The strange prince

2

I grabbed a big box and lifted. Behind it a small light blue wooden box toppled to the dusty floorboards by my feet. I put back the box labeled thanksgiving decorations and picked up the blue box. It was smooth and shiny with metal inlay that swirled in stars and different patterns around it. I frowned a bit when I rubbed my thumb across a key hole that kept the box fastened close. I reached to put it back in its place but strangely there was no place for it on the shelves that were packed close with old antiques. Instead I put it on top of the decorations box I grabbed before and carried them both back down the narrow attic stairs to my grandma who waited below.

"Kalie you got it? Careful it's heavy." Grandma said in her kind soft voice.

"Yea don't worry I've got it. It's not as heavy as I thought it would be."

"What's that?" She asked pointing to the blue box stacked on top as I came through the attack entryway.

"I don't know. It fell when I grabbed this box and I couldn't find where it came from. I figured you would know."

"I've never seen it before, she said taking it from me and inspecting it closely in her hands, it looks like an old music box."

"That's weird how did it get there then?" I asked.

"One of the kids must have put it up there when we built the house. It's a shame you didn't find the key too. Well I'll tell you what. You help me set out these decorations and you can have it." She said placing it back on top the box in my arms.

"You know I was going to help you anyways."

"Then consider it an early birthday present." She winked back at me.

"Yea okay, deal." I laughed

I might not have the key but it was still nice to look at and who knows maybe dad could manage to get it open.
It took an hour but finally little turkeys, leaves and a beautiful autumn table cloth had been placed neatly in all their spots. After placing the pilgrim salt shakers on the table a car horn sounded from outside. I grabbed my school things and hugged my grandma goodbye. Outside my dad waited in his car to pick me up. We rode home in silence.
When we got there I stopped to look up at the starry night that lit up the countryside. When doing so I couldn't help but wonder where my cat had gone to.
A deep longing planted my feet into the grass. With all my might I tore myself away from the thought and where I stood to walk to the house. Inside I dropped my bag and went to my room.
"Shit!" I gasped as a saw my window still open.
Has it been open all day? Something black caught my eye and I stopped. A black key sat neatly on the windowsill. Startled I closed the window, locked it and searched my room but there was no one there. This has to be some kind of joke.
I ran to get the music box from my bag and brought it with me to my room. With a shaky hand I grabbed the key and tried the lock.
After inserting the key and twisting a twice the box clicked and the lid lifted ever so slowly. Before I could see inside, the box let out a few sweet chimes causing my head to start spinning. I could no longer feel my legs beneath me and I collapsed to my bed. With one final chime my eyes closed and my mind drifted uncontrollably into sleep.

He paused mid sentence..
Something poked through his chest that sent the other students in the hall into a panic. Screams erupted as the students shoved and trampled each other trying to escape the scene that unfolded.
The world was set into slow motion.
Joel's body trembled and his shaky eyes made their way up from the floor to hold with mine. The dark figure behind him stepped back. With him the shiny tip of metal also retreated from the center of Joel's chest. When it did he coughed releasing a spray of blood into the into the air and more pooled up in his mouth. His eyes dulled and his body stopped shaking for a moment before he collapsed forward onto me. Trying to catch him I fell backward onto the ground with him on top of me. I could feel the blood from his chest soaking through my shirt and filling my nose with the nauseating smell.
The figure raised his sword and lunged it down through Joel again and this time it tore through my chest as well.

I threw my arms out in front of me gasping for air. I could still feel where the sword pierced my chest. The agonizing pain soon dulled and my heart pounded.. My numb finger tips searched for the hole that had l definitely felt in my chest a moment ago. I looking around and I was back home, in my bed, safe. I breathed a sigh of relief, "it was just a dream."
That is, until I noticed the music box next to me. Somehow it was already closed and locked.
How strange.
"This must have been because of you." I said picking the box back up.
"What a horrible thing."

A cool morning breeze blew in through my cracked window and it sent a shiver down my spine. It was the same window I had closed and locked before bed last night and my stomach turned.
No matter how hard I tried I couldn't shake the dream I had. Anxiety flared up in the pit of my stomach unlike anything I had ever felt before.
My alarm failed to wake me up for school and it was already nine in the morning. Trying to avoid the school all together I called my dad who was already at work and told him that I was sick and going to be staying home from school today.
No longer able to contain myself inside the house I grabbed my backpack along with the music box and a pair of earplugs we used while hunting.
I walked quickly down the gravel path to the lake. I wasn't sure why but I couldn't seem to fight this new urge the bubbled up inside me. I was moving with a purpose that wasn't my own and I couldn't control it. The closer I got to the lake the more clouded my mind became.
When reaching the lake I could no longer call these actions my own. Strangely enough a veil of fog surrounded the lake. I pulled out the earbuds and pushed them deep into my ears. I reached for the key that was still stuck in the music box and this time twisted and turned it over and over until it wouldn't turn anymore.

As the box began to open a voice called to me despite the earbuds and echoed through my head. Suddenly the fog that clouded my mind cleared. I slammed the music box closed and pulled out the key and my earpro.
"Wh- who's  there?" I called out.
There was no reply.
Something rustling in the bushes caught my attentions and I turned to see who was there.