Darkness becomes her //JackxElsa

Four

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THE BOX JUST SAT THERE. IN FRONT OF ME.

My eyes squinted. Goose bumps sprouted on my arms and thighs. My blood pressure rose-I knew it by the way my chest tightened into a painful, anxious knot.

Stop being such a baby!

It was just a dumb box. Just my past

It was just a dumb box.

I settled myself and lifted the lid, pulling the box closer and peering inside to find a few letters and a couple of small jewelry boxes.

Not enough in there to contain an entire life story. No doubt I'd have more questions from this than answers-that's usually how my search went. Already disheartened, I reached inside and grabbed the plain white envelope on top of the pile, flipping it over to see my name scrawled in blue ink.

Elizabeth

My breath left me in an astonished rush. Holy ham sandwich. My mother had written to me.

It took a moment for it to sink in. I trailed my thumb over the flowing cursive letters with shaky fingers and then opened the envelope and unfolded the single sheet of notebook paper.

My dearest, beautiful Elsie, If you are reading this now, then I know you have found me.

I had hoped and prayed that you wouldn't.

I am sorry for leaving you, and that sounds so inadequate, I know, but there was no other way.

Soon you will understand why, and I'm sorry for that, too.

But for now, assuming you were given this box by those at Rocquemore, you must run.

Stay away from Burgess, and those who can identify you.

How I wish I could save you but, I'm dead.

My heart aches, knowing you will face what I have faced.

I love you so much, Elsie.

And I am sorry.

For everything.

I'm not crazy. Trust me. Please, baby girl,

just RUN.

Momma

Spooked, I jumped off the bed and dropped the letter as though it burned. ''What the hell?''

Fear made my heart pound like thunder and the fine hairs on my skin lift as though electrified. I went to the window and peeked through the blinds to look one floor down at my car in the back lot. Nothing unusual. I rubbed my hands down my arms and then paced, biting my left pinkie nail.

I stared at the pen letter again, with the small cursive script.

I'm not crazy. Trust me. Please, baby girl.

Baby girl. Baby girl.

I had only a handful of fuzzy memories left, but those words... I could almost hear my mother speaking those words. Soft. Loving. A smile in her voice. It was a real memory, I realized, not one of the thousand I'd made up over the years. An ache squeezed my heart, and the dull pain of an oncoming headache began behind my left eye.

All those years....It wasn't fair!

A rush of adrenaline pushed against my rib cage and raced down my arm, but instead of screaming and punching the wall like I wanted to, I bit my bottom lip hard and made a tight fist.