Reginald R. Robinson is the second-richest man in the world. His conglomerate empire is earning him thousands of dollars every second. With such wealth, Reginald can have any material things he wants: luxury cars, mansions, yachts, and pretty much anything that money can buy.
And yet, one of the richest men in the world is currently in a strange dilemma.
On the top floor of a high-rise building sits Reginald’s office. Inside the office, one can see Reginald, with a look of contemplation, sitting on a chair. And in front of him, atop his desk, is a small black box, just big enough to hold jewelry like a ring. However, what is inside the box is neither a ring nor any jewelry but rather a button.
The small black box is the source of Reginald’s dilemma, or rather, the button inside it that is said to grant any wish once pressed. Or at least, that was the claim of the mysterious robed figure that suddenly appeared inside his office one gloomy day.
That incident happened six months ago. After a board meeting, Reginald returned to his office, only to see a mysterious, robed figure sitting on the sofa insiderobed figure sitting on the sofa inside. Although alarmed, the Reginald didn’t panic and calmly addressed the figure, which he believed to be a man judging by the figure of his body, and asked what he was doing inside his office.
"I’m here to make you an offer," said the black-robed figure.
Reginald raised an eyebrow at the mysterious figure but still decided to humor him. "Oh? Let me hear it," he said.
Instead of answering, the mysterious figure just took out a small black box and stretched his hand to present the box to Reginald. The moment the small black box appeared, the once-clear sky suddenly turned gloomy as dark clouds quickly covered the sun.
"What is that?" Reginald asked as he stared at the ominous-looking black box with a grim face.
"It’s a box, as you can see," replied the mysterious robed figure, seemingly amused.
"That’s not what I’m asking," snapped Reginald.
The mysterious robed figure let out an eerie chuckle, took back his outstretched hand, and slowly opened the box. The moment the box was opened, lightning suddenly shone in the sky, followed by the booming sound of thunder. It was as if the world itself rejected the idea of the black box being opened.
Although this strange phenomenon was happening just outside the building and could be seen through the glass panels, Reginald didn’t seem to notice as all of his attention was on the content of the black box—a red circular button.
The mysterious robed figure stretched out his hand again and presented the small black box to Reginald, who instinctively took it despite a part of him shouting not to take it.
"If you pressed that red button, any wish—anything you desired—would be granted," whispered the mysterious figure in Reginald’s ear.
"Of course, one must pay a price equivalent to one’s wish," the mysterious figure added.
Reginald gulped audibly but didn’t respond to the mysterious figure’s words. Instead, he just stared at the red button as if mesmerized.
"I’ll leave the decision to you," said the mysterious figure with a chuckle before walking away.
The moment Reginald realized that the mysterious figure was about to leave, he awakened from his stupor and quickly turned around to stop him, but it was too late. The mysterious figure was gone; not even a shadow of him could be found. The strangest thing was that the door was still tightly closed.
Back in the present, Reginald can be seen staring at the small black box on top of his desk. Although Reginald had had the box for six months now, he didn’t dare press the red button inside it. Instead, he kept the black box inside one of the drawers of his desk.
Reginald knew that he should have thrown the black box away a long time ago, as he felt something ominous from it. And yet, he can’t seem to do it, no matter what. Every time he tries to get rid of the box, he hesitates and stops. It was as if something inside him wanted to keep the box, no matter what.
"Why can’t I throw this box away?" Reginald whispered a question.
As the second richest man in the world, Reginald has everything one could ever want. So an ominous box that contained a button that could (allegedly) grant any wish shouldn’t appeal to him at all.
"No, there is something that I want," whispered Reginald.
Although Reginald won’t mention this to anyone, there’s something that he wants badly. It was a wish that all successful people want, including Reginald: eternal youth and life.
Despite being one of the richest men in the world, his money cannot grant him eternal youth and life. Once he dies, his money will be useless to him. Worse still, everything that he had earned and founded all his life will become someone else’s property.
"I know that there’s no such thing as eternal life, but what if..." Reginald stared intently at the small black box on top of his desk. He was already in his sixties and probably only had a decade or so to live, so the appeal of a button that could grant any wish was fatal to him.
After hesitating for a long time, he finally took the box and slowly opened it. The moment he started opening the box, the weather suddenly changed. Dark clouds quickly formed, replacing the clear, sunny sky, followed by raging wind, lightning, and booming thunder, as if signaling the arrival of a storm. The sudden change in the weather startled everyone. Even Reginald, who was so focused on opening the black box, noticed this sudden change, which made him instinctively close the box.
Once the box was closed, the weather suddenly returned to normal. It was as if what happened earlier was just an illusion.
Reginald was unsure if the phenomenon earlier was connected with the box, but his instinct was telling him that it was. Putting the box on the desk, Reginald stared at it for a very long time before making a decision.
He took out his cellphone and made a call. About an hour later, he stepped out of his car and entered a church, where a priest was waiting for him.
What happens next? I am eager to know....
I might have done the same to save that box for later, in case of any fatal emergencies, also the wish is valid from his position, the second richest person in the world. At first, I thought he would wish to be number one, but he was sensible to go for eternal youth and life.
With proper consciousness I would never dare to use that box because of the price one needed to pay, the bigger my wish the bigger price I may need to pay, without knowing the price beforehand is like playing with the devil.
I have always loved this kinda thrilling story.
This one was too beautiful, really enjoyed this piece.
Thank you! Glad you liked the story.
I know I'm not the only one wanting to know what happened next😥.
Reginald, it's advisable that he shouldn't open the box. I feel it will demand for his life once he does.
Thank you! Glad you liked the story
Wow, I'm so eager to know what happens next. You're definitely going to continue with this story right? What would the priest say to him? It's true that you could be rich but there's always something else you'd want because no one can be completely satisfied in life.
In your resolution it is easy to believe that the frightening effect the box has on the environment was enough to dissuade Reginald from pushing the button. However, you highlight a real-life truth eloquently here, even those with everything want more. This is a nice story, although it could use a tad of editing— mostly to remove repetitious phrasing, and to grab a typo or two.
Regardless, this was an interesting read. We hope this feedback helps as you pursue your love of writing! Thank you for sharing your story with us, and for your engagement with other members of the community.
Thank you for your valuable input. I'll try to improve and edit my story next time.
Congratulations @yuki-nee! You received a personal badge!
You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking
Check out our last posts: