Have you ever wondered about the present that just appears with no tag, or a present that doesn’t seem to belong to anyone?

This was the current problem in the quaint little house at the end of a dead-end street. It was pretty hard to miss anybody coming and going from their home, but as the owner Gregory bent over, staring under the brightly coloured lights and glittering balls that was what he had to contemplate.

Right at the back was a gift wrapped up in some standard Christmas paper with trees, snow and reindeer painted on it. It was about the size of a football square, but the most eye-catching thing about it, was a very complex red ribbon tied into a big bushy bow.

Confused Gregory reached under the tree searching around for the box, jumping when a loose end of the ribbon touched his hand.

He was telling himself off for jumping at something so innocuous and harmless. Grasping the ribbon, he dragged it out and onto the floor, where it was far easier to see it, and the mystery only got more confusing. Checking around it, underneath it he couldn't find any kind of note, tag or written name indicating who it was for or who might have sent it.

The gift caught quite a bit of attention when he lifted it out and around to show the rest of the family. His two children all had massive grins as they were surrounded by gifts and Christmas paper, some of which were attached to them with tape. With no shame at all, they asked which one of them it was for.

"None of you,’ he answered, “It hasn't got anyone's name on it."

His lovely wife was quick to state, "Maybe the tag was lost, we did get quite a few gifts from family and friends this year. It's obviously had some work put into it. That bow is well knotted, we should open it, and then we can guess who it’s for."

Everyone nodded, the children jumping down from their seats, trailing pieces of wrapping paper with them. His wife joined them on the floor, fussing over them as she peeled the tape off of them. Everyone stared at the pretty bow, and Gregory felt at it would be a shame to cut it so looking for the ends of the ribbon he found four and pulled and to his surprise it all fell apart with ease. His appreciation for the skill increased, he would most certainly have created a ‘knotted’ knot.

Placing the ribbon on the floor, Gregory placed his hands, on edges of the box, and lifted the lid. As all their faces peered over the edge.

Their faces fell as all they found was a bit of hot air that flowed out of it as they all fell back, their excitement fading as fast as a memory. With all their enthusiasm disappearing, the children shrugged and went back to their new toys and leaving both adults staring curiously at the empty gift box.

The adults looked at each other and then the box and then shrugged. Gregory placed the lid back on top. "That's a little weird. I wonder if we’ve already opened it and just placed it back, without realising it."

His wife shook her head, "I don't think we are that thick-headed, we're pretty good at that but not forgetting what we have and haven't opened and I don't think either of us has the ability or patience to remake the bow?"

Gregory smile, "Thank you, dear, for dissuading my of my imagination and hopes."

She smiled broadly before leaning over, kissing him, saying, "Hey, I imagine that it’s a simple joke or mistake just put in the bin."

He nodded, gathering up all the Christmas paper and Sellotape that had somehow managed to spread to the four corners of the house.

There was enough paper and tape that it filled the bin. Gregory didn't want to put the box in the waste bin as he thought it could be useful next year but unsure of where to put it he placed the box on top of the pile of paper.

The children slowly exhausted themselves, filling their bellies with turkey, roast potatoes, and whatever vegetables they could manage.

It wasn't long before their children were falling asleep on the couch. They were gently rolled up in blankets and shipped off to their beds.

It was the finally time for the adults to rest and recover, sitting in front of their TV and watching whatever junk movie was on.

Once they had picked a movie, Gregory stood up, and reached to turn the light off. He saw something out of the corner of his eye.

Taking a closer look into the kitchen, his eyes landed on the box. He couldn't remember what it was, but there was this vague feeling that something had moved. Looking at the settling ribbon, Gregory shrugged as he returned to his wife’s side.

Having enjoyed the movie, they both retired to their bedroom where the comfort of blankets greeted them, sending them into a restful sleep.

Gregory's eyes sprung open as something disrupted his sleep. Not knowing what it was he had heard he shrugged and turned over and tried to go back to sleep.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

As he tossed and turned, his bladder started sending signals, and he realised that he needed the toilet. Getting up as gently as possible, he left the bedroom, heading for the bathroom.

Upon his return his heart leapt into his mouth as he heard a sound of dull thuds, from downstairs. Wondering what it was he poked his head into the master bedroom seeing the outline of his wife's form, lying still in bed.

Poking his head into his children’s room, he found them both lying on the bottom bunk a head at each end. They were both there, however, which meant it wasn’t them making the noise downstairs. Gregory just wanted to get back into bed, but he knew that if he left it, he would worry and it play on his mind.

Shrugging, he grabbed the two by four that was propped up on the landing. He had for a few years meant to use it to build a slipper stand, and, well, stuff happens.

Grateful now that he never did, he descended the stairs. Checked the room on the left he turned the light on, and stepped in, giving the spare room a scan before he retreated into the hallway closing the door and entering the living room.

Turning the light on, he again scanned the room. It was clear that not a soul was there. He was pretty sure that nothing had moved and the Christmas tree was still standing there un-lit. Walking through the room he stopped in the kitchen doorway when he opened it.

Switching on the light he moved into the kitchen, scanning as he went. He was expecting to see a human figure, a broken window, a fallen piece of equipment, but as he studied everything, it all appeared to be as expected.

Apart from the last thing his eyes fell on. The paper bin was bizarre, there was no coloured box and no red ribbon. There were no signs that someone had broken in, but double-checking anyway, he turned the knob of the backdoor but it was locked tight.

Turning his head back to the pile of paper, his brow furrowed and he kept his eyes peeled, for someone, as he moved back into the living room. His eyes immediately focused on the Christmas tree, or to be more exact it landed on the paper wrapped and ribbon tied box that was underneath it.

Confused and astounded, he checked under the couch, moved to the spare room and checked every corner.

Then moved back upstairs his worry increased as he grabbed the torch that was on the landing and checked his office under the desk, airing cupboard and then bathroom. Tiptoeing into his children's bedroom, he checked under the bed, then the top bunk and once he'd cleared it, he moved back into the master bedroom, checking cupboards and every corner his anxiety rising as he continued to find nothing.

After re-checking everything he managed to relax a little. Wondering if it were a practical joke devised by his wife and children. It wouldn't be the first time and explained the way that none of them moved or complained to his searching their rooms.

He walked back down to the box which was still sitting under the Christmas tree.

Prodding it with his two by four he moved it to the middle of the room where he stared at it for a moment before he lifted his crude weapon and pulled on the ribbon off it again. It came loose easily, lightly landing on the floor.

Gregory lifted the lid and as it swung back, a putrid smell poured out of it, a mixture of iron and cloths softener hit his nose, he felt sick!

Then an overwhelming amount of pain emanated from his arm and he pulled back and was shocked to see a stump of a limb. Falling back further he clutched at it, staring horrified as the ribbon on the box rose into the air while a few tendrils pushed against the ground lifting the box into the air where it leaned it's grotesque, gore-filled maw with its razor-sharp teeth towards him.

Gregory was scared as hell even as the walls of blackness encroach on his sight. He felt trapped and could only go forward or fall down. He swung at the mad creature.

It leapt right at him flying high in the air with its ribbon limbs floating wildly around it.

He swung at those limbs but they simply redirected his attack away from its main body. In an instinctual move he raised his dismembered arm to protect him from the monster.

The monster gobbled the rest of his arm to his shoulder where Gregory could smell its putrid breath. He screamed and ran at the wall smashing the box between him and the unyielding plane. A childlike wail of pain drifted through the air.

Right then he heard a loud bang on the front door. The monster released his ever-decreasing arm and jumped away, fleeing into the kitchen.

Relief ran through his body as he pulled the keys from the hook next to the door, rushing to open the front door. As he did, the door was forcefully pushed open and he was quickly jumped upon and dragged out.

No matter what he said the officers all but ignored him as they moved farther into the house. Calls emanated from the second story, and a young policeman ran out of the house and puked into a gutter that was just outside.

Gregory's heart sank as more officers came out and started staring at him with disgust and anger.

Distraught he fell into himself he answered any questions truthfully. When a medic asked one of the officers if he needed any help, the officer whispered shaking his head "He's physically fine, it’s excellent, it's his mind that’s gone. He keeps talking about a monster box that ate his arm and attacked him.

The amount of blood covering his arms and body could have come from his arm but considering he only had some bruises and his wife and children’s bodies, were splayed about the room we're pretty sure that blood isn't his. He’s probably going for the insanity plea.

The damn box he keeps bloody screeching about is still lying on top of the pile of paper waste where he said he put it."

Gregory broke down as he realised that he could pull two arms into view. He knew that there wasn't anything he could do. That damn box had killed his family and blamed it on him. He couldn't live without his wife and kids, and he knew that it was the box's fault, and there was no way he was insane. He was a normal human being and he couldn't kill them even in a crazed state.

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A true story about a man named Gregory who was assigned to Green Leaf asylum and killed himself in 2013 from the loss of his family...

Mimicking a natural state is one tactic of an ambush predator. It hides in plain sight mainly depicted as a chest. It sits and waits for an unfortunate victim to open it and then attacks. There are of course times that it is outnumbered and will disguise itself and produce a hallucinating agent that the mimic has a certain amount of control over. They will always do their best to cover their tracks up from any feasting it does successful so thankfully for the shadow community and the Darkless they are rare.

But you should always be cautious about an empty chest or box, as you never know what is inside of it once it's closed.

Fortunately, the mimic managed to get away with it, this time, without losing its own life. As we should all learn from the extremely effective methods of the mimics treasure hunters and the greedy should beware of empty chests.

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Written by Starfury