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The Box
A creepy short story about the difference between siblings and a neighborhood of missing pets.
Published exclusively for the members of the Cemetery Dance Collector's Club.
Published exclusively for the members of the Cemetery Dance Collector's Club.
- GenresHorrorShort Stories
15 pages, Board book
First published January 1, 2014
129 people want to read
About the author
Richard Chizmar
252 books3,450 followersRichard Chizmar is a New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Amazon, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author.
He is the co-author (with Stephen King) of the bestselling novella, Gwendy’s Button Box and the founder/publisher of Cemetery Dance magazine and the Cemetery Dance Publications book imprint. He has edited more than 35 anthologies and his short fiction has appeared in dozens of publications, including multiple editions of Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and The Year’s 25 Finest Crime and Mystery Stories. He has won two World Fantasy awards, four International Horror Guild awards, and the HWA’s Board of Trustee’s award.
Chizmar (in collaboration with Johnathon Schaech) has also written screenplays and teleplays for United Artists, Sony Screen Gems, Lions Gate, Showtime, NBC, and many other companies. He has adapted the works of many bestselling authors including Stephen King, Peter Straub, and Bentley Little.
Chizmar is also the creator/writer of the online website, Stephen King Revisited. His fourth short story collection, The Long Way Home, was published in 2019. With Brian Freeman, Chizmar is co-editor of the acclaimed Dark Screams horror anthology series published by Random House imprint, Hydra.
His latest book, The Girl on the Porch, was released in hardcover by Subterranean Press, and Widow’s Point, a chilling novella about a haunted lighthouse written with his son, Billy Chizmar, was recently adapted into a feature film.
Chizmar’s work has been translated into more than fifteen languages throughout the world, and he has appeared at numerous conferences as a writing instructor, guest speaker, panelist, and guest of honor.
He is the co-author (with Stephen King) of the bestselling novella, Gwendy’s Button Box and the founder/publisher of Cemetery Dance magazine and the Cemetery Dance Publications book imprint. He has edited more than 35 anthologies and his short fiction has appeared in dozens of publications, including multiple editions of Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and The Year’s 25 Finest Crime and Mystery Stories. He has won two World Fantasy awards, four International Horror Guild awards, and the HWA’s Board of Trustee’s award.
Chizmar (in collaboration with Johnathon Schaech) has also written screenplays and teleplays for United Artists, Sony Screen Gems, Lions Gate, Showtime, NBC, and many other companies. He has adapted the works of many bestselling authors including Stephen King, Peter Straub, and Bentley Little.
Chizmar is also the creator/writer of the online website, Stephen King Revisited. His fourth short story collection, The Long Way Home, was published in 2019. With Brian Freeman, Chizmar is co-editor of the acclaimed Dark Screams horror anthology series published by Random House imprint, Hydra.
His latest book, The Girl on the Porch, was released in hardcover by Subterranean Press, and Widow’s Point, a chilling novella about a haunted lighthouse written with his son, Billy Chizmar, was recently adapted into a feature film.
Chizmar’s work has been translated into more than fifteen languages throughout the world, and he has appeared at numerous conferences as a writing instructor, guest speaker, panelist, and guest of honor.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 29, 2015
Trudi made me curious about what was in the box. So I had to find out. I'm glad that I didn't read the description for this story. It's only a single sentence, but I think it gives too much away.
Anyway, when I think of The Box, what usually comes to mind is Richard Matheson's story about a box with a button inside. That story is an ethics question... with a twist. (Come on, it's Matheson.) Would you press a button for a large sum of money, even if you knew it would result in someone unknown to you dying?
This story is nothing like that one, except for maybe a little misdirection so as to offer up a twist, but now I'll have two competing memories whenever I think of the title "The Box". Because this is a good story. Really good. It's the perfect blend of everyday boring suburban family life and utter depravity. It's short, well-written, and open-ended, all things that I love in a short story. And this one leaves me wondering quite a lot of things about what happens next. I really enjoy that feeling, and it makes me happy when a story can make me continue it on in my head - even more so when the story is a shorty like this, because that is that mark of something done right.
Trudi says in her review that this is a bit predictable and derivative. In hindsight, I can see that and agree with her. However, while I was reading it, I was just caught up in it. It's short enough that I was reading like the wind wanting to know when the box would come into it, and then what would happen now that the box has been opened, and its contents discovered.
The resolution is abrupt and sudden, and we get no insight at all into the WHY of this story. It just is, and it's all the creepier for that. We're left to wonder about the origins and the outcomes... and I like it.
I'll end this review with this: I am a Stephen King reader, and he has influenced my everyday in many ways. I can't walk over a sewer grate without thinking of IT, and previous to this story, I couldn't see a lost pet poster without thinking of Low Men. Now I'll be thinking of this as well, and it's a lot more disturbing in its completely non-fantasy way. *shudder*
Anyway, when I think of The Box, what usually comes to mind is Richard Matheson's story about a box with a button inside. That story is an ethics question... with a twist. (Come on, it's Matheson.) Would you press a button for a large sum of money, even if you knew it would result in someone unknown to you dying?
This story is nothing like that one, except for maybe a little misdirection so as to offer up a twist, but now I'll have two competing memories whenever I think of the title "The Box". Because this is a good story. Really good. It's the perfect blend of everyday boring suburban family life and utter depravity. It's short, well-written, and open-ended, all things that I love in a short story. And this one leaves me wondering quite a lot of things about what happens next. I really enjoy that feeling, and it makes me happy when a story can make me continue it on in my head - even more so when the story is a shorty like this, because that is that mark of something done right.
Trudi says in her review that this is a bit predictable and derivative. In hindsight, I can see that and agree with her. However, while I was reading it, I was just caught up in it. It's short enough that I was reading like the wind wanting to know when the box would come into it, and then what would happen now that the box has been opened, and its contents discovered.
The resolution is abrupt and sudden, and we get no insight at all into the WHY of this story. It just is, and it's all the creepier for that. We're left to wonder about the origins and the outcomes... and I like it.
I'll end this review with this: I am a Stephen King reader, and he has influenced my everyday in many ways. I can't walk over a sewer grate without thinking of IT, and previous to this story, I couldn't see a lost pet poster without thinking of Low Men. Now I'll be thinking of this as well, and it's a lot more disturbing in its completely non-fantasy way. *shudder*
March 25, 2015
Story available to read here: http://www.cemeterydance.com/downloads/TheBoxRichardChizmar.pdf
I am familiar with Richard Chizmar because A) I *love* Cemetery Dance Publications (which he founded) and B) Chizmar has launched a massive King re-read and you can follow his progress (not to mention fabulous guest posts) here at his blog Stephen King Revisited.
So in my Twitter feed this evening was a link to this short story. Who can resist a short story called "The Box"? Every time I see that title I give a little shudder and give in to a lot curiosity, because WHO DOESN'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S IN THE BOX?!
Right, Brad?
I'll ALWAYS need to know what's in the mothereffing box. Yeah, curiosity. She's a real bitch.
So this story? It's gooooood. Pulpy good and creepy (if a little derivative and predictable). Still, at 15 pages, definitely worth a read. Go check it out now! Don't you want to know what's in the box too???
December 14, 2014
This appeared in the mail from now where. I guess is't not something one can order, and I haven't ordered anything from Cemetery Dance in seven or eight years. So thank you to them.
Richard Chizmar has written a scary "evil child" story, given it a bit of a twist (all puns intended) and taken us to a dark closet to scream.
The story reads as if it may be part of a longer work. And does the job just fine if not a bit predictable.
This is one of 925 signed copies.
Richard Chizmar has written a scary "evil child" story, given it a bit of a twist (all puns intended) and taken us to a dark closet to scream.
The story reads as if it may be part of a longer work. And does the job just fine if not a bit predictable.
This is one of 925 signed copies.
January 20, 2020
Short, not-so-sweet, and provides a great kick at the end. Chizmar always delivers.
December 15, 2014
Delicious and creepy short story with an open ending.
March 18, 2024
A creepy fucked up little tale. Very good
December 14, 2014
A great return to writing. Super creepy and suspenseful.
January 19, 2015
Clever little story.
July 6, 2020
While I was reading this short story by Richard Chizmar I wasn't quite enjoying it. I was confused. I thought that he wrote horror ad here he was talking me about a mother, her daughter and his son in an every day routine. But then everything starts falling in place, little clues he was dropping along the way of the story suddenly start fitting, only to reach a twisted truth at the end.
I read it, finished it, and thought... This was it? This is the end? That's the kind of open endings most people hate.
Oh, but when a stroy lingers the dephts of your mind for days, and you dind yourself thinking about it every now and then. Thinking how you were mislead. How you missed all the signs that led you to that end. That's when you know the that is a good hell of a story!
This story has become one of my all time favorites.
I read it, finished it, and thought... This was it? This is the end? That's the kind of open endings most people hate.
Oh, but when a stroy lingers the dephts of your mind for days, and you dind yourself thinking about it every now and then. Thinking how you were mislead. How you missed all the signs that led you to that end. That's when you know the that is a good hell of a story!
This story has become one of my all time favorites.
May 1, 2020
You know its good when you get that creepy ass shiver up your spine when reading the last sentence.
January 31, 2021
A very creepy and killer short story from one of my favorite authors. I really enjoyed this one.
January 25, 2015
This was a very nicely formatted chapbook that was published exclusively for the members of the Cemetery Dance Collector's Club 4. It wasn't overly long (about 14 pages) but that is to be expected with chapbooks. As opposed to some other chapbooks that I've read, I wasn't disappointed by the story. Most times I'm going to wish that it was longer but the length was a perfect fit for the story. Annie, a housewife with two kids, makes a startling discovery while her son and daughter are in school. While our time with them was brief, the characters were still easy to picture and their actions all made sense. The story was a bit predictable but not to a point that detracted from the enjoyment.
April 17, 2015
A short, short story that will take you about 10 to 15 minutes to read. I felt the story was fine and it was a little creepy, but there's nothing special here. So I question the idea of Cemetery Dance issuing it as a seperate chapbook. There just isn't a lot of substance to this story to qualify it for its own seperate publication. I felt it should be part of a collection of short stories or in an anthology instead. Oh well, it's still not bad of a story though.
December 23, 2014
Another gem of a Cemetery Dance chapbook. Very quick and interesting story.
January 18, 2015
A creepy, surprising little shocker. Excellent.
March 26, 2015
Wonderfully twisted short story. You know how serial killers begin their 'careers'? Watch this one in action!
March 27, 2015
The ending though; gave me goosebumps. It’s a quick read, check it out here!
http://www.cemeterydance.com/download...
http://www.cemeterydance.com/download...
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews