Enigmatic

Staring at a cardboard package on the kitchen island. A young woman, still holding her school books, is puzzled by the appearance. The package is weathered and looks quite old. Her eyes hastily look to see if someone is still there. A chill stands the light colored hairs on the back of her neck. Moving closer, cautiously, she cannot help but be drawn to the parcel. Her big and bright beautiful eyes focus on the label. It is addressed to her brother Nathan whom is two years older than herself. She fights the urge to see what is inside, insomuch she instinctively reaches out without hesitation tearing open what has been tugging at her curiosity. She steps back, inside is a black notebook, almost as if it had never been used. "That is odd!" she thinks to herself. Underneath the black notebook appears to be a large book nicely wrapped in an old newspaper. The date reads 1959. The headline catches her eye. "The Disappearance of Avril Lynch!" A photo is also below the headline. It is of a shiny black 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air. She carefully unfolds the corners of the newspaper to peek inside. Her big brown eyes widen. Inside are stacks of twenty dollar bills, hundreds of them, thousands, each sealed in a plastic lining. The thoughts race through her mind. Her brother had never been in trouble a day in his life. What could he possibly be into, is he hurt or in danger? She shakes the unnerving thoughts away. Her fingers shaking, she folds the newspaper back into place. Now, her attention is focused on the notebook. The home feels quite damp. Picking up the the notebook, she wraps her hands around her shoulders and shrugs from the cold. She climbs the stairs to her room and sits on the bed.

Reaching for a sweater, she put one arm through and a shout comes from downstairs. "Natia, i'm home!" It is Nathan her brother. She is motionless, the sweater around one arm. Her mouth instantly becomes dry and her lips tight from fear. "Natia!" his voice rings out and then silence. She no longer hears his footsteps .She figures by this time he is now in the kitchen. The silence is piercing through her like pins and needles. She quickly puts the other arm through the sweater. Standing, she is very careful not to make a noise. Tip toeing across the room, she opend the window. But the home is quite some years old, a rattling noise causes her to freeze. A creak from the wooden staircase causes her to panic. She desperately climbs out the window with the notebook in her hand. Just in time, she feels fingers barely touch her skin. "Natia no!" she hears as she scrambles down from the roof. Landing on the ground with a thud. Pain singes through her ankle. The adrenaline fuels her to get up and run.

Forgetting about the pain, she darts across the street, narrowly missing a screaming fire truck. She could feel his presence chasing her. She did not want to turn back in fear he would be right there. So she kept on running. At the end of an alleyway, she leans against it's dark and eerie wall, breathing heavily to catch her breath. Looking back from where she came, she sees the silhouette of him fast approaching. A siren of an ambulance startles her as it passes by, causing her hair to blow back. She jolts from the alley and rund toward the ambulance. She reaches out her arm and tries to scream but no sound comes out. The paramedic inside glances back to see her. Their eyes lock unto one another. The paramedic could sense the pain and danger the frightened woman was in. Her hands are covered in blood, tightly on the wound of a gunshot victim. She feels powerless knowing there is nothing she can do. Looking at the woman, it is as if time stood still. A tear falls down her cheek as though in slow motion and lands on the face of the victim. He opens his eyes. She could sense this was the first time he felt emotion. She smiles and frantically tends to his wounds. The emergency vehicle turns a corner and disappears from sight. If there was a time when she felt alone, this was it.Her one hope had vanished from sight.

The street was empty, a single street light flickered on and off repeatedly. Searching for a refuge, anything, anywhere, her eyes looking in all directions. Exhausted and out of breath, she gropes the wall of an old brick building, trying to maintain her balance. Stumbling, she falls to her knees. The flesh tearing away on the broken asphalt. she could feel the pain in her ankle and knees. She winces in agony but stands to her feet and keeps on walking. It seemed like hours that she wandered, not knowing where she was or where she was going. Ahead, a familiar shape caught her attention. It was an abandoned postal office near her home. It took a while but she managed to get home. At this point she was too hurt to be scared. Opening the front door, she falls to the floor and crawls to the kitchen. She pulls herself up and stands at the island. Pulling the notebook from her sweater pocket, she throws it down. "Stupid notebook!" she says. By this time she regretted she had opened the package. She turns and her brother is right there. "Natia, let me explain! Look, the money in the package is ours, yours and mine. It is an inheritance for us. I was told to keep it a surprise, that is why I set it on the counter. I had to leave in a hurry, that is why I hadn't opened it. Let me show you." Nathan opened up the notebook and turned to the last page. "See! there is a note for us." A gift to our special children. Enjoy! Love Mom and Dad. Relieved, Natia felt comfort from her brother's words, but there was still something mysterious about the package. They hear the sound of a car pull up and the doors close. It is their parents. Brother and sister turn to look at one another.

Thanks for reading!.... Paul Sauvola