The Gifts

Josie rushed over to Jennifer’s house, banging on the door, Jennifer opened the door wondering what was wrong. “ Are you ok?! You sounded scared on the phone and you look awful”, she said. “Thanks a lot!” Josie said while taking a deep breath, “didn’t you hear?!” “Huh, hear about what?” Jen replied, now getting nervous. They found him! Jen gasped, what, how do you know? Josie snatched the remote and turned the television on. “I knew it, I knew this would happen!”

Jen attempting to calm Josie down, “ Ok, so they found him. It doesn’t mean he will come for us right?” Josie taking a long, deep breath laid across Jen’s bed with Jen doing the same. They laid in silence. Jen finally whispered, “Do you ever think about that fall?” As Josie turned her head slowly towards her and replied, “ of course ”. She didn’t need Jennifer to elaborate, she knew exactly what she meant by that. It had been years ago but it was something either of them would forget.

They didn’t even want to think about it, which had gotten easier to do. As they laid on Jens bed, remembering but not wanting to when they were teens now Jen married with twins and Josie a newlywed. “That fall”, Josie said, and then she paused. Jen looked at her and said, “What is it?” Josie said “You know it’s been exactly 10 years since that all happened, don’t you think that’s strange?” Jen, replied, “ I don’t know”.

Them both now being 26 and starting families of their own, they had a lot to lose, more than most. Jen, said, “We never should have met him there. That place always freaked me out. Creepy to think kids actually hung out at that park.” The park was the only one in town back then. All it had was some benches, trees, and a bathroom.

After she had calmed down, Josie left Jen’s house telling her she would call later. On her way home Josie began to remember that fall and had this feeling of dread come over her. She made it home, put on house clothes and laid on her couch staring at the ceiling and thinking to herself. Thinking of that fall and wishing none of it never happened.

It was like any other Autumn. The leaves had turned colors and began to fall from the trees. The sky become more cloudy and everything seems to become dark. Jen and Josie didn’t even know the other existed until that Fall. Being from a small town that sounds odd but not really depending on how well known your family is. Jen came from a well off family while Josie lived with her mom who was a single parent. Neither of them didn’t ever think they would be best of friends after all why would they.

It all started believe it or not with a boy named Eric. He wasn’t popular by any means but there was one thing. Both Jen and Josie wanted him badly. After all he was quiet, tall, and mysterious. Neither girl ever got a chance to get to know him because he never seemed to be at school the entire school year. Sometimes he was there for a short period of time walking around the halls and then he wasn’t. After school Jen would have cheerleading practice while Josie would go to her after school job.

Both girls would end up meeting Eric at different times on different days that faithful Autumn. Jen met him and began a friendly interaction with him on her way home from after school activities, they both were walking and sparked up a conversation. They both then walked over to a fast food place where Josie worked and that’s when Eric and Josie locked eyes for the first time. Eric seemed interested in both of them but the two girls instantly hated each other.

By this time Eric had already decided he wanted both of them. It was always hard for both girls to get to know him because he would often disappear and would return with no real reason for his absence. Unbeknownst to either girl Each time he would appear though he always brought each of them a gift in a brown like box. He never wrapped it, and always presented it to them with a smile. Both girls thought he was a dream come true for the most part.

Strange things had started happening in the town and around it, murders occurring, women dying. Being young the girls didn’t think much of this. Kids continued to hang out at the park unscathed by the world around them. Until a murder took place at the park. A woman, with her throat slit from ear to ear. She was out in early morning going for a jog it was said. Never saw it coming. That seemed to be the killer’s calling card, Slicing their throats.

Meanwhile both girls were in love with the same guy. Other than vanishing from time to time he was affectionate and attentive. He always gave them gifts to make up for their tardiness. Some gifts stood out from the rest. Jen had gotten gold studs with a purple stone and once Josie had gotten a bracelet made out of white gold with hearts. Everything was perfect until one day Josie saw Eric with Jen holding hands and it was over. They had been deceived by Eric and wanted nothing more to do with him.

They even had even gotten together and talked about what a loser he was for playing them the way that he did. Strangely Eric didn’t fight to be with either girl. He simply just disappeared like he had done many times before. But this time they could have cared less. One thing that hadn’t changed, the murders. Two in the last month in a nearby town. Now panic had set in. People were starting to worry, the last two were were women from important families. It made the papers fast.

Both girls simultaneously was watching the news about the murders and began talking about how eerie it all was. The police really wasn’t saying much about the murders so they started reading news paper clippings and watching the news every evening together. One evening was different though. A husband had an interview and talked about how he loved his wife. Then he said, “ Not only did that monster kill her, he took her bracelet with hearts I had engraved into it”. A picture of the bracelet was shown.

Both girls mouthed dropped as they both looked down at Josie’s bracelet in shock. They couldn’t believe it! They thought there’s no way that Eric was the serial killer. “Let’s just go to the police station and tell them what we know”, Jen shouted. Josie, said “Wait we are over reacting”. Eric is an asshole but a killer?! It’s just a coincidence. Let me just call Eric and ask him to meet up and I’m sure he can explain this whole thing”. Jen, said, “ Are you nuts?! I’m not meeting up with a serial killer!”Josie, then said, “ Well we will go together and talk to him.” “ I will call him and ask to meet up at the park. There will be other people around and you can be there unbeknownst to Eric. This way we are not alone.” Jen, didn’t want to but agreed.

Both girls went to the park. Jen stayed in the car and watched as Josie sat at one of the benches that were available. After 10 minutes went by, then 20 minutes kids started to leave, before long the girls were there by themselves which was not what they planned for. They both decided to leave when Eric appeared out of no where. He was getting really good at that. Jen, jumped out of the car and they confronted him threw their gifts at him. They then told him why they had seen on the news and waited for him to deny it all.

Eric, never tried to deny anything he just flew into a rage and began attacking them. It was a fight for their lives. Josie broke away and was able to pick up a brick and hit him over the head. He fell to the ground. Both girls were in shock and couldn’t grasp what was happening. Jen checked his pulse and he didn’t have one. Both girls panicked and ran. They made it to the police station and told them everything. Chief Johnson went to the park where the girls said they left him lying right near the bathrooms but no one and nothing was there. The chief then went to the school the next morning to get info on this Eric kid when he was shocked that no one knew who the girls were talking about.

The chief asked them what classes were they in with him and neither girl had ever had a class with him. In fact no one knew anyone named Eric that fitted the girls description, no one. Chief Johnson yelled at the girls for making up stories and left. The girls went to Josie’s house to figure out what just happened. They began to question each other. Neither of them could say that they ever saw him in an actual class. He was just a boy walking around the school or outside of the school alone by himself.

The murders did stop and everything eventually went back to normal. Life went on with out closure for the victims and family, until now. Now young women, Jen and Josie was driving around town thinking about everything that had happened and how they were going to handle things if Eric were to ever show back up into their lives again. They eventually found themselves pulling up to the park with the benches and those awful bathrooms. Jen said, “God why didn’t I leave this town?” Josie nodded in agreement. They stopped in front of the park. Josie said, “ you know what’s funny, that building with the restrooms reminds me of those little brown boxes that Eric would bring me presents in back then”. Jen turned to her and said, “ Yeah, I know”.