Happiness in a suspicious box

When Amy and Eric woke up the following day, they felt more rested than they had in a very long time. They stretched and looked over to where their grandma and uncle had been sleeping. But they weren't there. They looked around, and suddenly they smelled freshly baked bread. Quickly they got dressed and ran out through the only door in the room, and they found themselves in the same kitchen they had arrived in yesterday. Their uncle looked up, "good morning, you two, are you ready for a day full of adventure," he asked. Amy was more than ready, "oh yes, you bet, I am ready. What will we be doing today?" she responded. Eric was busy munching on a warm scone his grandma had just placed in front of him, but he nodded along. Oh yes, he was ready as well.

After breakfast, they stepped outside into a little courtyard, where a table appeared with a large map spread out. "That is a map of the world. What do we need that for?" Eric chimed in. Grandma came over and stood next to him and the map. "It isn't an ordinary map, Eric, have a look. You see the coloring; these colors indicate areas where people are still happy and areas where people seem to be struggling the most mustering up happiness. People have forgotten to believe in happiness," grandma said with a sigh. Amy and Eric looked at the map, and Amy asked, "why is there so much dark red all over?" Anthony padded her on her head, as he said, "this is what we are trying to explain to you, and that we need to act fast. If first, the countries go into purple, there isn't much we can do. It is already a challenging task we have ahead of us. Luckily none of the countries have gotten purple yet, so there is still some time to make people happy."

"Do you remember how we always taught you to treat people like you would like to be treated," grandma said. "Yes, I do. Mom and dad told us how most people believe that the phrase came from the New Testament, from, hmm, was it, Mathew?" Amy asked. "Ah yes, I remember," replied Eric, "I think it was in granddad's old bible from King James. Right grandma?" "Yes, Eric and Amy, you are correct; it was in Matthew 7:12. Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. But, do you remember what your parents told you about where this phrase originally came from?" grandma asked. "Hammurabi's code of laws, right grandma?" Amy said. "Exactly Amy, well remembered," Anthony chimed in and added, "it is the law of retribution, or rather, of retaliatory justice. You remember the eye for an eye, right?" "YES!" both Amy and Eric exclaimed. Anthony continued, "so, unfortunately, people seem to have misunderstood or been steered in the wrong direction for the last few thousand years. People have more mistrust than ever in others, and rather than treat people with goodness, they seek revenge on even small things. Just think about road rage, or how people these days prefer to think that people are guilty until proven innocent rather than innocent until proven guilty as it is supposed to be. Something has shifted in humanity, and we have become a lot more suspicious of each other generating negativity and hatred, rather than love and happiness."

"Look at that dark cloud about us. Where did it come from?" Amy said. Grandma replied, "remember how we conjure things around here and how it can affect us all? Because Anthony gets so upset when we talk about the change in the world, his mood conjured a change in the weather. Let us think of something nice, and I am sure we will see a blue sky again." Grandma changed the topic, and looked at Eric, "so, Eric, do you remember that we told you we can teach you to use the magic as well?" "OH YES," Eric exclaimed, "I would love to learn it. Not least to get more food." Uncle and grandma tried to hide their laughs, and slowly the dark sky turned a beautiful blue with small white fluffy cumulus clouds. They all looked up. "ahh, much better, sorry about that," Anthony said, and walked over to the table a placed something that Eric thought looked very much like a suspicious package wrapped in brown paper. Half-intrigued, half-worried, he looked up at his uncle, "what is in it," Eric said hesitantly. "It is magic! What would you like to be in the box?" his uncle grinned. "huh, what do you mean?" Eric answered. "Try and open it, and we will find out. This has not been used in a very long time. But I think the time is just right," Anthony said.

Amy was leaning over the table. She wanted to see what was in the suspicious package as well. She and Eric each pulled on opposite sides of the brown paper, and slowly, a beautiful box was revealed. Oh, it was exquisite with a stunning pattern on the outside, Amy thought. Wait, it looked like the pattern was moving. What was she looking at? Was it a bird? Or a dragon? Oh wait, she forgot! She could make it look like anything she wanted. She focused again, and now the box turned a bright red with a sun on the sides. "Oh, wow, how did that happen," Eric gasped. "I think your sister is starting to get the hang of magic," grandma said, "why don't you try as well, Eric, think of something you can pull out of the box" "Ok, grandma, I will try," Eric said, and closed his eyes real tight and thought of something. He opened them, stepped a bit closer to the box, opened it, and looked inside the box. "Wuff," came a small bark from inside the box. Amy yelled out, "Diana, how did you get here?" Grandma and Anthony started laughing, so tears were running down their cheeks. "Eric, you wished for your old dog?" Anthony laughed. "Yes, I was trying to think of when I was the happiest, and that was when mom and dad brought home Diana," Eric replied. Diana jumped out of the box, licked first Eric and then Amy on their faces, and circled around herself with joy. They were all so happy. Diana had died of old age. She had been a rescue dog, so they weren't sure how old she actually was, but now, Diana looked like she was in the prime of her life. Oh, this was happiness.

While Diana enjoyed everybody and offered kisses in return for belly rubs, grandma was happy to see that both Amy and Eric embraced the magic. "Alright," she said, "now, let us try some real magic." Eric looked up, "food, are we going to conjure food now?" he asked. Anthony smiled, "no, not just yet, it is time to put the box to real use. Follow me," he said, as he placed the big box on the ground in front of them and took a step inside. "Wow, what are you doing?" Amy asked… "Follow me," Anthony said as he reached out his hand, and then Amy, Eric, Grandma, AND Diana all stepped into the suspicious box. How could it fit them all, Eric wondered. Amy read his mind and said, "Eric, it is magic," and then they all sat down in the box.

Suddenly they were floating around in the streets of a big city. They could see people walk around, busy with their daily lives. But the people couldn't see them. It was such a peculiar experience. Eric reached out his hand, but it just brushed by the people who were unaffected. "Let us go to the park and see what people are doing," grandma said. At the park they saw old lonely people sitting by themselves; parents sitting with their cellphones while their small kids were screaming for attention; people sitting with computers and headsets having no time for the people around them; kids on the playground kicking and pushing each other; a few groups of people bragging and comparing themselves to each other showing off their insecurities; people selling replicas of high-end brands which people were looking at in an attempt to fit into a different social class; and a homeless veteran who had a big scar on his bare chest sitting with a sign asking for money for food. Next, they manifested themselves in the middle of a war zone. "Oh no," Amy exclaimed as she saw a bomb hit a hospital. Eric turned his head away, and people were in the street crying and removing debris to see if they could rescue anybody from the collapsed building. A small girl was pulled out. She was still alive. An old man was pulled out, but he did not appear to be breathing. It was dreadful. Why were people fighting? Why were they bombing innocent people? Amy and Eric covered their eyes, and grandma and Anthony both sighed. Grandma said: "Alright, enough of the misery for today, now let us instead find a happy place."

Before they knew it, giant pyramids appeared before them. Oh, their parents. Amy and Eric both called out, but they couldn't hear them. They hovered over a spot close by and took a moment to look at their parents busy excavating near the pyramid. Their parents seemed happy! The radio was on, and they sang along to the music while smiling at each other and the other crew members. Parents and their children visiting the site were walking by with local guides telling them the fascinating stories of the people who had lived there so long ago. The parents were smiling and holding the hands of their kids, who curiously were asking more questions. The parents sneaked a kiss as they fondly looked at each other, then their kids, then the surrounding pyramids, while listening to their guide. They were also taking pictures, making memories they could keep for a long time to go. Other happy families were visiting too. Amy and Eric were filled with joy. They both knew that what their parents did was important for preserving the cultural heritage of the people who had lived there and that people loved to learn about these stories. This was, of course, why they both couldn't wait to become archaeologists as well.

Now it was Anthony who spoke up and got everybody's attention, "it is time for us to get back. We cannot spend too much time among the living, as we need to recharge our force in our own realm. I think we have seen enough to discuss and see if we can develop a plan to help people be happy again. Let us return. I think it is time for some food," he said as he winked at Eric, whose stomach suddenly growled and Diana licked her mouth. After a nice dinner, they all sat around the fireplace in silence. It had been an emotional day. Tomorrow they had to work on the grand plan.