To see or not to see.

"Open it."

"You Open it."

"Come on, open it."

"No, you can open it."

"Look, Liz, it has your name on it."

"So? That doesn't mean that I have to open it?"

"I think it's a federal felony if I opened mail that doesn't belong to me."

"But you're my husband Tom?"

"Doesn't matter,"

"And who's going to call the F.B.I and report you?... Me?"

"Why don't you want to open it Liz? You get this unexpected package wrapped in brown paper with your name on it and you don’t want to open it?

"Because it might be from the dark web or something? You’re right, I wasn't expecting a package from anywhere?"

"Um??... what's the dark web got to do with it?"

"I've seen videos about it online where people get mysterious packages from the dark web containing body parts like ears and fingers for instance."

"And you think that this might be one of those?"

"Could be? It looks like a couple I've seen in the videos."

"This package doesn't seem to have the label containing the senders' details on it anymore.”

"Exactly. Did it ever have one?"

"It may have fallen off?"

"I'd rather not take the risk, Tom."

"Well, I'll open it then."

"No!"

"Why not?"

"Don't. I want to think about it first."

"It's okay I'll open it for you."

"Don't you dare,"

"Why?"

"I'll call somebody if you do...The F.B.I."

"Well if there is a finger or something inside, I'll quickly get a fingerprint off it for the cops then put it back again."

"Ew, Why bother putting it back in? Just call the cops. Let them play with it,"

"True...So you will let me open it?"

"No!"

"Why not?"

"What if it contains a bomb or something."

"In that case, I'll just carefully...put it...down here...on the kitchen table."

"Now come away from it."

"So, what happens now Liz?"

"Hang on, let me think."

"Was there anything in the videos that could help us?"

"Not really. All I know is those that did open their packages had bad things happen to them Tom."

"Like what?"

"One person found a voodoo doll that unleashed an evil spirit into her home."

"We wouldn't want that. Your mothers enough evil spirit to have come around here."

"What?"

"It's a good thing! It's a good thing! No other evil spirit will want to hang around here while she's here!...No, hang on. That didn't come out right.”

"Tom...shut up. Another one had an evil doll in it that kept coming back to them no matter what they did to get rid of it."

"I know how that feels."

"Do you want to know what happened or not?'

"Okay carry on, I'm sorry."

"Well, after driving for miles till they came to a bridge over a wide river, they threw the doll in. Then they drove for miles to get home again. do you know what they found when they arrived home?"

"Someone had forgotten to grab the doll before they left and they had just thrown an empty blanket over the bridge?"

"Look, if you're not going to take this seriously..."

"Okay, I'm sorry. I'm going to grab a bite to eat."

"Whatever you do, don't use the microwave, Tom."

"Why not?"

"Well then, wait until I get outside so you can blow yourself up."

"So ice cream it is."

"Get me one too, please? Thank you."

"Do you remember the time that the anthrax scare disrupted the mail service, Liz?"

"Yes, this could be the same sort of thing...Ew!"

"Why did you throw your ice cream into the bin?"

"You should too, you handled that package as well."

"Ew yuck, yes you're right move over please and pass me the soap."

"Shall we call the cops anyway Tom?"

"And tell them what? We are too scared to open our own mail? Can we have a nice policeman from the bomb squad come and do it for us? If it turns out to be nothing we might never be able to get the cops to come back here when we need them for something real."

"This is real?"

"Not real enough."

"So what shall we do then?"

"Maybe we are looking at this whole thing the wrong way around? What if it's some kind of prize or something that you've won Liz?"

"Yes you are right I have seen other videos where the recipient's package had some pretty cool stuff in it. Some quite expensive stuff too."

"It might have a brand new cell phone or tablet in it?"

"Or one of those holiday packages? They come in boxes about this size because they not only have flights and hotels but cruise ship tickets as well."

"Then maybe we should open it?"

"No. I'm not convinced. Wrapped in brown paper is a bit dubious though isn’t it?”

"Aw Liz. The suspense is starting to kill me now."

"Before you came along I dated this guy who went to jail."

"O-kay?"

"He swore that he would never let me go. If he couldn't have me nobody can."

"So, do you think that he could be wanting to go through with his threat?"

"He sounded very serious when he said it."

"Is he able to send you explosives from jail?"

"No, stupid. He's probably out now. Probably been out for a while now."

"You never told me about this guy before?"

"An embarrassing phase of my life that I would rather forget. That was before you so don't worry about it."

"I kinda worry when things that happened before me, come back armed and dangerous to haunt me."

"But then again I don't think he has the brain to rig up a parcel bomb,"

"So it could have come from someone else?"

"For sure. How about you? Do you have any skeletons in your closet that I should know about?"

"None that would send a parcel to you? Except...no sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Except who? Tom? Are you hiding something? You are! You are blushing. Tell me, Tom."

"I don't know what you are talking about?"

"Look you have to be honest. Now of all times. What if it is some package that has been sent by some floozie who wants to get rid of me?"

"Aw come on Liz, don't start crying. Okay, I'll tell you."

"Yes...sniffle...please."

"That time you marched out slamming the door swearing never to come back then went and spent the week at your mother's house?"

"Yes, I remember."

"I went out to get drunk that night."

"Yes."

"I met this woman. I was still pretty angry, she helped me take my mind off it."

"I bet."

"Do you want to know or not?"

"Yes carry on."

"We got talking, plenty of drinking. Got along pretty good. She came home with me afterward."

"Did she?"

"We didn't do anything! I promise you. I was just too drunk to want to do anything."

"Oh yes, I know the situation you've done that before."

"Anyway...She slept on the couch in the end. But the next morning I knew that I had to get her out of there."

"Why?"

"She had already decided to take over from you."

"What do you mean?"

"When I got up she was taking your things down and packing them into boxes? I asked her, 'What are you doing?' she said that we won't be needing that stuff again. Man, I couldn't get her out of there and away from me fast enough."

"Why didn't you tell me about this before?"

"Because I didn't want to hurt your feelings. You can be pretty hard to live with when your feelings get hurt."

"So when were you going to tell me?"

"Further down the track when an opportunity like this arises. Then hopefully I have proven without a doubt my loyalty to you since that mistake happened."

"I did have to prod you to cough that information up though?"

"We can never be sure when enough water has passed under the bridge. You have taken the news better now than you would have if I had told you at the time. Besides back then we were still earning each other's trust."

"So, do you reckon that this woman might do something like send us a malicious mail?"

"Nah, not smart enough, makes her intentions too obvious. She's the type that would have gotten herself blown up. Has to be someone else?"

"What was this woman's name?"

"I can't remember. Aw, I don't know? Because I don't really care?"

"So we can't really be sure that she didn't send this Parcel?"

"Just like we can't be sure that it didn’t come from your past either? Considering that there are places on the dark web that would probably do things for people like that, at a price.”

"How long have we been sitting here looking at this package now Tom?"

"Dunno? A couple of hours maybe?"

"I Think longer."

"Well, at least we can be sure it's not a time bomb."

"It's getting dark outside Tom."

"So?"

"We might find out soon if it's haunted.”

"Haunted?"

"Well? What do you think?"

"Okay...Haunted."

"Turn the lights on. Feels creepy sitting here in the fading light waiting for something to happen."

"I'm going to get some tools Liz."

"What for?"

"To destroy this thing so we can get some sleep tonight."

"Don't leave me in here by myself, with it Tom."

"Come on then."

"What if it's not there when we get back?"

"Why? Where would it go Liz?"

"I thought that we agreed that it was haunted?"

You agreed it was haunted, I just agreed with you."

"Same thing isn't it?"

"Okay, I have a bucket of water to drown any electronics inside it. Like a detonator for instance. I will then take the bucket with the parcel in it and throw it over the bridge into the river. Flowing water is supposed to be able to overpower spirits or something like that?"

"Good idea...

That didn't take you long Tom. How did it go?"

"No problem, you can breathe easy now. it's gone. There's nothing getting out of that expanse of fast-flowing water,"

"Cool. I don't want to feel like that ever again Tom. Ew, makes a chill go down my spine thinking about what could have been in that parcel. Thank you darling I feel much better now."

"Is that your phone Liz?"

"Yes, I'll get it....Hello Aunty, wow I haven't heard from you in a while. It's Aunty Elizabeth Tom! You know the one that I was named after. Yes, Aunty? I see, I...see, you're paying us a visit and you had a package sent ahead to our address? Under your name you say? Oh, your nickname the same one I use? Dropped off by a personal friend of yours? Grandma's family heirlooms that you're passing onto me? Jewelry, rings, brooches? Okay, Aunty looking forward to seeing you...Tomorrow!? I mean tomorrow, okay, bye-bye Aunty...TOM!!”

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A piece of cake.