Sam slouched as she opened the door to her home. She was exhausted after spending the day shopping at the malls. Careful not to drop her purchases, she walked over to the small table in her living room and set them down. She smiled looking at her collection. With eleven days to go she already had gifts for her two best friends. "Not bad for one day of shopping", she said to herself while smiling. Sam rolled back her shoulders, stretching her sore body. Sam sighed, realizing she needed something to relax her nerves. Walking into the kitchen she reached for her coffee maker but froze when she saw a small envelope poking out from behind it.

"What the.." Sam pulled out the envelope staring at it. It was average sized, but what got the Sam was the colour. Black with a deep red seal holding it closed. "Where did this come from?" She was sure she would have seen an envelope as noticeable as this one before, provided that it had been there before. She sighed. It must have been or else that would have to mean that someone else had been here while she was out.

Highly unlikely.

She turned her attention to the envelope in her hands, on which she now noticed her own name was written in red. She shrugged while trying to decide whether or not to open it. A moment later she broke the seal and pulled it open. Inside was a single piece of paper, folded once in half. "A letter?" She raised an eyebrow in curiosity. .

Unfolding the paper she read:

.::.

I could run it through your skin and pull out your life,

except that's not what I intend to do,

It's dangerous when its in the right hands,

hands that are ruthless, with a thirst for blood.

Hands like mine…

Have I given too much away?

I hope not,

I don't want to ruin your surprise.

Love,

Your Deadly Admirer

.::.

Sam froze in shock. "What the..what?" She read it over and over again. "It's a riddle of some sort but what does this mean?" She blinked her eyes, while thinking hard about the riddle. "Who could have written this? And why?" The words "Deadly Admirer" stuck out to her on the page. 'Wait, I have an admirer?" She ignored deadly. She frowned in thought not understanding what was going on here. Why would anyone leave her a cryptic riddle? Was this some kind of joke? Her eyes scanned the last three words. "Your Deadly Admirer." She paused for a moment furrowing her eyebrows, then a smile formed itself on her face.

This was a joke. That was it. That had to be it. Sam smirked. And she had a vague idea who would pull this kind of prank on her. It must be Clover or Alex. Or maybe it was both of them working together to try and freak her out. It only made sense after all, she had been avoiding them for a few days while pulling things together for the holidays. She giggled while putting the note back in the black envelope. "Deadly admirer.." she laughed. "They really have some imagination." She remembered the perfect language in the letter. "And their writing skills have really improved.."

Sam walked out of the kitchen and placed the letter on the table along with her purchases. She would make sure to talk to Clover and Alex about their little prank later on when she wasn't so tired. Sam walked back into the kitchen intent on getting her coffee and then settling down to a quiet evening by the fireplace.

Sam spent the evening reading by the fire, after her purchased gifts had been wrapped. The bizarre letter she had received already forgotten as it sat hidden under the papers on her desk. Some part of her felt like calling them right now, calling her friends and telling them that she was on to their little plan. "They should have known I would have caught on to their little prank, I'm smart enough for that." She stared groggily at the clock.

12:45 am.

She sighed rubbing her shoulder. It was late, she should really get some sleep if she planned on lining up at the malls again tomorrow. She stood up placing her book on the table and walking towards the bathroom. Once inside she turned on the tap and began washing her face, and then brushing her teeth. By the time she made it to her bed the clock read 1:00 am.

Sam was enjoying a blissful night of sleep which was interrupted by a sound. She groaned turning around in her sleep while trying to block out the sound.

It came again.

She cursed under her breath before sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "What was that?" She looked around before landing her eyes on the front wall. She stared at the clock.

2:09 am.

She sighed realizing that she had only been given an hour of sleep. Sam listened hard for the sound determined to find whatever was making it and make it stop. When she heard it again though her eyes widened. It sounded like...

A knock.

She froze. Who would be knocking on her door at two o'clock in the morning? Sam had a gut feeling that whatever it was it could not be good. She pulled the covers tighter around herself and closed her eyes hoping whoever it was would go away and she wouldn't have to check.

Unfortunately luck was not on her side and a second later she heard more loud knocking. She opened her eyes while taking a deep breath. Pulling off her blanket she slipped on her slippers and walked out of her room, making her way to the door. She cursed under her breath, shivering slightly from the lack of her warm blanket as she reached the door. Sam cautiously turned the doorknob and opened the door just a crack and poked her head out.

There was no one there.

She blinked her eyes. "Am I hearing things?" She blamed her lack of sleep for imagining the knocking that she was so sure she had heard. She moved to close the door but stopped when something caught her eye.

She frowned before opening the door wider and leaning down to the object. It was a gift box. She blinked her eyes wondering if she was seeing things now too. No, she was not. Sam picked up the box, staring at it with curiosity. She gasped when she saw a black envelope similar to the one she had received earlier attached to the top of the box.

Sam glanced around trying to catch a glimpse of the person who had left it there. She was hoping that any second now Clover and Alex would jump out and surprise her. She waited for a moment, holding the box and waiting but nothing happened. She grit her teeth in annoyance and slammed the door shut. Sam walked over to her couch and sat down. Pulling the envelope off the box she opened it hoping to find an apology note from her friends.

What she found was something else:

"If this was a prank by your friends, yes you would be smart enough to figure it out. Sadly it's not."

She dropped the note in shock. Her exact words. Whoever this was heard her earlier on. Sam blinked. "But that would mean that..they can hear me." She froze wondering if she was being watched right now. Sam frowned realizing that the letter she found earlier was not from her friends. It was from this person.

This,

Deadly Admirer of hers.

Sam shivered now noticing how frightening that name could be. She rubbed her arms trying to break off the chill and pulled her feet up on the couch, sitting cross legged. As she did her foot hit the box she had forgotten about. She glanced at it from time to time now afraid as to what was inside it. She sighed reaching forward and pulling apart the wrapping, "Might as well get this over with.." Inside was an ornate wooden box. Sam held her breath before carefully lifting the lid and peeking inside.

Her eyes widened, "Is that a.." She trailed of reaching into the box and pulling out the object.

A dagger.

Suddenly the riddle she had seen earlier made sense. Now that she thought about it the answer was simple. "Genius.." she whispered, then frowned realizing she was praising the person who had just disrupted her sleep. She studied it closely. It was a double edged dagger with a curved ornate bronze handle. Sam turned it around in her hand, trying to find some clue of the person who sent it to her. Her eyes widened as she noticed something engraved in the dead centre of the handle.

T.S.

"T.S?" She squinted her eyes staring at the shiny handle. Sam frowned wondering what those letters stood for. It could be initials. Maybe of the person who forged it, or of the person who got it made. Sam let out a breath not knowing what to do about this random gift. It was harmless enough. She placed the dagger back into the box and shut the lid. She tried frowning but couldn't fight the small smile that betrayed her by forming itself on her face.

She had an admirer.

A deadly admirer,

Wait, that wasn't a good thing...Was it?

She sighed. Standing up and carrying the box which held the knife to her room. She found the letter she had carelessly left on her desk and placed it next to the box. Turning, she shut the lights and climbed into bed. As she fell asleep her mind drifted back to the mysterious gift and letter. Something told her that this was no ordinary admirer.