1 1. The Parcel

"I'm back, "Alisha Miles said as she placed her backpack on the ground and walked towards the dining room. She saw her mother cutting veggies."Mom!" She yelled as she entered the dining."Wait a moment, I'll prepare something to eat," her mother said and got up.

"Honey! Honey!"Yelled Mr. Miles from the living room as he entered his home. "Coming!"Mrs. Miles yelled back. She dropped the snacks that she was preparing for her daughter and stepped out of the dining."What? Why are you yelling like that? And why are you sweating too much? Or everything alri-"before Mrs. Miles could finish he pulled her to their bedroom and closed the door behind them. "Is something wrong?"Mrs. Miles said trembling, "We should not pull our daughter into this. If they find her, all the hard work we've done till now will go waste."

"Don't tell me..."Mrs. Miles sank to the ground on her knees."We need to save our child...from them" as tears rolling down her a wrinkled cheek she said in a tone of realization."Yes, we ha-"before Mr. Miles could finish she got up and stepped out of their room hurriedly and searched for her daughter. She saw her daughter continuing with her left over work. She glanced at the platform and saw everything was cleaned well. She glanced back at her daughter, tearing up. Mr. Miles walked passed her pulling her from her trance of thoughts.

"Ali dear!"He called out to his daughter."Dad!"She squealed, he smiled at her excitement that was looking at him smiling goofy. "How was your day dear?"Asked Mr. Miles covering his fear."Great Dad. I've made my project a big hit! I was about to tell Mom but I saw she was talking to you, so I did not want to disturb you."She said continuing cutting the veggies.

Mrs. Miles swiftly went to Alisha grabbing the knife from her hand. "Alisha!"She said and removed a piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to her daughter."What's this Mom?"She questioned."You should go to this address and ask for 'Johnson Scott' and tell them who you are." She clutched on to her daughter's hand, "Remember, for our sake you should be safe and don't ask why."She demanded. "Mom, what's gotten into you all of the sudden? Dad what happen?"She glanced at her father. He chuckled and said "Nothing dear, your Mom's long time friend's daughter was assaulted and killed. She's a mother so she thought the extremes. Don't worry, everything is fine."He smiled at her and hugged his wife. She glanced at the piece of paper in her hand and placed it in her pocket. "Honey! Hold yourself. We can't spill this before her."He whispered into her ears. She nodded and pulled apart wiping her tears. "Alisha what would you love for dinner? I want to make the food of your choice."She smiled at her genuinely changing the tense mood."Awe, Mom. It's fine."She said holding her Mom's hands. "Then I'll make salad with bread toast, help yourselves."She smiled and glanced at her husband. "No way, instead make egg fried rice. That sounds tastier. Don't you think Dad?" she said. "Ok, I'll do" Her Mom said in a defeated tone. She went up to the fridge and opened it. She searched for her ingredients and took out the spring onions and placed them on the platform. "Alisha, we are lacking eggs. Can you go to the market in the 22-Street It's cheap and best." She said while washing the veggies she cut them before. "But Mom, that's so far and you can get it from the nearby convenience store."She whined. "Do as I say and I am expert in choosing good eggs for my family."She said."One more thing, with one glance I can say where you've brought the eggs from! Now go. Do your assigned job."She said pointing her finger."OK! "She mumbled and took her bike keys and headed out with her purse. She drove away diminishing in the end of the street as she turned to her left.

"Honey! Pack our daughter's important files, clothes and photos fast, before she returns. We need to make sure not a single strand of hair should be present in this house."Said Mrs. Miles in a hurry and made her way out to her daughter's room which is adjacent to the kitchen. Mr. Miles made sure her daughter's backpack is brought into the room and closed the door. The old couple filled the cardboard boxes filled with their daughter's accessories, books, clothes, and documents. They made sure the room looked untouched for any outsider. Mr. Miles picked up the boxes and placed them in the trunk of their car, one by one while Mrs. Miles made the dust particles spraying in the room by reversing the mechanism of the vacuum pump. She removed the bed sheets and along with the mattress and made sure only the hard part of the bed is remained. She sprayed the dust on the floor and bed and made sure not to make any shoe print inside the room. Mr. Miles returned and packed the bed sheets and the bed in a roll and pulled them to his room. He placed the sheets inside the cupboard and stepped out of his room. "Honey, I'm meeting the officer Dawson and I'll hand him our car keys. He knows who we are and I hope there should be no problem in putting our daughter under his wings for the time being." He said, fright evident in his tired eyes. "Ok! And ask him to engage our daughter for the time being when she returns and hope she would avoid all that is going to happen next!"She said in a steady tone. Mr. Miles nodded in response and left the house. Mrs. Miles paced along the living room unable to control her anxiety and fear for her daughter.

DING DONG, The door bell rang into the tense silence. Mrs. Miles scurried to the door opening swiftly. "A Parcel Ma'am", said the courier boy. "Oh, It's you."She relaxed and took the parcel from the boy and signed on the paper which the boy handed over to her. "Have a good day Ma'am." He smiled and went away. She closed the door behind her and glanced over to the parcel in her hand. "No address?" She glanced at her phone and opened an unseen message from before. She read, Everyone has one unseen side that only one can see. You also have one of that side that I don't know. Am I right, G290? She had a horrified look on her face. She skipped to the next message, it read, No address? Then that is definitely mine sweet heart. She broke out into little sobs until she couldn't control them.

Her Husband, Mr. Miles entered the password to his home and stepped into the living room. Her husband came to her rushing to his wife who is crying unable to control her sobs. "Honey, what happened?" She handed him the parcel. "What's this? No Address?" He asked confused. "It's Him. He'll kill us. I got the messages from him. He tracked us. He'll kill you, he'll kill me, and he'll kill our daughter."She again busted into her crying again. Unable to control neither his wife's fear nor he could show his, he was desperate indeed it was his family. "Honey, Let's see what's inside. We should not get onto the conclusions." He said unpacking the Parcel. It had a paper, Your actual parcel is outside. It cannot ring the bell you know. Now open your door! –P239

They rushed to their door but couldn't open it. She clutched on to his hand and said, "Honey, No" His wife whispered to him with the look of fear that was evident on her wrinkled face. "Everything's gone be fine dear!" He placed his hand assuring her. The old couple opened the door. They stood shocked as they looked at the heavily built bodies that stood straight. So, this was our parcel? No we are going to be parcelled to some far off land. Mrs. Miles thought horrified. "You old folks really take time to open the door." A hefty built man pushed in the old couple making their way in to the house. "I hope you love your Parcel" He said opening his hands wide showing his men. "Who are you? What do you want from us?" Said Mr. Miles in an audacious tone hiding his fear. His wife's grip tightened on his arm. The man pointed his gun to Mr. Miles. "Here's your sweet poison." He laughed wickedly pulling the trigger of the gun. The bullet pierced right into Mr. Miles heart and he winced in pain. "Honey!"Mrs. Miles cried. "And the next you!"He laughed as his laughter made through the tense silence. He pulled the trigger towards Mrs. Miles who was holding her now unconscious husband in her hands and the bullet pierced through her chest making her instantly fall onto her back along with her husband. The men left their home leaving the old couple bleeding to death on the cold floor.