Brain: So you know how you had that home energy audit yesterday?
Me: Yeah. That was pretty cool. I kinda liked the door blower test. Also knowing the water heater isn’t out to kill us all was cool.
Brain (impatiently): Yeah, yeah. Remember how the guy went up in the attic?
Me: Sure. I mean, I was there and all.
Brain: And remember how he came down and showed you a picture of the corner over your bedroom?
Me (uncertainty setting in): Yeah. There’s a random box stuffed up there. The previous owners did weird things. On our first adventure into the attic we found a couple of busted lamps that had been put up there for whatever reason.
Brain: What do you suppose is in the box?
Me: I have no idea. It could be empty.
Brain: Who would put an empty box in the tight corner of the attic?
Me: The same people who dumped broken lamps in it? The same people who cut off the ground wire to the bathroom fan because they couldn’t figure out what it did?
Brain: What if it’s not empty?
Me: Maybe that’s where all the mice live?
Brain: It could have all sorts of things in it.
Me: It’s really not that big. so really, there’s a limit to what could be in it. Kids toys from the seventies? Old clothes?
Brain: This isn’t the kind of attic you store stuff in. You know that, right?
Me: Obviously. There are reasons I’m not allowed up there. I’ll probably end up in the living room via the quick way down.
Brain: This is true. You should definitely not go up there. But you got me off track here.
Me: That was the plan.
Brain: I will not be derailed! That box has so much potential.
Me: I really don’t think…
Brain: Potential! Sure, it’s not a huge box, but it’s also not tiny. And it took some serious work to get it into that spot. I mean, it’s not going to be easy to get it back out.
Me: Which is why it’s still there.
Brain: Don’t you sass me! That thing could be full of desiccated baby corpses!
Me: Well now you’re just getting gross.
Brain: Skulls? The sacred totem of a demon? Pirate treasure? Long concealed evidence of a murder? Nosferatu (pocket size edition)?
Me: Yes… well… now that we’re dwelling on this, I can see we’re going to have to write something about it.
Brain: Good. Good. It’s getting close to fall. This is always when you have your Poe and Hawthorne festival of darkness. It’s perfect.
Me: I was thinking I’d have the box just be empty, you know all the work up and then nothing. What do you think?
Brain: Clearly I’m going to have to supervise this task. I’m not sure I can trust you with it.
Me: I have other things that are more urgent
Brain: Wrong answer!
You can enjoy the entire Writer Brain adventure in chronological order here, or tap the #writer brain tag to read it in reverse chronological order.
S.N.Arly 