1. THE BOX
BY
WILL DRAKE
I once lived in a box. I know that because it had four sides to it. I could touch all of them at
the same time. I felt as though I was gradually suffocating in that confined space, but I chose
it. I constructed the box for myself so that all my fears could be contained in it and I could
live with them and check them out now and then.
Despite the fact that I poured with sweat in there, I still considered myself safe, because I
was alone and set apart from the hostile world. Of course I hardly ever slept, because I could
not lie down and get comfortable. Nevertheless I thought it was a sacrifice worth making for
my sanity. I had no idea that the latter was being stretched to breaking point, and the
confinement took on the aspect of a perpetual nightmare, spent in total darkness.
I craved for release, but did not have the means to achieve my liberty, and I was scared of
the consequences. One day, however, I heard a sound outside. It was a voice. A gentle
voice. In fact the most gentle voice I had ever heard. It was asking me whether I wanted to
be set free. I wanted to scream out my response, but found I could not utter any words. My
mouth opened, but there was silence. I shook the sides of the box like the demented man I
had become. I then heard a scraping sound at the edges of each of the sides. Hands were
prising apart the stubborn box.
Suddenly one side was down and light flooded into my space. I was carefully brought out
from my prison. At first I found the experience unnerving, because I thought I would now no
longer be in control of my life. However, I was free. I could breathe the fresh air. I stretched

2. my arms upwards as I was overwhelmed by what seemed waves of comfort from the one,
whose voice I had initially heard. I had never before experienced such warmth in an
embrace. I then looked up into the face, once we had separated, but he still held my hand.
He turned me around and showed me the most beautiful landscape, which stretched right up
to the distant horizon in all its myriad colours and shapes. This was going to be my future
from now onwards.
I knew I would never go back into my box again.