This week’s story, ‘The Missing Lunchbox’, follows one lucky SOB who has just won a $1.5 million jackpot. Everything should be turning up roses…until his daughter is kidnapped. What should he do? Who could he turn to? Most importantly, would you pay the ransom? Find out on an all-new episode of the podcast, SMIRK!
Welcome to Smirk. A podcast that covers society and culture through a storytelling lens. Part creative writing, part discussion, and always interesting. Each week our hosts brings a story to the show, a story they wrote themselves, which is immediately followed by discussion on the author’s moral or theme. These stories can cover any topic the host wants to discuss, it can be lighthearted or more serious. No one but the author knows if these tales are truth or fiction, and part of the fun is guessing while you’re listening before the reality is made clear. We want to hear from you! If you want to share YOUR story, join the conversation by writing in to mystory@smirkpodcast.com, and include your moral, or you can let us guess at it. This is the podcast that looks at truth, fiction, and reality. With a Smirk. Don’t forget to subscribe to Smirk and share the show with your friends!
Want to read Amanda’s story “The Missing Lunchbox” in full? Think you can identify the moral or theme for this episode? Read it below, and then take a listen to the podcast.
The Missing Lunchbox
Jack is a lucky fella today. He’s won $1.5 million dollars from the lottery. Only one week until he can collect his money, hire a family court lawyer to fight for custody of his daughter Sam, and focus on publishing his novel. He’s been dealing with the news all day, interviews, photos… Everyone wants to know about Jack.
He’s excited, of course, but he’s just excited for 3 o clock. Jack and his wife separated 4 months ago and he only sees Sam three times a week now, and those days are all during the week. That means Jack gets to pick Sam up from school, take her home for dinner and homework, and put her to bed. Not much time, and he can’t wait to tell her the news.
Jack pulls into the parent pick up parking, grinning from ear to ear, waiting to see Sam’s red curly hair bouncing around as she runs to the car. But… Sam never comes out. Jack calls his wife, Angie, to make sure she didn’t forget it was his day. Nope, and now he’s got a frantic woman on the phone, while he’s trying to figure out where Sam is. He heads inside the school for administration, to see if they know where she is. Of course, they don’t, and he asks to look at her locker. She never forgets her lunchbox because it has Wonder Woman on it – her favorite superhero. But, no sign of it, so she was at least okay to take her lunchbox home. “Should we call the police?” The school personnel asks.
Jack receives a call from a blocked number. “Hello, who is this?” he asks. The other line sounds muffled. “One million dollars, the playground across the street, two hours. Come alone with the money and don’t tell anyone, or Sam pays the price.”
The call ends. Jack looks back at his phone, stunned. But where is he going to get a million dollars in two hours? Lottery payout will take a week, and his daughter’s life is on the line. The school personnel asks again if they should call the police. “No, I think I know where she is. Thank you”.
Jack does the only thing he can think of: he shows up at Angie’s house, hoping that she and her new boyfriend can help with the cost to protect little Sammy. All three together can only come up with $100,000. That’s pretty far off the requirement, so they decide to go back to the school and retrace Sam’s steps.
Room by room, they split up to cover the school, looking for any sign of where Sam might have gone. Jack is scrounging for any detail, when he happens upon one office, and notices a metal box on the floor next to the desk. It’s a Wonder Woman lunchbox. “Sam”, he sighs as he clenches the box to his chest. Re-opening the front door, he looks at the name plate… Vice Principal Jamie Johnson.