22/12/2024
I'd been away on a business trip, and after finishing early, I booked a surprise flight home for my husband, Ben. I imagined his face lighting up when I walked through the door. We hadn't had much "us" time lately, and I wanted to make it special.
The house was quiet, just as I'd expected it would be. Assuming Ben was in his office, I stepped into the backyard — then, I FROZE. Near the garden was Ben, frantically shoveling dirt. And in front of him lay a LARGE BLACK EGG.
It wasn't like anything I'd ever seen — huge, glossy, and pitch black, like something out of a fantasy movie. I almost laughed, thinking it might be a prank, but Ben's expression stopped me. His hands were shaking, and he looked around nervously.
"Ben?" I called softly. He froze, then turned to face me, full of panic. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" he asked, his voice trembling and loud.
"I wanted to surprise you. What's going on? What is… that?"
"IT'S NOTHING!" he said quickly, looking away.
"Ben, I don't think that's 'NOTHING.' What is it? And why didn't you tell me you were doing this?"
His expression faltered. "Trust me. I'm just doing what needs to be done."
But my instincts told me something was off. The next day, when Ben left for work, I couldn't resist — I HAD TO DIG THAT THING UP!