The Summers in Penomeco I - The Little Brown Box

It was a hot and humid afternoon in a little town called Penomeco when an unknown package arrived at a certain man's mailbox. The sun's rays can be stronger in the summer, drying up the streets and making heat waves visible with the naked eye. The air was warm and everything was smoldering hot. There was no possibility of enjoying a walk for that day, and the mailman was in a hurry to finish his deliveries.

Inside the little space, he calls home, a man was unmoving, as if trapped in a heat haze daze. The only noise he could hear was the gentle hum of the fan, the whir, and buzz as it moves sideways and back. On certain occasions, it will make a weird sound as it gets stuck on a certain angle.

Finally, he lifted his head and decided to go to work. In such a small town, there were limits as to what a man can accomplish. It takes great pride to admit working in a well-known convenience store. The place was quite small but given the total population of the town, it was more than self-sufficient.

On a regular basis, it is deemed a successful day to even have anyone enter the store. The man ended the day with a feast of warm fluffy rice and a cup of vegetable stew.

Realizing that he wouldn't be getting any sleep that night, the man decided to take a stroll. It was fairly dark but the streets were illuminated by the exquisite light produced by fireflies. The moon that night was hiding behind a sea of clouds but the man couldn't help but admire the little lights that were scattered throughout the night sky.

By the time he came back, the fog was even thicker but the sky has changed to a lighter blue color indicating the coming of the warmth. Not seeing well enough, he almost slipped at moss-covered steps as he hit the mailbox next to his house. Surprisingly enough, he found the package delivered to him the morning before.

The package was something that was unexpected - it was a normal box and it was empty. There was a logo of some sort in the bottom of the box but the man had no idea as to what it was. Not giving it much of a thought, the man simply placed the box in one corner of the house.

The days went by in a bliss and the box was completely forgotten.

It was a few months after, that a storm swept a nearby town. It was devastating and it left nothing along its path. The rain continued to overrun the cities as tears of those who lost something precious continued to pour.

Everyone was frightened and decided to leave for other neighboring towns or villages. The man was no exception. With his little belongings cramped in the box, he decided to leave his home.

As he walked and carried the box, he noticed a slight difference in the weight of the carried item. It was as if, little by little his belongings were being swallowed in a void of the unknown. When the box was too light and the rain stopped, he decided to rest and check.

To his surprise, the box was empty except for a huge stack of bills and spare change. The man was enraged but was certain that it was impossible for someone to sneak on him. He was confused, it was as if this box having eaten decided to give him something in return - money.

Of course, everyone would find that hard to believe. He then decided to give it another try. After pocketing the money he placed in a bunch of random things. He placed in dirt, water, even dried leaves. When he opens the box, nothing was left but spare change.

He then deduced that the amount depends on the quality of the item left in it.

Three towns down south was another small village where he decided to stay. With the little amount of money he had, he rented a run-down apartment and decided to camp in a computer cafe to search for answers regarding the mysterious box.

He found out that he wasn't the only one with this box, there were others and there were a lot. In a certain forum, dozens of people were posting pictures of the box. He decided to meet a guy claiming to know all the tricks behind the box. It was a few hours away from the village but he had nothing to lose as all his belongings have long been eaten by the box.

The bus ride to the city was unpleasant. After the long rains, the sun has shone brighter than during the summer. Most of the passengers also had too much baggage and made the bus a little bit more crowded than usual.

Nervous, he made his way to the house written on the message. It was a fairly huge house, probably a sign that this guy knows what he's doing with the box. Swallowing a lump on his throat, the man decided to knock on the door. He was desperate and he was greedy for more.

The one that opened the door was young, about mid 20's and he was wearing glasses that were far too big. His hair was colored of a darker brown, he was pale and slim, and he was a few inches taller than the man. He kept looking down and he was very awkward.

As he continuously fidgets with his hands, the first thing that he mentioned was the test of proof. The man picked up a few dirt and placed it in his box and the houseowner followed. To the man's surprise, the box was bigger than his. It was definitely easier to earn more with a bigger box.

When he got in he was offered drinks and he only requested for water. The homeowner reappeared a few minutes after with his hands behind his back. The man was now profusely sweating and he couldn't help the shaking of his hands.

What happened next was a swirl of hands and legs as the two fight over their lives. The house owner having underestimated him made a fatal mistake and left an opening. With all his strength the man pushed him off. The former fell and hit his head on the concrete floor.

Not knowing what to do, the man inspected the other's box. It was definitely a lot bigger than his but the looks were identical. Realizing that the man might wake up soon, he took his box and placed it inside the bigger one. He quickly made his way out without looking back.

The town was painted an orange hue as the sun starts to sink over the horizon. Realizing the importance of the box' size he decided to stay in the city. He was able to rent a room at a nearby hostel a few stations away from the previous owner of the bigger box.

The man woke up the next day with a bigger surprise. It was as if the box had grown bigger and upon checking, the smaller box was completely gone. He then thought that it was possible to make the boxes bigger when you feed it another box. Which explains why the man he met suddenly attacked him without a reason. That man was desperate to grow his box.

With a bigger box, the man was able to make a living. It first started with random things he saw in the street until he got greedy enough and decided to steal. He was shoplifting and people are dumbfounded as they find nothing but a box full of money. Even with video footage, they can never prove anything else. The items were never found!

The man was able to transfer to a better house and was able to buy everything he always wished for. But the greed of man is insatiable, he went back to the forums to find other box owners.

What he saw surprised him. It was a very beautiful woman whom he thought was a very easy target. She was pale and innocent looking, her cheeks were that of a rosy shade and her eyes reminded him of the full moon. The woman with the nickname Serena asked to meet at her house. The man was more than ready as he equipped himself with weapons he can protect himself with. Scared of actually hurting anyone, he came up with a few plans and decided to get himself a stun gun.

It turned out that the house was the biggest he had ever seen. It was a bit far from the town and it was very secluded. He couldn't help but admire the beauty of the house and the architecture that comes with it. This woman definitely knows a lot about the box or that she's just definitely rich.

The woman was very pleasant and she lead him to another room. The room was more simple but still well decorated. There were chandeliers that he only saw just now, rich red carpet and antiques decorated the room. The woman followed him inside without closing the door. She then asked him for anything to drink. After his past encounter, the man was prepared.

The woman left and closed the door. What he wasn't expecting was that after the door closed, everything started turning to money. From the expensive chandelier, the carpet, and furniture. His vision started to blur as tears formed in his eyes. Looking down he saw his arms and legs slowly change into bills. A bright light and nothing else after.