For almost my whole life it’s just been my mother and I. My father tragically passed away when I was four and my mother decided to pack our bags and move across the state leaving behind their home of 17 years. The memories in the house caused us to move, and luckily my mom found an apartment for pretty cheap. According to the landlord the last tenant, Mr. Inglese had run out unannounced almost a month ago leaving behind almost all his belongings. No one knows where he went and the bad publicity behind the disappearance allowed for the rent of the apartment to be lowered.
It was a Friday night I had just finished going to the local skatepark with my friends after school and we all decided to do what teens do and hop on our consoles. My friends and I had the genius idea to pull an all nighter. After running to the fridge to grab snacks and drinks I settled in my room for the night ready for a night of gaming and passing out when the sun comes back up. Everything was normal the time was 3:31am and we had just finished up another match. “Hold on guys I’m gonna run to the bathroom then we can hop into a match.” I said. I put down my headset and walked to the bathroom. After I finished up my business and was ready to head back I heard a knock at our door.
Knock Knock
I looked at the time and saw, 3:33am. I thought to myself it was strange at this hour for someone to be knocking but maybe some neighbor needed help so I decided to open the door. I poked my head outside looked down the hallway to the left and to the right and no one was in sight. As I walked back to my room there it was again the same knock as the first time.
Knock Knock
I opened the door ready to yell at whoever was out there but this time there was something it wasn’t a person but instead was a package. It was labeled Mr. Inglese. I was confused. The package had no indicators of where it came from. The box also didn’t say if the package was for Mr. Inglese or if Mr. Inglese himself had sent it. I thought about opening it thinking it might have been a way for him to contact us but I decided against it, instead opting to wait for the morning. I headed back to my room and sat down continuing to play games with my friends. But around 5 minutes later it happened again.
Knock Knock
The knock was back. This time though it had come from outside my bedroom door. Maybe I was just hearing things but I still went and opened my door and as I looked down there it was. The package. I could have sworn I had placed it down on our dining room table. I just passed it off as nothing and cut our all nighter short, thinking maybe after all this sleep was the best option. I wished my friends goodnight and tried to get some sleep. But as I try to get some rest I heard the knock again.
Knock Knock
I huddled into the corner and threw the blanket back over my head. This time I wasn’t gonna answer the knock. But it persisted. The same pattern over and over again at my door. Knock Knock. Knock Knock. I finally decided to open the package hoping it would end all this. As I began to open the package the knocking did stop, that was the least of my worries as Mr. Inglese’s head was in the package. I stumbled back and hit my head on my dresser knocking myself out.
I woke up in a mostly dark room besides one light in the middle. I can guess i’ve been sitting here for almost a day. Just to my left was Mr. Inglese’s body in the corner. Whoever took me must have forgotten to take my phone and lucky for me they tied down my legs but not my hands. As I sit here writing this I can hear footsteps from outside, I just hope whoever answers the door next doesn’t open the package.