My heart was racing! I felt a surge of guilt for reading a letter that wasn’t meant for me, but that emotion was quickly overshadowed by a growing sense of dread. The contents of the letter were alarming, to say the least!

As I waited for my call to the police to go through, I continued reading:

“…I DON’T TRUST ANYONE! DO NOT CONTACT THE POLICE, THEY LIE! SOON WE WILL BE TOGETHER, JUST KNOW THAT I WILL BE LET GO FROM HERE ONE DAY! PLEASE LEAVE YOUR ANSWER TO MY LETTER IN YOUR MAILBOX TODAY AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO ME.”

I couldn’t believe what I was reading. Who was this from? Ruth’s son? Did she even have a son? I had so many questions and no answers. My second instinct was to run over to Ruth’s house and ask her about it, but the frantic tone of the letter made me think twice.

What if it was some kind of sick joke? Or worse, what if it was real? I stood there for what felt like an eternity, clutching the letter as my mind raced while I waited for 911 to pick up. When the dispatcher finally answered, I quickly explained the situation, trying to keep my voice steady.

They told me to stay put and that officers would be sent to my address immediately. While I waited, I found myself staring at Ruth’s house. It was quiet, as usual. The curtains were drawn, and there was no sign of movement.

I wondered what my neighbor was doing inside, completely unaware of the chaos brewing just outside her door. The police arrived within minutes. Two officers approached me, their expressions serious. I handed them the letter, explaining how it had ended up in my hands.

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