

nightcap on its front. !" eat eggs$ 7o#$ but no fish.% he alked over to the table$ pulled

out a chair and sat do n ne't to her father.

! ggs$ but no fish$% Brenda repeated$ as if #aking a #ental note. he alked over to

the refrigerator and got out a carton of eggs.

!(hat*s the difference+% 4red asked. He #otioned ith his eyes and a nod of the head

for #e to -oin the# at the table. 7y sense of uneasiness ith 4red re#ained. "*d felt unco#/

fortable ith hi# ever since e*d arrived$ but last night had #ade #e feel particularly un/

co#fortable. (hat is a sensitive+ " felt like he kne so#ething. o#ething " never told hi#.

o#ething about the bo'. o#ething about #e. o#ething I didn*t even kno #yself.

. " pulled out a chair. &he legs s)ueaked on the tile floor. ve see#ed #ore rela'ed than

she had last night at dinner. he leaned back co#fortably in her chair.

!(hat do you #ean+% ve asked.! ggs and fish$ hat*s the difference+ ggs are baby chickens$% 4red said$ looking very

pleased ith hi#self.

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!" kno $% ve responded. !" had to dra the line so#e here$ and " decided to dra it

at eggs. "f " didn*t eat eggs there ould be all kinds of things " couldn*t eat.%

!Like cake and cookies$% " added.

!5ou aren*t illing to give up cake and cookies for your principles+% 4red asked$ the

s#ug look still on his face.

!"t*s #ore about health than principles for #e.%

!4ish is healthy$% Brenda said$ taking a breaded fish fro# the pan and laying it neatly on

a paper to el covered plate.

!Not like that$ 7o#. And the pollution in the ater is cra y. &he fish consu#e that

stuff and then e eat the#. "t -ust doesn*t see# like a good idea to #e.%

! o you*re not an ani#al rights person you*re a health nut$% 4red said. &he ne spaper

lay folded in his lap.!"f #y proble# ith eating #eat had to do ith being into ani#al rights$ ould " have

helped out ith the -ubilee last night+%

!" guess not.% 4red turned his attention to #e. ! o " guess you*re neither.%

! 'cuse #e+% " said.

!Ani#al rights nut or a health nut$% 4red added for clarity. !" #ean you really packed

a ay that pork at dinner last night.%

!6ad ...% ve said$ e#barrassed.

!" did eat a lot last night. "*# not asha#ed. 3ork is #y favorite #eat$ so " guess "*#

neither.%

!Dood.% He laughed. !6o you ant to read the paper+ "*# not going to ask vie be/

cause " already kno she doesn*t.%

!No thanks$% " said.

! vie$ could you set the table+ Breakfast is nearly done$% Brenda said. he had a pile of

fish on the plate and as scra#bling eggs for ve.

!"*ll get Eo-i up$% " said." alked do n the hall. &he plastic runner as rough under #y bare feet. " passed the

bathroo# and ent to the guest roo# here Eo-i slept at the end of the hall. (hen "

knocked on the door " got no ans er. (hen he slept$ he really slept. &here as no aking56


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hi#. nce he told #e a story about being in an accident ith so#e friends. &hey had been

driving for a hile and Eo-i had fallen asleep on the back seat. Any ay$ they s erved to

avoid hitting a deer and the car ent out of control and crashed into a ditch on the side of

the road. His friends -u#ped out of the car in shock. Eo-i as still in the back of the car$ but

laying on the floor. &hey thought he*d been in-ured until they heard hi# snoring. He*d slept

through the entire incident.

" knocked again$ a little harder. Nothing. !Eo-i$% " called. till nothing. " slo ly turned

the doorknob and silently opened the door. As soon as " opened the door$ " could hear the

hu#. " kne that hu# ell already. &he roo# as lit up like a sunny #id/afternoon. &he

light as shocking$ and it took #e a fe #inutes to ad-ust. " didn*t call out or yell. " cal#ly

searched the roo# ith #y eyes for Eo-i. He as lying on the floor face do n ne't to the

bed. ne of his feet as under the bed. His ar#s ere outstretched at his side like he asfloating in a body of ater.

(hen " entered the roo# the door shut behind #e ith a hoosh. "t shut )uickly$ but

so#eho #ade no noise. &he hu##ing sound rang in #y head like it as causing #y brain

to tre#ble. " could feel a #illion prickles on #y skin like ants cra ling all over #e. " knelt

do n ne't to Eo-i to try to shake hi# a ake. " didn*t kno if he as sleeping or had passed

out or hat had happened to hi#. All " kne as that " had to do so#ething to help hi#. "

tried to block the distractions of the noise and light fro# #y #ind so " could think clearly.

" used both of #y hands to shake hi# hard. He didn*t respond. " did it again$ and still

there as no response. ven though " kne about Eo-i*s #ystical sleeping pro ess$ " kne

that this asn*t sleep. " tried to turn hi# over$ but his body as heavy like lead heavier

than it should have been.!Eo-i$% " called out over the noise. How could they not hear this in the

rest o" the house# " ondered. " tried again to turn hi# over but couldn*t. " leaned over and

yelled in his ear. !Eo-i % &hat*s hen " noticed the bo' glo ing ith an intense hite light

that hurt #y eyes. "t as under the bed. Eo-i*s fingertips ere touching its edge. " shook hi#

hard$ but there as still no response. " scanned his body. " as looking for so#e kind of clueas to hat " should do ne't. " could see that he as breathing. !Help % " called out. !Help %

7y #ind as racing. " needed to do so#ething. " grabbed one of Eo-i*s ar#s and tried to

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drag hi# to ards the door$ but again he ouldn*t budge. 7y heart pounded. " tried to

scratch the prickly feeling fro# #y ar#s$ but it did no good.

No one heard #y call. " rapped #y ar#s around Eo-i*s #iddle$ took a deep breath and

used all of the strength " had to pull his body to ards #e. He #oved a little$ #aybe a

)uarter of an inch. As he did$ his fingertips lost contact ith the bo' and everything sud/

denly stopped. &he noise and light vanished. (e ere in the di# guest roo# ith yello

curtains and the sa#e beige carpet that ran through the rest of the house.

Eo-i #oaned. " still had #y ar#s rapped around hi#.

!Are you okay+%

!Agh$% he #oaned again.

!Eo-i.% " let go of hi# and sat up.

He turned his head to face #e. !" feel like so#eone hit #e in the head ith a ha##er.%!(hat happened+%

!No " kno hy &o# told you not to open the bo'.% He pushed hi#self up slo ly

and sat on the edge of the bed.

" reached under the bed and grabbed the bo'. n the top of the bo'$ -ust above the ad/

dress label$ " could see here he had started to pull the clear packing tape a ay. !" can*t be/

lieve you did this.%

!6on*t orry. " definitely regret it. " on*t be doing it again.%

!Dood.% " tried to s#ooth the raised tape back do n$ but it had lost its stickiness.

!(hatever is in that bo' is notnatural. (e need to get rid of it as soon as possible. (hat

you said before about it doing so#ething to you no " believe you. " think e should -ust

du#p it so#e here$ cut our loses and go ho#e.% Eo-i as visibly shaken. He crossed his

ar#s and rocked back and forth like he as trying to cal# hi#self.

!" can*t do that.%

!5es you can. "t*s not good. "t*s not good at all.%

!" pro#ised &o#. " need the #oney. " don*t think delivering it ill hurt anyone. (ecan*t open it.% " sat on the bed ne't to hi# and put #y ar# around hi#. " could feel hi#

shaking.

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!Fust keep that thing a ay fro# #e.% He directed his eyes to the bo' in #y lap and

stood up.

!(e*d better get out there. &hey*re aiting for us for breakfast.% " put the bo' do n on

the bed and stood up too. Eo-i as #oving #ore slo ly than usual$ like he had to carefully

think about every action before doing it. " hurried past hi# and opened the door.

" -u#ped back a bit and al#ost fell over back ard hen " sa 4red as standing in the

hall ay so close to #e that the tip of his nose #ust have been touching the door before "

opened it. His face as blank. &he fine rinkles around his eyes and #outh all pointed

do n.

!"s everything okay+% 4red asked. He blinked his eyes slo ly.

!Ah$ yeah$ fine$% " ans ered.

!Dood. (e*re aiting for you for breakfast. 6id you sleep ell$ Eo-i+% He peered over#y shoulder at Eo-i suspiciously. &hen his eyes #oved to the bo' on the bed. He sighed and

ran his hand through his thinning gray hair.

" aited for hi# to #ove out of the ay so e could leave the roo# but he continued

to stand there staring at the bo'. ! 'cuse #e$% " finally said.

! orry.% He stepped aside to let us pass.

As " passed 4red$ " got a cold feeling. " reached #y hand back to grab Eo-i*s$ but he as

too far behind. "nstead$ 4red caught #y ar# and pulled #e back. !None of you can open

that bo'$% he hispered in #y ear. pit sprayed #y earlobe as he said bo'.

" turned and looked into his blue eyes. &hough he sounded angry$ his eyes sho ed no

hint of e#otion. " pulled #y ar# fro# his grip. " ondered hy Eo-i didn*t say or do any/

thing. " looked into the roo# for hi# and he as standing there$ ith his back turned to us$

looking at the bo'.!Eo-i$ co#e on$% " said and turned to alk do n the hall.

ve and Brenda ere already seated at the kitchen table. A platter piled ith fried fish

and potatoes sat in the #iddle. ve had scra#bled eggs on her plate. ! verything okay+%

Brenda asked as soon as e entered the kitchen.!5eah fine$% " said.

Eo-i$ 4red$ and " -oined Brenda and ve at the table and started to eat. (e #ade polite

conversation over breakfast. 5ou kno $ the/thanks/so/#uch/for/letting/us/stay and it/ as/59


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no/proble#/ e/en-oyed/having/the/co#pany kind of conversation. (ell all of us did but

Eo-i. Eo-i said hardly a ord. He devoured the food like he hadn*t eaten in days. His hands

tre#bled slightly the hole ti#e. At one point$ Brenda laughed and said$ !And " thought "*d

#ade ay too #uch food. "t looks like e on*t have any leftovers.% " think she took Eo-i*s

voracious appetite as a co#pli#ent.

" took it as a sign that so#ething as rong. " #ean he can really pack it do n$ but "

had never seen hi# eat like that before$ and after hat " had -ust seen in the bedroo#$ "

didn*t kno hat to think. " lost count of the nu#ber of fish he ate. He didn*t stop until

every edible thing on the table had been devoured. (ith the food gone$ ve started clearing

the table.

!Let #e get that$ Honey$% Brenda said$ taking the stack of dirty plates fro# ve*s

hands. !5ou go sho er and get dressed so y*all can leave before it gets too late.%!"t*s a lot to clean up by yourself$% ve said.

! he on*t be doing it by herself$% " said.

! ee that$ Honey. 5ou go get ready to leave.%

! kay. &hanks for breakfast$ 7o#. "t as great.% ve padded out of the kitchen.

" busied #yself helping Brenda ith the dishes. Eo-i sat at the table$ staring at the

e#pty place here his plate used to be. 4red sat staring at hi#. 4inally$ he leaned to ard

Eo-i and said$ !(hy don*t e go for a alk and chat+%

" didn*t like the sound of that. !Eo-i 5ou have to pack all of your stuff up first.%

!"t*s packed$% Eo-i said. !A alk sounds good. " need to get out of here for a #inute.%

$urchase The Bo% on &ma'on (indlehere )
http://www.amazon.com/The-Box-ebook/dp/B002U0KVQQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1292274262&sr=8-2http://www.amazon.com/The-Box-ebook/dp/B002U0KVQQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1292274262&sr=8-2

the box excerpt

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