OK, so maybe the headline is a little bit of an exagerration, but 5 teenage girls are in deep crap over their attempt at creating a real-world version of the Mario Bros. universe. After residents of their hometown were scared to death over boxes painted to look like the question mark boxes in the video games, one of the girls who helped make and place them turned herself in so as to assure the city that they weren’t some sort of Al-Quaida plot to kidnap the Princess.

The five girls involved, all of whom are aged between 16 and 17, said they got the idea after visiting a website which features instructions on how to make your own boxes using cardboard and wrapping paper. They made 17 boxes and distributed them around the town, at locations which included the county courthouse, a library, a high school and a church.

After several local residents became suspicious of the boxes and contacted the authorities, the Hazardous Materials Unit and Bomb Detection Unit were dispatched to investigate. All of the boxes were found to be harmless, containing no explosives, biological hazards, giant mushrooms or weird flowers.

One of the girls involved turned herself into police, telling them the whole thing was meant as a joke.

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