The Haunted Music Box

Now, really. Isn't that just the best blog post title you have EVER read? Doesn't it make you think of a collection of scary stories called "The Best Scary Stories EVAH." You know it does.

I was sitting in the library the other day after school, all by myself reading blogs working industriously on my lesson plans, when I heard a little sound. A little tinkling sound.

On my checkout desk, I have a little snow globe/music box thing which looks like a pile of books with a clear globe on top and is just a cute thing for my students to look at as they check out books. Sometimes, I wind it up for them and it plays a jaunty tune. But I had not wound it up in ages. My students have occasionally been guilty of winding it when my back was turned, especially the kindergarteners. But no students had been in the library in hours. And I had not left the library in hours.

But it was playing. All by itself. It played a few notes and then fell silent. I went back to typing. Then a few more notes. My fingers hovered over the keys as I glanced over at it. The key must have been stuck the last time I played it and it worked loose.

A few more notes. I watched it for a few seconds, then went back to the computer.

A couple more notes. It was silent in the library. The notes slipped out quietly, forlornly, making a rather sad sound.

One more note. And then it stopped.

I don't think it will play again unless I wind it. I'm not sure why it played then.

It was rather disconcerting.