Chapter 3
Troubling Mail
The soccer game had been put to an end. For once, I played in a sport without messing up like the time my shoe went flying into Crystal's face. Because of that incident, the whole school developed a 'Kill Maria' club. I did not want to show my face at school for days.
I would have tried going to another school but the main problem was that this is the last school that I've been sent to. All the others treated me with a similar distain because my dad was still blamed for half the moon going in smoke and they held no trust for him because he was part Black Arms, a cannibalistic alien species that comes to devour a part of Mobius every fifty years.
The school day was brought to a close after I went to the concert with Sonia, who was still raving about how cool the band members looked. By the time I reached home, the only thing I wanted to do was sink into my bed and sleep.
In the morning, Mom called out, "Maria, come downstairs, there's a package here for you." I groaned under my blankets and barely possessed the will to move. Pushing the covers aside, I reached for my traditional purple T-shirt and jeans. Once they were pulled on, I raced downstairs to see Mom standing with a packaged box in her hands. It was neatly wrapped in brown paper but had no address.
She handed it to me and before I grabbed it, Dad came in and said to Mom, holding out his hand "Let me see that."
"How come?" she looked at him confused.
He snatched it and placed his ear next to it. Mom looked back at me and awkwardly shrugged. We looked back at him as he carefully shook it, muttering "I don't trust anyone who does not bother putting his name on his mail."
"Shadow, what harm would there be in a package? Just let Maria have the package. You're being silly about it."
He coolly looked at her through half opened eyes, "Oh yeah…Well, it so happens that some people like to send bombs in the mail."
"Huh?" Mom's eyes twitched in panic.
I sweat dropped and watched Dad examine the package.
He eventually stopped and shrugged, "I guess it looks pretty safe," he handed it to me, "Here you go, Maria."
I cautiously took it. Fingers moving under the paper, I tore it open and took the lid off the box. In it sat a locket on a golden chain. Next to it was a note: your secret admirer.
Mom looked at me as I held the note between my two fingers. I eventually lowered it and said, "I've a secret admirer?"
"Really?" she looked at me eagerly and said, "Do you have any idea who that might be?"
"Not a chance," I then thought to myself considering that I have next to zero popularity in the school...
Dad froze in his steps and backed out of the kitchen to look at us. His mouth looked as though positioned to speak but then refrained. It made me wonder if a swear word was about to come out. He then approached me and said, "May I see what he sent?"
I handed it to him with a worried expression. What if I have a stocker? That would be frightening to have on your tail.
He eventually handed it back, "I'd be careful if I were you Maria. If you find more things like this come, let me know so then I could get GUN to look for him."
"Thanks," I nodded. That was right. Even though he ruled Mercias, he still worked at GUN because he hated doing nothing. When Dad left to go to work and Mom went to finish making breakfast, my fingers played with the locket. I did not dare put it on. There was something unnerving about it. I then opened it to find a tiny note that said: Now Die!
My eyes grew wide as I held it and I called out, "Mo—" The words were cut off when a gas came out and knocked me out.