Little Sparrow

Lena:

I barely slept this weekend It’s five am on Monday and the bags of my eyes could reach the corners of my lips easily. The worry about the implications of what happened the day of the party has me at the edge on my nerves. Ryan has so many ways to get back at me, and I know he was just warming up with Hunter. That was just to hit his big ego. There’s still Joe, Ben and Cora to take revenge, and I just pray he prioritizes them so I can get out of here before he starts with me. I know he hired me just to keep me close to him and that way he has it easier, but all I need to do is survive these last two weeks I have.

But now that I think about it, where am I going to find a new company that would wanna hire me with the biggest stain, also known as my father, in my file?

Suddenly, an idea starts to shape in my brain. I think I got it. The way to stay on the job longer and also not having to endure Ryan’s revenge at all. With this new illumination in my brain, I get up from the bed and get ready for the day with determination.

I check on my mom before I leave, she’s been having another round of chemo and it’s wearing her down lately. I leave her breakfast on top of the dining table and exit my apartment. On the floor outside the floor I see a box, like someone delivered it. It has no sender information, in fact, it says absolutely nothing. I grab it with me and head for the bus stop.

An hour and a half later, I walk inside the BlakeHill building and head for the office. Ryan hasn’t gotten here yet, he’ll probably arrive mid morning, so I take the time alone to organize some of his meetings and answer delayed emails. Two hours later, I take a small break and go out for some coffee. After getting back, I see three missing calls on my phone from a blocked ID. I ignore it and grab the phone to store it in my purse, when I spot the package inside it. I take it out and examine it. It’s not that big, but it’s sealed in a strange way, almost hermetically. I grab a cardboard cutter and open it.

The foulest smell leaves the box, it reeks of decomposition and immediately makes me gag. Looking inside, I see a dead bird, what seems to be a sparrow lying on a nest, and a small note that reads:

For my little sparrow.

I drop the note on the floor and my whole body has no reaction. This is not real. That’s the nickname my dad used for me. This can’t be from him. I might have not visited him in prison once, or even talked to him in this whole time, but this is too big of a threat for something like that.

My phone blows off again and not even checking, I answer the phone.

“Did you like my present, little sparrow?” A distorted voice speaks through the phone. It’s hard to tell if it’s a woman or a man. I have no idea of what’s happening.

“Who are you?” My voice trembles with fear and panic.

“Aw, come on, I thought you’d recognize my present, after all, I hunted the creature just for you.”

“Dad?”

“Tsk, wrong person, but your dad is certainly a piece of the puzzle. You’re not on the wrong track, little sparrow. We’ll speak soon. Can’t wait.” Without waiting for my reply, the phone call ends.

Just when things couldn’t get any worse, I have someone threatening me. I can’t deal with something like this right now, so I file it in the back of my brain and get up to throw the box and its contents on the garbage. I grab my perfume and spray it all over the space trying to mask the horrible smell and open the windows so the wind can carry the stench with it. All I need is to get rid of anything suspicious before Ryan gets here.

Wait

A

Moment.

Could it be him?

The thought leaves me frozen in place with the bottle of perfume in my raised hand.

But the voice said this has something to do with my father, and I highly doubt Ryan’s revenge is in any way related with what my father did. Still, the thought won’t leave my mind.

Just in case, my plan has to be perfect.