The Mysterious Gift

The decrepit house atop Mallum Hill was always a scary sight at night. Especially when there was a full moon and the waves could be heard from the ocean near by. Mr Spriggs, dearest friend to the late owners of this terrifying house, walked along the beach, comforted by the eerie sound of wind blowing into glass bottles which were dumped carelessly ashore by boats and drunks.

Mrs Spriggs looked warily at her father through the kitchen window, wondering whether he would ever get over their tragedy. Though she had high hopes, they grew weaker every time he left at night.

The doorbell rang. A package had arrived unexpectedly for Mr Spriggs. His daughter thanked the deliveryman and brought the package over to the kitchen table. It was wrapped ruggedly in brown paper and tied off with yarn. It looked dishevelled and quite old.

At that moment Mr Spriggs had walked in through the front door. “Father, a package has just arrived for you”, she said, hoping for a positive response. Her father rushed over to the package and started to open it. Inside it was a key and a page with directions on it. He was wrapped with anticipation as he read the directions. Than, as suddenly as he had arrived, Mr Spriggs left without a word. Mrs Spriggs went up to her room. She began to cry.

Mr Spriggs arrived at the local train station. He smelt the familiar stench of diesel and the usually noise of passengers arriving and departing. He went to a safety deposit box numbered 69 and opened it with the key from his package. Inside it was an old piece of paper bearing more instructions and another key. The next instruction said to go to locker 69. So Mr Spriggs went to the locker and opened it. Inside the locker was a cashbox.

He took this back home and called for his daughter. She came tired and unsteady. Mrs Spriggs saw her father at the dinning table. He had opened the cash box and laid out on the table a wrapped gift and a card. First he opened the gift. Inside it was a small, wooden horse roughly carved into driftwood. She saw a tear trickle down her fathers cheek and asked, “What does the card say father?”

He quickly opened it and began to read. When he had finished, he walked off with the horse and sat in their quaint lounge room. She read the card. It said:

“I told you I would keep it to the end.”

“Thankyou.”

By Natashia