The Big Book of Little Horrors

Bird

It started off as a normal day. I had gotten ready for work in a rush, as I had slept through my alarm again. I would just have to get breakfast from a drive threw. I grabbed my work bag and rushed out the door, making sure to lock it.

I had kept forgetting to lock it in the mornings and often came home to an unlocked door and a small panic as I checked the house to make sure no one had robbed the place. I had been lucky so far, as no criminals had broken in, but I might not be so lucky in the future.

I double checked the lock and then headed out. I stopped at the fast-food place and picked up my usual breakfast sandwich and large coffee, and then drove to work. It was just a boring, regular office job, but my coworkers were nice and the job paid well. Okay, well-ish.

It was a pretty typical day of calculating and estimates, but there was one thing that was a little nerve wracking. Courtney, who was always the type to gossip, had been talking about something that had been on the news that morning. The news which I had neglected to watch due to my rushing around.

According to Courtney, there had been a report on the news that several people had found dead birds stuffed through their mail slots. The birds had definitely been put there by someone, because all of the birds that were found had been dead for at least a few days and those who had found them had only been gone since earlier that day.

It was horrifying to think that some creep had gone around finding dead birds - or heaven forbid, killing them himself - and stuffing them in people's mail slots. What kind of sicko does that kind of thing?

As I drove back to my apartment I thought about that creep. It was the only thing I had been able to think about after Courtney had told me. I was actually surprised that I was even able to focus enough to get my work done.

I made it to my building without any trouble, well, aside from the evening traffic, and walked up the stairs to my apartment. I went to unlock the door, but it was already unlocked. I was certain that I had locked it that morning.

I thought about getting help from my neighbors, but I knew they weren't home yet. They left before me and didn't get back until late at night. The only evidence I had that they even existed was the occasional shuffling sounds I'd here from the next suite over in the middle of the night.

I looked at the door, and like an idiot, I pushed it open. I walked threw my home, my heart racing, trying to find an intruder. I looked around, but found nothing. The only places I hadn't checked were my bedroom and the hall closet.

I walked to my bedroom and hesitantly opened the door, but I saw no one. What I did see, however, was a dead bird atop my dresser. As I stood there in shock, staring at the bird, I heard my front door slam shut.