Gemotions

He ran a hand through his hair, leaving it standing on end. The package, heavy and unmarked, felt like a weight in his arms. He’d been expecting a delivery, a new laptop, but this…this wasn’t right. The address was correct, his new apartment number, but the name – “Evelyn Reed” – was unfamiliar.

He placed the box on the kitchen counter, the surface appearing suddenly gritty beneath his fingertips. He felt off-balance, like standing on a boat. His mind raced, imagining all sorts of sinister scenarios.

He told himself to simply leave it. Let the landlord deal with it. But a morbid curiosity held him rooted. He peeled away the tape, the silence in the room amplifying the sound.