The Note | Teen Ink

The Note

September 16, 2023
By ml-7250 BRONZE, Miramar, Florida
ml-7250 BRONZE, Miramar, Florida
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

          BEEP! BEEP! The obnoxious alarm startled Jason to life from his deep slumber. Another Wednesday.  His sleepy, hazel eyes shimmered in the morning sunlight, as he got up and got ready for school. His brunette hair overshadowed his eyes …  “JAY!!! SWEETIE!!! IT’S TIME FOR PANCAKES!!!”, exclaimed his grandmother from the kitchen table. His Nana was an old, homely woman who has been raising Jason ever since he became an orphan at the age of 6.  
          It was a typical Wednesday morning, with the stove top sizzling from the pancake mix and Jason getting dressed for school. His grandmother would wake up 30 minutes earlier every morning just to make some of his favorite breakfasts – a tradition that kept going even after entering high school.  
          “WOW!!! You even added flower-shaped fruits on top of the maple pancakes!! Just how I like it!!! Thank you, Nana! You really are the best in the whole world!”, replied Jason after seeing the decorations around his morning plate.  
          After devouring the maple pancakes with a side of orange juice, Jason quickly helped Nana wash the dishes and kissed her goodbye before heading to school. As he made his way out of the small house, he stumbled upon an old, crumbled-up letter on the cracked, rocky pavement.  


A note. 


“Hmm. I wonder who’s it for.”, he said to himself.  


          Out of curiosity he picked it up and to his surprise it was addressed to him – by an anonymous person. Chills began racing down his spine … as he carefully teared the envelope open, revealing an even older-looking piece of paper that had handwriting on it – but there was one thing about it that made Jason jump – it looked as if he wrote the letter … “There’s over 8 billion people in the world. I’d be surprised if there wasn’t at least 2 people that shared the same handwriting.”, he tried to convince himself.  
He began to read it –  


“Hi Jason. I need to tell you something that you must never reveal to anyone. It’s about your past, how you became an orphan, and the truth about Nana …”  


          His heart stopped beating for a moment, thoughts racing through his mind. “What type of sick prank is this? WHOEVER THIS IS, YOU BETTER STOP! THIS IS NOT FUNNY!”, shouted Jason to his surroundings, hoping this mysterious person would stop. He shoved the letter into his backpack, hoping to forget about what he had just read. The rest of the day, Jason could not get the letter out of his mind …  


          “What if they’re telling the truth? I could finally know what happened to my parents …” 
A week has passed since the mysterious incident, and Jason seemed to have forgotten about the letter … until he got back home from school one fateful Wednesday, with the same letter sitting on his desk. Same envelope. Same address.  
He opened it –  


“Jason. Listen to me carefully. Your parents did not die by accident. You probably think they died in a fire or a car crash, but no. The night they died; they were both intoxicated through drinks and stabbed multiple times at a family dinner party because they announced that they would be moving to a different state after your 6th birthday. The killer decomposed their bodies in a faraway valley where no one could find them. They died at the hands of someone who is close to you. Someone who wanted to keep you close to them forever. I cannot tell you who over letter. Meet me at your secret hideout in the playground you often go to after sundown next Wednesday. Until then, keep silent. Be aware of your surroundings …”  


Jason felt sick. This person is absolutely psychotic, he thought.  
CREACKKKKKKK!  
 
“Jay! I’ve made your favorite dessert! Brown bread ice cream with marmalade pudding! Oh. Were you doing something?” 
“Nana! I was just doing some homework. I’ll be with you in a sec!”. 
 
          Goosebumps sprang up all over Jason’s body. This needs to stop. Jason packed his most trusted boomerang in case he needed defense. The day finally came … Wednesday. It was sundown exactly. He headed toward the playground, behind the bushes, and into his secret hideout, where he found a young adult guy, muscular and lean.  
          “I’ve been waiting for you. I’m you 5 years in the future. I’ve been writing letters to you, warning you of this person that killed your parents. Nana. She drugged and murdered them. She’s waiting until you turn 18 to carve your heart out and sacrifice it to the unknown leader of the cult she’s in. She’s INSANE. You need to GET AWAY from her now. Tonight, she will try to lure you to the backyard and prepare you for her ritual. Run away, NOW! I must leave, or else she’ll know I'm here”.   
          Jason was speechless – but he had a feeling his future self was right. So, that night he packed some clothes and biked to his best friend, Daniel’s house to sleep over. Eventually, he reported Nana, and the police investigated his house. Turns out, his future self was telling the truth. They found a whole warehouse filled with torture weapons and jars of body animal intestines … He was glad he was safe – but he felt somewhat disappointed.  
           After all, he knew about Nana’s secret from the beginning. As the atrocious leader of the secret cult, Jason was waiting for the perfect moment to sacrifice her head to the god he worshipped on his 18th birthday. The anniversary of his parents' death …  


The author's comments:

This piece was the very first thriller/mystery themed writing I have ever written. It gave me a chance to explore other genres and opened a new door to the world of writing. 


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