Number Six

Number Six

Evvie didn't mean for it to happen, she was only trying to help. She left the knife she was washing out on the counter and walked away to take a phone call. Walking to the phone and the call itself she was gone ten minutes. Little did she know the very next call she made was going to be to 911. 

Three days before that, lying in the grass in the park on her favorite blanket, a football came crashing into her book like an explosion. What the hell she muttered. Looking around there was no immediate culprit, but she quickly stood up and yelled “ok assholes who did it!” A group of kids ran by laughing. Irritated, she threw the football, sat back down, and tried to find her page. Suddenly a man appeared. “I'm the asshole” he said with a huge smile on his face. She couldn't make out his face, the sun was in her eyes. Without acknowledging him she said “good luck finding it, I threw it.” “Thanks” he said, “sorry if it hit you.” “Let me buy you an ice cream to make it up to you, the ice cream truck just pulled up.” Reluctantly she stood up and entertained the idea. She was able to get a better look at him and realized it was her boss’ son. She had never met him before, only seen pictures in his office. She paused for a moment then gathered her things and headed for the ice cream truck. Walking down the sidewalk to the truck he made small talk, commented on the unusually warm weather, on the kid eating dirt under the slide, and how he couldn't wait to see if they still sold his favorite childhood ice cream cone with the gumball on the bottom. “I’m Max by the way, or you can call me asshole” he laughed. Evvie was too distracted with trying to decide if she should tell him who she was or not to really give him a response. She looked up at the choices of ice cream, “a bomb pop please” she said to the man. Max was letting her order first, like a true gentleman. “Give me a gum ball cone” Max said, then turned to Evvie with “it's my lucky day.” 

The next morning Evvie showed up to work, sat at her desk and contemplated her next move. Any minute her boss would walk by. Any minute she would be in a morning meeting with him and five other coworkers to discuss the agenda for the day. Should she tell him about meeting his son? She hoped he didn't already know somehow. Evvie couldn't stop thinking about Max and how they left their impromptu day date at the park the day before. He was charming and funny, and was not wearing a wedding ring. Suddenly she noticed an instant message show up on her computer. It simply said “don't do it” Shocked, she looked around the room to see if anyone would confess to sending the message with their eyes, or maybe a gesture of some kind. Nothing. It was the usual phones ringing, the sound of typing, laughter at the coffee station, and the sound of the copy machine. Evvie decided to reply. “Don't do what?” She sat with anticipation, waiting for the answer, intently focused on her instant message when he walked in. “Let's go everyone, into the conference room” It was her boss. She reluctantly left her desk and headed to the meeting. When the meeting was over she decided to ask a few of her coworkers if they knew Max. She went straight to the office gossip first, Barb. She was an older lady and had worked there forever. She was chatting with Rebecca who had been with the company for 25 years, and retiring tomorrow. Barb will now move up as the employee with the most seniority, and she will not let anyone forget it once Rebecca is gone that's for sure. Barb quickly filled Evvie in on how every woman Max has ever brought around disappears, some kind of curse she called it. “The last one went missing six months ago, she was number five, she worked here at your desk as a matter of fact, as an intern.” Evvie felt sick. “What was her name?” she asked. “Haley something,” Barb replied. “Out of all of them she disappeared the quickest, if you ask me it's his dad picking them off one by one, God forbid if anyone other than his precious boy get his money, why do you ask?” “No reason,” Evvie said. Her next move was clear, she had to avoid Max at all costs, no texting, no phone calls, and never step foot in that park again. Sitting back at her desk, she did what she knew she had to do next. Send another instant message. Ignoring her ringing phone and the pile of paperwork on her desk she typed three words...Is this Haley?

The response came back, YES LEAVE NOW OR YOU WILL BE NEXT 

Evvie panicked.She shut down her computer, grabbed her purse and ran out the door. Walking to her car she found herself looking over her shoulder, wondering what the warning from Haley meant, and did she just really communicate with a ghost? She was too upset to go back to work, she quickly called Rebecca and told her she felt sick after lunch and would not be coming back today. That night in her apartment was long. She was too scared to sleep and every noise she heard she thought was Haley coming to make good on her threat and kill her. Her first instinct was to call Max and have him come stay with her, and tell him everything, but she couldn't bring herself to do it in fear of making Haley mad and more vengeful. Evvie decided to stay alone and hoped she could get up for work in the morning.

It felt like it took 911 forever to get to the office. Thankfully most everyone was gone already before it happened. It was a day Evvie would never forget. She came back from taking a call, only by the time she got to the phone the person hung up. Thinking she was going back into the breakroom to finish cleaning up, she never anticipated what happened next. Evvie grabbed her phone from her purse on the way back and saw she had another text from Max. So I am an asshole afterall he texted with a bunch of question marks. It wasn't like her to ignore people and she knew he didn't deserve to be treated that way. She decided to come clean with him and tell him everything she knew tonight. Evvie replied let's talk tonight. She hit send, opened the break room door, and saw Max shoving the cake knife in his father’s throat. It all seemed to happen so fast. She looked around the room in disbelief at the half eaten retirement cake shaking and recalling the blood splatters all over the sink, the balloons, the screaming, and everyone questioning why? Why would Max kill his own father in his own office? If only she hadn't left the knife sitting out on the sink this wouldn't have happened. Max sat on the floor of the breakroom, knife still in hand, and looked up at Evvie. “I did this for us, for you, your life was in danger.” “Haley told me she tried to warn you to stay away from me, my dad, everything, so he wouldn't kill you next.. Im sorry.”