“Is someone following us?” Nora asked when walking side by side with her friend, Ada.
“We are in school. Of course we are being followed,” Ada replied, baffled at that question.
“I know that,” Nora picked up her pace and Ada followed.
“What’s with you today?”
“I am fine,” Nora lied.
“Then why are we power walking to our next class instead of enjoying the walk on a windy day?” Ada questioned, slowing down as she felt tightness in her calves. “What’s wrong?”
Nora turned around to find Ada leaning on the rail in front of a classroom while the students in the class turned to look at the two younger teachers. The teacher in the class was gathering her stationaries and books. When the teacher walked out, the students stood up and thanked the teacher in a singsong tone.
“We can’t talk here. The students are here. Can we at least go to the stairs?” Nora asked in a whisper.
“Sorry, I can’t. I’m on the verge of cramping and this is my class,” Ada gave a sad smile. “Maybe after school?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“You are okay, right?”
“Yes.”
Nora was having her breakfast few days ago when the doorbell rang. Thinking that it was one of the items she ordered online, she got up to answer the door. Nobody was in sight and the neighbourhood was quiet as it was still early. She decided to check her red mailbox instead. When she opened it, an orange paper bow was the only thing in there. Curiously, she unfolded the paper and found a short message:
“I saw you. You saw it. Tell or else….” she read and snorted in disbelief.
“Stupid prank,” she crumpled up that piece of paper and threw it into the bin. “People these days.”
Not thinking much about it, she ignored the message written on the paper. For the next few days, Nora continued receiving the paper bows in her mailbox. The size of the bow, the message and even the handwriting were similar to the first one. The only difference was the colour of the bow.
At first, Nora was irritated with the doorbell as it rang precisely at 6.15 every morning no matter if it was a weekday or a weekend. Expectedly she knew it was the paper bow with the same message.
A week passed by when she stopped collecting her mail in order to ignore the prank. Thinking she handled the situation, she was shocked when she started receiving paper bows at school, in class and on her car windshield. That was when she wanted to confide in Ada but she didn’t know where to start.
When the day ended and not having the chance to talk to Ada, Nora drove home thinking of a plan to catch the culprit behind that immature prank.
She opened her mailbox and sure enough different colours of paper bows fell onto the floor as the mailbox was full. Collecting all of it, she brought it into the house and unfolded the paper to still find the exact message. Nothing made sense to her because she couldn’t recall what she saw.
Nora didn’t sleep much that night and it didn’t matter because it was a weekend. She planned to catch the culprit. When the next morning rolled in and before sunrise, she put on a camouflage suit and hid behind the plants in front of her house.
Right on time, she heard fast and heavy footsteps approaching her house. Soon enough, a man in a grey hoodie walked up to her house. He observed his surroundings before taking out a black paper bow and pushed it into the mailbox.
“Who are you?” Nora jumped out from behind the plants. The man was stupefied for a few seconds before trying to run but Nora caught him by the back of his hoodie. “What is with the bows and the threatening message?”
“Let me go,” the man struggled and tried freeing himself. Nora pushed back the hoodie and expecting a man, she was stunned to find a teenage girl standing in front of her.
“I’ve seen you before,” Nora recognised that familiar face. “You are in one of my classes.”
“I’m sorry, teacher,” the girl apologised. “I need your help. I thought by doing this, you will help me.”
“Sending threats is not the way to do it. All you have to do is ask. I was about to go to the police.”
“That is what I want,” the teenager replied but looking at Nora’s expression, she knew Nora was confuse. “Can we talk?”
Nora led her student into her house. In no time, the student explained that Nora witnessed a stabbing few months ago. The victim was the teenager’s brother.
Nora posted a photo on social media with two men fighting in the background but she removed the photo the next day.
The criminal was going to walk free unless Nora showed the photo to the police. Finally understanding the situation, Nora went to the police station with that piece of evidence.
Carina Lim bears different messages through her fiction. These messages could be useful in life. She can be contacted at mermaidgal03@yahoo.com
