This was the message scrawled on an envelope waiting for me this morning when I got to my office. It had been slipped under the door sometime during the night and no one was present to see who dropped it off. Inside the envelope were several over-developed photographs; each consisting of a field of white with occasional dark blotches. The patterns between them were dissimilar and none held any discernible form.
Attached to the photographs were newspaper clippings. One article from May 2008 speaking of Pinebox Elementary opening a separate building to house its daycare. Another dated October 1998 that wrote about the fires that destroyed half of the Indian Summer Trailer Park. A third dated August 18th, 1939 regarding a girl named Sally Mayfair undergoing special psychiatric care in the city’s hospital. Five more were included from various periods over the past century, all with no immediate connection.
While the package is more than likely nothing but some kind of hoax, its delivery comes at a very interesting time for Pinebox. One can’t help but notice oddities amongst recent news both through the Report and other local news agencies. Upon comparing national newspapers, and even more local articles written in Dallas and Houston, Pinebox news tends to possess themes that most other cities would find absurd. Locals may just be used to it, but here on campus—where a good portion of us come from places far outside the Texas border—our perspective must be different. The photographs I received, as well as the newspaper clippings are interesting. And given the city’s history and present I’m not entirely willing to toss it into the shredder, though a feeling in the pit of my stomach is telling me that I’d be smarter doing just that.
