That morning had been cold and foggy, a sign I didn’t quite realize, when the package had arrived. I was only a kid then, and that might’ve been the only thing to save me.

The doorbell rang, and when opened only a small brown box lay on the stoop of that old house. The first few minutes my mother and I sat there and stared. My only thoughts were, sadly of excitement, Is it from Dad? Did my Daddy finally send me my birthday gift? Wrong. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

We opened the package half in confusion and excitement, but when the bottom was reached and all hell broke loose, there was nothing left. Nothing but myself and the remains of package and my mother.