21/12/2024
MY WIFE MADE ME PROMISE NEVER TO OPEN HER OLD RED SUITCASE — BUT ONE NIGHT, I HEARD A CHILD'S VOICE COMING FROM INSIDE AND I HAD TO LOOK.
The snow fell steadily that night, blanketing the world in silence. Inside, the room was warm, lit by the soft glow of Christmas lights. My wife of 11 years, Judith, had left earlier for an unexpected work trip, just days before Christmas.
As I settled into my armchair with my cat Felix curled on the couch, a muffled noise interrupted the quiet. It came from upstairs — from our bedroom. Grabbing the fireplace poker, I climbed the stairs, the creaks amplifying my unease.
When I pushed open the bedroom door, the noise grew clearer. IT WAS A CHILD'S VOICE! It was coming from the closet. Heart pounding, I opened the door and saw Judith's old red suitcase. Judith had always been protective of that suitcase. "PROMISE ME YOU'LL NEVER OPEN IT," she'd said when we first moved in together. "IT'S JUST PERSONAL THINGS, NOTHING YOU'D CARE ABOUT."
But the noise hadn't stopped. It was coming from the suitcase itself. I knelt down and unlatched it, breaking the promise I'd made to Judith years ago. ⬇️