The Music Box

It was a cold and windy Autumn afternoon in Clarksville, Alabama. Macy Grant was returning to her home from working a double shift at the St. Vincent Memorial Hospital where she was a registered nurse. She notices sitting on her porch a small intricately wrapped package on her doorstep. After picking up the package, Macy notices that there was no note or indication of who had left it.

The last thing that she had ordered that was delivered was her uniforms and that was three weeks ago from a local shop in town. Macy picks up the package and takes it inside her house. She places the box down onto her coffee table and proceeded to tear open the package. The wrapping paper was a deep crimson, tied with a black satin ribbon. Macy hesitated for a moment, as a sense of unease creeped over her, but her curiosity got the best of her. She carefully untied the ribbon and peeled back the paper to reveal a ornate music box. It was made of dark wood, with strange symbols carved into it's surface. Macy carefully wound the key and opened the lid. A haunting melody began to play, filling the room with a n eerie, melancholic tune. As the music played, she notice strange things began to happen. From the corner of her eyes, she began to see dark shadows move rapidly across the room. The air inside her house grows colder and she feels a unfamiliar chill flowing down her spine. Macy starts to feel an inexplicable sense of dread, but she dismisses it as her imagination.

In the days that follows, Macy life began to unravel. At night her dreams were plagued by visions of dark figures cloaked in the shadows, whispering her name. She would awake in a cold sweat. The sinister music box sat still near her bed on the nightstand. She notices objects seem to move around in her house and float along in thin air. Macy starts to feel a malevolent presence around her. The music box filled her with fear leaving her wondering how on earth can she get rid of it. Desperate and for answer, Macy sought out old friend of her mother named Miss Evelyn. Miss Evelyn specializes in the occult and other supernatural happenings in the world. Macy took the music box to The Wicca Shop on the Boulevard owed by Miss Evelyn. Miss Evelyn examine the music box thoroughly.

“Where did you get this my child?” asked Miss Evelyn. “It looks ancient.”

“It was left on my doorstep,” said Macy.

“Wait here,” said Miss Evelyn. “This music box seems very familiar to me.”

Macy watches as Miss Evelyn disappears behind a sheer curtain covering a room in the back of her store. She came out with a huge black book with a spooky looking tree on the cover. Miss Evelyn blew the dust from the book cover before opening it up. There was a page near the back of the book where she would find reading about the origin of the strange music box. Macy looked at Miss Evelyn as she began to read, her eyes grew wide and her face turned pale. Miss Evelyn looked up at Macy and began to speak, her voice trembling with every word.

“This music box is cursed,” said Miss Evelyn.

She told Macy that the music box once belong to a talented composer named Duncan Tolbert. Duncan had became obsessed with capturing the perfect melody for the music box. He pored his soul into the music, but it drove him to madness. In his final moments, he cursed the music box, trapping his tormented spirit within it. Whom ever has possession of the object now, he or she becomes the receiver of the curse. Miss Evelyn tells Macy that the only way she can break the curse was to return the music box to Duncan's grave, located in the desolate, overgrown cemetery on the outskirts of town.

“Safe travels my child,” said Miss Evelyn. “There will be obstacles in your path, but carry on.”

“Thank you,” said Macy.

Macy left the Wicca Shop to embark on her journey to free herself from the menacing grip of the music box.

As she arrived to the cemetery, the sky darkened, and the wind howled madly through the trees. Macy walked cautiously through the cemetery. She found the weathered tombstone of Duncan Tolbert marked with music notes. Macy placed the music box on the grave, winding the key one last time. The haunting melody played, but this time, it seemed to carry a sorrowful goodbye. Suddenly a gust of wind blew through the cemetery, so strong that it made Macy stumble to the ground. The music box began to shake violently shattering into a million pieces disappearing into dust carried by the wind. There was a loud moan and an apparition appeared to spin around fast into circles and disappeared behind the grave of Duncan Tolbert. The evil curse was lifted and the malevolent spirit returned back into the darkness from which it had came. He skies turned back to clear blue once again and the air grew warmer. A sense of relief and peace washed over Macy. She felt good inside knowing that Duncan spirit could finally rest in peace. With the curse broken, Macy returned home free from the evil clutches of the music box and it's dark influences. She had faced her fears and triumphed, forever changed by her experience. Macy walked throughout her home making sure that everything had remained the same. Because of the strange happenings, her orange tabby cat Mystical had vanished from fright. Macy was surprised and so happy that Mystical was okay when she came in prancing from the closet.

“How are you old girl?” asked Macy.

Mystical purred as Macy picked her up and gave her a firm hug. The tabby rubbed her soft furry face against Macy cheek. Macy sat Mystical down on to the floor. She opened up the refrigerator getting out cream for the cat's bowl. Macy would always remember the tale of the cursed music box and a reminder to herself that some melodies are best left unheard. The most important lesson of all, some strange boxes left on your doorstep are better left unopened.