The day was coming. I had been waiting for the last six days to tear apart those cardboard walls that held its secrets so well. You see, tomorrow is Valentines Day! My girlfriend and I live several hours away -- nine to be exact -- which makes holidays special for us. Back in January, I asked Lauren if I could send her a package on the 14th filled with her favorite candy, a soft teddy bear, and other various surprises to make her smile and feel loved, no matter what distance lays between us. She loved the idea! She sent a box of her own and it has been waiting under my bed -- tormenting me -- for the past six days.
As soon as I picked it up from the Post Office, I could smell the sweet aroma of her floral perfume, wisping through the air. Take a deep breath. "It's here."
That night, she called me and I could hear the excitement in her voice:
"Ben, I got it! Your package is here!"
She smiled and I smiled and we laughed together, both curious about what secrets lay inside these thin walls of cardboard. We talked for hours.
The day is here. I lay in bed, listening to the alarm beep just a few moments longer. "The Package!" I tap the snooze and jump out of bed, my mind racing with ideas and the excitement of ripping it open and claiming the spoils within. I take it out from underneath the caverns of my bed and pause just a moment before cutting away the tape. Lauren wanted me to call when I open it. I fumble around for my phone in the darkness of my bedroom and dial her number.
"Lauren?"
"Are you opening the package now, baby?"
"Yes, Lauren. I'm cutting away the tape right now!"
...
"Mmm it smells so good. I love your scent. Oh it's in a plastic bag?"
I open up the bag and I'm hit in the face with a putrid stink. I fight back the urge to gag and use the light of my phone to look inside. I'm horrified. Wrapped up in thick plastic is Lauren's rotting, severed head, crawling with maggots. I stand there in stunned silence. I vomit and choke up with tears. My voice trembles:
"Who are you?"
"Take a deep breath."