I was well-known locally. Delilah Watkins, age 38, a single mother running a simple floral shop in downtown Washington. People knew me, of course, so why did I get a shiver down my spine when I read that letter?
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKZ8l0q7eK
It was Monday, and I had dropped off my two-year-old Heaven at daycare before heading to work. I entered my floral store to find a letter on the desk. 'Watkins,' it read. I opened the letter which said:.
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHkylAwGFPo
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh3j51EHZRG
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2xfgqXFZAv
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ952DzlUa2l
"Dear Ms. Watkins,
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaFsxQfswAh
I am a fan of your work and your beauty. I admire how you treat the flowers with such care and greet your customers with kindness.
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfuHa5L38oY
I am writing to express my appreciation for your business and all that you do for this town.
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC7FeYoiQJR
P.S. Do you have roses?"
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH0xhPYtprS
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNo9Sj3xdo
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA6gscdqOIX
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDH1NdvbcG7
It was unsigned. It wasn't odd that I was complimented. I had many friends and always helped where I could. I always got waves and "Hey Delilah!"'s wherever I went but that last part.
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMdy0MTB7eu
"Do you have roses?" I said aloud. If this person had been in, they would know I always had roses stocked. ALWAYS.
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIMkcTDjxek
I put the letter at the back of my mind before getting to work. I headed back to the stock to check what needed to be ordered for the upcoming week.
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNkdFq5v0Q0
And I saw it. All 50 roses I hand-marked with a name-brand bow were gone. It was odd, really odd. I shook my head, trying to get the thoughts out of my mind. It's fine. Perfectly normal, I mean, I just had a large sale yesterday., maybe my admirer had come in and saw we were out? Yes, that must be it. It's weird, though; I'm usually so attentive.
I
Ibrushedh it off after thinking through hundreds of scenarios. I look at the clock and see it's time to go and pick up Heaven. At the daycare, the caretaker informed me that Heaven had run behind a bush and cut her neck.
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFf3F4Evb6m
"Just wanted to let you know." I nodded and thanked her before leading Heaven into the car and driving away. Heaven loved to run around, so it wasn't abnormal that she decided to wander. When we arrived home, I saw her neck and looked at her cut. A tiny little scratch. I cooked dinner while Heaven babbled away.
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ48dDfZyVzV
Later, as I tucked her in, I found a rose petal under her pillow. I thought nothing of it, assuming she had just taken one of the flowers while we were there together last week.
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQat3tCuMI
I climbed into my bed andlayd down to sleep. Then I heard a crash. I checked the Clock. 1:00 AM, it ticked. I went to the living room and looked around. My great-grandmother's urn lay shattered on the floor. I checked to see if Heaven was still asleep. She was. So, what knocked the urn over? I hear a noise and turn to see a dark figure in my glass sliding door. I race to the door and lock it quickly, my heart racing. It seemed like a man.
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEyyyivdksa
Suddenly, why he disappeared.
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQ0Onz687J
"Am I dreaming?" I wondered aloud. I walked back to my room after getting myself a glass of milk. When I walked in, I saw something new. On my bed lay three roses with name-brand bows on them and a note.
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2oJbRNImlq
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlHGW0hvSK7
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg5Jr6LyhxD
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ87FCQaDI6Q
Dear Ms. Watkins,
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3xlbl292jH
No, you're not.
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6dbADf6GX
P.S. Do you like roses?
ns 15.158.61.19da2
