The drive from the hospital was quiet as you inspected the box more, it seemed like an ordinary box from the outside…'what was the BIG surprise?' you thought to yourself as you sat in the passenger seat of your dads beat-up car. He pulled up into the driveway and unbuckled your seatbelt and you got the door on your own, sliding your feet to dangle over the asphalt and plop them down to stand up. When your dad unlocked the front door you bolted up the stairs to your room, but before fully plowing your front door down you stopped to say hi to your older siblings as you passed their rooms,

"Sissy, look what mommy and daddy got me for my birthday!" You beamed as you lingered in her doorway, she was laying at the foot of her bed with her phone, it wasn't a cool, new phone but one that was useable.

She glanced your way with a sheepish smile, "It's cute, what is it?" She asked with a hint of sarcasm to make you go away faster, she was trying to get some of her friends to pay for a movie ticket for a new movie she wanted to see, but they were tired of not being paid back or having the favor returned...due to your families money problems.

"It's a jack-in-the-box, mommy and daddy picked it for me from Mr. and Mrs. Bunce's house! Mommy said there was a surprise in it, but I wanted to wait till I was home to show you and big bro what it looked like on the outside first." Your smile just got wider and you giggled.

"You don't know what a jack-in-the-box is...do you?" Her expression turned to one of slight annoyance, but you were to happy and innocent to notice.

"I know what they do...I guess this one must be special if mommy and daddy picked it for me." You turned it in your hands again like you did in the hospital room, still wondering what that "special" something was.

Your sister scoffed at that comment and then went back to her mission for a movie ticket, "Ok, well you go and enjoy your "special" jack-in-the-box." She waved you off with her eyes still glued to her phone.

You sighed with defeat, at least she had paid you even the slightest bit of attention today...she didn't like to be home much anymore.

You continued your mission towards your room, and passing your older brothers room did the same thing you did when you passed your sister's room...except your brother just asked if he could see your gift with a straight face and then looking at it with a sad expression mostly from a lack of gifts from mom and dad when he was the only child, they still didn't have financial luck...even back then. He hands it back with a quiet smile and then tuffles your hair and sends you on to your room.

Taking your mission more seriously now that you were alone in the solace of your room, you closed the door and sat on your bed with the jack-in-the-box resting at the foot of your bed...finding yourself unable to turn the little dirty red knob on the end of the bent metal rod sticking out from the side of the box. You lay like your sister was and quietly contemplate just savoring the physical existence of the metal box or just going all gung-ho to turn the knob and hear whatever musical tune was put in the box and let whatever surprise was waiting for you out.

You sigh, close your eyes and slowly reach for the handle...when all of a sudden before your fingers start to brush the knob, it starts turning and playing its musical tune...all...by...itself.

This was it...time to meet your new friend.