Express Delivery

I should have never come into work that day. The truck rumbled as I pulled over, making the air freshener swing violently before slowing as I put the truck in park. My hands were trembling, from what I thought was the truck idling, but a glance at the dash and the truck was silent, and I found the tremors were from me. I put my head down on the wheel and exhaled, trying not to glance over at the seat next to me where a small, brown, insignificant looking box lay on the seat. Every time I looked at it, it seemed to be screeching at me. That though it was meant for someone else, I was the one who was going to be its prey. I can't believe this is happening to me. I never believed it would happen to me, I prayed it would never happen, but I guess all the prayers didn’t mean a thing. Humans were the ones who made these decisions and no amount of praying would help you in the end.

As I reach towards the box that will seal my fate, I pause and think back to my first day I was accepted to this job. I thought the clause added in near the last page was a joke, impossible for someone to actually agree to, but with the extra benefits if you agreed to it, it was worth it at the time to agree and sign my name. When the person from HR came to look over everything, they seemed both shocked and displeased, pausing on that last page that sealed my fate to the company. I was confused why someone would look that upset over a joke page, but I didn’t care, I thought I knew what I was getting into. The first few weeks and a month was pretty normal for a package delivery job. Load the truck, make sure the packages are secure, close it and drive off, then just drop off the packages and do the cycle all over again.

Then one day, a letter in my employee locker showed up out of nowhere. It was in an envelope addressed to me with no return address or anything that said it was from the company. I didn’t even look at it until I went home for the day, figuring it was just a company reminder that I had missed. But it wasn’t, it was a note detailing a date, time, address and description of the exact box that ended up in my truck this morning. I felt all the blood rush from me and glanced around to see employees like me working, but specifically not looking at me, as if I no longer existed. I couldn’t fathom why I was chosen and I blanked out when leaving the warehouse to start deliveries. By the time I was aware of where I was, I had finished all other deliveries and all that was left was the ominous box in my passenger seat.

I shook as I picked up the box, surprisingly light for what I expected to be in it, and got out of the truck. I looked up at the house I had stopped in front of and it was a nice family home with toys strewn across the lawn. Each step I took towards the door, I imagined the family playing in the yard, with the kids laughing and running in circles around their parents, the adults playfully trying to catch them but stopping just to continue to hear the kids laugh. It made me more ill the longer I thought about them and what would soon happen, so I shook my head and looked straight at the door again. A few more steps and I would be right there. It was so easy, instructions were simple, leave the box in front of the door, ring the bell and leave, get back into the truck to complete the rest of instructions.

I paused once more as I got to the door and glanced around, looking for something, anything to tell me that the people here deserved what was going to happen. But there was nothing, it was just a normal house door with some plants beside it and an angel statue guarding the door. I tried to make myself to put the box down and leave but I just couldn’t stop feeling the gaze of that angel on me. I tried to tell myself it would be fine, I can do this and leave, but something just kept keeping me from letting it touch the mat at the door. Finally, after taking another glance at the angel at the door, I had enough. It wasn’t worth it and I wouldn’t be a part of this. I rushed back to the truck, closing the doors and locking myself in, frantically looking for the instructions on what they wanted me to do after delivering the package. When I found the page, it only had a few lines, on driving back to the facility, but in case of failure and being caught, there was something I could press underneath the dash. I looked and it was there, plain as day, a button no bigger than any inside the truck.

I put the box on my lap, using the utility knife on my belt to cut the tape on both sides but keeping it closed for now. I took one more breath, reaching with my left hand to place on top of the button, and opened the box. As soon as it was opened, barely seeing something quickly grab onto me, I pressed the button.

~~~~~

Inside the house, people were jolted and knocked over as an explosion shook the entire house. Ornaments and picture frames fell from the mantle, glass breaking and furniture being knocked sideways. When the shaking stopped, the father of the house got up, confused, and went over to the window to peer outside, shocked at the sight in front of his house. There in the street with neighbors slowly surrounding it, was a delivery truck on fire, completely covered in flames. As the father stared, he heard sirens coming but was confused, because he was sure he had heard the sirens earlier, though it sounded like it was higher pitched and was more screechy.