The Mysterious Package

One day, the postal carrier came to my counsulate with a very strange package. It was addressed to me but there wasn't a return address. I tried to recognize the handwriting but it was a magazine cutout.

The package was shaped like a box and its wrapping was old and torn. The wrapping was brown and shaggy. I tried to rip it open but even though it looked old, it was very tough. I got a pair of scissors and cut it open. A box was under the wrapping. The box was a metal one. On top of the box, there was a note - a mysterious note. Again, I tried to recognize the handwriting but it was computer printing. I felt the crack and tried to budge it open. It couldn't open. Then I spied something at the bottom of the note.

By the way, the note said,
BEWARE. THE PNEUMONOULTRAMICROSCOPICSILICOVOCANOCONIOSIS WHEN OPENING! The thing that I saw at the bottom of the note was this: !#$%& @ ~**&^!

I had no ideas of what to do so I went to the library to do research. I found a book of codes but I didn't find that secret code. There were other codes like the Morse alphabet code and the substitution code. I looked in every code book there was but I couldn't find it. I sighed. It was hopeless. I went back home to think about what to do. I didn't tell my parents about it. I took out the metal box that I've been hiding in my closet and investigated it. I got out my mini magnifying glass from my detective kit that I made with a Nike shoebox. I inspected the box and found nothing. Then I took out the note and I inspected it. I inspected the code part too. "Hey! These two letters of the code are the same! The second word must have double letters!" I exclaimed. Then I heard a voice in the living room. "Lunch time!" my mother called. "Coming!" I yelled. I ate as fast as I could. Then I hurried back to my room.

I also tried to crack the code myself but I didn't know that one. I asked my friends and they said that they didn't know that one. I took a break and watched T.V. It was about a person who hired a detective to solve who stole her purse that had 2,000 dollars in it.

Suddenly, I snapped my fingers together. "That's it!" I cried. "I'll also hire a detective to help me solve this mystery! I borrowed my mom's cellphone and dialed a number. "Hello?" said the other end of the phone. "Hi! I need to hire your best detective," I said. "Oh. My name's Jonathan Dennis and I'd think you'd want Wayne Fitzgerald. He cracks every mystery." Jonathan explained. "Sure! How much money?" I asked. "Twenty dollars," Jonathan said. "Checks only! The address is 4710 17th Oak street." "Gotcha," I replied as I wrote it down. "Oh, and one more thing," Jonathan said. "Wayne will come 2 hours later." "Okay!" I said.

While I was waiting, I read some books. After I finished, my dad let me borrow a check for the $20 fee. I wrote it and sent it to the agency. Soon, the detective came. I led him to my room and showed him the package and the note. Wayne grinned when he saw the code. He got out a notebook and drew the code detector. After he figured it out, he laughed. "Looks like you've been tricked by one of your friends! Look at the calendar and tell me what day today is." I looked and laughed too. "April Fools Day!" Wayne said, "The code says April Fools." After he left, I felt goofish, "All that trouble for nothing!" Then I ate dinner.

THE END