Quick Tales

In the quiet town of Meadowgrove, where nothing ever happened, John Hawthorne received his first anonymous message on a crisp autumn morning. He was walking home from the local coffee shop, "The Brewing Pot," when he noticed a small, folded piece of paper tucked into his coat pocket. It wasn't there when he left his house that morning. He unfolded it, revealing neat, handwritten letters:

"Beware, John. The clock is ticking."

He dismissed it as a prank, crumpling the paper and tossing it into the nearest trash can. But later that night, another note appeared on his kitchen counter. This one read:

"Three days until the blood flows."

John's heart pounded in his chest. He lived alone since his wife passed away two years ago, and he had no enemies. Who would do this? And why? He decided to ignore it, hoping it was just someone playing a cruel joke.

The next day, another note arrived, slipped under his front door. "Two days left. You can't stop what's coming." John couldn't shake off the unease gnawing at him. He called the local police station, but Officer Linda Harris dismissed his concerns. "It's probably just a kid playing pranks," she said. "But if it happens again, call us immediately."

That night, John barely slept. He tossed and turned, haunted by the ominous messages. When morning came, he found another note on his pillow. "One day left. The victim is close to you." Panic surged through him like a tidal wave. He rushed to call Officer Harris again, but this time, she took him seriously.

"Stay at home," she instructed. "We'll send someone over to protect you until we figure out who's doing this."

John paced around his house, waiting for the police. His mind raced with questions and fears. Who was the intended victim? And why would someone warn him about it?

Officer Harris arrived with a rookie cop named Mike. They searched the house but found nothing out of the ordinary. "We'll keep watch outside," Mike said. "You stay inside, lock your doors."

John tried to focus on work, but his mind was elsewhere. He checked his email and saw an unread message from an unknown sender:

"The victim is someone you care about deeply. You have until noon to save them."

A chill ran down John's spine. His daughter, Emily, lived in the next town over with her husband and their newborn son. He dialed her number, but it went straight to voicemail. Panic rose within him like a dark tide.

He called Officer Harris again, his voice shaking. "My daughter...she might be the target."

"We'll send someone over to her place right away," she assured him.

John couldn't sit still any longer. He grabbed his keys and rushed out of the house, ignoring Mike's protests. He had to save Emily and his grandson. The drive to their house felt like an eternity. When he finally arrived, he saw police cars parked outside. Relief washed over him until he noticed the ambulance.

He rushed inside, where Emily lay on the couch, her face pale and covered in sweat. Her husband, Tom, held their baby close, tears streaming down his face. "What happened?" John asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"She started feeling sick this morning," Tom explained. "We thought it was just the flu, but then she collapsed."

John looked at his daughter, fear gripping him like a vice. He pulled out his phone and dialed Officer Harris again. "Emily's been poisoned," he said, his voice trembling. "I need to know who sent those messages."

Officer Harris promised to do everything in her power to find the culprit. John paced around the room, waiting for news while Emily fought for her life. Hours passed like agonizing minutes until finally, Officer Harris called back.

"We found something," she said. "The messages were sent from a public library computer. We're running tests to trace the IP address."

John let out a sigh of relief. At least they had a lead now. He turned his attention back to Emily, praying for her recovery. The hours ticked by slowly until finally, Officer Harris called again.

"We have him," she said. "It's Tom. Your son-in-law."

John was taken aback. Why would Tom want to harm Emily? Then it hit him - the life insurance policy they had recently taken out on each other. If something happened to either of them, the other would receive a substantial amount of money.

Officer Harris explained that Tom had been having an affair and wanted to be with his mistress full-time. He planned to kill Emily and make it look like an accident, then collect the insurance money and run away together. The messages were meant to throw suspicion off himself by making John believe someone else was targeting Emily.

John felt a wave of anger and betrayal wash over him. How could Tom do this to his own family? He demanded that Officer Harris arrest Tom immediately. As they led Tom away in handcuffs, John turned his attention back to Emily, who was finally awake and stable.

"I love you, Dad," she whispered, reaching out for his hand. "Thank you for saving me."

Tears welled up in John's eyes as he squeezed her hand tightly. "I'll always be here for you, sweetheart," he said, determined to protect her and their family no matter what challenges lay ahead.