A PURPLE BOX

“I’ll get that!” I yelled through the house as I rushed to the door. It was about time that my boyfriend, Josh arrived, he was always late for our dates. 

“I have a package for Dana Carlson” It wasn’t Josh, just a deliveryman. 

“A package for me?” I thought for a moment, I wasn’t expecting any packages.

“Are you Dana Carlson?” The deliveryman asked.

“Yes, I am.” He handed me a small purple gift box.

“Sign here” 

“Who was at the door?” My aunt Linda asked. “What is that?”

“It’s a package for me.” I replied, still trying to figure out who sent it.

“I’m going to the café. I have a lunch date with Nick.” My aunt had a big smile on her face as she walked out of the house. 

I had just placed the package on the table when the doorbell rang again.

“You’re always late.” I playfully punched Josh as he came into the house. 

 “It’s because I always get so lost thinking about you that I forget about the time.” Josh replied smiling.

“Oh please” I said, rolling my eyes

 “Let me grab my bag.” I was headed upstairs to my room when Josh called out to me.

“What is this?” Josh examined the package on the table. “It’s addressed to you. I know I didn’t forget your birthday. I didn’t right?” 

“Yes you did, you’re a terrible boyfriend” I chuckled. “The truth is I don’t know who sent it, I haven’t opened it.”

“Let’s open it then. Shall we?” Josh suggested.

“Sure.” I opened the purple box and once I saw what was inside, I couldn’t speak. I felt a cold chill move through my body and my chest tightened.

“What in the world?!” Josh exclaimed. I wanted to scream, but I felt as if I was dreaming.

The box contained only two things; an envelope and a picture of Josh and I, covered in blood. 

“What sort of sick joke is this?” Josh was clearly upset. He opened the envelope and brought out a letter. He read it out loud:

“One belongs, one does not

In this case the heart wants what it wants

You cannot keep what you do not own

You had better leave Josh alone!”

 “I don’t understand why anybody would do this.” I was finally able to speak.

I picked up the picture and looked at it. I recognized it. It was a picture both Josh and I had on our Instagram pages, the first one we ever posted of both of us together. It was a precious memory of our relationship and here it was, covered in blood. 

“Don’t think too much about it, it’s probably one of our friends playing a stupid prank on us.” Josh quickly packed up the box. 

“We should get rid of this.” He picked up the box and walked away.

“No. I think we should keep it.” I said. “Don’t worry about me. I won’t obsess over it, I promise.” 

Josh stared at me for a moment and dropped the box back on the table.

“Let’s go and get something to eat.” I suggested.

“Yeah, let’s go”

“Give me a second, let me get my bag.” I carried the box up to my room and put it under my bed. 

“Dana” I heard Josh call me.

“I’ll be down in a minute.” I took a few deep breaths before taking my bag and going back downstairs.

Josh and I went on our planned date, but I couldn’t get the package off my mind.

“You know that account Dave and I have been competing for? I think I have come up with an idea for the final pitch.” Josh said. He went on to explain his idea, but I didn’t listen. I kept thinking of who could have sent the package.

“Stop thinking about that box Dana.” Josh held my hands. “Don’t take this seriously my love. It’s obviously fake blood, and the letter, that’s probably lines from some poem. Don’t think about it.” 

I spent the rest of the afternoon with Josh, trying to convince him that I wasn’t bothered by the package. Maybe it wasn’t real, maybe it was a prank, whatever it was, it unsettled me, and I couldn’t just drop it. 

“Hi darling, how was your date?” aunt Linda asked when I got back home.

“It was good.” 

“Is something wrong? You look stressed. Did you two fight?” she asked

“No aunt, we’re good.” I replied.

“Dana! Dana! Look!” my seven-year-old cousin rushed into the living room waving a piece of paper.

My heart stopped. Was that the letter from the package? “What’s that Sam?” I asked, holding my breath for the answer.

“My drawing was the best in the class. See!” she handed me the paper.

“Aww, this is beautiful.” I heaved a sigh of relief. “It’s such a pretty um, horse?”

“It’s a unicorn” she replied

“Oh, yeah, the horn. It’s the most beautiful unicorn I’ve ever seen.” I hugged her.

“Let’s go have dinner.” She said.

After dinner, I tried to distract myself from thinking about the package by working on an office project.

“Hi darling, can I talk to you?” aunt Linda came into my room.

“Sure aunt” 

“Is something wrong? You have this worried look on your face. Did you fight with Josh?” she asked.

I thought about it for a moment, then I reached under my bed and brought out the package.

“This is the package I got this afternoon.”

My aunt’s face showed everything she was thinking even before she said it.

“Who sent you this?” she asked

“I have no idea. Josh said it’s probably a prank, but I don’t know. I can’t stop thinking that this is real.” I replied.

“This is animal blood Dana” my aunt said

“What?!” her statement had just confirmed my fears.

“I’m taking this to the police tomorrow morning. If this is a prank, it’s very disturbing” She said, taking the box out of the room with her.

I couldn’t sleep all night, I just tossed around for hours, then I got a message from Josh.

“I hope you’re asleep and not thinking about that box. 

You know now that I think about it, I think my love for you is so strong that the universe is scared of it.

Lol.

But seriously babe, if you’re still awake, go to sleep.

I love you forever.”

Josh knew I wouldn’t reply even if I was awake. I didn’t want him to worry about me. At least if he thought I was asleep, he would be able to get some sleep himself. But I wasn’t going to sleep, how could I?

“Aunt Linda says it’s animal blood.” I said over the phone to my best friend, Racheal the next day. 

“Have you told Josh?” she asked.

“He has an important presentation soon; I don’t want to rattle him with this. He’s probably right and this is some juvenile prank. My aunt said she’ll take it to her police friend today, I hope they find the person responsible for this. I’ve got to go Rach; I can only take half of my break because I have to prep for a meeting” I explained

“Oh how I hate Mondays” Racheal commented

“Don’t we all” 

“Keep me updated okay, and stay safe.” She said 

“I will. Talk to you later.” I concluded before hanging up.

Like all Mondays, I barely had time to breathe, but that’s what came with the job of being a junior executive at a competitive marketing company.

When I got home, aunt Linda and Sam were asleep, I was used to the silence. Aunt Linda’s health hadn’t been the best for months and her doctor had emphasized the importance of her sleeping at night. I felt bad for making her worry with the whole package drama, but I didn’t want to keep it from her.

I had just finished having dinner when Josh called me. “Baby” I loved the sound of his voice.

“How was your day?” He asked.

“It was stressful and long, but at least it took my mind off the package.” 

“I told you to stop thinking about that. You’ll get sick worrying about a stupid prank. Just forget it okay.”

“I’ll try. So how’s your pitch coming along?” I asked

“Well, I have sketched a few things, but nothing I like so far. I’m surprised I had such a productive day considering how distracted I was.” He replied.

“So you’re also worried about the package.”

“Not at all. I was distracted because I couldn’t stop thinking about you.” We had been dating for over a year and Josh still said such corny things. 

“I wish I could be with you all day every day.” I smiled.

“If you did that, we would always be staring at the stars, do you know why? Because you’d get fired and be homeless.” I laughed

“I don’t mind being homeless as long as I’m with you Dee.” He continued.

The rest of our conversation was filled with corny statements and funny replies. That was how we always were, and I loved it. I loved him, with all my heart. I just wanted the mystery of the package to be solved so I could stop thinking about it all the time.

A whole week rolled by without any word from the police on who sent the package. They didn’t think it was a serious threat, just like Josh. I was slowly forgetting about it and I had even been able to get a good night’s sleep for one or two nights. 

It was another Sunday and I had another date with Josh. For the whole morning, I had an eerie feeling that something bad was going to happen. 

“Hey babe.” Josh arrived to pick me up for our date.

“Hi baby.” I kissed him.

“Good afternoon Miss. Carlson” He greeted my aunt, who like always, was on her way out the door.

“Hi Josh. How are you?” aunt Linda replied, frantically searching her bag.

“Muuuuum!” Sam yelled, running down the stairs.

“I’m ready my love, I just forgot my keys in the room.” Aunt Linda rushed up and Sam pouted angrily.

“What’s going on?” Josh whispered to me.

“Aunt is taking Sam to a friends' birthday party and they’re terribly late. It’s hilarious how Sam acts like a disappointed parent.” I said staring at my cousin, trying not to laugh at the look on her face.

Finally, aunt Linda rushed down the stairs and out the house with Sam in tow.

“Bye darlings. Be good.” She yelled as she ran out the door.

“My family can be so funny sometimes.” I commented.

“They’re lovely. Sometimes I wish my family had as much fun. My mum would have had me at that party an hour before it was supposed to start.” Josh joked. “So, where do you want to go for our date today mi amor?”    

I didn’t feel like going out, but I didn’t want to disappoint Josh. “I don’t really want to leave the house today. Do you mind if we just stay here and watch a movie or something?” I suggested.

“I would never mind an opportunity to spend time alone with you.” Josh replied with an eager smile.

“What movie do you want to watch?” I asked trying to select a movie on Netflix.

“Let’s just watch a rom-com, otherwise, I know you’ll fall asleep halfway through the movie.” Josh joked.

“You know me so well.”

We watched a rom-com and I laid on Josh’s lap. There was no fancy meal and no extravagance, but that was one of our best dates ever. After the movie, we ordered food from our favorite Mexican restaurant and talked. I told Josh about my annoying new colleague named Alicia, and Josh told me about his pitch coming up in a few weeks. Having a super talented architect as my boyfriend always made me proud, but what made me even prouder was how hard he worked to be his best. 

“I have had a wonderful time.” I said to Josh as he got ready to leave. “I wish you didn’t have to go.” 

“Me too my love.” He hugged me. “I’m going to make time for us to have dinner this week, I miss spending time with you.” 

“You don’t have to do that Josh. I understand how hard you’re working on your pitch.” 

“I want to. I miss you.” 

I could see in Josh’s eyes that he was serious. I wasn’t going to argue with him. I missed him too. 

“Bye.” I said, standing outside the house with Josh.

“I love you.” Josh said and kissed me.

“I love you too.”

When I went to bed that night, I felt relieved. I was glad that my day went so well, nothing went wrong and nothing about that dreadful package.

The next day at work, I was in a lovely mood, unlike most Mondays. “Dana?” Alicia came up to my seat.

“There’s a deliveryman downstairs and he seems to have a gift for you.” She said. “I didn’t know we were allowed to receive personal deliveries at the office.” 

I wanted to slap her silly, but nothing was going to ruin my good mood. “Thanks Alicia, I’ll go down now.”

I got down to the reception and as I walked up to the counter, I felt my heart stop. I couldn’t believe it. It was a purple box, just like that horrible package.

“Oh, hey Dana, I received this package for you.” Fiona, one of the receptionists said as I walked up to the desk.

“Th-thanks a lot.” My hands shook as I reached for the box, I imagined every terrible thing that could be inside the box.

“Um, Hi Josh, I know you’re busy today, but can you come over tonight? I um, got another package today.” I could hear my voice shaking as I left the voice message on Josh’s phone.

For the rest of the day, my mind spiraled into anxiety and fear. I put the package on my table and stared at it at intervals, I was terrified of opening it, I couldn’t imagine what horrible thing was in it this time.

“Did you see who dropped it off?” Josh asked that night when he came over.

“No.” I was still trying not to freak out.

“Let’s open it.” Aunt Linda said, she had been waiting for Josh to arrive so we could see what was in the box.

My heart pounded as I opened the box. It was just like the last one, there was a picture covered in blood and an envelope.

“This picture. This was taken yesterday, outside the house!” I almost screamed when I realized what the picture was. 

“That’s impossible!” Josh exclaimed.

“What is this?!” Aunt Linda shouted.

“I’ll read the letter.” Josh suggested.

It read:

“I have warned, yet you take no heed

One more time, and I promise you’ll bleed

Never forget, never not know

I am watching you, LEAVE JOSH ALONE!!”

“Oh my God, Oh my God.” Aunt Linda repeated, pacing back and forth.

I felt my head spin, I couldn’t breathe.

“Dana” Josh held me.

I couldn’t believe this was happening. Who was doing this? Why were they doing this? I felt the whole world spinning. The room went dark.

“Dana!” I heard Josh and my aunt call out just before I fainted.

It was surreal, all of it. My life was simple and happy, until that purple box was delivered to my doorstep, and now I had been plunged into darkness. Fear, chilling fear and absolute confusion.