Unexpected Happiness

Unexpected Happiness: Chapter One

Chapter One

     I was just walking through the park. I didn’t expect anything to happen. I was looking at the trees. The leaves were just turning red. I was thinking of my favorite Halloween story. The trees’ trunks were blacker than death, the leaves as red as blood. Then I heard a rustling sound in the leaves behind me. I felt a sharp pain through my head worst in one spot towards the back. Everything faded to black.

     When I awoke, I was lying in the middle of the wet floor of a seemingly empty warehouse. It smelled of mold. I stood up and looked around me. It was dark, but as soon as my eyes adjusted I could see more. I saw a table a few feet away with some papers on it. I got up and walked towards the table. As I stood up I realized my head still hurt. I’m not sure how I was so brave; though I was very nervous with every breath I took.

     On the table there was a hand-drawn map. On the reverse side of the map was a note. The other papers on the table were all blank.

     “If you follow the map and get out no one will hurt you or follow you. If you pass the test you will be brought back. Please, don’t worry; you will not be hurt.” I read aloud from the note. The sound echoed the nearly bare space. I thought for a moment. What test? While thinking I looked down. I noticed a bandage on my arm where there was nothing before. They must have done a blood test. What are they testing me for? I glanced around and saw a door and ran towards it.

     The setting sun hurt my eyes when I went through the door. As soon as I could see clearly again I followed the hand-drawn map until I reached the marked red X on the paper. It was my apartment building. They had abducted me in the park then given me a map that led me to my house. Now I know they wanted me. This couldn’t have been a random act. Should I call the police? I remember thinking as I walked up the stairs to my apartment. No. I thought. It could cause more problems. I started packing my things immediately. I was already planning on moving, so it wasn’t hard for me to find an apartment in less than two days.

     It had been two weeks since the incident. I had just finished unpacking a box and I glanced around my new apartment. It was filled with boxes. I had a lot of work to do. I looked at the door. A new obsession fell over me. Suddenly I felt the need to get a few deadbolts just for extra security. Before I left I went through the entire apartment locking all of my windows. I grabbed my cell phone and keys and headed to the closest hardware store.

     The small Indian man behind the counter gave me a strange look. I explained to him that I wasn’t crazy. That just increased the magnitude of his stare. Luckily, he was finished so I handed him exact change and left. I walked across the street cautiously watching the people around me. I entered the small convenience store on the ground floor of my new apartment building. I walked into the refrigerated corner where the dairy is kept. I needed a gallon of milk. Recently I had been considering switching to skim milk rather than 2%. I stood for a moment pondering which to purchase.

     For the second time in my life I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head and could do nothing as everything around me faded to black.

     When I awoke I quickly found I was in the same warehouse as before. In the same room as before, the floors weren’t wet probably because it hadn’t rained. Only this time I was bound with rope at my wrists and ankles. It was loose enough I could move without much discomfort. I was also not alone. Looking around I noticed there was a man beside me, unconscious and also bound with rope. This made me feel calmer than the last time. Two other men came in. One was short and a little over weight, the other rather tall and awfully thin. Both of them had receding hairlines.