Package for You

The first package arrived a few weeks ago, probably even a month ago by now. Aiko Tsubasa was an aging widow who has lived alone ever since her husband passed on years ago, so she certainly hadn’t been expecting a package. She didn’t know many people these days in her old age, she had no clue has to who the package could have come from.

When the first package had been arrived, the mailman had simply sat it on her doorstep. He didn’t ring the doorbell nor did he knock. He simply dropped it and left, much to Aiko’s confusion when she discovered the package. She had considered sending it back to the post office but when she inspected the brown wrapped box, she found that there was no name or return address on it. If there wasn’t an address to send it to, would the post office still accept it?

Aiko had figured they wouldn’t. What were they to do with something they couldn’t send? The widow took the package into her house and sat it down onto the coffee table. She carefully unwrapped the brown paper, pulling back the flaps of the box once it was off. The box was a medium sized one but the only thing in the box was a small diamond ring. It puzzled Aiko, now she was certain that the box had been sent to the wrong address for no one would ever send her such a beautiful ring anymore.

She didn’t do anything with it though. She took it out, tossing it onto a desk in the living room and promptly forgot about it. She would only remember the ring once she received a second package exactly one week after the first. Just like the first, there was no name or return address, putting Aiko in another tight spot.

Much like she had done before, Aiko opened the package, her confusion only getting worse. Inside, the package held a tuft of black hair. Her face had curled up into disgust. Even if these packages were going to the wrong address, who sent anyone hair? Aiko thought it was a downright disgusting thing to send, but who was she to judge? She didn’t know the sender. Aiko had simply shrugged it off, tossing the box and the hair inside of it out.

A week later, Aiko found another mysterious package on her doorstep. She huffed when she saw it, who was sending all of this? Surely by two weeks in, they should have realized that they were getting the wrong address. Whoever these were meant for had to be telling the person they weren’t getting them.

Regardless, Aiko picked up the package, taking it into the house with her and repeating her action of opening the package. This time, within the package, Aiko found a white, lacy piece of material. She cocked her head to the side, reaching in and grabbing the silky material. She ran her fingertips of it, thinking that the material felt somehow familiar to her but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She shrugged it off, just like she had done the first two packages. She tossed it onto the desk where the ring still sat, pushing it out of her mind.

One week later, a month after the first package, Aiko received the fourth package. Now she was getting frustrated. An entire month and this was still happening? Perhaps it wasn’t a wrong address and someone was just messing with her. Who would want to mess with a little old woman though? Aiko had no enemies; everyone always loved the sweet elderly woman.

She shook her head, grabbing the package. She grunted when she picked it up, finding this was much heavier than the other three. Perhaps that meant whatever prank this was, was coming to an end… Aiko could only hope; these packages were frustrating her now. Aiko had to use most of her strength to transfer the box over to the coffee table, even having to hold it with both of her hands. Her body wasn’t made for such labor anymore.

She sat it down on the coffee table, sitting down onto the couch with a huff. Once she caught her breath, she pushed herself up just enough so she could open the package. Little by little, she tore off the brown wrapping. She slowly opened the flaps of the box, peering into it.

Aiko’s eyes widened before a scream erupted from her throat, her hands throwing the box back so it landed on the floor. Out of the box rolled her daughter’s severed head, the terrified eyes staring up at her mother’s form. Falling from the box as well was a single note.

Be careful who you let your daughter marry.