There's someone at my door...

So my neighbour in flat 9 works quite a lot, but is also a big fan of online clothes shopping. This means I am often asked by agonised delivery drivers to hold on packages until she gets home, which I don't mind. She's a pleasant lady, always polite and grateful for the assistance. At least she was.

Over a week ago now, I received a package on her behalf as normal and go about my business. Only she doesn't get home that night. Or the next night. By the third, I thought I'd knock on her door, in case the delivery driver forgot to post a card. No one was in. I presumed that perhaps the lady was on holiday and will get back in a week or so, I had no reason to be concerned at this point.

The news a few nights later had a story about a car accident on the A38 that left a few unfortunate people dead. The victims were not named at the time.

A couple more nights pass, and something in the flat starts to stink. I assumed it was the downstairs neighbour's cooking at first, as that usually sends an unbearable odour up through any available space in the building. It got so strong, however, that I had to figure out what might have crawled in and died. It was the package. Not that crawled in and died, the smell was coming from the package.

Just as I figure this out, my doorbell rings. I look through the spy hole first, as I always do before opening the door, and fear freezes me in place. Perhaps I am insane, it's hard to explain exactly how you know that what's on the other side of the door is something wrong, but I know I shouldn't open it.

She only comes at night, probably wanting that package. I threw it away in the morning after she'd gone.