"You sure this is a good place?" Ashley Collins asked her husband Dante as the pair entered the magic shop. "this place and the chain it's a part of are said to be miracle workers when it comes to fulfilling dreams Ashley" Dante assured. as the pair talked their 11 year old daughter Laura walked in front ready and waiting to look about "well let's get looking then and test it. is my birthday present so to speak" she insisted. "indeed... lets look" Ashley agreed though all three ended up looking in different areas.
"hmmm... I guess there might be a few things of interest?" Laura pondered while looking while adjusting her purple backpack over her yellow t-shirt before popping her hands into the pockets of her knee-length blue shorts, facial wise Laura was her mother's spitting image at 11 if not for instead having her father's raven hair and green eyes compared to Ashley's blond and blue, but that never bothered her even now as her yellow and white trainers squeaked silently around the shop floor until something unexpected caught her eyes...
...a section labelled the 'Jacked-into-the-box' where all one could see was decorative boxes of various colours and patterns with the expected cranks on the side besides certain attachments like wheel-steps for moving them easier for these boxes were quite big in size, not normally the palm or basketball size expected of a jack-in-the box...Laura's favourite kind of toy fitting in with her joyful and somewhat prankster nature, sure she had a few other interests but Jack-in-the-boxes trumped them all even though she was lacking what one normally calls a serious collection even for her age.
Regardless of how well known jack-in-the-boxes are Laura noticed a green one decorated in the magic shop's logo setup as a sort of customer testing display based on the sign and how it was placed on a platform as opposed to begin on a shelf so accepting it was OK Laura started turning the crank to the expected result of a figure popping out...
...what wasn't expect was how much like the shop's staff uniform the figure's outfit was, nor that one it's own it was now moving to turn and see who had been turning the crank "oh... hello little lady. you here with your folks?" the figure asked in a kind male voice expected of the young red-haired man. "wow...A LIVING JACK-IN-THE-BOX" Laura called out in joyful wonder at her discovery before asking "are you for sale?". "this box, no... and certainly not me dear" the living jack-in-the-box assured.
"Laura, there you are" Ashley called as she and Dante suddenly appeared. "you her parents?" the living jack-in-the-box asked. "...umm... yes" Dante agreed. "Lewis Shape. staff members today assigned as guide to this section" Lewis greeted. "your a Jack-in-the-box... a huge talking-" Ashley started before all three noticed Laura had grabbed Lewis's hand and was rubbing it about. "feels so much as actual skin" Laura remarked. "because it is" Lewis insisted while Ashley pulled Laura back.
"Sorry" Dante then apologised before asking "but...what exactly are you?". "well until I unbutton this shirt, relax I have a vest on, I'm a human jack-in-the-box" Lewis answered. "umm... is every box here-" Ashley then started asking. "no... well not yet anyway unless your interested" Lewis assured before explaining "these boxes are created to give customers the opportunity to experience the wonders of being actual jack-in-the-boxes. all you need to do is unbutton or unzip, get inside, button or zip up then crouch down and presto, your lower body is replaced by a life sized based on your size jack-in-the-box spring" at which point he hands Dante an instruction manual "these books go over all required details if your interested though I must advise unless you buy a box you cannot keep the book".
" don't you miss having legs?" Ashley then asked in concern. "no need for as I said i'm a human jack-in-the-box until I unbutton. once done I'm fully human again, legs and all" Lewis insisted. all the while Laura was filling with joy.
"THIS IS IT. THIS IS WHAT WE CAN GET" Laura proclaimed loudly while jumping about. "my apologises. our daughter is gaga over jack-in-the-boxes" Dante followed. "to be fair sir, most buyers of these boxes are parents for their children" Lewis assured. "so can we? can we? can we get one?" Laura pleaded "say yes. say yes. say yes". "alright then, just need to select your theme" Lewis accepted before Dante or Ashley could protest. "select theme?" Laura pondered. "far more than clowns and jesters are available. for your convenience you can look within the boxes accompanying your size to find your preferred box and outfit combination" Lewis explained. "thanks" Laura welcomed before she and her dad got looking: