The Package

It is 12:37am as i begin to write this. i have no idea what day it is. i wouldn't have gotten away if it hadn't been for the Whisps. i wish i could've helped them. i wish i could've at least found out who they were.

Nothing makes sense. Who is Suzan? Why is she sending me a package? Should i risk going back to the apartment to look for it? Would the Searchers still be there? i hope they hadn't found my dirty laundry. i hope my skeleton was well hidden in the closet. i could never figure out why skeletons should be hidden in closets. Until i stumbled upon a skeleton that needed to be hidden. The only place i could think of to put it, was in the closet! And when i did, an unexpected thing happened! But that’s a story for another day. There are more important matters at hand.

It began on Thursday, when i got home from work. i heard them as I made my way up the rickety stairs to my apartment. There must’ve been at least a dozen of them. And it sounded like they didn’t like how my furniture was arranged. They also seemed to be in a hurry, scurrying about, dumping things out, digging through piles, and expressing much exasperation every 3 minutes.

My door was open, and there were indeed, many people in my apartment. The Searchers. They were fully armed. They wore some kind of fancy body suit to protect them from the things they encountered on their searches. But why were they here? My normally messy little home looked like it had been struck by a hurricane. i stood at the door and surveyed the disaster. One of the Searchers spotted me.

“Do you live here?” asked a female voice.

“Yes, ma’am. i do.”

She asked me no further questions. She went back to searching. So, i cleared my throat and asked:

“May i help you look for whatever it is that you’re searching for? i tend to keep certain things in certain places, so if i know what you’re looking for, i could point you in the general direction, and you wouldn’t have to turn the whole place upside down.”

She stopped to look at me. She was silent for a solid two minutes. Then slowly she said, “What’s the point of a search if every single thing you own isn’t flipped over? And every breakable item isn’t broken?”

She had an interesting point there. i guess it was inevitable. They had to do it the way it had to be done or else it wouldn’t be an authentic search! As i made my way to the kitchen, i wondered if they would stay a few hours longer and help me clean up the house. Perhaps i could bribe them with food, even though my culinary skills were severely limited? i made myself a sandwich. As i started to eat, i remembered that the landscape crew would be there to put down the tiles in the backyard. i went out the back door to check on them.

There were seven of them. They too, were dressed in full body-suits, except that theirs was a bright fluorescent green, whereas the suits the Searchers wore was a blinding, bright white. I noticed that they had cut the tiles to 3’x3’ as I had requested, even though they had been reluctant to comply. They looked like they were about halfway done. But the first few tiles they had laid had been overturned. i asked them what had happened. They said the Searchers had been searching for something. Under my new tiles? Really weird.

i finished my sandwich as i watched the crew continuing to work.

“Are you going to fix the tiles that are messed up?”

“Nope. The warranty you took out only covers natural disasters.”

“If i make you some sandwiches, would you fix the tiles?”

“Nope. My two-year old makes a better sandwich.”

Well, i couldn’t argue with that. i’ve heard that two-year-olds are a force to reckon with! Suddenly i became aware of a commotion in the apartment. The Searchers were yelling at each other.

“Wasn’t she here just a minute ago??!”

“Why did you let her go?”

“I wasn’t told to detain her!”

“You should’ve known without being told!”

Hmm. Sounded like it was time for me to get away before they could detain me. i walked by the landscape team, told them to keep up the good work, and nonchalantly walked out the back gate of the backyard. Once i was out, i began to run. But i had been spotted.

There weren’t many places to run to except the small woods down the path. i knew they’d follow me there. i entered the woods before they did. As i got used to the lights and the shadows and the sounds of the woods, i became aware of the presence of the Whisps. They were hidden among the branches of the trees and swayed with the breeze. They weren’t easy to look at. Although their bodies were beautiful and smoky and wispy, their faces were fearsome. Their mouths were filled with sharp teeth, and they looked like they had just finished eating a raw animal. They were even harder to listen to because the sounds they made were harsh. Their voices sounded like they had been ripped to shreds on barbed wires, impaled on the sharp teeth, and bleeding to death.

They were all looking at me, frantically waving and screaming. Were they trying to tell me something? i stopped running and tried to truly listen to them. i started to hear the words within the ragged, warbly, tortured sounds that were pouring out of their mouths.

“They are looking for the Package.”

“The one that Suzan sent you!”

“Suzan sent you a package.”

“You shouldn’t let them find it!”

“Find Suzan’s package!”

“Do not let them find you!”

i noticed that the Whisps were disappearing one by one.

“Wait! What did Suzan send me? And WHO is Suzan anyway?”

“Suzan sent you a package.”

“Don’t let them get Suzan’s package!”

“Guard Suzan’s Package!”

The last of them began to vanish. i started to run again. Then i remembered i’d just powered up my shoes this morning. i didn’t have to run. i could float (or fly)! i turned on my shoes and floated up towards where the Whisps had been and where i thought they had vanished into.

i managed to catch a glimpse of the last Whisp as she was sucked into a portal. i wasn’t able to follow them in, even though the portal remained open. But i could look inside. The Whisps were all in a circle, they seemed to be bound, but i couldn’t see anything holding them. They were all looking up, their mouths were open, and it seemed like their souls were being sucked out of them. Their souls were just as wispy as they were, and each soul sounded like a song. A sweet gentle song, of just a few melodious chords, blended together in perfect harmony. Each one, so different from the other. Each one, so mesmerizing.

i was extremely intrigued by the incongruence of their harsh voices to the sweet sounds of their souls. But what was happening to them? The Whisps were coming back out of the portal, and they no longer looked like the Whisps who had spoken to me. They were coming to attack me. i could see the lifeless hunger in their eyes. i knew i wouldn’t be able to speak to them anymore. Their souls were gone. i turned to flee.

i fled through the treetops. i was glad the Searchers weren’t looking up. But the Whisps knew where i was. And they were faster than the Searchers. i could feel them getting closer to me. i could feel their fingers brushing against me. i could feel their breath at my feet. But for some reason, they never grabbed on to me.

Now, as i sit here writing, i wonder if they let me go on purpose. Surely they could’ve caught up to me and overpowered me if they had tried hard enough! Why didn’t they catch me? i’m not sure how long they chased me. The last landmark that i remember was Makaris Mountain. i’d never flown over Makaris Mountain before. i wished i wasn’t fleeing for my life. i would’ve liked to take a look around and discover the treasures of the gloomy mountain shrouded in clouds and mystery.

It is 2:58 am. i have decided to go back to my apartment and find this package that Suzan had sent to me. i do not know if i will return here. According to my gps, i am 371 miles away from home.

i hid my journal and got ready for my trip back to the apartment. i tried to put my shoes and failed. My left shoe was too tight!! i took it off and loosened the lace and stuck my hand in to open up the shoe.

There was something hard and cold inside. i froze and waited. It didn’t move. Slowly, i encircled it with my fingertips, and drew it out. A heart shaped locket on a mangled necklace.

The Locket itself was undamaged. It looked ancient. Elegant in its simplicity. It may have been gold. But i can’t tell stainless steel from sterling silver, so it could’ve just been a piece of junk metal, for all i know. On the back was engraved in plain letters: Suzan. i found it’s tiny clasp and opened it. There was a little key inside. Nothing else.

Suzan’s Package. How had it gotten inside my shoe? Who is Suzan? And what’s so important about this locket? Was the locket the Package? Where the Searchers looking for the key or the locket? i put the locket back in my shoe. But i put it in my right shoe. My right foot is slightly smaller after all. Whoever delivered the locket, didn’t know i have more room in my right shoe.

Or did they??!!

When i slipped my shoes back on, i couldn’t feel the locket. If they had put it in my right shoe, i may never have found it.

Well, it seems i don’t need to go home to find the locket. But what was i supposed to do now? Since i’d already decided to go home, i didn’t want to do anything else. I’ll just head back and bury the locket under the tiles in the backyard. Or maybe i’ll toss it in some stream in Makaris Mountain. And whoever Suzan is, can take care of her own locket. i don’t care enough. i like my simple life. i like my job, i like my apartment and i have few needs. Of one thing i am sure, i don’t want to be a part of Suzan’s drama.

My handy GPS pointed me to the nearest train station. i waited for 23 minutes and saw a train arriving at my platform, but it said “Not in Service”. That was odd. i could see the passengers inside. And the 6 people who were on the platform with me, lined up to get on the train.

“Doesn’t the train say it’s not in service?”

“Yes.”

“Then, why is everyone getting on? And why are the other passengers not getting off?”

“Huh!?! We’re getting on because we need to go home. They’re not getting off because this isn’t their stop. Are you daft?!”

Daft. Yes. i do feel very daft. i am getting on a train that isn’t in service and i have no idea where it’s headed. i looked at my GPS – and it showed i was moving East, towards Makaris Mountain. Well, at least we’re headed in the general right direction towards home. But i shouldn't fall asleep! Anything can happen, on a train to nowhere.