The Box

I stood, surrounded by sand on all sides. The sun beat down overhead, burning my skin and heating the vast expanse of sand that stretched out in all directions. The air was thick and oppressive, the heat crushing — choking my lungs and exhaling hot air out. Sweat dripped from my face, a sheen of perspiration beading at my neck. The sand was coarse, plentiful and strangely sinister. An awful event had occurred and left a permanent scar on the surroundings.

In the distance atop the summit of a prominent dune of sand a box rested. It did not sink into the sand upon which it rested, it simply floated lightly atop, its base gracefully kissing the scorching grains of sand beneath. The box captured my gaze, I stared curiously at the object projecting from the otherwise smooth ground. A strange feeling overcame me, against my better judgement I felt a sudden urge to hold the box in my hand, to touch it. I walked in a trance toward the box.

As I approached the box, the details became increasingly vivid. What I had mistakenly assumed to be a spare and unadorned box was in fact quite beautiful — an exact cube. This was not a typical box that simply serves as a vessel for objects, instead deliberately crafted and refined. The polished wood gleamed with a golden lustre, subtle shadows enhanced the already striking impression. As I beheld this wondrous sight, I traced my hands along the grooves etched in the box lid.

What appeared to be a seamless surface actually concealed a crevice nestled deeply within the box. I prised open the lid delicately, such was my eagerness to open it I was forced to summon all my willpower to resist the urge to simply tear the cover off in a swift motion. Instead I proceeded cautiously, inch by inch I lifted the cover up. Inside, nestled on a bed of feathers laid a sheet of parchment curled up at its edges. Entranced I reached in, grasped each end gingerly and extracted it from the confines it had been subjected to.

Unfolding the parchment, I saw strange dancing symbols spring to life, emblazoned in excruciating detail onto the surface. Continuously merging into new arrangements, forming striking patterns. The parchment depicting a long-forgotten story — not content with remaining frozen in time but dynamic, eager to reveal the knowledge it held within.