Delivery
‘Ciao! ‘Italiano’ speaking! Che cosa fare tu volere oggi? (What do you want today?)
The man must have understood Italian, for he replied back, ‘Yes. Do you have anything in the specials today?’
The man’s voice was cold and rasping, with slight warmth in it. Possibly he wasn’t well.
‘Yes indeed, signor! Would you entertain yourself by having the Red Penne Delight or the Béchamel Fusilli Supreme?’
‘Um, I’ll have the second one, please. I would like it fresco e delizioso (fresh and delicious). I want to receive it in thirty minutes.’ The man replied in the same rasping voice.
Rob had hung up by noting the address, and giving the assurance that it would be done soon.
He looked up. The building was there, alright. The man told him that he lived on the third floor. His name would be on the door. So, without any further delay, Rob entered.
As he slowly walked up the stairs, he felt that someone was watching him from behind, though, upon turning back, he found absolutely no one. The place was also very quiet, illuminated by dim lights here and there; making it look like that no one has lived over here for years…
The feeling of someone else watching him grew stronger as Rob went up to the second floor. By this time, Rob could feel his temple covered with sweat. Who was this person, following him continuously? Was this some kind of prank, or did the surroundings of this silent place had something to do with it?
Upon reaching the third floor, Rob began searching for the flat where Mr. Summerton lived. As he pondered about, he finally stood before flat no.3E. There, in gold letters it was written:
‘Jacob Summerton’
Rob wanted to get out of here as fast as he could after delivering the food. He presses the doorbell. Once. Twice. Thrice. No one answered from within.
After standing there for five minutes, Rob was wondering what to do, when suddenly he saw that the door was slightly ajar. He knocked on the door, and it gave way. It was dark inside. Rob took one step inside. Weird, he thought. Had the man opened the door only for him? Maybe he was a busy person. Maybe he had some important stuff to do and did not like to be interrupted by the doorbell, so….
Rob’s thoughts stopped as he approached the room, and let out a shriek. The parcel fell down.
There was a large black sofa, placed at the centre, just in the direction right to Rob, and there – as if he was sleeping – lay the owner, Mr. Summerton! He had a dagger placed deep into his heart, and blood stained everything around him! The terror even increased, when Rob saw that his hands were suddenly covered with deep red – blood!
Rob didn’t stay there anymore. He rushed from the room, clambered down the three floors. While he was running down, he looked back to see if anything or anyone was coming after him. The sight and the silence of this damned building were too much for him to handle. He was nearly about to go out, when he suddenly stumbled into someone. It was a caretaker of the house down the street.
‘Watch your step, young man! What happened? Has there been an accident?’ the old man asked.
Rob hurriedly explained the horrifying sight which he saw back there. The man looked at Rob, and laughed aloud, saying, ‘M’boy, the summer heat has truly got into your brain! Say, you are havin’ a sunstroke at night? Look behind!’
Rob turned back, and to his horror, he saw that where he had gone to deliver his meal, it was nothing but just a dilapidated old building! It looked like it was about to fall. But then…
‘Didn’t you hear the story? Seven years ago old Jacob Summerton lived here. He was murdered you see, by a delivery boy – who in disguise was actually a serial killer. Oh, what a terrible sight it was! Ever since then, I warn every delivery boy to not come near this place. It’s not good, especially at this point of time….after his death, I heard that those boys who went in over there never returned…..you’re a lucky chap to have survived and come out…yeah, ol’ Summerton has still vengeance boiling in his heart.’
‘But, but, how did you know all of this?’ Rob asked him.
The old man looked at him, a grin came up, and he said:
‘It’s funny that you should ask, for I was the caretaker of that house. The delivery boy also had murdered me that unfortunate night! Ha Ha Ha!’
Rob felt that he was slowly falling down to the ground…..his surroundings twisted and turned all around him…this man….was dead?
‘Oh, one more thing. You know what delivery did the boy come to give? Why, it was a Béchamel Fusilli Supreme! Ha!’
But Rob wasn’t listening. He had already fainted….
***
M.Macabre
21.07.2020
Image courtesy: Google Images
Comments
Post a Comment