The So, I'm not. Welcome to another edition of Nightmare Fuel Creaves and Papers.

I'm Dan Cummins and I'll be sharing another original short story of the

fictional horror variety. I highly recommend noise cancellation headphones

for the best experience. Hope you enjoy this new nightmare.

Time now for the tale of the wishing box.

Doug stood before the strange antique jewelry box in the back of the odd little shop

he'd never noticed before in downtown Santa Monica. Relics and Curiosities.

It was two doors down from Harvelles, the old bar and live music venue, where he and Olivia had once watched a burles show together.

That was the date when he knew she was the one.

She had her shit together. She was super smart, gorgeous, and she could also cut loose and have some fun.

A keeper if there ever was one.

And while that was one of the only times he'd ever been to Harvells,

he'd walked this block at least a hundred times over the years.

And he now wondered to himself, how is it possible that he had never once seen this store?

It certainly didn't look based on how much dust lay atop

most of the goods like they just moved in. And with everything in the area

transitioning towards high-end shopping the past decade plus, it wasn't the type of place that looked like it could

afford a lease in what had become one of the boosiest areas west of the 405. But yet, here it was. And here he was. Doug had taken a long lunch break to sneak up to Santa Monica for

Marina Del Rey, where he worked as a character artist for EA Games, and he was so pissed

in himself.

He waited until the last minute again to grab a birthday gift for his wife.

No matter how many reminders he said on his phone, no matter how many sticky notes he stuck around his cubicle or in his car.

...