Malevolence Unleashed — VIII

Special Delivery

DING DONG

The sharp ring of the bell cut across the sound of a million raindrops meeting the smooth glass of my bedroom window. I turned over and listened for footsteps, hoping one of my flatmates would still be awake enough to answer. My bedside clock told me that it was 11:30 PM, just late enough to warrant suspicion against whoever was at the door. It was pouring outside, as it always did in Mumbai that time of the year.

DING DONG

“And just as I was starting to drift off…” I grunted.

I threw my polka-dot covered blanket to the side and slipped into my all-purpose flip-flops. Half-asleep, I dragged myself across the corridor and into the main hall and flipped the lock open. I was surprised at how well I remembered the layout of the place in the dark considering we’d just moved in a couple of days back. As the door opened, I found myself squinting at a tall, middle-aged man in a black raincoat, who’d left fresh muddy footprints all over the common building passage.

“Hi. Can I help you?” I asked, trying to shake off the grogginess from my voice.

“Delivery for apartment number 101. Here you go,” he said in a chirpy voice as he placed a package in my arms around the size of the extremely comfy pillow that I’d just parted with.

Just as I was about to ask him if it had already been paid for, he turned on his heels and disappeared down the stairs.

“That’s the 5th one today,” I groaned as I threw the box onto the dining table and sprinted across back to my sweet, sweet bed.

They can check it out in the morning when they wake up. I locked the bedroom door behind me and dove into the sheets.

After squirming around restlessly for a good five minutes, I decided maybe a glass of warm water would be just what I’d need to help me get back to sleep. Just as I was about to reach for the bedroom door handle, I heard a noise; a faint thud from the other side. I flipped the lock and opened the door to find the parcel from earlier on the floor.

Strange, I thought as I picked it up. Maybe it’s one of those idiots trying to scare me.

Suddenly, I heard a distinct scratching noise come from the package. And then, to my utter disbelief, the plastic wrapping on the top left corner parted, as if some invisible force was moving the edge of a knife across its surface. Through the tiny slit, drops of blood-red liquid spilled out.

I dropped the box in reflex and took a step back. The invisible force grew ferocious, hacking away at the box in various directions. I fashioned a weapon out of the broom in the corner of the room and clenched it as hard as I could, ready to strike whatever force of evil would dare manifest in front of me. Shredded pieces of plastic were scattered everywhere but the poltergeist seemed to have finally calmed down. Three words had been carved in (what I really hoped was not) blood on the cover:

LET ME OUT

Suddenly, the downpour outside sounded muffled, almost as if it was all happening far, far away. The package rolled over and lifted off the ground, levelling itself with my eyes. Tendrils of black smoke fumed around it, stripping off the remaining bits of plastic, revealing a mahogany wooden box with a metallic latch keeping it shut.

“Let… me… out…” came a sudden whisper near my left ear which almost made me jump out of my skin. I whirled my broom around in a sharp motion but all I ended up doing was smacking it against the wall.

I could’ve sworn there was someone there…

Beads of perspiration raced down my neck as I tried to calm myself. If I could just get myself out of the room, maybe I could call for help and —

“LET ME OUT!” came a demonic growl from my right which had me scampering on all fours to the door. Just as I was about to take a step into the corridor, I stole one last look at the box. Suddenly, I felt its powerful, malicious energy pass through me. Every single muscle in my entire body tensed up painfully, leaving me completely paralyzed.

As I watched helplessly, the smoky tendrils swirling around the box gave way to reveal two white gloved hands on either side holding it up. Above them, in the faint darkness I could make out the ends of a glistening black raincoat.

“Won’t you let her out? She sounds so very eager!” came a familiar chirpy voice.

“You!” I called out. “Please… Leave me alone…”

“Oh, but you haven’t opened your package yet! Come along now,” he beckoned. My body started to tremble and twitch against my will, like a lifeless puppet at the mercy of its puppeteer.

“What have you done to me?” I screamed. I found myself on my feet, stretching my hands out as he placed the wooden token of death in my palms.

My right hand moved to lift its metallic latch and pulled it open with an ominous click. I tried with every fiber of my being to peel my eyes away from looking at its insides, but it made no difference. My gaze fell upon a gold rimmed mirror which covered the base of the box. I could see my reflection clearly against the shiny surface.

I closed my eyes to blink, and when I opened them, the box was gone. I was still looking at my reflection, but somehow, I was looking up instead of down. As I kept staring, unable to move, I saw an eerie smile spread across the face of my reflection.

“W-what’s going o-on…?” I stammered.

The room somehow appeared smaller… and… it slowly dawned on me what had happened.

No. Not like this…

A wall of darkness descended upon me from above as the top of the box closed in on me.

“Let me ou…” I began, but the latch clicked into place, cutting me off in eternal darkness.