That Mysterious Box at My Doorstep That Changed Me

"Hello, dear friends! This week Hive Naija Prompt Edition 91 is to another dimension. But before I proceed to my entry, I hope you’re all doing well!".

Do you know Something strange happened to me recently, and so I can't shake the feeling that my life has changed forever. So chill while I tell you what happened.

The Arrival of the Box

It was a very quiet evening. I had just returned home, so exhausted from the day’s activities in school, when I noticed a package sitting right there at my doorstep. There was no name on or in it, no return address—just a plain brown box 🎁 there. At first, I somehow hesitated. Who would send to me something without identification?
Was it safe to open at all?

• Curiosity got the better part of me. I took the box inside my room, placed it on my table, and then slowly peeled off the tape. My heart really pounded hard as I lifted the lid.

Inside was wrapped in soft velvet, it was an old, golden pocket watch. It looked so antique, with strange engravings that I couldn’t decipher at all. As I held it, something so odd happened. The hands of the watch began moving on their own and it's backward! Before I could react, the air around me already shifted, and suddenly, I wasn’t in my room anymore. So surprising.

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Thrown Into the Past
I then found myself standing on a familiar street, but it was kind of different. The cars were more older, the buildings looked newer, and the people were dressed like they belonged in the 1990s. At this point my heart nearly stopped when I take a look at the younger version of my father walking past me, laughing with his friends.
It really hit me—I had traveled back in time.

Though I had always wished I could somehow see my parents in their youthful days, probably through videos 📸 or pictures to understand their struggles before they actually became the people I know today. Now, here I was, living that very reality. I followed my father, so much learning things about him that he never spoke about it. His struggles, his own dreams, his moments of joy. It was so so overwhelming.

Back to the Present—A Changed Man
Just as suddenly as it had started before, the watch also pulled me back to my room. I gasped, then looking around to confirm I was truly home. The pocket watch was still in my hand very firm, but now still and silent.

• That experience really changed me. I saw my father not just as a parent but more as a young man with dreams and fears. I now so much cherish our moments together more, understanding his own journey like never before.

Of course I never told him what happened, but sincerely I hold that watch close because maybe, I mean just maybe, it still has more stories to tell in the future. Hahahaha 😂
«"Who knows what mystery will unfold next?"»