John held his breath as he opened the box.The day had begun so normally but had increasingly worsened, starting off with finding the box in the first place.

He had been shouted at, shot at, hit with a broom and at one memorable point, found in the classroom of a convent school in a highly embarrassing situation involving a rubber clown nose and a chicken but now it would all be explained. He would know why this box, the source of so much trouble, had been sent to him. The lid creaked as it moved.

Straw... The box was full of straw...but it had felt heavy... John disturbed a handful and something scuttled beneath it, nails clicking on the wood. He cried out in surprise and slammed the lid down hard, just as a large chunk was blown out of his front door. He flew backwards against the wall, crouched on the floor as five heavily armed men entered the flat.

“Come with us,” said one. “Bring the box.”

Would it never end?

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