INSIDE THE WOODEN BOX!

My husband just left for work a while ago. I decide to go and iron my dress for tonight's party. There is a strange feeling in my heart. I am anxious, excited, scared and nervous all at the same time. Don't know why. I stare at my watch. It is at 9.30 am. I iron as hum and then the doorbell! I hurry downstairs just to see the neighbor's daughter with a doll in her hand.

"Can we play today?" she asks sweetly.

"Sure we can," I reply reluctantly and she forcefully pushes the door and gets inside.

I see her mother on the other side of the street. She smiles and shouts something I can barely hear. I guess she might be telling us to be safe. I get into my house and follow Katie up the stairs and into my room.

"Let's play hide and seek," she says.

"OK. I'll find you." I begin to count as I listen to her footsteps. I know where she is heading. I shout, "ready or not, here I come Katie."

I open the bathroom door. I figure she is here but then I can't find her. I begin to call her as I search. The bedrooms-check, the attic-check, the living room-check, the dining room-check, the kitchen-check, the yard-check, the whole house-check. I begin to panic. I am now worried. Take my phone and wonder what to do next.

"Katie! Katie!' I shout "Come out now, this isn't a game anymore."

I am pacing around the house with my cellphone in hand.

I swear her footsteps faded as soon as she entered the bathroom, I think. I head for the bathroom and look around and then, I see something on the wall, something I never saw before. This is strange, really strange! I think to myself.

"Katie, Are you in there?" I say blankly. There are so many feelings going on at once. It looks like some kind of passage on the wall. some door. This can't be right. I put the phone on the sink and push the door or whatever it is and then, it opens and my feet feel numb. I stand there for a while. I try to call Katie but no sound comes out and then a voice inside begs me not to go in but my hand reaches out for my phone, puts on the flashlight and in I go.

I walk down some stairs. I can hear some heavy breathing and at my last step, I point my flashlight at the little girl who seems relieved.

"It's scary down here," she says.

"We should head back up," I say.

"What you got down here," She asks.

With my flashlight still pointed to her," I don't know what's down here," I say. There is some fear in my voice. I grab her hand and rush back to the bathroom and close the door behind my door. I hug the little girl so tight with much relief. I am crying.

"Stop, it hurts," Katie shrieks.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I say to her as let go. I am extremely glad she is okay.

It is 7 pm and I am in the bathroom. I have not told anyone about this passage yet. I do not know if I should go down there. There might be someone or something in there. I have not had a minute of peace ever since I found it. I want my husband to come home. I want him to find out what is in there.

Should I call my best friend Gillian and tell her what I found? She just got out of jail a few weeks ago. Probably not, I will just wait for my Ronald.

I pace around the bathroom. Am I crazy? I think to myself. What if there is a burglar in my house or some kind of weirdo? How long has he been there? is that why we bought the house at a throw-away price? Is this place haunted? I am now scared. I rush outside the bathroom and lock it.

I hear some footsteps downstairs.

"Ronald!" Phew, I run and hug him tight. Before he can say a word, there I go, telling him about the passageway and Katie.

"Honey, calm down. I'll go check it," He says.

"No. what if there are some freaks down there? Should we call the cops?"

"Honey, relax. It's fine." You were probably having some bad dreams. Maybe it doesn't exist. You know how paranoid you get at times."

I feel offended.

" I know what I saw," I say and he puts both hands in the air as a sign of surrender.

He unlocks the bathroom door and looks at the passage. I see the shock on his face.

"Weird," he says. He puts on his flashlight. "Stay here," he says.

"No, I'm coming with you," I say.

We walk down the stairs and take our last step and then, he points his flashlight all around. There is a box, its big and wooden, there are pictures and paintings on the wall, there is a gun on the table and a glass of wine, there is another glass on the floor that is broken and there are some documents on the table and a bunch of boxes on the floor, there is a pair of glasses lying next to an open book and then there is a chair. My heart beats fast and I grab on to Ronald.

"Go call the police," He says.

"I can't leave you down here," I whisper.

"Hurry up, go I am right behind you," I run upstairs and I see him follow me. I call 911 and report an emergency as my husband locks the bathroom door.

"There is someone in our house," my voice is trembling.

"Ma'am, what's your address? Are you alone?"

I give them our address as Ronald holds me his arms.

"Get outside if you can, we will be there in a sec."

Outside we stand. We both look at the house as we hold hands.

"What if it had been there all this while?' I ask.

"And we never saw it?" He asks.

"What if there is nobody down there?"

There has to be someone?" My husband assures me.

I hear the sound of sirens, closer and closer.

The police arrive and ask us to stay outside.

"I'll show you where it is," Ronald says to them and they head inside.

I look at my neighbor's house and I see Katie and her peering through the window. A police officer holds my hand, "they're gonna find whoever is in there."

Ten minutes later, they all come out. The police carry the wooden box, the gun and the boxes.

"There is nobody in there," an officer says.

"What's in there?" I ask looking at the wooden box.

"Sorry we can't tell you, either of you. You'll know pretty soon," he says.

"So what now?" Ronald asks him.

"Your house is safe. We will give you a call soon enough," he says as they get into their car and leave.

I am still up at midnight. I am unsettled. I look at Ronald who is asleep-unbothered. The image of the wooden box is still in my mind.

I need answers immediately.

I go to the bathroom with my flashlight on. My fear slowly fading into the night. I am sweating as I walk down the stairs. I look at the pictures, looking for answers. Then I see something, it was there all this time.

A cold hand touches me. I jump with fear, a scream dares not come out. Then, a whisper.

"Vivian, it's me," she says.

I turn and look at her.

"You gave them the 10 million dollars in the wooden box, you gave them the evidence!" We will be arrested.

"What do you mean Gillian, what do we mean we? What are you doing here? Who are you? Is this a dream?"