Post #7- The End

The flashing colors of the fair blinded Brendan's eyes. Yelsnag Park was flooded with people from the surrounding area. They were all there for their own reasons. Brendan was not there for the promised fun and excitement. He was there for the one and only thing that mattered in his life, his cold metal box. Brendan followed the instructions to the rap battle carefully. He walked past the carousel and made a left at the Ferris wheel. He was met with a locked door to a worn down building. Upon his third knock, the door opened revealing the growing rap scene of Pointe Place. The floor was packed with people antsy as if they were a pack of wolves waiting for the next big roast. After the longest ten minutes of Brendan's life, the announcer entered the staged and asked, "Does anyone want to battle for this metal box?" Brendan's hand shot up so faster that he felt as if he dislocated his own shoulder. The announcer called Brendan up to the stage and then introduced his opponent. "Everyone please welcome Big Mamba." A 7ft tall man exists from the shadows with his posse of hooded men.

"I'll go first," said Big Mamba. "I don't like you. You remind me of a shoe." He drops the mic as the crowd cheered. The hooded men paraded Big Mamba around as if they were his throne. The announcer calmed everyone down and handed Brendan the mic.

"That was pretty good," Brendan admitted, "but not that good." "I am not trying to flame but you are hella lame." As soon as he said that there was a moment's silence that was soon followed with a thunderous roar of cheers coming from the crowd. It was clear that Brendan won the battle and was rewarded with the mysterious box. He noticed the locks missing wasted no time in opening it. As he lifted the lid, a bright light shined on his face revealing Brendan's tears. While Brendan wiped away his tears, screams were coming from the fair, but they were ignored. The only thing that mattered to Brendan was his beautiful metal box. The box was so enticing that Brendan reached into the box farther and father until he fell into it. As he was falling in this bottomless box, he looked up to see the box closing itself leaving him in eternal darkness.

#6- A Flyer

As the clock marched towards 12, Brendan was getting ready for bed. He finished his nightly routine of watching The Office drinking a cold beer. Laying on his back with his head on his pillow, his mind was occupied with the Ted Talk he heard at the library. Although the wretched box was out of his life, he missed it. Life without it was just too boring. His thoughts were interrupted by a blind blue light shining through his window. Rising from his bed, he rushed toward the window to see the light stretching across the night sky. He hurried out his door to head to the roof for a better view, but he was too late. Georgie met him in the hall and informed Brendan of his misfortune.

"The light granted me a wish, and I wasted it," Georgie said, "I got a car, but it is stuck on the roof."

"What are you talking about?" asked Brendan. Georgie, however, ignored his question and walked away with his head hanging down.

Brendan contemplated what Georgie said. In a moment of desperation, he shouted, "I wish I knew where my box was!" As soon as he finished a flyer hits him in the face. He pulls it off and glances at it. The flyer reads "Underground Rap presents Battle for the Box. Think you can rap? Come to the Fair for a chance to win this sick metal box." He couldn't believe his eyes. His wish was granted and now he knows where the box is. His excitement was shortly met with disappointment. He crumbled the paper and threw it in the trash nearby. Like Georgie, He walked away with his head hanging down. He returned to his bed shutting the lights off. He closes his eyes and pictures the box. He knew nothing about rap, so the box is as good as gone. However, Brendan thought he might as well try.

# 5- Origins

"I am a firm believer that anything is possible, so when people told me I cannot return to my Olympic swimming form, I tuned them out. I did not care what they had to say because I had a plan. I traveled to the Himalayas to meet the Yeti Monks because they offered me a remedy for my athletic low. A metal box locked away in a cave on Mount Everest. When I flew into Nepal, I had nothing on me except my iron spirit. The monks informed me that this box contains my future, my destiny, and if I was to ever swim again I would need this box. I trekked for days in the blistering cold, dodging death at every turn. I reached the cave only to find the box locked, but before I could get the monks to open the box, I lost it in a blinding snowstorm. Despite not getting the box, I felt fulfilled in that I came out of Mount Everest alive. It gave me all the motivation I needed to get back in form. That's all you need really, a box and a goal."

When Brendan heard Ryan Lochte say this he was shocked. Questions raced in his head. Could this be the very box that has plagued his life? Is this some sort of cruel prank? He pondered all the different possibilities and concluded this is just a coincidence. He didn't believe the box would have come here from the Himalayas. However, the statement "a box and a goal" resonated with him. Ever since he gave the box to the mugger, he lost his one goal. All he has left is work. In an odd way, he missed the mystery around the metal box. Brendan jolted out of his seat and rushed out of the library. He needed his box back.

Post #4- The Mugger

The sound of birds chirping in the air woke Brendan from his slumber in the dimly lit store. His coughing drowned the sound soon after. The dust stirred as he tried getting up. The old rag wrapped around his cut hand did little to suppress the searing pain. His red wagon holding the box that captured his attention for so long caught Brendan's eye. His mind filled with anger. "You're the reason I'm not in my apartment enjoying a nice cup of coffee. God damn you!", he said as he kicked the wagon. Giving himself some time to cool off, Brendan took the handle of the wagon and walked out of the store.

The streets outside served as a testament to the strength of the storm. Brendan looked in awe of the destruction one storm can do. He started to walk back to the apartment building but his trek was stopped short. A hydrant ruptured causing him to change course. He had to take a back alleyway. In his effort to move through the garbage, he failed to notice the man walking up to him

"Give me your wallet"

"Shit", Brendan whispered. "Dude, I don't have anything on me."

The hooded man pulls out a gun and shouts, "I ain't playing man."

Brendan searched his pockets for anything to give to the mugger but only came up with three dollars. "This is all I have."

"What's in the wagon?"

"Just a stupid box. Take it please."

"Hand over the wagon and scram."

Brendan got pout the alley as fast as he could, but in with all the feelings of fear, he felt some feeling of relief. At last, his life could go back to normal without that wretched box.

Post #3 A Breakthrough

Brendan hurried through the empty streets pulling behind him a bright red wagon carrying the very box that has consumed his life. Frustrated in his inability to break the three locks, he intended to bring it to a locksmith, but before he could, his head was hit by a ball of ice. Dazed, Brendan stood on the sidewalk was more hail began to pour from the sky. Coming to his senses he opened the door to an abandoned shop dragging in his wagon. The dark clouds prevented light from reaching the store's windows. Brendan tried to light-switch but to no avail. "I guess I am going to have to wait out this storm," Brendan announced to the empty room. He sat with his back against the wall staring at his box and reminiscing about his encounter with Arizona Smith.

....

"What's in the box?" Arizona asked as she jumps down from a tree.

Completely caught off guard, Brendan could only foster up a "What?"

"Can I see it?" Arizona asked as she approached the red wagon. Before Brendan could say no, she places her hand on the padlock that gave the locksmith so much trouble. She claimed, "I haven't seen this metal in a long time."

"Can you help me break it?" Brendan pleaded, "I have been wanting to open it for a long time."

"Oh yes," Arizona declared, "This is the strongest metal known in the universe, but as soon as you pour hydrogen peroxide, it becomes like putty." She turned over the lock recognizing the veins etched on it, and her arms turned blue. "Oh no. Where did you get this box?" she questioned with panic seeping through her voice.

Brendan was curious about her arms but dropped it and explained, "I found it in my apartment when I moved in."

"This is bad. You need to get rid of this box. These markings on the back indicate something harmful," warned Arizona.

...

"Ha. What does she know? She is probably jealous," Brendan says to himself as he gets off the ground wiping the dust from the back of his pants. Deciding to spend his time a bit better, Brendan searched the store for some hydrogen peroxide. He opened a cabinet, but it was too dark to see inside. His hand danced around trying to feel anything resembling a bottle, but all it found was a serrated blade.

Post # 2- You're a Wizard

Brendan sat on a bench waiting for a bus to get to his job at his accounting firm. He tapped his feet to the crisp sounds of raindrops hitting the glass ceiling above the bench. Brendan thoughts were clouded much like the sky. He kept asking himself What could be in that box. He didn't get much time to think since he was interrupted by Hermione

Hermoine sat down next to Brendan and broke the silence by saying, "This is for you." She hands over the cup of coffee keeping her head straight. "It is from Jumping Bean so you know its good."

"Some olive branch," Brendan joked as he takes a sip

"For the last time, it was an accident. I haven't mastered my powers Brendan. You were the one the dared me to prove I had them.", Hermione replied flipping her hair.

"You didn't even prove you had powers. All you did was set a piece a paper on fire and pointed a branch at it saying pig Latin. Despite you best efforts, you weren't the one that put it out, it was the Fire Department."

Hermione let out a sigh. "You don't understand. I didn't practice before that. I'm now well-versed in spell casting. Just before I unlocked a chest for my uncle using only my wand."

Intrigued  by this and having nothing to lose, Brendan asked, "So if I had a locked box, you could open it?"

"Of course I could. Just watch this." Hermione turned away so that her back was facing Brendan. Hearing the flick of a lighter, he began fearing the worst. "See. Look at my wand.", Hermoine said eagerly as she waved around a sparkler

Embarrassed by his naivety, Brendan looked away. "You never take me seriously," protested Hermione. In her attempt to regain Brendan's attention, the sparkler was left alone to mingle with her hair. The pair didn't work, and so her hair was set on fire. Hermoine's screams snapped Brendan out of his pit of shame.

"Jesus!" Brendan exclaimed. Hermione was digging through her magical purse pulling out a bottle of rum, but before she could douse her hair with it, Brendan pulled her into the rain.

The fire was put out almost immediately and Hermione uttered a faint "Thanks."

"I guess you owe me another cup of coffee." Brendan said as he wiped water off his watch.

Post #1 - The Morning Puzzle

The day started with a blaring alarm. Brendan arose from his slumber at exactly 7 am. Slightly annoyed with the abrupt ending of his dreamt expedition of Mt. Everest, he dragged his feet all the way to the bathroom where he blinded himself with the fluorescent bulbs. He stumbled to the sink and cupped his hands. The water splashes across his face, sharpening his senses like the brisk winds of Nepal. A long sigh escapes his lips as he moves to the shower. "No heat again?" he thinks to himself, "Why can't they just fix it already?" Throwing on a new set of clothes, he sets the kettle on the stove. While he waits for the water to boil he grabs the morning paper and flips to the crossword puzzle.

"What is a three letter word for a container?", he asks aloud, "Aha! Box." As is it was a response to his achievement, the locked box in the corner of the room creaked. Startled, Brendan made his way over to check on the box. This box was in the apartment when Brendan arrived two months ago. While he was curious as to what was inside, he never made the effort to open it. He approached slowly and placed his hand on the metal covering. It was as cold as ice. A handprint was left in the field of dust. There were locks on three sides of the box. One lock was a steel padlock with designs of veins etched in the back. On another side was a panel of five buttons with the letters T, M, G, D, and A. The last lock was a ten-string number lock. The numbers were completely faded on the tenth number slider. This brief examination ended with the whistles of the kettle, and Brendan finally poured the cup of tea he needed to properly start his day. Sitting in his chair, he returned to his crossword puzzle. The next clue read "dead" for a seven lettered word. "That's obvious", he thought, "The answer is decease." As he approaches the completion of the crossword, he soon realizes "decease" was incorrect. The word had to start with letter "M". he did not get much time to think because there was a knock on his door. The door opened, revealing Georgie Mendoza.

"I don't think this is the best phrasing but uh Mr. Evans is dead."