May 23, 2011

Puzzles Scattered Throughout The World

While working a floor shift at the Kohl’s, I stumbled upon a MYSTERY.

I was fixing all the bedding sets thrown around, when I saw a Big One bedding set with a playing card stuck to it. Upon closer inspection, it was actually inside the packaging. I opened the package and pulled out the Seven of Clubs. Looking on the back, I found a number scrawled in marker. Here is some evidence.

My initial reaction was that I had accidentally fallen into an adventure game. I talked to Kevin about the card, and he suggested I keep it on the down low, and that I’d probably have to solve the puzzle in order to leave after my shift. Twitter even chimed in with some good advice, but I couldn’t make anything useful.

Attempts at Combining Card With My Inventory

Possible combinations of the card with my inventory at work. None proved useful.


I searched high and low for more cards all night, but I found nothing, unfortunately. They let me leave without having to solve the puzzle, so I survived in that respect.

Still, I wondered how that card got there. It would have taken effort to open the bedding set and stick that in there as it was. Who would have done it? Why? I then started wondering if I was the only person who would have put such significance on this silly card. Certainly someone else would have found it, shrugged, and thrown it away, but I was sure there was some reason for it. There had to be, right? I mean, 7 of Clubs? 19? Or maybe 61? Why would those just be there?

I tried to envision what would happen if I scattered such cards around local stores. Probably nothing. I doubt it would fill anyone else with a sense of wonder that would distract them for an entire shift. Then again, maybe it would. Maybe it would entertain many retail workers who would try to figure out the mystery. Maybe it would brighten their day a little. Or maybe the puzzle piece I hid would just be trash.

I guess, in the end, it doesn’t matter. I still have the card, and like so many random puzzle pieces I have found in the world, it’s placed in safety in my room, waiting for when I’ll need it to solve the puzzle. I pick up so many things like this, and I doubt I will stop. I’ll always be on the lookout for little objects that connect the world together in interesting ways. Always.

I suppose it could have just been a weird form of quality control? I know when I sometimes purchase items they have little slips of paper saying “Inspected for Quality by 234937” (or some other number…)

Maybe, 19 ran out of paper slips and started using a deck of cards?

Comment by Jonathon Howard — May 23, 2011 @ 12:36 pm

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