Unwelcome Gifts

Elara sat on her bed, having just finished talking to her mother and little brother, promising to visit them soon. Just then, she heard a soft knock on her door.

“Ma’am, a package just arrived for you,” a maid announced, stepping into the room and placing a small box on the table. “No return address.”

A package? She wasn’t expecting anything. Her heart began to race as she stared at the package. Something about it felt wrong.

“Who delivered it?” Elara demanded, trying to keep calm.

“A courier service, ma’am. They didn’t provide any details.”

“Thank you,” Elara murmured. She waited until the maid had left before approaching the package, her hands trembling slightly. There was no return address, just her name scrawled in neat, unfamiliar handwriting that sent a chill down her spine.

Elara’s breath caught in her throat as she opened the box, only to find a dead rat soaked in blood. Tied around the rat’s neck was a small piece of paper with a single word scrawled on it:

‘I hope you like m