Unopened Email

Everyday, it seems like you check your email like clock work. Always at the same time, multiple times a day. Sitting on your couch in your office, you glance through your email. Several store ads and online sales. Your mom, who sent you pictures of your niece and nephew reminding you that you aren’t even married yet. The blog of that famous celebrity you wish you were best friends with. And an unopened email that was sent 5 days ago. 

You notice that letter and it makes you stop in your tracks. You don’t understand how you can have an unopened email. You never leave emails unopened. It is one of your biggest pet peeves. You open every store ad and look at every picture your mom sends you, how could you even miss one from 5 days ago. That just doesn’t sound like you, at all. And leaving it alone every day since it arrived in your inbox is just so bizarre.

You read the name and it reads “Allie Jones”. The subject is just a date “6/26/20”, tomorrow. In the body of the email, reading, 

Dear Elizabeth,

It has been quite a long time since we last talked or saw each other. I am looking forward to seeing you on Friday to catch up on your amazing life. I am quite jealous of it and I would watch you everyday if you were a TV show. “The Elizabeth Mayberry Show” starring Elizabeth Mayberry. Doesn’t that just sound so wonderful. 

Well I really am happy to see you Friday. 6:15pm at your favorite restaurant. That place sounds great and if it is as good as you say then I am excited.

Bye, 

Allie

You stare blankly at the screen. You have been staring at this same email, reading it over and over again. You keep reading it and you wonder, what is going on! This Allie person knows your name but you don’t know her. Apparently you are meeting her at your favorite restaurant.  Who is this person that emailed you and how does she know you?

Your assistant, Anthony, walks in, he hangs you the most recent photos that you need to review for next week's catalog. You have been extremely busy this year since you took over the editor position at Katie Summer’s. You shake off the uneasy feeling you got from the email and worry about your #1 priority, your career. The reason you aren’t married and never have time for a social life, it is your life. 

You decide since you have no clue who this “Allie Jones” woman is, you send her email into the trash. Maybe she has the wrong Elizabeth Mayberry email address. It was sent 5 days ago so she probably realized since you didn’t email her back she had the wrong address. Everything should be fine then. Why should you worry?

You shut off your work computer, tidy up things before you leave for the weekend, and lock your office before you head home. Your plans for the weekend have always been the same, wake up and run to your favorite coffee place, head back home to shower. Read a book, do some cleaning around your apartment. Typically you either go out to a restaurant, see a movie or spend the evening in the park listening to the weekend musicians. And of course, you check your email.

Saturday morning you lace up your sneakers and begin to run to the stairs in your apartment building. Saying hello to Miss Shoemaker, the little widow that lives on the floor below you. Scratching Macey, the German Shepherd on the 2nd floor, head. She is such a pretty dog and her owner is cute. But the relationship with Macey is easier than dating. Then running to the coffee shop was pleasant and much needed after the week you had. 20 minutes later you jog back up the stairs and make it to your door. Time to check that email for the day.

Unexpectedly, the first email you notice is from Allie Jones. Your heart sinks into your stomach and you begin to worry. 

Hi Elizabeth,

Hey I missed seeing you yesterday. We were supposed to meet at 6:15pm but you never ended up showing up. Hopefully you didn’t get sick and weren’t able to make it. Too bad I don’t have your cell #, I could have bought you food to help you feel better. 

Wanna make a rain check? I really do want to see you and I have some important news to tell you. You will be very proud of me. I am becoming just like you. Maybe we could star in the “Elizabeth and Allie Show”. Catchy title. 

Email me back as soon as you can! I really miss you and I bet you could really use the company.

Talk soon,

Allie

Stepping away from the email, you begin to process what just happened. Maybe you knew this Allie at one point. But how could you forget her, you don’t forget anyone. You can remember every person you have ever encountered and talked to. Who is this person?

You walk away and head over to your bathroom to take a bath. You need to evaluate the situation. There has to be a reasonable explanation, but what?

Unable to relax in the bath, you get out. Maybe putting on something comfortable will calm you. You put on your favorite sweatpants and the fluffiest hoodie you own. You walk over to the kitchen, avoid making eye contact with the computer and fill the tea kettle with water. Minutes go by and the kettle is steaming, it frightens you a little. You are on the edge. Not a feeling you enjoy having.

Dunking your chamomile tea bad into your mug you stand by the living room window staring out into the beautiful Denver area, you call home. You have been here for 10 years now after moving from Kettering, England when you were 18. You came here to study comparative literature at Harvard. You got your Master’s Degree 4 years ago, and got hired at Katie Summer’s magazine as assistant editor. It was a dream come true. Things were going great. But now you need to comfort a fearful conversation. 

You sit back down at the computer and click back to your inbox. The email pops open you all you can read is 

“I really miss and I bet you could use the company.”

What exactly is that supposed to mean? You don’t need any company, you are happy being by yourself since you are always around people at work. You click on reply and start thinking about what you should say back to this person, you are positive you don’t know.

Allie Jones,

I apologize but I do not think you have the correct email address for the Elizabeth Mayberry you are trying to reach. I have never known an Allie Jones. I am very sorry for any of the inconvenience but I am not the Elizabeth you need. 

Again, I apologize and hope you can find your friend’s address. 

Hope you have a wonderful day.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Mayberry.

You reread the email and click send. You feel a sense of relief as the email is sent. You do really hope she can find the right person but that person is not you. You sigh as you get up from your desk and walk over to your bookshelf to find a romance novel. You have read “Strangers in Love” 8 times but it is a classic read and something you enjoy reading, time and time again.

It was about lunch time when you walked past your desk and into the kitchen to fix yourself some soup, there was a ping coming from your computer. 

It was another email. 

It was from Allie Jones.

It read:

Lizzie, 

I am quite shocked that you don’t remember me. We went to school together for 4 years at Harvard. We met outside Perkins Hall, the second week of term. I remember you because you had the cutest english accent I have ever heard. I was studying Biophysics and you were studying Comparative Literature. We were quite an interesting pair, smart and kind people. 

We would eat lunch together, when schedules matched and would go to the basketball games together. Even though we were studying different majors were two of a kind. Beautiful and brilliant women.

I still would like to see you. I just moved to Denver and would love to come visit your office. You are moving up the food change. I am so proud of you. 

Please contact me soon. 

Love, 

Allie

You began to lose focus. Your heart pounded out of your chest. You could feel the hairs on the back of your neck standing on end. What was going on?

How did this person know so much about you? You do not know an Allie. Now, Harvard was quite a large campus, maybe at some point you may have met an Allie. You were a loner in college, never much into making friends. You watched the games alone in your dorm room, who you did not share with anyone. Lunch was eaten on the go in between classes or back at your dorm, alone.

Again, what is going on?

Unable to sleep that night, you spent some time searching Facebook and Instagram and any other form of social media that you have or had to find an Allie Jones. There was no Allie or Jones anywhere. You couldn’t keep your eyes open for much longer and past out. 

You were sitting at your computer, reading an email from Allie,

Elizabeth, We are best friends! We are two of a kind! You and Me Forever! You are mine! 

Slowly, a hand came through the screen and grabbed your arm. The grip was tight and you had no luck getting your arm out. The hand pulled you closer and closer to the screen. A face appeared up on the screen. A beautiful blonde woman smiled at you. Your heart raced around in your chest, you were hyperventilating. The smile turned nasty as blood dripped from her razor sharp teeth. Her eyes were black as night with no stars in the sky. You glanced at your arm that was in her grip and you screamed as you saw that your hand was ripped off and blood was everywhere. 

Sitting up in your bed, sweating and unable to catch your breath, your hand was there with no blood. You walk to your kitchen to get a glass of water and some medicine to calm your mind. You peer at the computer on the desk and it is off and dark. No creepy, scary face looking at you. 

Sunday was uneventful and you turned off your computer and phone and just stayed inside behind your locked door. You were terrified of that nightmare. 

Monday morning you woke up late, which is unusual for you. You stumbled into work with a coffee stained blouse, hair in a low ponytail and not enough makeup on. You always are wearing heels but not today. You had another nightmare last night. Much scarier than the night before. Anthony was frightened by your appearance, you never let anyone see you like this.

You were barely able to make a smile as you passed Anthony, you avoided eye contact with every person who saw you. Your mind was running around in circles so frightened by your weekend. There were 3 other emails that were sent from that person. You were unable to reply to her by the fear of her knowing you.

Hey Lizzie, 

Is everything okay? You haven’t responded back to me. I am worried you lost your ways. You need to stick to your guns and not give up on who you are. You are my role model and I won’t give up on you. Your office building is very pretty. I am going to bring you your favorite meal and flowers! You need some cheering up.

Love Allie!

The next two emails were short but creepy.

Hi Lizzie, 

Your apartment manager wouldn’t let me up to your apartment so I gave him your meal. I hope you really enjoyed it! Lilies are such a pretty flower and they match your eyes. You are so lucky to have a friend like me. 

Love your Allie Bug!

&

My dearest Lizzie, 

Please talk to me! You are my everything and without you I don’t know what I would do! I need you!

Love your Allie Bug!

You are at the door to your office and unlock it. Inside you leave the lights off and close the curtains in your office. You don’t want to be seen, and you most definitely want to be alone. You don’t even want to check your email. You want to leave this world and never come back. Anthony calls you on your phone,

“Hey Boss! Are you okay? You seem very unlike yourself? Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Anthony, thank you for being kind but I am just a little under the weather and need a few hours to readjust myself. If I have any appointments or meetings for this morning can you move them to this afternoon?”

Anthony said that he could and you hung up. Your phone buzzed, you had received a text message. 

Hey girlfriend,

I am worried about you and I think you need to see my face to cheer you up. I will be at your office around 9:30 this morning. I will be bringing you a caramel mocha coffee and a multigrain bagel! Can’t wait to see you. 

Love your girlfriend!! :)

You look at your clock and notice it says 9:15. You nervously get up from your desk. You gather up your things and leave your office. You quietly tell Anthony you are going home for the day, you tell him you really aren’t feeling well. Swiftly to the elevator you hide your face. Down 8 floors and the elevator is going slow as molasses. You step out of the elevator and notice no one in the lobby. You are in the clear. 

Out of the front doors and onto the street, you bumped into someone because you weren’t paying attention and was nervous of someone watching you. You stare at her and your heart drops when you notice the coffee and the bakery bag in her hand.

 It was her.