Twelve-year-old Carly loves her Grampa more than anyone else in the world. So when he dies suddenly, under very bizarre circumstances, she is devastated. A few days later, her Gram tells her that Grampa left her something and hands her a box. There's an envelope taped to the outside of the box with her name on it, and below her name he had written "Only to be opened if something happens to me." Carly ran her hands over the box. What could Grampa have left her that would fit in a box this size?

She turned the envelope over, and gasped. Grampa had written "DO NOT OPEN THE BOX UNTIL YOU HAVE READ THE LETTER!!" Carly dropped the letter as if it was a snake. She was totally shocked by her Grampa's use of all capitalized letters and exclamation points, because it was so unlike his easy-going attitude.

She wasn't sure how long she'd sat there staring into space, but when she did finally blink, she got up and walked out the back door. She turned and stared at Grampa's workshop, imagining him waving her towards him. With tears leaking out of her eyes, and the box tucked under her arm, Carly started for home. She didn't know why Grampa had gone all cloak and dagger on her; she only knew that she would do anything for him, even now.

She hid the box under her bed, and carried the letter with her everywhere she went for weeks. She must have re-read it a hundred times trying to decipher its meaning, and especially the intensity of Grampa's words.

By the time her best friend, Patti, discovered the box and accused Carly of keeping secrets, which they'd promised each other they would never do, Carly was worn out from trying to hold her curiosity at bay. So, it was fairly easy for Patti to convince her that it was the right time to open the box. They took the box to the workshop, and placed it on Grampa's desk.

Carly lifted the lid.

Nothing could have prepared them for what was inside that box.