Elizabeth Gray

ME

“Me” Chapter One The morning sky rose to the cold bitter wind touching my face. I was doing my morning jog through the Noland Trail. Almost every single day I run three miles. Today would have been day fifty-two since starting to run. I happen to like it. It allows me to really breathe in the comfort of the scenery. The tall trees eclipse in and out and rush past me as I reach each mile marker with humble and grace. This morning a little sparrow just happen stance to come flying down and stopped me in my pace and I could not help but stare in wonder. Was he alright? Then up and away he flew. I could not help but question in my mind what just happened. I finish out the run and quietly make it back to my car. I see others starting their run and smile with a good luck to them. I hop in my car and drive down past the coffee bar. I like to go there. Its smell reminds me of cold winter mornings in my house where my mother would make coffee. The chalk on the board said today’s special is caramel chocolate with whip cream. My mind pondered and then said. One water please. My mind cursed in anger and my stomach ravaged its sound gloriously so that others would hear it. The lady behind the counter asked if I would want anything. I chose the oatmeal. Try to keep it healthy I kept saying to myself. I wander over the table and sit down. I pull out my phone and started perusing through the social media thoughts of the day. My foot kept hitting something. I bent down and there was a small messenger bag there. I pulled it up and there was a note on the front. It had my name on the front of it. The note read. “Emma Stuart please open when you find this.” Nothing else. Just my name. I looked around at all the people and no one seemed to notice. I was taken aback. How could someone know that I was going to be here and know exactly what table that I would be sitting in. So many thoughts racing through my head now. I took this to my car, because I did not want to open this in the café. Out of fear alone as to what may or may not be in there. I was nervous, my hands shaking. I could not barely breathe. I raced across the street, cars honking, and my jumping was not helping things. “Watch it lady” rang through my head. I made it to the car and opened the door in a frenzy. Should I open it? Should I just take it to the police? Was this a stalker? I gently lifted the brown flap of the messenger bag and inside was $20,000.00 all wrapped neatly. Money? Money OMG!!! Who would want to give me money? I knew of no one that wanted to give me money. Most of my friends were poor. I kept thinking please be fake or something. I could not breathe. I need air. It was cold I lowered the window and just like that the smell of coffee hitting me in the face. I calmed a bit. My conscious took over. I just had to ask the police about this. But what if they take it for evidence? What if they confiscate it? What if they steal it? So many what ifs. I finally chose to just accept it that it was a gift for me, then I went down to the bank and deposited. It still bothered me that someone knew where I was going and where I was sitting. The lady at the bank looked at me funny because I had just been in there finalizing paperwork for a loan. She took my money and scanned it to make sure it was not fake. I did not mind. I would do the same thing if I were in her shoes. She comes back with a deposit slip. I had to do a double take that there was that much money in my bank account. I did keep enough for food and subway rides this week. I kept asking myself, what if this person comes back and asks for the money. The bank manager thanks me for the deposit and hands me a little black notebook. I asked her what is this? She said that the owner of the money wants details of how you spend the money. I asked her how does she know this person? She said they came in right when the bank opened and discussed everything with her. Now I was getting riled up. “Ma’am, who is this person?” She replied smiling, “Just a friend” “Oh and please return the book no later than June 20.” There is a timeline on how to spend the money. “Yes, please now you must go” She hurried me out the bank in a rush. I took the subway home and as I sat there watching the steel course rushing by me, I thought of everything I need or could want all at one time. But then I kept thinking this person wants me to write what I spend it on. I do not usually do that. When I got home, I put the book down on the kitchen table. I got out my ramen noodles and made me a cup to eat and added some tofu just for protein. I was famished. I kept shaking my head. Who in the world would do this to me? I almost felt assaulted. In some ways it is a blessing and in other ways a curse. I am not even sure how I am going to do this. So, I took a pen and wrote down February 14 one box of chocolates 1 box of ramen noodles milk, eggs, bacon and avocado. One bottle of wine and some 80s music that I was thinking about. I took a shower and hit the bed. The next morning when I woke up, I found the following written next to my words. Chocolate yes those are good for the soul. Ramen Noodles girl come on you need to eat better. Milk-I’m lactose intolerant fool. Eggs-I like mine scrambled. Bacon-pepper please. Avocado-you have no heart do you. I ran over checked my front door it was locked. I checked my windows they were locked. I even checked my fridge. Nothing had been moved. How did someone get in. I ran to security camera and for 30 minutes there is darkness. I was in tears. I called my mom. As usually she thought I was nuts. I thought I was nuts. I put the notebook away in the bag and said just get rid of it. The moment I tried to; something came over me to not to. I sat it down in the chair. I went and took a shower and got ready for work. I took the bag and notebook with me to work. I went as usual to the café and got my coffee and blueberry muffin and said hello to the people there. I made it to the office about 9am. My friend Garrett met me at the door. I told him what happened. He started laughing. I thought he was going to fall out of the chair. I said can you please control yourself. I through the bag at him. It hit him roughly and he said ouch and politely left my office. I was in the middle of a meeting when I found myself thinking about the book. I thought who it could be and started suspecting everyone I could think of. The fact that Garrett was brazen in his laughter made me think that it could be him. I opened the bag during one of our pauses and pulled out the notebook. I was astonished to find the words written. “Ouch!!! Why did you do that?” “Please be Kind.” Written with clarity in the book. No one had this bag. It was not out of my sight. What is going on with this. I just shook my head and my boss pipes in and asks me how the account was coming, and I said oh they are finalizing documents and the money will be deposited tomorrow. My boss was incredibly pleased to hear that one. When it was lunch time. Me, the bag and the notebook decided to take a break and go to the nearby restaurant. I wrote in the book that I had the pastrami on rye for lunch with a side of salad and a large glass of water with lemon. I wrote the cost in the book and included the tip. I carefully placed the book back in the bag and closed it back up. I quickly panned the area and excused myself. I went back to the office and tried to forget this mess going on so that I could focus on work. Soon I was relaxed enough to go through the next meetings without any hassle. Soon it was time to pack up and head home. I was in such a hurry that I accidently left the bag there. I had to run back to the office and grab it before getting to the subway and realizing I missed the train. Yay me. No worries I thought. I got this. I began to walk home. It would be a brisk 5-mile hike through the city to get to the apartment. I make it to doorway where there is an envelope and big, beautiful display of pink roses. Ah I thought John is at it again. I bring them inside. I set them down and thought how lovely of him to think of me. The words on the card said. Emma, I hope you missed me as much as I missed you today. Signed forever grateful, Me. Me? Who is Me? I loved the flowers I admit it that it made the apartment smell super lovely and I enjoyed every line of each of the petals. I went and took a bath and smiled thinking about who Me was and determined this just must be a sick joke that one of my friends is playing. So, I thought I will just play along for the time being. When I finished. I remembered I needed to write my purchases today in the notebook. I got out my pen and opened the bag and removed the notebook. I opened it up. There written was, I hope you loved the flowers I got you today and oh I missed you, great choice by the way on the side salad. I miss you. Me. I could not help but think about this book. This me was being genuinely nice, but it still does not explain what is going on. The next couple of months would go by and this would happen every other day or so. Then one day I woke up and it happened to be a Saturday and there was a loud knock at my door. It was John. I let him in. He mentioned the flowers and I thought ah Ha I got you. So, I said thank you for the flowers they were lovely. He said oh no he was just asking who the flowers were from, did I have new boyfriend. I said no. Not at all and in fact not sure how to explain it. I have no idea who he or she is. I went to open the bag and show him the notebook, I told him that when I write in the book, the book responds by itself to what I put in it. John laughed at first but then he saw the difference in the handwriting and the familiarity of it startled him. He said Emma, I know who Me is. Me is my Dad. He died when I was fifteen. Let me guess you found 20K in a bag with your name on it. I said yes. But if your dad is dead how was he able to get the cash and write in the book without me knowing? John replied. The words are already there. Every time you wrote down, the answer would appear. Besides, I could not get your attention any other way. I had to show you how much I loved you. We hugged and kissed and as the evening sun set out on the balcony. I think to myself how lucky I am to have a guy who loves me the way John does. Of course, I never see what is coming next. I felt the cold steel blade go deep into my back and I lurched forward which plunged me 30 feet to my death. The detective arrives on the scene and discovers the book was completely blank inside with nothing written in it. Both John and Emma were dead. The bank account had been depleted and just a small scribble on a moleskin piece of paper that said, it was Me.