FLASH FICTION:-- HORROR, SCI-FI, HUMOUR, CRIME, SLICE OF LIFE, ETC.

Friday 20 December 2013

Christmas box


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I picked up the tiny box from under the tree and held it out to her. “Happy Christmas darling.”

My wife took the box from me, and I watched nervously as she tore off the wrapping paper and flipped the lid open. She squealed with delight when she saw the diamond earrings.

“Oh, thank you darling, thank you so much, they are just beautiful.”

She gave me a kiss and a great big hug, I felt so pleased, when I had bought the earrings I was unsure about the choice but her reaction told me that the present was just perfect.

I glanced at the base of the tree, and to my dismay saw that there was no other parcel there, nothing. Oh well, I had absolutely everything I needed anyway, my problem wasn't a shortage of possessions, more a shortage of where to put them all, but it would still have been nice to have received a little something.

“I shan't be a minute darling.” She said as she left the room, I heard the connecting door to the garage open, then shortly after close again. A few moments later my wife staggered through the door with a rather large, gift-wrapped box, all sparkling and glinty with red and gold paper.

“Happy Christmas darling.” She said, as she placed the box on the floor in the centre of the room.

I eagerly tore off the wrapping paper to reveal a very sturdy, plain white box, a cube of almost three feet per side. I took the lid off the box and lifted out the contents, an identical, but very slightly smaller box, and inside that one another, then another.

Before long the floor was covered in dozens of identical boxes, all just a tiny bit different in size from each other, and at last I had the final box in my hand, a tiny thing the size of an ice cube, and it was empty.

I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry, surely she was playing some kind of cruel joke on me?

“There's nothing in here.” I said to her, trying hard but failing to hide the disappointment in my voice.

“That's just the point,” she said, smiling broadly, “for Christmas I got you the one thing you really, really need.”

“What?” I asked her, not seeing the point at all.

She waved her hand, the gesture taking in all of the empty boxes covering the floor.

“Storage.” She answered.

©2013 Stephen. J. Green.

•。★  ☾ °☆  . * ● ¸ .   ★ ° ☆¸.✶*¨`* •.¸¸❤¸¸.•*¨*• ¸.¸.☆¨¯`♥´¸¸.☆¨¯`♥´ ¸¸.☆¨¯` •*¨`*•. ☆ .•*¨`*•. ☆‿↗⁀↘‿↗⁀☆‿↗⁀↘‿↗⁀☆ 。☆‿↗⁀↘‿↗⁀☆‿↗⁀↘‿↗⁀☆ 。 •。★  ☾ °☆  . * ● ¸ .   ★ ° ☆¸.✶*¨`*

Happy Christmas everyone, I hope you all have a really fantastic and enjoyable festive season.
My very best wishes. Steve.

•。★  ☾ °☆  . * ● ¸ .   ★ ° ☆¸.✶*¨`* •.¸¸❤¸¸.•*¨*• ¸.¸.☆¨¯`♥´¸¸.☆¨¯`♥´ ¸¸.☆¨¯` •*¨`*•. ☆ .•*¨`*•. ☆‿↗⁀↘‿↗⁀☆‿↗⁀↘‿↗⁀☆ 。☆‿↗⁀↘‿↗⁀☆‿↗⁀↘‿↗⁀☆ 。 •。★  ☾ °☆  . * ● ¸ .   ★ ° ☆¸.✶*¨`*

20 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thank you Icy, quite a mild story from me this year.

      Have a great Christmas Icy. :-)

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  2. Ha! I thought she was going to say "nothing" and I prepared to feel sorry for him, and no I don't feel sorry for him because all he got was storage. :) Great story Steve!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Deanna. Sometimes empty containers make the most wonderful and useful gifts, don't they?

      Happy Christmas Deanna. :-)

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  3. A very nice twist on the usual tales that end with some surprise gift at the end. Glad to see you stick to your guns and stick with the slightly deflated ending lol.

    Happy Xmas to you Steve. :)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Casey. The guy might have somewhere to store all his possessions now, but still has to find somewhere to store the boxes afterwards. :-)

      Happy Christmas Casey. :-)

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  4. LOL well there was a surprise for him in the end. Thanks for the smile Steve and Happy Christmas to you and yours ^__^

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    Replies
    1. Haha, yeah, he won't ever have to worry about where to put anything any more, except for all the boxes that is. :-)

      Have a really happy Christmas Helen. :-)

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  5. I was sucked in, and BAM! Beautiful ending, Stephen!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Larry, it's a bit low key this one, but I did like the idea behind it.

      Happy Christmas Larry, have a really good one. :-)

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  6. Poor guy. Storage for presents. ;) He must really have a lot of things.

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    Replies
    1. Haha, yeah, the present you get for a man with everything.

      Happy Christmas Sonia. :-)

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  7. This was fun, but it also makes a really strong point -- whenever someone gets someone they love a gift that is absolutely, perfectly appropriate, it's almost always "oddball" in some way. Like we're deliberately being sold stuff that isn't quite right, so we'll buy more stuff.

    Happy new year!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Katherine. Them marketing fellows can be oh so clever, can't they?

      Best wishes for the festive season, and wishing you a happy new year. :-)

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    2. After recently moving, and now with one bedroom occupied by an incestuous family of boxes, I understand completely the lack of storage space. Sixteen years of marriage and two kids have a way of cluttering up your life with... boxed-up memories, trinkets and little what-nots. She gave him boxes, but what she really needed to give him was permission to load up the unnecessaries and haul them off to the local landfill. A fun story, Steve. The ending made me laugh.

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    3. Hi Stephen, it's really good to hear from you, I hope all is well with you and your family.

      Yes, possessions do have a way of mounting up, don't they?
      Should they decide to haul away some of their gear, at least he'll have the boxes available to haul it away in now. Glad it gave you a smile or two. :-)

      Have a really happy Christmas Stephen, and I hope 2014 is a good year for you and your family.

      My very best wishes.
      Steve.

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  8. Clever as always, Steve. And all we really need is love anyway, right? Happy holidays!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Richard. And yes, love is far more important than any present. :-)

      Happy Christmas Richard. :-)

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  9. Heh, that's a good gift for someone who has everything! And Merry Christmas to you, Steve.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks John. Have a really happy Christmas. :-)

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