Short Story: The-jack-in-the-box (part 1)

Short Story: The-jack-in-the-box (part 1)

From the moment I first saw it I didn't like it. But I didn't have the heart to take it from her. She loved to wind it up and listen to the tuneless music it made. When Jack popped up she would pretend to be frightened even though she was as brave as any grand heroine. I was the scared one. I could never decide what I hated more. Was it the eerie grin and the eyes that followed me about the room? Or maybe it was the manic laughing it made as it jumped up... No... I think it must have been the music. My little sister Harriet got it for Christmas, and for the first three nights the music played without anyone winding it. Back then she was two and I was five so I was too young to realise that this wasn't meant to happen. But that wasn't the part that scared me. It was the THUMP... THUMP... THUMP I would hear slowly getting louder and louder, and closer and closer that really terrified me, and no one else heard it. I would have dreams about waking up and it being there in my bedroom in the middle of the night... Laughing at me... At least, I think I was dreaming. After what happened I can't be sure.

“Harriet if you don't stop winding that thing up I swear I'll kill you!” I snapped clenching my hands into fists.

“Maria! She's only playing. Can't you see she's enjoying herself? Now make yourself useful and make your bed. I'm not your maid you know,” Mum said whilst picking up all of Harriet's toys and putting them back in the toy box.

“Mmm,” I said not bothering to get up.

“Mummy no!” Harriet squealed, “I'm not done playing with Baby Born yet!”

“Your nine years old!!!” I protested, “You haven't played with baby born since the day you got it! The only toy you ever play with is that stupid Jack-in-the-Box!”

Harriet's eyes filled with tears.

“Jack isn't stupid! Why are you always so mean to me? Jack says that you're so mean that you should be killed!” She started to sob. “He says that anyone who is that mean deserves to die. I think he's right! I think you should die Maria. You deserve to die!”

I stared at her and waited for mum to tell her off but mum had left the room.

“Brilliant!” I said to myself under my breath. I stood up and did something I'd never dared to do before. I snatched the Jack-in-the-box from Harriet and put it on top of the wardrobe as far back as I could while Harriet screamed, cried and pulled my hair.

“Oh, leave it, Harriet!” I snapped pushing her away.

For a moment Harriet was silent. She just stood, staring at me, then she bit me. Bit me. The little brat BIT ME!!!

“Get off me Harriet!”

“Give him back! Give him back! Give him BACK!!!”

“No! Get off me. I'll tell mum.”

“Give him BACK!”

“Leave me alone, creep!” I slapped Harriet hard on the cheek.

“Girls, what's all this noise... Maria!?!” Mum stood at the door looking panic stricken. “What are you doing!?!” She rushed over to Harriet to comfort her.

“Maria! You must never hit your sister! Look how much you've scared her! Oh Harriet, sweetie, are you okay? Look at your poor cheek. Come on it's almost dinner time. Why don't you get into bed and I can bring your pasta up to you?”

Harriet glared at me. She didn't say a word but I knew what she was thinking.

After mum took Harriet upstairs I took the Jack-in-the-Box off of the wardrobe and put it in the rubbish bin outside. When I went back inside mum was waiting for me. I could tell by her face that she wasn't angry... she was furious.

“Mum?”

“No, Maria,” Mum held her hand up.

“I didn't-”

“No, Maria!” Mum barked. “I've told you time and time again to NEVER hit your sister! So what do you do? You bloody hit her! You bully her Maria and I'm getting bloody tired of it! When I was little your Aunt Barbara hit me and do you know what? Ever since I moved out I haven't spoken to her. I don't want you to to be that way. I want you to be happy!”

“Maybe you did something to her...” I grumbled, “Maybe you hit her first so she hit back harder. Maybe it was just self defence...”

“I don't like the way you've been behaving,” Mum said ignoring my last remark, “You seem to think that you can boss your sister around-”

“It's not like that mum!” I whined.

“Well? What is it like then?” Mum said folding her arms.

“I- I- I-”

“I thought so,” Mum said. “Straight to bed. I'll tell you what your punishment is in the morning.”

“It's six thirty!!!” I cried.

“Bed, now!”

I gave up and went upstairs. I didn't go to bed though. I locked my bedroom door and looked out the window. I watched the bin for a long time. I sometimes wonder if I'm crazy but there's definitely something wrong with that jack-in-the-box. I know it.

I sat watching that bin until it was late and everyone else had gone to sleep. I reluctantly crawled into bed and fell asleep. Somewhere in the house, bells jingled...