Haunted Jewish Winebox.

The Dibbuk Box by Jason Haxton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jason Haxton has a very regular life working as a curator for a medical museum in Kirksville. Jason’s life was about to change with a simple purchase from Ebay. Jason had good health, family, kids and a decent house. As a curator he liked to handle low maintenance workers and Brian was just such a worker. Brian also had a roommate named Joespeh who bought a really interesting item off EBay, the Dibbuk Box. The Dibbuk box contained a Kiddush cup, two octopus candle holders, locks of hair and an engraved stone with the word shalom etched into it. Somewhere on this wine cabinet which opened up when the bottom drawer was pulled was the “Shema” prayer. When Joseph bought this strange item bizarre things started happening. All of the sudden light bulbs would explode, odors of cat urine would reek through out the living space. People who owned this strange object began developing health problems.

At night the group from the museum thought to investigate the Dibbuk box on the EBay sight. A guy named Kevin Mannis put it up for sale. He claimed to have bought it from an estate sale from and elderly woman who died at age 103. He bought it for a low price and after his purchase he wanted to give it back but the grand daughter who ran the sale said that once he bought it that it was his. Kevin started experiencing all the strange happening. His mother had a stroke and his shop would get raided by the police forcing him to close down. The brother of a worker gets killed after knocking it over unintentionally.

Eventually Jason buys it on behalf of Michael Calhan who wants to use it as part of his magic show. Jason is stuck with it. Now plagued with dancing shadows, health problems and a family that wants non part of the box Jason is now plagued with numerous health problems that have no explanation. This prompts Jason to investigate the past of this mysterious box. All along Jason suspect that there was something that Kevin was leaving out of his narrative on EBay.

After several tried of connecting with Kevin Jason finally learns the back story. From the estate sale one of the great grandmothers summoned a spirit of a demon from the dark side into the winebox. Since it’s introduction into our realm of existence it has been responsible for numerous catastrophes that have effected the world. Jason still thinks something is amiss. There is some speculation that the box was from Kevin’s family.

Further investigation brings up different versions of the story, including that the Dibbuk box was a hoax. None the less it is invested with real power and although the spirit is summoned with Jewish magic called Kishuf, the author uses a Wiccan spell to contain it and finally traps it in an acacia box. All along the way he is helped by members of the occult community.

Readers you will find this a fast riveting read. I found it an intense roller coaster ride.


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