Page 42 of The Birthday Girl
“Both of you upstairs. Now.”
“Mommy, what’s wrong?” Kali asked, voice filled with worry.
“Nothing,” Shanice lied, her throat tight. “Just hurry.”
She hustled the children up the steps, her palm pressed against Kali’s back while her fingers clamped around Tyriq Jr.’s sticky hand. The elevator waited at the end of the hall, but she wouldn’t dare wait around for it like a fool. With a burst of frantic strength, she swung both children onto her hips and hauled them up the stairwell, climbing two steps at a time until they reached the third floor.
At her door, her nerves betrayed her. The key scraped against the metal plate once, then again, her trembling hands refusing to obey. On the third try, the tip finally slid into the lock. She leaned forward in shaky relief, then froze when she saw a package sitting on the welcome mat. It was small, wrapped in plain brown paper, and folded with care as if it had been handled lovingly, but it didn’t belong on her doorstep.
Trying desperately not to faint, Shanice unlocked her door and shoved her children inside before kicking the box in with the edge of her foot. Eyes bouncing everywhere, she quickly shut the door behind her, the sound of the deadbolt sliding into place doing nothing to ease the pounding in her chest.
“Mommy, what is that?” Kali asked as she crouched and reached for the package.
“Stop! Don’t touch that!” Shanice belted, gently shoving her daughter far away from the box. “Go to your room! Now.”
“O-okay,” Kali whispered before grabbing hold of her brother’s hand and retreating down the hallway.
Shanice waited with bated breath until she heard her children’s door open and shut. Her hands shook as she crouched, fingers clumsy against the paper. She tore at the folds, the sound of ripping louder than her heartbeat in her ears.
The moment the lid parted, a strangled gasp ripped from her throat. Her stomach lurched, and she slapped a hand over her mouth, fighting the urge to scream and vomit.
Inside the box lay a severed finger, shriveled and gray at the tip, the nail rimmed in dried blood. A folded note rested on top, inked in heavy black strokes.
You’re next.
Shanice’s vision blurred, and the box slipped from her hands, thudding against the floor. Fear had her in a chokehold, squeezing her lungs until every breath came shallow. It pressed against her chest with the weight of stone, slowing her heart to a tortured drum. Her thoughts scattered like startled birds, wings beating against the inside of her skull, but no escape opened for them.
She stood suspended in that grip, every muscle taut, every nerve screaming, as if fear itself had dragged her into its cage and swallowed the key. But then an image of Kali and Tyriq Jr. slammed into her mind. Their laughter, their small hands clinging to hers, their voices calling for her in the dark.
What would happen to them if she were gone?
What if whoever left this box had a more sinister motive?
What if they wanted her children, too?
Her thoughts seized, tangled in panic, but thoughts of her children cut through and dragged her back. She shoved herself off the wall and stumbled for her phone, snatching it from the counter with shaking hands. Her thumb jabbed Vega’s number, and when the line clicked open, her voice broke.
“Detective Vega speaking.”
“D-detective, I need help!” Shanice stammered, her entire body trembling so hard her teeth began to chatter.
“Who is this?”
“Sha—Shanice,” she forced out. “You need to come. Right now. Another package was left at my door.”
“Don’t touch it. Do you understand me, Shanice?” Vega spat with urgency as he scooted his chair away from his desk and stood, reaching for his coat.
“I already did,” she whispered, pressing her free hand against her forehead.
“Fine. Just leave it alone. Make sure your doors are locked, and keep your kids in another room. I’m on my way.”
“Okay,” Shanice replied before ending the call.
The line went dead, leaving Shanice in a silence so thick it felt like the walls were listening. She shoved her phone into her pocket, every muscle stiff with dread. The box remained on the floor, the shriveled finger pointing at nothing and everything all at once.
A faint creak from the hallway made her whip her head around. Kali stood barefoot just beyond the corner, her eyes wide and brimming with questions she was too afraid to ask aloud.
“Back in your room,” Shanice ordered, forcing calm into her voice. “And don’t come out until I say.”
