Unusual Things
Shawn had seen his fair share of unusual things throughout his life. By now, he’d come to expect it.
He was out exploring the woods when he found something strange. By the look of it, it was ancient, and he couldn’t help but wonder about its contents. He decided to take it back home with him. But Shawn had no idea what he was getting himself into.
His Passion
Shawn Parker was always up for an adventure. As a child, he grew up with parents who would draw pirate maps, which he would use to find hidden treasure in their garden.
That was where it all started. He considered himself a relic hunter. Shawn had grown up in New Orleans, which was a massive bonus for him. His city was filled with everything strange and wonderful, and he loved exploring all it had to offer. But soon, he would discover just how strange it was.
A Living Nightmare
As the years passed, he collected a large variety of digging equipment. He used them to dig up whatever he could find.
But on one seemingly ordinary day, he drove his truck to a bayou close to his home. He came here quite often to see what he could find. He had no idea this would turn his life into a living nightmare.
Unexplainable
Whenever he got to the bayou, he got this strange, eerie feeling that he couldn’t quite explain. He didn’t know what it was, but something about the place sent shivers down his spine.
He threw on one of his waterproof waders and grabbed his digging tools from the back of his truck. He was the only person there, which excited him. This was the perfect opportunity to find something good finally. He was about to make a mysterious discovery.
Being Careful
Shawn knew he had to be careful as he walked through the shallow swamp. He’d heard of a snapping turtle that inhabited this bayou and did not want to run into it.
He always feared losing fingers or toes to these ferocious creatures. He took light and slow steps, checking every rock in his sight to ensure it wasn’t a turtle. That’s when he saw it.
The Object
When he was something strange on the ground, he was anything but surprised. When he took a step closer and bent down, he saw an old-looking hand tool with a wooden handle attached. What could this be?
He quickly grabbed hold of it and inspected it closely. The metal had rust on it, which made it look even older. He couldn’t believe how odd this was. It had been hidden in his spot for a long time.
An Old Digging Tool
It appeared to be an old tool used for digging. He wondered if someone else had been digging on this very spot. Could this person be a relic hunter, just like him?
Shawn looked around himself, wondering about the mysterious object and its owner. He wanted to see if he could find clues as to where the tool had come from. Why was it even there? Could this help him find more treasure?
Setting Up Camp
He assumed that there would be more wherever the tool came from. He quickly decided that this was where he would set up camp.
In a rush, he set up his small table, a chair, and a few refreshments. He kept staring at the tool. Surely there had to be an inscription or date on it. He had no idea that his day was about to turn upside down.
A Wooden Box
He walked further along the shore, and after a few minutes, he stumbled upon something odd. His foot had dislodged it from the mud. When he looked down at it, he found that it was a wooden box.
It must’ve been submerged in the water for some time, but it was still in excellent condition. Shawn couldn’t contain his excitement. He’d been dreaming about this moment for so long.
Something Of Value
He couldn’t believe that this was happening to him. He’d finally found something of interest. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d found something like this. He was just about ready to give up on his hobby.
He always knew that he would someday find something significant. He just had to keep looking. He was sure that this was the breakthrough he’d been waiting for. He had to open the box.
What Was Inside
He put the box on the camping table. It felt light for its size, and he was beginning to doubt whether anything was inside.
He remembered his pair of bolt cutters in his toolbox at the back of his truck. It would come in handy to open up the lock on the wooden chest. His heart began to race with anticipation.
Open Sesame
Shawn opened the chest with a sense of dread, but he pushed forward, determined to find out what was hidden inside. His fears were soon replaced by awe when he finally saw what was inside.
It was not what he was expecting at all. He thought he had come across a chest of golden relics; instead, it was a box of old trinkets. But what Shawn found would scare him to the core.
A Mysterious Bottle
As he folded back the dirty material on top, there was a small bottle in a plastic bag on top. He assumed it was to keep the liquid in the bottle from falling out.
He looked at the bottle. There was a yellow-brown liquid inside. It looked and smelled awful. Shawn put it down. He didn’t want to know what was floating inside.
More Items
He was beginning to wonder if the box would hold anything of interest. Then, he looked closer, and it seemed like more items were in the chest.
They were all packed neatly together. He wondered how the muddy water of the swamp had not seeped in and ruined everything inside. That’s when he would make a gruesome discovery.
A Gruesome Discovery
He rummaged through the box with a trembling hand, and what he found inside made him gasp. There were bones of some kind wrapped in tattered clothing.
His mind raced as he tried to make sense of what he had found. He was sure they looked like animal bones. But then he was looking at something more menacing.
The Doll
It was a voodoo doll. It had pins stuck in it. This was getting creepy. There were also smooth pebbles that had markings on them. What did this all mean?
There was also a broken mirror, and Shawn knew this symbolized terrible luck. What had he stumbled upon here? Was this meant to grant someone terrible luck for the rest of their life?
Time To Leave
Shawn was starting to worry. He had no idea what this was all supposed to mean. He decided to close the chest and pack up for the day.
It was getting late, and he began to feel uneasy at the bayou. He felt like he wasn’t alone anymore – like he was being watched.
Hidden
When he got home, he decided that the best place to put the box would be in his basement. He didn’t want his wife or kids to find it.
He put it high up on a shelf and left it there until he decided what to do with it. Shawn would discover that it would be the beginning of horrible things.
Sleepless Nights
That night, after he and his family had dinner, they talked about their day, and then it was time for bed. But he lay in bed looking at the ceiling. He couldn’t sleep.
Shawn couldn’t stop thinking about what he had found. It was something unique, but he was getting an unsettling feeling. Something didn’t feel right, but he didn’t know what it was.
Family Day
The following morning, Shawn and his family decided to spend the day together. He had been so busy with work and his hobby that they hadn’t done anything together for a long time.
They went for lunch and ice cream and then to an amusement park. It was nice to unwind with the family, Shawn thought. When they got home, they would stumble upon something terrifying.
Cold House
When they stepped inside the house, it was freezing cold. It was a warm day… what could’ve made the house feel like this? He wondered if the thermostat could be broken.
Shawn ignored it and kicked off his shoes to get comfortable. As he walked to the bedroom, he heard a blood-curdling scream coming from the kitchen.
House Of Horrors
He ran to the kitchen to see what his wife, Lauren, was screaming about. She was standing in the doorway. It was something he had not expected to see.
All the cupboards and drawers were wide open. They were closed when they left the house – he knew this because he was the last one in the kitchen. There was something terrible happening in his house.
Something Wasn’t Right
Shawn and Lauren quickly closed all the cupboards and drawers before their kids noticed anything. She asked him what was going on.
Shawn’s response was vague. He knew something wasn’t right, but he wasn’t sure. He didn’t even get a full night’s sleep. Then more strange things befell the Parker family.
No Sleep
The next morning, his kids were up very early and were watching cartoons in the living room. Shawn thought it was different for them to get up so early on a Sunday.
He asked his son, Jack, why he and his sister Maddie were up so early. Jack’s response was worrying, to say the least. He said they didn’t sleep the night before because a woman entered each of their bedrooms.
Night Visitor
Shawn was horrified and quickly ran to his children’s rooms to see what was happening. He was relieved to find that nothing was there. When he returned to the living room, he asked Jack to explain what had happened.
Jack said that the woman had appeared in his room and Maddie’s. She was tall and beautiful, with long dark hair and a strange, glowing white dress. She told the children to go to the basement.
An Investigation
Shawn was starting to think that their house was haunted. His wife was angry and asked him what he had brought into the house. Shawn said that he didn’t bring anything that would harm them.
Lauren couldn’t take it anymore, the children were scared out of their wits, and there was something in the basement. She decided to investigate.
A Sense Of Foreboding
When Lauren got to the last step in the basement, she had a weird sense of foreboding. Something was telling her to check the old bookshelf.
It was her grandparent’s bookshelf – she had inherited it. On top, she saw a wooden box. It was this box that was giving her strange feelings. She decided to confront her husband.
The Truth Revealed
When Lauren asked him about the box, Shawn could no longer hide the truth. He told her where he got it and that he would take it to a museum.
Lauren told him to recheck the box because something made their house feel eerie and uneasy. Shawn would find something he hadn’t seen before.
The Forgotten Letter
As he opened the box again, he saw a piece of paper rolled up with a ribbon. He read it, and his blood ran cold.
The box was meant to curse someone, and the small bottle contained the person’s teeth and hair. Shawn had brought evil to his family. He needed to do something to eliminate the curse that had befallen him and his family.
Dead and Buried
The letter stated that he had to put everything back and lock the box. Then he had to bury it in the place along with the old digging tool.
And that was what Shawn did. He buried the chest and tool deep within the muddy shores of his favorite bayou. He hoped no one would find it. Over the past few months, his family was at peace. No figure visited the children. Shawn was relieved that he could stop the curse from harming his family even further.
In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.
