The Box Ending up Now!
starlucid:
This is a story I been working on hope you enjoy it! I was inspired by the wonderful strange wonderfull objects some of the creators make for us to use in our games so in the style of the old Night Gallery tv show from the 70s I bring you the box...
The Box
Rosemary: Maggy...I cant't stay long I have to meet a new client he is well super rich and there's no way I can keep him waiting...
Maggy: Really who is it?
Rosemary: His name is Paul Beal. Do you know him?
Maggy: Oooh yeah! Honey big money He owns all the banks in Pleasantview and Veronaville he is definately not someone you want to keep waiting! Really sad about his wife isn't?
Rosemary: His wife? What happened? I don't really know much about him
his secretary just called and said he was looking for an Art dealer to sell an eastern collection but I have never heard of him except that he is a big wig in town.
Maggy: Well he is sort of reclusive...but the way I heard it his wife was an acclaimed Egyptologist very well known in her field she came home from her last dig sick with something unknown and the town gossips say it made her psychotic and that she went from being an attractive woman to a monster! Her name was Elizabeth Merrell I'm sure you heard of her.
Rosemary: You're kidding! Of course I have heard of her I spent 3 years in Veronaville museum during my internship studing her finds there is a whole exihibit just with her finds she donated it all and didn't want any publicity for some strange reason so it was very low key. I didn't know she had passed away.
Maggy: Well she was sick for about six months her husband tried every Doctor in the country....she finally died about three months ago..
Rosemary: How sad...
Maggy: Well I guess the old man wants to get rid of her stuff probably too painfull to look at it now.
Rosemary: Yes...I'm sure it is..
Maggy: How have you been feeling Rosemary? You look a little pale...
Rosemary: I'm tired I been working a lot. I have quite a few new clients that's been keeping very busy....so I haven't had time to think about Douglas that much...
(Rosemary thought about that not thinking about Douglas now this is a lie she had thought about Douglas a lot..and it was making her sick.
She thought about their last conversation...where he told her not only was he not asking Laura for a divorce but that for the children's sake he was going to try to work things out with his wife....it was so painfull she couldn't take seeing and working with him anymore she had made the move to Pleasantville and while she was doing ok this ill fated affair still haunted her.
Douglas and her had become close while he translated artefacts for her and one thing lead to another and next thing she knew they were deeply involved. I suppose what hurt the most is that he told her on the phone that he didn't have the decency to face her and break her heart to her face....)
Maggy: That's good honey cause he is a maggot! You just need to get out there and start dating again you will see there are so many fish in this sea and without barnacles if you know what I mean?
Rosemary: I'm not ready yet Maggy.....I ended up getting drunk two Friday nights ago right here in this pub and going home with Ali of all people now he won't leave me alone!
Maggy: "What! You and Ali?" Maggy screamed
Rosemary: Don't laugh it just sort of happened I think he slipped me something cause I know I wasn't that drunk..ugh...
Actually I have to go see him today because Mr. Beals items should be in the warehouse I need to do at least a preliminary look over before I go see Mr. Beal this afternoon.
Maggy: Well just make sure you don't have a drink with him! LOL!
Rosemary: Yeah.....No kidding! Now I do have to go love ya Maggy stay crazy!...bye....
Rosemary: Ali have all the crates arrived from the Beal collection?
Ali: "Yes baby they are here don't worry... and so am I when are you going to go home with me again?"
Ali put his octopus arms around her trying to plant a kiss on her..ugh not again....Rosemary pushed him hard with a force that even surprised herself.
Rosemary: ALI! WHAT PART OF DON'T TOUCH ME EVER AGAIN DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?! I told you I was drunk I did not want to go out with you again now unless you want to lose this job don't try it again. Ok?
Ali: Ok Ok...you don gotta be so nasty....
Ali: Here are the items from Mr. Beal they are very nice there will be some good money here thats for sure I have hired a guard and of course the alarm and the bars so it should be safe. Of course all the big money items will go in the safe.
Rosemary: Good! I already have a really eccentric client in Veronaville that has wants to bid on it as soon as it is catalogued so you need to get to work. I will be here tommorow morning and help as much as I can.
Ali: Oh and there is also this.....Ali pointed to an unusual box Rosemary took a closer look at it....what the hell was it?
Rosemary: What is this it's not Egyptian?
Ali: No it's not....There is a note attached to it addressed to you I didn't open it.
Rosemary opened the envelope it was a note from Mr. Beal addressed to her.. it read...
Miss Woodhouse please accept this box as a bonus for your help with this matter. It belonged to my wife and before she died it was the only one of her artefacts that she asked me not to sell.
She asked me to give it away to a pretty girl although we haven't met personally I have heard you fit the bill of her descriptions.
Looking forward to meeting finally.
Paul Beal
Rosemary: Well this is very cool it's a bonus on top of my commission!
Ali: You should bury that thing Rosemary....I'm not kidding!
Rosemary studied Ali's face puzzled by his remark.
Rosemary: Why would I do that?
Ali: This thing is a Dybbuk box it is evil don't keep it please!
Rosemary: Dybbuk?
Ali: Yes Dybbuk it is a devil inside the box when you open it the devil will possess you and kill you.
Rosemary: Come on Ali! I don't believe in such crap!
What is the writting on it? Can you read it?
Ali: No it looks like Hebrew but my Hebrew is really not very good you should call Douglas he can translate the writtings..
Rosemary winced at the idea of calling Douglas but Ali was right this was a job for Douglas. If this Dybbuk box was worth anything maybe she could finally take that cruise she had been planning...of course she had planned to make it a honeymoon with Douglas now it would her alone.....
Rosemary: Go ahead and package it and send it to Douglas I'll call him and confirm with him tonight.
Ali: Ok!
Rosemary started the drive to Mr. Beal's cabin it was it was a bit of a drive since it was in the outskirts of the City. She pulled up to a quaint log type vacation home it was cozy and by a lake Mr. Beal owned many homes but she had heard since his wife died he spent most of his time in this small cabin gardening which was his true passion besides making millions.
She was met by a caretaker and asked to wait in a lovely patio until Mr. Beal would join her. She felt nervous for some reason she had dealt with powerfull people before but this felt different she had a feeling Mr. Beal was not your typical millionaire.
Mr. Beal: Good Morning Miss Woodhouse how good of you to join me!
Rosemary looked up into Mr. Beals lovely blue eyes they were kind and welcoming but there was definately a sadness there that she could detect.
Rosemary: Mr. Beal it is wonderfull to finally meet you! Your home is wonderful you can really breath the fresh air out here.
Mr. Beal: Well it is way to big for just one old stuffy man but I find the gardens keep me fit particularly the rose garden.
Do you garden Miss Woodhouse?
Rosemary: No actually I love plants but have had very little time to plant a garden but maybe your lovely garden will inspire me..
Mr. Beal: Oh I hope so working with living beautifull things feeds our soul Miss Woodhouse my wife never cared for gardening and spent all her time with her artefacts of the dead all those dead ancient things cold and well not good for anyone..I will give you a plant to take home with you so that you remember to connect with the good and beautifull it's very important!
Rosemary: Thank you Mr. Beal you have been so generous to me I was very flattered you chose me to take care of these items for you.
Mr. Beal: Well don't be you were chosen by my late wife she left her wishes written and they were quite specific.. she wanted her collection to be sold and the proceeds to go to a Archeological research team in Kurdistan and Israel. She specifically chose you to barter the deal because she liked the way you worked with her items at Veronaville Museum.
She said you had done such a good job that she wanted you to be rewarded generously in this deal.
Rosemary was shocked! She had never actually met Elizabeth Merrell she had been told at the time that she never attended the Museum except by private viewings a few times and that was before her time there.
Rosemary: Mr. Beal I am very flattered to be doing this for your late wife her career was astounding...she was an amazing woman.
Mr. Beal: She she was her illness and resulting death were a great tragedy to me and I wish to honor all her requests she was very very sick at the point of her death but somehow managed to detail her wishes very clearly with her attorney....so I of course want to honor every single one.
Speaking of which the box I sent you she wished you to have it. You may sell it or do as you wish but apparently it is quite special so you may want to hold on to it for awhile until you can figure out it's value.
Here is her log on it I wanted to hand it to you in person honestly I looked at it briefly and it sort of reads as ravings my first instinct was to destroy it so no one would ever see how this strange illness had ravished her mind but her attorney was very specific that I hand this personally to you.
Just keep in mind that my wife's illness had made her.....well delusional in the last six months of her life. I would consider it a personal favor if no one but you ever saw it.
Rosemary: Yes of course Mr. Beal I will keep this confidential and if what it contains is too upsetting then I assure you I will destroy it. I want to assure you I will not allow anyone else to read it except for any details having to do with the scholarly analysis of the artefact.
Mr. Beal: Thank you Miss Woodhouse! I can see you are a person of character I see now why Elizabeth chose you for this task she was an excellent judge of character.
As Rosemary drove home she thought about calling Douglas for the translation of the box she hadn't spoken to him in over 4 months she decided she would be professional and detached....she wasn't sure she could pull that off but she would try...
starlucid:
Installment two shortly...
photobucket is being evil so I kept this first one shorter than I had originally wanted.
Elven_Song:
Oooh.. I love it so far! Can't wait to see what comes next!
starlucid:
2nd Installment...
SECOND INSTALLMENT STORY
Home.....finally! what a long crap day full of stress and BS....all
she wanted to do was order a pizza and zone out playing some video
games with Steven and sleep until the next day to start the grind
again...
Carmen: Ahhh good ju aar home I vant to tawk to ju about da boy...
Carmen was Rosemary's pillar she always made her laugh and kept her
life in order. After Father died leaving her to raise Steven her
teenage brother alone she would have been lost without her.
Steven hollered from the next room making fun of Carmen's accent
Steven: Jeah da Boy is hungry caramba!
Carmen made a face and hollered back at him..
Carmen: Jess! jast wait ju monkey I bizzy talking to jour sista!
Carmen: I make all da choppin so ju got food wile I bee gun OK? Da
bus pik up ju brother in da morningh so ju don got to drive him OK?
Rosemary panicked in horror! She had forgotten all about Steven
leaving to camp! Ugh! What kind of guardian was she? She felt very
neglectfull poor Steven he was basically raising himself...she promised
herself she would spend more time with him once he was back from
camp...
Rosemary: Carmen....I...
Carmen: Ju Fogot I new it!
Carmen: Ju know I'm going to Puerto Rico fo 3 weeks I toll ju!
Rosemary: Yes Carmen I know it just skipped my mind that today was
your last day before leaving...
Carmen: Don verry Missy I hire a maed for ju she gunna clean an I made
big choppin so ju have food for avile Ok?
Rosemary: Yes of course Carmen I have to say I'm going to miss you but
you deserve a vacation you have been running this house completely for
me and honestly I don't know what I would do without you.
Carmen laughed.....Carmen: Dat's right baby without Carmen eet's not a
good theen!
Rosemary wrote Carmen a generous check which made Carmen's eyes light
up. Her generosity was well earned and overdue...it was also a bribe
to get Carmen to come back in case she got to Puerto Rico and decided
to stay in tropical paradise instead of coming back to her job...
Rosemary decided to get the call to Douglas over with the longer she
put this off the harder it would be she went into the study and dialed
his number her fingers did it so mechanically almost like if his number
were stored in them magically....
Douglas: Hello...Petersons and Associates may I help you?
Rosemary: Hi Douglas....this is Rosemary....I was hoping I could get
you to examine an artefact that has some type of old Hebrew writtings
on it....
Douglas: Rosemary.....yes of course go ahead send it to me..
How...have you been? I thought about you a great deal..
Rosemary: I have been good very busy and you?
Douglas: Well...things are the same I'm going to counselling with
Laura but honestly I don't know if we will be able to work things
out...I just don't know if I can make myself love her again you know?
Rosemary felt her stomach flop....this was not going good her intention
was not to ease into another meeting and return to screwing Douglas
behind Laura's back scenario....No she wasn't going there...
Rosemary: That's too bad Douglas I know how you really wanted to make
it work. I'm sure you will give it your best try tho...Well back to
business the artefact is some sort of strange box I haven't examined it
but I believe it's Hebrew in Origin and the writting is not Ali's
expertise so if you will take care of this and send me a bill I will
appreciate it a lot.
Douglas: Rosemary...anything for you no bill required it's on me for
old time sake OK?
Rosemary: Are you sure? I'm doing very well Douglas my firm can
certainly afford even your ridiculous fees..
Douglas: Yes I'm sure I'll let you know when I'm done I'll call Ok?
Is this your current number here on my caller Id?
Rosemary: Yes you can call that number.
Rosemary hung up whew! that was done and over with and while awkward
and stomach wrenching it had not gone too badly...now for that bubble
bath and sleep finally....
Steven: Hey!
Rosemary: Hey monster!
Steven: You want to play my new game? It's really cool....and you
won't see me for a month so you can practice it while I'm gone you know
..since I'm gonna kick your ass and all give ya some time to get ready
for a rematch...
Rosemary smiled the bubblebath would come later spending time with
Steven made her happy he was all she had in the world now and precious
to her.
Next day Rosemary awoke to an Empty house Steven independent as he was
had left on his 6 am bus to camp and Carmen wasn't in the kitchen
making her pancakes and expresso...ugh the house felt too still and
uninhabited she dressed quickly and left for the warehouse she was late
and sure Ali would accuse her of making him do all the work alone..
The Beal collection had to be ready for bids by next week and it was
enormous this would take forever even with both her and Ali working
round the clock.....
Ali: Man I'm exausted and all stiff from looking at this crap let's go
have a drink!
Rosemary: Ali I'm not going to screw you again not ever do get that?
Ali threw his head back in a hearty laugh.."Yeah I know I'm not trying
to get into your pretty panties I swear I just seriously need a break
from this my eyes are starting to cross from so much paperwork.."
Rosemary was drop dead tired too she thought about it and said aah what
the hell?
Rosemary: Ok Ali we have three drinks that's it we have Melvin drive
us both home and pick us up 7am sharp tommorow so we can get this over
with ok?
Having a few drinks with Ali would be fun he was funny when he had a
few and as long as he wasn't trying to rape her she enjoyed his
company.
Ali was a brilliant antiguities historian she was amazingly lucky to
have him his paperwork was dubious everything he knew was from being
right there in Egypt working with the big names he had the misfortune
of not being able to document his expertise but as far as his knowledge
it was expert without a doubt she had met him at the museum during her
internship there and came to realize how valuable he could really be to
an Art and Antiguities dealer when she opened her own company he was
her first hire.
Ali: Sounds good to me let me find Melvin he is in the back moving
boxes he can take us in the pickup I tell him to take it home so he can
pick us both up in the morning..
They had a like three drinks at their usual haunt and practically fell
asleep into their drinks. She was so tired she called a cab by the
second drink and had her third drink while waiting for it to show up.
Once home she plopped into bed without even changing her clothes she
was sooo tired....as she dozed off she went right into a weird dream
that was more of a nightmare flavor....
It was just glimpses of weirdness....She saw herself in a strange dark
gallery with disgusting evil looking displays and at the end was
Elizabeth Merrell standing holding a teddy bear looking pale and
bloodied and pretty much like the walking dead...and in front of her
was the creepy box..Ugh! No more drinks late at night when she was
bordering on exaustion that was just creepy!
The next morning Rosemary woke up to a pounding headache and an
annoying alarm clock...she staggered out of bed
The clock read 6:10 am...Oh Crap Melvin will be here soon she showered
and dressed quickly Melvin and Ali were chatty and cheerfull in the
truck and she felt grumpy and sleepy...
Rosemary and Ali worked into the evening late and ordered a pizza they
ate while they worked and around 7pm her private line rang she was
gratefull for the break and went to answer it instead of allowing her
voicemail to pick up.
Rosemary: Hello?
Douglas: Rosemary? Douglas here...I wanted to talk to you about this
box you sent me..do you have a minute?
Rosemary: Yeah a few go ahead...
Douglas: I'm working on the documentation and I will send it to you
with the box but I wanted to ask you where did you get it?
Rosemary: It was part of a private collection the owner prefers to
remain anonymous but I can tell you the owner was reputable...
Douglas: Well it's not That old it was made sometime in the 14th
century the writtings on it are mostly ancient Hebrew with some Aramaic
on the exterior of the box...when I opened it inside it was empty and
dusty as hell I just about had an asthma attack had to use my inhaler
and see my Alergy doctor it's weird cause I haven't had an Asthma
attack since my childhood...
Rosemary: Oh Doug I'm sorry are you ok?
Douglas: Yeah no worries I'm back on medicines and it seems now that
I'm finished working on your little devil box it's clearing up....
Rosemary: Devil Box?
Douglas: Yeah....the writings on the outside are mostly Kabbalistic
type spells of an exorcism nature they name a specific demon contained
within the box it was a sort of binding of this demon let me see here
oh his name is ....Azazel
He is one of the fallen angels who rebelled and became a devil in The
book of Enoch.
Anyway inside the box there is more writtings but not in Hebrew or
Aramaic but Enochian writting which is suppose to be Angelic script I
haven't translated that yet as soon as I do I will inlcude it in my
report I should be done by tonight and have it ready to ship back to
you by next day.
Rosemary: Thank you Douglas! Take your time this particular item is
mine now so there is no hurry on it.
Douglas: No worries I'm almost done with it and I'm glad to be of some
help. It was certainly interesting to examine.
Rosemary: Well considering it's 14th century it's not trully an
antiguity so I guess I'll hold on to it until I find a curio type
collector who might be into the dracula aspect of it.
Douglas laughed ...oh his laugh it made her melt inside why did he have
to be married!
Douglas: Rosemary it was wonderfull talking to you again please call
me if you need anything I mean it anything...
Rosemary: Thanks Douglas I will..
The next day she worked into the night with Ali and the collection was
finally ready for auction. She went home and slept a good dreamless
dead sleep of exaustion.....she was going to stay home and finalize
some paperwork while Ali repacked the collection for the auction on
Saturday Ali would attend the auction and keep her posted by phone her
Egyptian collector had come by for a private viewing and bought like 15
pieces of it He paid a small fortune and her commission was $20,000
from that sale alone!
She had worked her butt off on this collection and it was finally
paying off!
The auction hopefully would be the icing on the cake and she could
maybe take a week off and unwind maybe take a 3 day cruise and get some
sun she could definately use some of that...
The door bell rang she looked up she wasn't expecting anyone...
At the door was a delivery man with a package she signed for it and
when she opened it she realized it was the box that Douglas was
examining for her...
She put the box in her office and opened the envelope package attached
it was Douglas's report on the box.
She read thru the technical historical parts of it measurements,
descriptions of materials and laquered finish and flipped to the last
page with the translations..
she skimmed over it being it was mostly....codes and formulas of
angelic names with astrological measurements it was almost like reading
some hermetic tablet...
the last part was the translation of the
Enochian writting it read.....
"Bind Azâzêl hand and foot, and cast him into the darkness: and make an
opening in the desert, which is in Dûdâêl, and cast him therein. And
place upon him rough and jagged rocks, and cover him with darkness, and
let him abide there for ever, and cover his face that he may not see
light. And on the day of the great judgement he shall be cast into the
fire. And heal the earth which the angels have corrupted, and proclaim
the healing of the earth, that they may heal the plague, and that all
the children of men may not perish through all the secret things that
the Watchers have disclosed and have taught their sons. And the whole
earth has been corrupted through the works that were taught by Azâzêl:
to him ascribe all sin."
Rosemary tried to digest what she just read...How weird she reattached
the report to the container she didn't feel up to reading it on her day
off and picked up the phone to call Maggy.
Rosemary: Hey girl feel like doing lunch today?
Maggy: Rosemary I was just about to call you! Oh my God you haven't
heard have you?
Rosemary: Heard what? What happened?
Maggy: Rosemary....there was an accident in Veronaville some kind of
chemical fire five people were killed in the fire Rosemary Douglas's
building was burned I'm afraid he was killed...I'm so sorry...I know
you still cared for him....
Rosemary went cold and numb the room seemed to be going black she
stuttered stupidly to Maggy on the phone I just talked to him...
Maggy: Rosemary I'm coming over Ok? I'll be there in 10 minutes ok?
starlucid:
I'm trying to get this whole story out I'm sorry if it's choppy! anyway I hate waiting for an ending so I will try to get from 3rd to ending asap! thanks for reading!
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