"Can I come in?" Called Kazima through the door.
"Only if you have a hammer or mallet" I replied. She opened the door a bit and peeped round.
"Why do you need a mallet?"
"To open this flipping box!" I said tossing the box down on the bed where I sat with my legs crossed, staring at it.
"You know, every puzzle has a solution"
"Well it's not a very easy one! It's not easy at all! It's hard, very hard!"
"You'll get into it, I'm sure you will"
"So am I. Mike keeps the camping mallet in the shed right?"
"Well yes but..."
"Ok then, thanks Kaz!"
"That's really not what I meant though..."
"See ya!" I yelled as I shoved past her and starting running down the hall, with the box in my hand. I made it down the stairs and unlocked, then opened the front door.
After walking all the way out to the shed, I realised I don't have the key. *sigh*
I ran all the way back into the house, into the office and retrieve the key from Mike. I told him I was using it to access the outdoor games, and he believed me!
I ran back out to the shed and dug around in all the rubbish and random tools. I eventually found the mallet in with all the tents and stuff from camping, with all the line hooks.
I took the mallet and left the shed. I set the box down on the grass outside the shed door and held the mallet above my shoulder, ready to swing.
"Stop!" Yelled Bailey. "Don't smash the shed what were you thinking?!!"
"I'm not" I laughed as he ran towards me. "I'm smashing this stupid box"
"What's the point in that?"
"To get whatever is inside it. I have to know"
"Fair enough"
He stepped back a couple of paces and watched as I swung the mallet over my shoulder, then with all the force I could, I swung it down onto the box. To my surprise, it didn't break! It didn't even crack or scratch! Nothing!
I tried again, and again, and again!
"Hey hey stop!" Bailey said as he came up behind me and took the mallet from my exhausted left arm. "It's not working, face it"
"Stupid box!"
"Anyway, I can outside to tell you that movie night is starting in a few minutes and you need to come inside"
"Ok I'll be there in a minute"
He spun on his heels and ran away inside. I picked up the box in complete awe. How has it not been damaged?! I just battered it with a mallet for flips sake!!
I carried the box back inside I left it on the kitchen table where I wouldn't loose it. Everyone was waiting for me in the living room when I walked in. "Finally! Can we watch it now?!" Floss pouted impatiently!
"Yeah yeah" I said snidely as I took my usual seat on the sofa next to Ryan, like always.
"Did you open it?" He asked.
Before I could answer, Bailey piped up from behind me.
"No! But she gave it quite the beating!"
Ryan gave me this weird look, as did everybody else.
"I hit it with a mallet"
"Are you mad!!!???"
"Ryan it's ok. It didn't even scratch"
"Then how did you..."
"Ssshhhhh the films starting"
I cuddled down with him and got ready to watch whatever Floss had chosen. Why does Floss always have to choose?
----------
So after the long film, Mike told us all to head up to bed. He said he wants to talk with me in the office tomorrow about the whole, random mums thing. I grabbed the box and took it up to my room after saying goodnight to everyone.
I changed into some comfy pyjamas and let my hair loose after brushing my teeth. I climbed into bed and suddenly felt wide awake.
Like a switch was turned on that suddenly forced me to stay awake. I can't decide what to do now.
My mind returned to the box. What's inside and why is it so difficult to open?
I switched on the lamp on my desk and sat wearily on the chair.
I don't know how I came to doing it, but in the process of fiddling with the sides I came across something.
I was just messing around with it in my hands when I managed the slide the front side open, like the door of a lift. Behind it was a button, which I obviously pressed.
It made a weird clicking noise, and then a weird cracking noise, and then, after a couple of seconds the top flipped open.
Nervously, I tilted it so that I could see whatever was inside.
There was more than one thing, of course there would be.
Firstly, I saw a small envelope with a lot of badly drawn doodles all over it. I picked up the pink envelope and opened it up to see a Mother's Day card. I opened it up, inside it read...
"Mummy, I love youo vewy vewy much. Love Maria"
I can't have sent this, I only ever knew my real mum, never this lady. Also in the envelope was a photo. It was me when I was little, with a lady who looked like the lady who gave me the box. She can't be my real mum.......can she?
I started looking in the box again. There was a small scrap of paper, on which was written a phone number, with "call me when you see this. I want to see you, don't tell social!"
It must be her phone number! I really want to tell Mike but it says not to. I shook it off and pushed it to the back of my mind as I pulled the final thing out of the box.
It was a scrap of paper, slightly discoloured with age, torn out of a newspaper. On one side was the advertisements page, on the other was a news article. The headline read...
"Tiny Todder Kidnapped from Home in Manchester!"
Feeling confused, I decided to carry on reading the article.
"Last night, tiny two year old, Marie Riley, was taken from home in Manchester whilst parents were out. 5 year old brother, Eddie, was left in charge of looking after his sister whilst parents went out for the evening. Mother, has this to say: "I feel awful. Please someone bring my baby back to me! I shouldn't have left her...."
Police have been on search for the girl and her case has been officially filed in the red alert section. If you see her (pictured on the left) please contact local police with her known location immediately"
Wait a minute, not only is my uncle my real dad, but my mum isn't real either. The people I thought were my mum and dad, were actually people who kidnapped me when I was little? And I have a brother called Eddie? This has to be a wind up! Someone trying to get me to fall for it surely!
THAT LADY CAN'T BE MY MUM!
A single tear made its way down my cheek which I quickly wiped away as my phone buzzed. It's a text from Ryan.
R: It's way past midnight, why are you up?
M: How do you know I'm up? x
R: Your breathing really loud
M: What?
R: Are you crying? Are you alright?
M: No I'm not crying, and I'm fine x
I lied. I'm actually crying a little about the newspaper article, I have a brother, a mum, and a dad who I thought was my uncle. I'm so confused. Has my whole life so far been a complete lie? Does Mike know?
R: Good, 'cause I'm coming now xx See you in a second x
Quickly, I stuffed everything back in the box, and closed it up like it had never been opened. Then, I wiped away and dived into my bed, and hid under the covers, just in time before Ryan walked in.