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Countdown (1-23-18)


“You are not welcome here.” [Link to post.]

I stared at the paper pinned to the back of my front door. I lived alone, and mentally ran through my friends that had a key to my apartment. I doubted any of them left the warning as a joke, but it was the only other explanation. My day went by quickly and I forgot all about the mysterious note, until I was ready to leave the next day. Another note pinned to the door with the same message.

"You are not welcome here." The message was scribbled in red ink, and I did not recognize the handwriting. If my friends were going to have fun with me, I decided to have fun in return. I grabbed a sheet of paper and wrote a note to leave on the back of the door.

"Why not?" I left it. After work I rushed home, but the note was still there. I almost took it down, but decided to wait until morning. The last couple of notes appeared in the morning, so it made sense to wait. When my alarm went off I ran to the door before anything else. A new note waited for me. It consisted of a single number, drawn in red marker.

"5." Not knowing what it meant I left a note on my way out to work.

"5 what?" The note remained when I came back, but the next day it was different.

"4."

"Oh." I said to myself when I realized. "Days." I shrugged and left, without leaving a note. I had nothing to say.

"3." The note said, the next day. I hated to admit it, but I was growing scared. I didn't know what would happen when it reached 1, but I didn't want to be in the apartment that night.

"2." The next day I tore the note off the door and tossed it in the trash. Then, I waved goodbye to my apartment. Luckily a friend of mine thought it would be a great weekend to get together. I would spend the next two nights over there.

I woke up on the couch, and walked to the restroom to wash up. I began to change out of my pajamas and my reflection caught my eye. In the mirror a big red number 1 was drawn on my chest. I met my own eyes in the mirror, and my reflection smiled at me.

"You are not welcome here. Enjoy your last day."

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