“Kyle, stop playing. I want you to take me home. Now.”
She listens to the wind picking up and the scraping sounds across the roof of the car. The moans continue. When he doesn’t answer, she starts to get concerned. So, she steps out of the car and looks around. Suddenly, Cassandra hears music playing. She turns around, but no one is there.
“What’s going on? Kyle, where are you?” she calls out.
Cassandra looks around again but still doesn’t see anything. Standing by the car, she gets a glimpse of the open music box in the backseat. She realizes that is where the music is coming from. She gets a bad feeling, starting with a flutter in the pit of her stomach. Chills run down her back. She knows it wasn’t open before.
“Oh, hell no! Kyle, let’s go now!”
Walking over to where Kyle entered the woods, she moves the branches away and calls out his name. When she hears footsteps behind her, she stops and glances back.
“Kyle, is that you?”
The wind blows, getting louder as Cassandra rubs her hands up and down her arms from the chill.
“This is ridiculous. If he jumps out and tries to scare me, I’m going to kick him straight in the nuts,” she mutters to herself and then continues moving the branches out of the way in her search for Kyle.
****
“I shouldn’t have gone so far into the woods,” Kyle says to himself.
He glances to his right, but nothing looks familiar. Looking to the left, Kyle believes he sees a light. Then he hears a whisper by his ear.
“Kyle.”
He stops and looks around. “Hello! Who’s there?”
“Why, Kyle?” the whisper asks in an accusatory tone. “Why did you kill me?”
Frightened, he starts running toward the light.
“You can’t get away from me, Kyle.”
He recognizes Beth’s voice, but it can’t be her. She’s dead. He runs a little more, then stops in his tracks. Beth is standing in front of him, wearing the dress from their last date.
“What the––?”
She glares at him. “Why did you kill me, Kyle?”
He can’t move. He can’t run. He doesn’t have time. Before he can answer, she stabs her long nails into his stomach.
“No, Beth!” Please!” Kyle screams.
Blood squirts from his mouth as Beth takes her hand and drags it up the length of his chest, slicing him open. She watches his intestines spill out as he drops to the ground. Then Beth rolls her shoulders backward, fully satisfied with the kill. She disappears when she hears the girl getting closer.
Cassandra frantically pushes through the trees after hearing Kyle’s screams. After the last few branches break from their limb, she freezes, and her mouth drops open, waiting for the sound to come out of it. She finally finds her voice and screams for help while running back toward the car. When she makes it back, she grabs her purse from the passenger seat and scrambles to use her phone. Hands shaking, Cassandra touches the screen. The music from the box gets louder. She looks in the backseat. A woman with long, black, stringy hair and dressed in a dirty white dress is sitting there. Cassandra stares at her. The music stops.
“You’re free,” the woman whispers, then disappears.
Panicking, Cassandra dials 911 and pushes the call button on her phone as she runs from the car.
“9-1-1 operator. State your emergency.”
Cassandra stops running once she reaches the street.
“Someone murdered my boyfriend! I need help!”
CHAPTER THREE
Manny meets the tow truck at the gate, and the driver hands him the impound slip. After helping the driver unload the car into the last spot on the right side of the lot, Manny takes the keys and starts looking the vehicle over, making sure the previous search didn’t leave anything behind. He then logs its number in the roster. Right before locking it, he notices something brown stuck underneath the passenger seat. Opening the back door and leaning in, he grabs hold of it and pulls. It is some type of box. He rubs his hands over the leafy design on the lid.
“This is well crafted,” he comments.
The dark wood increases its beauty. He opens it, and music starts to play.
“My wife would love this. I guess it’s a jewelry box.”
He closes it and goes to place it in his bag inside the office.
****
Before going into his house, Manny sits in his car, wrapping the box in tissue. Once he finishes, he opens the front door and walks inside.
“Serena, I’m home.”
The water in the kitchen turns on.
“I’m in the kitchen.”
When he enters the kitchen, she is mixing some lemonade. As she puts the pitcher on the table, he walks over and kisses her cheek. She flinches.
“I’m going to get ready for dinner. I got you something,” Manny tells her, then places it on the table before disappearing down the hall.
Serena sits down and unwraps the gift. She lifts the box, looks it over, and then sets it back down to continue fixing dinner.
A few minutes later, Manny enters the kitchen and takes a seat.
“Do you like it?”
With a lowered head and her eyes toward the floor, Serena places the food on the table.
“Yes. It’s beautiful.”
They start eating in silence. Serena can barely lift her right arm to eat. She rubs it, hoping to stop the stiffness.
“I’m sorry about last night. I shouldn’t have reacted that way.”
Serena looks at him with a pinching frown, lowering her eyebrows.
“Let’s not talk about it,” she replies.
Once they finish eating, Serena stands to start clearing the table.
“You look tired. Go put your feet up and rest. I’ll take care of the kitchen,” Manny offers.
She gives a slight nod and goes into the living room to rest on the couch. A few minutes later, Manny nudges her shoulder.
“Serena, wake up.”
After opening her eyes, she takes his hand for help off the couch, but when he attempts to walk her to the bedroom, she lets go of his hand, not wanting his assistance. So, he walks back into
