The Glass Box

The wind blew in, and with it the strong smell of rain.  The sky took on the menacing green tint that warned us that it was going to be a bad one.  I was still 4 blocks from home, and even if I hoofed it I don't think I'd beat the storm.  The first few drops hit me on the cheek, and the size of the drops worried me.  The oaks and elms began bending and leaves exploded off their branches by the wind.  It was going to be more than rain, that was for certain.  I decided that cover was first and foremost, and that even though it would worry my parents that I wasn't home, I decided they'd rather me be safe from the approaching elements.  I hustled across the street and hopped the chain linked fence.  I darted across an open field, through the playground, and under the covered walkway of William Howard Taft Middle School, my middle school.  I jogged over to the science building's door, and as I've done a hundred times before I jiggled the handle.  I twisted it right, then left, then up and then yanked.  The latch slid open and I slipped into the school just as the bottom fell out of the storm clouds.  As the door closed behind me, it was in sync with a large thunder clap, as golf ball size hail began pelting the tin roof of the building.  The air conditioned hallway felt good against my skin as I pressed my sweaty forehead to the door's window and stared out.  Bits of paper and trash blew and swirled as the wind railroaded through the school.  I could here the spooky whistle of the wind slipping through the failing weather stripping on the door.  I turned and walked down the dark and empty hallway, wondering how long I would have to hold out here until the storm passed.  It was late on Sunday afternoon, so I knew there was good chance I was all alone.  The cleaning crew would have finished hours ago, and not many teachers were interested in putting in extra hours and not getting paid for it.  I walked down to room 408, the science lab, and was in luck, Mr. Lowery had left it unlocked again.  I walked over to the cages lined up on the far wall, and removed the lid to Mr. Nibbles' cage.  Mr. Nibbles was the class rat.  He was mostly white with a black hind quarter. I placed Mr. Nibbles or Nibbs as I call him on my shoulder where he sat, as usual, quite content.  I walked over to the window to check the situation.  I was answered with a bright lighting bolt and a deafening clap. Nibbs tucked his cold nose into the collar of my shirt, afraid and shaking.  I reached up and stroked his back to calm him down. He thanked me by turning around and earning his name with a sharp snap of his teeth on my finger.  This earned him a trip back to his cell, where I set him down and closed the lid. I wiped the blood from my finger on my jeans, and then winced, but not from the pain. I realized Mom was not going to be happy about a stain on my new jeans, but what done is done.  As I was checking the bite, I noticed something new in the lab out of the corner of my eye.  In the corner of the room was a black sheet draped across a box.  Maybe another cage? A new cage?  I walked over, and like a magician revealing his feat, I yank the drape from the box. TA-DA!  Inside was your standard wood chips, food bowl, water bottle, and a little yellow dome for something to live in.  I peered in as best I could, but couldn't make out what is living in there. I was about to lift the lid and lift off the dome, but was haunted at the idea that it might be snake or a spider or giant scorpion. And if whatever unknown creature bit me, no one would find my body until Monday morning, and that thought worried me just a bit. Instead of taking my life in my hands, I gently knocked on the glass to try and wake up what ever was inside.  Nothing moved.  I peered in through the side of the glass, first the left then the right, but still, nothing.  Confused, I stepped away and looked at the entire glass aquarium. (Technically I guess it's a terrarium, because it's not filled with water. Whatever.) Then, I noticed a corner of paper sticking out from under the glass box.  I gentle slid the paper out and began to read:


CAUTION. DO NOT OPEN. CAUTION
Contents to be opened by Dr. Dennis Lowery, ONLY.
DANGEROUS CREATURE INSIDE.
CAUTION. DO NOT OPEN. CAUTION.
Sent from: Dr. Joseph F. Carshart and Dr. Randall Codwell III.


SHIP TO:
Dennis Lowery
William Taft Middle School
6116 NW Park Dr.
Owenville, KS 92219


RETURN ADDRESS:
Biology Department University Study
6 Rio Rancho 557-8
Borneo, Malaysia


I read, and then re-read the packing slip. Borneo?  I didn't even know where that was.  And Dr. Lowery? My middle school science teacher is a doctor?  Why was a doctor teaching 7th grades science? That doesn't make sense.  And what about the warnings on the box?  I was even more curious, but still a bit frightened of the unknown.  I placed the packing slip down on the desk and thought about my next move to safely see this "DANGEROUS CREATURE."  I knocked on the glass again, and rocked the case just a bit, but still nothing.  As I stood there my faced pressed against the glass a bright flash of lighting lit the dark room.  And in the split second of light, I noticed a shift in the wood shavings from inside the yellow dome. The light! It must be the light!  That would explain the cover over the aquarium.  I stepped to the door and peaked out into the hall, to make sure the coast was still clear. I closed the door and placed my hand on the light switches.  I kept my eyes glued to the box and flipped all three switches at once.  The florescent lights took a moment to catch, but soon the entire science lab was bathed in its typical harsh light.  A split second later the yellow dome flipped up, turned over and a black blur darted behind the food bowl.  I took slow cautions steps towards the aquarium and peaked in.  Huddled and panting behind the food bowl sat a small black ball of fur.  From over the bowl appeared two huge blue eyes staring up at me.  The creature crawled from around the bowl and stood on it's hind legs.  It sort of looked like a mouse, but lacked the snout of a rodent. It had a flat face, almost monkey-like.  It seemed to be standing with its little black hands on its hips, staring at me.  It opened its small mouth and let out a little pathetic squeak.  It then reached up and scratched its little beige colored ears.  Still on two legs it walked over to its food bowl and looked in.  The food bowl was empty and the little creature looked back at me with what seemed to be a sad, longing look.  I leaned down closer to the glass and looked into the little fuzzball's huge eyes.  Dangerous creature? This little thing, dangerous?  I think he's hungry, I wonder what he or she eats.  I looked around to see if there was food bag or box somewhere, but there was nothing close by. I decided that if this thing is rat-like, maybe it eats rat food.  I stole a box of Nibb's feed and opened it up.  When I returned to the creature it was in it's food bowl licking the inside of the bowl, starving. It stared back up at me, and I swear it looked at the food in my hands and grinned.  This thing is too weird.  I took a deep breath, and the words "DANGEROUS CREATURE" scrolled through my head as I slowly removed the top of the aquarium.  The black fuzzed creature jumped out of the bowl and ran, still on two legs, to the overturned dome.  I carefully dumped a few pieces of food into the bowl, all the time watching the little fuzzball, watch me.  After I filled the bowl, the little creature crawled up on top of the dome, and looked at me, and cocked it's head.  I smiled at it and as I reached to replace the lid, I felt something hit me in the elbow.  I looked down and the little creature had leaped from the top of the dome and had attached itself to the sleeve of my shirt, a leap of about two feet. I was a little bit nervous, but made no sudden movements and I let the guy (or girl) crawl, or I guess walk up my arm to my shoulder.  It dug around in my hair for a moment and walked down my other arm.  It stopped and sat on my wrist, and turned and looked at me.  This time I was pretty sure it did smile at me.  I smiled back and reached with my other hand slowly to try and pet it.  I can't imagine why this creature is considered so dangerous.  The creature turned and saw my other hand coming, and I could feel it's little body tense.  I spoke softly, trying to calm it down.  And just when I felt it relax, old mother nature threw a monkey wrench.  All of a sudden flash of lighting, followed by a crash of thunder shook the building and the lights flickered.  The loud noise scared the small creature and me as well.  It ran up my arm, and and ducked into my shirt sleeve as I dropped the food box, spilling its contents everywhere.  The little beast had curled up on my bicep and I could see it breathing through my shirt's sleeve, panting. I gently rolled up my sleeve and uncovered the animal.  Something had changed though.  The animal turned and bared its teeth.  They were a jagged collection of pearly white spikes, and it let out a low growl.  I felt my own breath quickening and my heart racing.  The little creature reached down with its small hands that somehow had grown long needle like claws.  Before I could react the creature dug his nails into my arm and opened its mouth wide.  His teethlocked on and a jolt of pain arched up my arm and exploded in my head. Before I could scream the room began to spin and the sounds of the storm grew muffled as I spun to the ground.  Then everything went dark..


The light filtered in through my half closed eyes and my head throbbed.  I tried to get to my feet, but I could not gain traction and kept slipping back down on my back.  Everything was blurry and the lights were so bright that it pained me to open my eyes.  Finally after too many failed attempts I got to my feet, unsteadily.  Still blinded, I shuffled forward and ran smack into a wall.  The thud echoed through the room and in my head.  I stumbled back a step and reached out with my hands.  The wall was cold, and felt strangly different.  I rubbed my eyes, and slowly thing came into focus.  I could see the lab and the desks, and to my right I could see the window and noticed that the wind was dying down.  Everything looked warped, and strange, like I was looking through a funhouse mirror.  I sat down, and rubbed my throbbing head and blurry eyes. I was startled by a knock. BOOM.  The knock seemed louder than it should be, and seemed to shake everything and echo. I looked up and was shocked, I saw my face staring back at me.  What sort of weird mirror is this?  Then I saw my hand reach out and knock again.  But I didn't move my hand.  I looked down and saw that my hands were covered in black fur, and my fingernails were gone and replaced by long needle-like claws. Just like the...wait a minute, what!?  I jumped to feet and stared back at the giant version of me, and I was smiling or something was smiling, but that isn't my smile.  It was too sinister too, stolen.  I tried to scream, but all that came out was a squeak.  The version of me began to laugh, but it didn't sound like me.  It was deeper than what I remember my voice sounding like, and had an evil edge about it.  I scampered across the wood chips and up on the yellow dome house, and I reached up as high I as I could, but could not reach the box's top.  I jumped down and began banging on the glass, and scratching with my new claws.  But the glass was too thick, I didn't even leave a mark.  I collapsed onto the floor of the cage, my cage now, panting and stared up at what was once my face, my body.  I noticed that not only my smile and my laugh were different but the person staring at me had blue eyes like the creature  had.  I glanced out of the glass and could see that the storm had passed and the last few rays of the day were beginning to fill the room.  The version of me outside the cage noticed the clearing skies as well, and grinned that foriegn grin with my mouth. How did this happen? What happen? I let out a few more squeaks, trying to ask these urgent questions. With a last glance at me, he walked to the wall and flipped the light switch off. The pounding in y head stopped, and my eyes stoped aching.  He returned to the cage and grabbed the cloak from where it lay.  He paused and fixed me with my stolen stare, and nodded, almost like he was wishing me luck.  Then, with one fell swoop he spread the cloak over the aquarium, plunging me into darkness.  I heard the squeak of what was once my shoes as the creature walked away in my stolen body.  I heard the lab door creak open and then slam shut.  I laid down on my back in the rather soft wood shavings, and stared at my ceiling, the box top too angry and shocked to cry.  From the hallway I heard whistling, whistling a tune I did not know that was  passing through the lips I once owned.  I heard the main door swing open, and my body's thief was gone, escaped. And I was alone, in the dark, in a body that was not mine, starting a life I did not chose