Birthday Present

I must have looked at dozens of apartments searching for the safest one. I almost gave up and turned down my job offer when I saw the ad for the perfect apartment. I couldn't believe it! One thousand square feet, fourth floor, and not a single missing person or tragic death in the building's history. We have a winner!

Two months after moving in I had a decent relationship with my neighbor, Martha. Martha was a widowed fifty-something who always brought my packages into her place until I came home for the evening. Martha said that there has never been a theft in the 30 years she has lived here, but protecting belongings was the neighborly thing to do and her husband Herb would have done the same. I doubt Herb would have opened my packages, but Martha never takes anything so I pretend not to notice when my packages are resealed with duct tape instead of packing tape. Sometimes curiosity gets the best of us.

One night after the mother of all Mondays, I came home to see a small box in front of my door. The box was wrapped in brown paper and fastened together with twine, my name and apartment number scribbled on the front. There was no return address, no stamp, and no Martha greeting me. I picked up the package and went inside, placing it on my small entry table. I turned around and went across the hall to Martha's. I knocked on the door and waited to hear her footsteps, but nothing. I couldn't even hear the sound of her television, which was very unusual. Martha never turned her television off. I could sometimes hear the sound of a western movie before I was born at three in the morning. I knocked harder, still no Martha.

After twenty minutes at Martha's door I gave up and went back to my apartment. I sent a quick text to my landlord asking him to check on Martha, then I picked up the package and began to open it. My cell phone began to ring and my best friend Tyshae's name and face filled the screen.

"Hey Ty what's up?" I greeted.

"Are you okay? I have been calling for over an hour! Why haven't you answered me? I swear if you have moved on to some big new big city friends I'm coming up there and kicking ass!" Tyshae sounded more scared than angry.

"Sorry Ty, I was checking on Martha. I had a package waiting for me when I got here and Martha hadn't grabbed it which isn't like her so I tried to see her. I must have stood there for half an hour before I finally came home."

"Do you think she's okay?"

"I have no idea. Hopefully she is just a little under the weather. I sent a text to the landlord letting him know something may be up and he might wanna check on her. He has a spare to all apartments so if needed he can let himself in to make sure she is okay."

"So what's in the box? Have you been doing more online shopping?"

"Not lately, and I haven't opened the box yet. Give me a second and I'll tell you what's in it." I explained, reaching for the box.

"Oh! Maybe you have an admirer! Your birthday is next week, maybe they wanted to give you an early gift and confess their feelings?" Tyshae exclaimed. She was always a hopeless romantic. I opened the box and dropped it.

"T-t-ty...can you come up? Or can I come stay with you? I don't care if I get fired I don't want to be alone,"

"Let me grab a bag, I'm off this week anyways. What is in that box that has you so scared?" Tyshae asked.

"A picture. I'll let you look at it when you get here. While you're still on the phone let me walk around and make sure it is safe. And maybe load my gun."

"Olive, whatever has you so scared don't worry, I'm on my way. I'm getting into my car now and I'll see you in the morning. Sleep with your gun if it makes you feel safe, lock the door and I'll call you when I'm in the parking garage. You have work tomorrow so rest." Ty reassured me as I heard her engine starting.

"Thanks girl. You know I can't afford to miss work this early into the job, no matter what's going on."

Tyshae hung up when she pulled onto the interstate and I checked my apartment and prepared for bed, not that I could sleep. I practically cuddled my Glock 43 while staring at my doorway. I could see the box from my bed. I stared at my bedside table where my phone rested on it’s charger, praying Ty would be here soon. I felt my eyes getting heavy and soon I drifted to sleep.

I woke up as my phone alarm began screaming at me. It was time to shower and get ready for work. I carried my gun with me and checked the locks on the front door. My deadbolt was still secure, and the box was still sitting on my kitchen counter. Never has brown paper been so menacing. Where is Tyshae? She should have been here already. I called her.

“Tyshae, where are you?” I asked when she picked up.

“Open your door. I was about to knock when you called. There’s another box out here.” she replied.

I could feel bile rising in the back of my throat as I unlocked the door to let Ty and the new box inside. This one was identical to the box from yesterday.

“Well? Open it! I need to know what has my sweet, brave Olive so scared!” Ty exclaimed.

My hands were shaking as I took the box from my friend. I pulled on the twine. “Go look in the first one while I open this.” Tyshae walked to the counter and peered into yesterday’s horror. She tilted her head in confusion.

“Ollie, what are you so scared of? A stupid polaroid? I didn't know they still made these.” She said.

“I can give you two reasons,” I replied as I handed her my apartment key. It wasn’t anything special, just a regular gold key with the numbers 453 printed on it. The picture in the box was of a gloved hand holding a handful of keys, all gold, all with 453 printed on them. Someone had a copy of my apartment key.

“Okay, that is creepy, but what’s the second reason?” She asked.

“This!” I shouted, holding up the contents of the second box. It was another picture.

This picture was of me, asleep in my bed holding my Glock. A lock of my hair was taped to the back. Tyshae covered her mouth with her hand.

“Ollie...please tell me it’s a coincidence that you’re wearing the same pajamas that you have on in this picture.”

“No Ty, this is from last night. These pajamas are new.Look at the background you can see my clock on the nightstand with the date on it. This picture is only a few ours old.”

“We need to get out of here. Go to a hotel or something! I’ll help pay for a room. Or just come stay at my place! Screw that job! Kallie would let you have your old position back at the office in a heartbeat!” Ty was already grabbing her bags and heading to the door.

“Let me pack and I guess I’m coming home with you. I don’t think I want to be here anymore.” I said.

I’ll call a moving company once I get to Tyshae’s house and put my furniture into storage. For now I grabbed my black weekender bag and filled it with a week's worth of clothes, and threw my toiletries into my old gray gym bag. Whoever is letting themselves into my home can have whatever's left if they come back before the movers get this place cleared out.

I called my landlord the night I left to let him know I was putting in my thirty day notice when he told me what happened to Martha. He found her in her apartment dead in her bed. There was no sign of foul play however we are still waiting for the autopsy results for cause of death. It’s been a week since I’ve moved in with Tyshae and no sign of the creep who had a key to my apartment. The landlord assured me no one had access to his stash of spare keys, and then went on to say I must have been careless with mine if someone was able to make a copy of it. He actually made me pay for replacing the lock in preparation for a new tenant.

Tyshae was working late tonight and I was home alone watching a movie. I heard a knock at the door. I went to open the door to find a box at my feet. The box was wrapped in brown paper like the others. I was almost unable to get this one open I was shaking so bad. Another picture was inside, face down. I turned it over to see another picture of me sleeping in last night’s pajamas, a gloved hand holding up a key beside my sleeping body. Tyshae’s apartment key. "Happy birthday Olive" was written in silver ink at the bottom. I dropped the picture and called Ty. No answer. I sent her text that we may need to go stay with one of our parents or even in a hotel tonight and I packed a bag. I went into Tyshae's room to pack her a bag as well so we can get out of here ASAP. I gasped when I walked inside the room to see several photographs lying on her bed.

I picked up the first picture. It was a picture of our office building with Tyshae walking inside. The timestamp at the bottom had today's date. Shit.

I picked up the second picture to see Ty's cubicle, she was pulling out her lunch box.

The third picture showed Tyshae walking to her car, the time stamp showed she was leaving on time. She didn't stay over? Why would she lie and tell me she was at work?

I see my answer in the fourth picture: a gloved hand holding her cell phone, her message to me half typed out. I began to shake. I would recognize that messy background anywhere.

Tyshae's closet.