Surprise in the cargo – Tales of the Courier
It is three in the morning and the last delivery is on the way. The rain lashes across the windshield as the ride slices through the night. 1courier checks the rear view. Again. Still nothing. He’s been on this road for quite some time now. Surely he was close to the drop-off. He checks the m-com link again. There’s nothing. In fact, he’s been cut off from HQ for the last thirty miles.
The noise happens again. 1courier silences himself, and his every movement. Then he strains to hear where the sound is coming from. It’s a soft, but purposeful, sound. And as suddenly as it starts, it stops. More signs blaze past. He speeds along the highway, watching each one carefully. Tech is nice, but couriers don’t need it to get the job done.
More signs blaze past the window. 1courier discovers his exit is next. The m-com link sits silently on the seat beside him. It is fortunate that he makes it a habit to memorize everything from the start. Therefore, he knows where this delivery is going. Which might be okay under normal circumstances. However, so far, this delivery has been anything but normal.
Surprise in the Cargo
All of that was thirty minutes ago. As for now, he is still walking. In the rain. Furthermore, he is carrying the awkwardly sized box, containing the cargo. Even more coincidental, he has discovered the source of the strange sounds. The large box thuds internally, then rattles so hard 1courier loses his grip, and drops the box. He feels a brief sense of relief, when there are no sounds of breaking glass, as it lands on the muddy ground.
Next, it rattles and shakes, even more. Then it flips over. 1courier is reaching for the package when it flips, and rolls. Almost as though it is trying to avoid him. He grins. Packages don’t try to do anything. They are packages. He reaches for the package again, and this time it flips upward, and strikes him on the shin.
Pain explodes from his shin. So he kicks the package. Whatever is in the box, is heavy enough to leave a painful welt. The strange box slides across the pavement in the rain. Then the package flips upward again, and this time, it lands itself on its edge. 1courier watched it orient itself in mid-air. Much like a cat landing on its feet.
Tales of the Courier
He stares at the now still package, and the pain in his shin throbs and smarts. The box is just plain mean. There was a surprise in the cargo. 1courier shakes his head. This has become strange. As well as an inconvenience. He looks back at the now, faraway, ride. It was warm, and dry, in there. He looks up the hill, to the waiting porch of the drop-off. All he had to do was get that damn box, up to that damn door.
He grins. Raindrops keep falling on his head. He walks over to the package and picks it up again. Next, he gets his move on. And so does the package. It rattles then shakes so hard he nearly drops it. Again. Now he is bear hugging the thing to keep from losing it. This is when he decides to run, the rest of the way to the porch.
He’s almost there. Ten, maybe twelve steps. The rain is falling hard now. Likewise, he is running hard. And fighting to hold onto the wildly chaotic package. Therefore it’s no surprise when he trips and goes sailing through the air. The package breaks free and tumbles to the porch where it lands on its robot feet. 1courier, and not gracefully, lands in the mud. Face first. He looks up at the porch in time to see the robot unlock the door and step inside. He grins. Mission complete.
Like, share and follow the anonymous courier on X at @Theanonymousc1. Like and follow here for the Facebook page The Anonymous Courier on FB. Also find The anonymous courier on Pinterest.
Click on the Subscribe link to receive updates on new posts, updated posts and new features. Join today.
Surprise in the Cargo
Comment here