(Will have a banner soonish.)
October 19, 2017
She’s gotten mail for a neighbor before, someone who lived down the hall from her, but that had been addressed for them so she knew it wasn’t for her. This time the box was addressed for her. The problem was she hadn’t ordered anything and there was no return address, so it wasn’t from anyone she knew. If it were from family they’d just come over and give her whatever they had for her, or give it to her when she came over for dinner. She didn’t have friends who would mail her things, at least she didn’t think the few friends she had would mail her things. Even if they were the sort they would have a return address, of that she was sure.
So when she had gotten told that there was a package for her, her landlord had it waiting for her, she was surprised and rather puzzled. Running through a list of possibilities, on her walk down to her landlords apartment on the first floor, Winterlynn was left utterly clueless on what she could have been sent and from whom it could have been sent from. He had told her, over the phone, that there was no return address on the box - he had found it worrying. The man was old enough to be her father, he had three children himself, and so being a father he had taken to being protective over her when he could be - like now.
It wasn’t something the woman much minded either, she understood it. He was a father, of children around her age and younger, and she was a female living on her own. He wanted to make sure she was safe and worried for her when something strange happened. He had, when she’d first moved in, told her that if anyone ever was bothering her to let him know. He would make sure no such people would be allowed into the building much less up to her floor and he would notify her of any such people trying to get in to bother her.
He had certainly treated her like one of his own daughters, and she really did understand it, she had been a touch offended at first despite understanding it. Over the years though she had come to appreciate it and didn’t mind it at all. It was sort of….touching in a sense. She’d never had a problem though, which was good as she didn’t want him to have to protect or defend her, for which she was glad. This however...this might be the start of something? She really wasn’t sure.
When she arrived at his door Winterlynn raised her hand to knock and stood to wait. Perhaps he was waiting right by the door, or he was just that fast, but she had only seconds to wait before the door was being opened just as she heard the sound of the chain lock being undone.
Ushered inside she was offered a seat, which she took, and watched as the older man sat across from her and motioned to the innocent looking box sitting on the coffee table between them. “I can’t think of anyone who would send me anything - like I said on the phone.” She had also told him she would think on it on the way down to his apartment, but she knew the people around her well and couldn’t think of anyone. She wasn’t surprised to note that her answer seemed to trouble him, it bothered her as well.
“We can carefully open it here...or perhaps outside.” Incase of something being in the box which may hurt his family, she really hadn’t a clue what could be in there and didn’t think either of them should take chances - she wasn’t a risk taker.
As the elder man waved off the idea of opening the box outside she moved to do so, carefully, accepting the box cutter from him she went about slicing the tape open and slowly the box was opened. She kept herself as far back from it whilst doing so. However, it was an unneeded action as nothing happened and when she looked inside it was just..a doll. The doll was nice, a porcelain doll with a well painted face and lovely clothing, very period looking, but from where it had come, who would send her such a thing, she still didn’t know.
Reaching in, slowly, Winterlynn drew the doll out and took the time to inspect it. It really was well made...and she didn’t like that. Well made meant expensive and well maintained and cared for meant it cost money as well, at least she figured as much, and not knowing who would give her such a thing...it didn’t sit well with her. But, for now, she would accept it and once that was established with her landlord she headed back up to her room - with the box and the doll.
Not trusting the doll she found a place to set it, high up and where it couldn’t see anything - incase a camera was inside of it. The box was left on her kitchen counter top, she really wished she could figure this out - she didn’t like how it all felt. Already there were giant spider webs, but no spiders, covering various parts of the city as well as an issue in one of the city's many parks. Halloween was worse than last years and now this...it was just added to the other issues going on this Halloween.
Going for a shower, in order to relax and just...get her thoughts in order, the dark haired woman set about filling her tub with hot water and a bath bomb - she had splurged a bit. With some scented candles lit and the bathwater ready she set to enjoying herself and letting her thoughts gather as she addressed whatever had been floating about her mind.
It wasn’t until she got out of the bathroom, a towel about her waist, that she felt...wrong? It felt like she was being watched, which was honestly ridiculous, but it was a sort of creepy feeling...like what you got at a haunted house...which was because you were being watched. Turning her pale lavender eyes onto the doll, as she figured that to be the reason she felt so uneasy, she shook her head once as it telling herself she was being ridiculous - which she was. Moving on to continue what she was doing, which was setting a movie to play while going to finish drying off and get dressed in something nice and warm.
She was going to forget about that doll and any odd feelings. She was safe - this was her home.
Word count: 1,127
