Surprise!

A surprise party of the darker kind.

The phone was ringing again. Ken was reaching for the phone when Sylvia said, "Don't bother to answer that, they'll just hang up. I've been getting those calls all day. They never say anything, just breath into the phone." Sylvia explained. Then closing her blue eyes, she shivered, "It's kind of creepy."

"You should call the phone company first thing in the morning, Syl." Ken said giving his wife a kiss as he ran his fingers through her long blond hair. "Sorry, I've got to be out of town tonight, Syl,. We'll celebrate your birthday on Friday night. Would you like to go out to Damiano's for Italian?"

"I'd love that, honey! You have a good flight, call me tonight before you go to sleep. I've got my bereavement group until about nine, but I might stop at the store on the way home, so don't call till after ten. I love you, honey!" Sylvia gave her husband a kiss and a lingering embrace.

"Happy Birthday, Sweetheart," Ken whispered as he deepened the kiss, his hands caressing her body. Their little dog started yipping, dancing around their ankles wanting in on the action.

Reluctantly, Sylvia pulled away from her husband. "You better get going or you'll miss your flight."

Giving the Yorkie a pat, Ken said, "Good-bye Pepper, keep Sylvia company for me while I'm gone."

After Ken left, the phone ran again. Sylvia was ready to give the caller an earful, when she realized it was her neighbor, Evie, on the line. "You don't need to pick me up for group tonight, Sylvia. I'm not feeling well, I think I'll stay home." Evie said.

Evie was Sylvia's neighbor, a fifty-eight year old with salt and pepper hair and warm brown eyes. She had been widowed about a year and a half ago, after her husband, Harold, died of lung cancer. Sylvia dropped by Evie's with a casserole, after hearing about Harold's death, and they quickly became friends. Sylvia monitored a bereavement group, and she encouraged Evie to join.

"I hope it's nothing serious." Sylvia worried.

"No, no, it's just a sinus headache," Evie answered, "I'll take some medicine and put some heat on my face. I'll be fine in a few hours."

"We'll miss you tonight, Evie. Hope you feel better. If you need me to pick up anything Sweetie, just give me a call." Sylvia offered as she hung up.

The bereavement meeting had been in progress for about ten minutes when Sylvia looked up, surprised to find Evie. "Feeling better Evie?" Sylvia asked.

All smiles, Evie held up a container bearing chocolate cupcakes. "Happy Birthday, Sylvia!"

"Oh, Evie, you shouldn't have gone to all that work! " Sylvia said, "But, thank you for remembering my birthday."

It was sweet of Evie to make the cupcakes, but Sylvia just couldn't get over the feeling that something was off with Evie tonight. Evie was barely paying attention as the discussion went on. Her foot tapped a nervous dance on the floor as she picked invisible lint off her pants.

Sylvia pulled Evie aside after the meeting. "OK Evie, what's going on?" Sylvia questioned. "I know you well enough to know something isn't right!"

Evie's chin began to quiver and as Sylvia pulled her into an embrace, the tears started flowing. "I...I've been looking for a job for months now. The jobs I get at the temp agency are so few and far between, the bills just keep piling up. Nobody wants to hire a 58 years old woman with no job skills!" Evie was visibly angry now. "The bank is repossessing my house," Evie spat out, "The house that Harold built for me with his own two hands!" That said, Evie turned and pushed her way through the crowd around the cupcakes. Grabbing up the leftover cupcakes, Evie left.

Driving home, the lights from an oncoming car momentarily blinded Sylvia. Her eyes blinked and she glanced to the side of the road. The windshield wipers swished back and forth as the rain drizzled down. Slyvia absently pushed her hair back off her face. Sylvia's thoughts were on Evie. It was nice of Evie to make those cupcakes for me, but she sure wasn't herself. I can't believe how angry she got. What in the world can I do to help her?

Sylvia pulled into the grocery store parking lot, then quickly popped in to buy some mint chocolate chip ice cream, her favorite. A girl's got to celebrate her thirty-fifth birthday, even if her husband is out of town.

Sylvia parked her car out in front of her house. The house looked so cold and forbidding. I'm going to talk to Kevin about having children on Friday. It's so lonesome coming home to an empty house when Kevin is out on the road. A tear traveled down Sylvia's cheek as she thought about celebrating her birthday alone.

As Sylvia exited her car, thunder growled a warning like an angry Rottweiler. Balancing her briefcase, purse and the ice cream, Sylvia dashed up the front walk. The storm escalating, rain pelted down, drenching Sylvia. She was unlocking the front door when a bolt of lightning stuck close by, causing her to jump. Blinded by the lightning, the house appeared so dark. Didn't I leave a light on?

Sylvia closed the door and locked it automatically. Flicking the light switch, she called out, "Pepper, where are you baby?" A wave of foreboding swept over Sylvia when the light didn't come on. "Did the storm scare you?" she continued. Where is Pepper, she always greets me at the door? Focused on finding for her dog, Sylvia put down her purse and the ice cream, then took off her coat. Grabbing the ice cream back up, Sylvia headed for the living room.

Sylvia fumbled with the light switch in the living room, but this light, too, refused to turn on. No...the storm must have taken out the electricity. Heading towards the kitchen, intent on seeing if the flashlight in the drawer had batteries, lightning illuminated the room. Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed something on the floor. What was that?

As thunder, like a train barreling down the tracks toward her, shook the house and the room again flooded with light, Sylvia saw that the object on the floor was her dog. "Pepper!" she screamed dropping the ice cream, "What's the matter baby?" Bending down she turned the lifeless dog over. She felt the blood before she saw it. Pepper's fur was matted with it!

From behind her, Sylvia heard a voice whisper, “Surprise!” With a little cry, Sylvia jumped back up to her feet in alarm. Just then, the kitchen was filled with the eerie light from another bolt of lightning. Dazed and confused, Sylvia saw a chocolate cupcake sitting in the middle of the table. Immediately, a knife was thrust into her back. Sylvia never saw her attacker. Falling to the floor, Sylvia's eyes focused on the chocolate cupcake sitting on her kitchen table. As the life seeped from Sylvia's body, and the ice cream melted around her, Sylvia thought of Kevin, but crazily her mind kept returning to that cupcake. This is one a hell of a surprise party.

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