We brought the box in and sat it on the kitchen table and contemplated on what to do with it. I grabbed a knife and placed it on the box, “Do you want to open this box? Or would you like me to do it for you?”

He looked at the knife and rubbed the back of his neck, “I really dunno what we should do. I am kinda scared of what could be in there and who it could be from. It is really eerie to be here.”

I patted his shoulder as I picked up the box, “I can do it for you. I do not mind. It's weird as hxll but curiosity is killing me.”

I opened the box and honestly it was rather anticlimactic. I put the box on the table and slid it over to Louie. “It looks like it's just a little care package from Noelle. I assume she either heard from Judy or doctor Abergathy told her that I was coming to pick you up but she didn't want to tell anyone.” I pulled a piece of paper out and handed it to him, “It looks like there's a note left in here too.”

I started to pull all the things out of the box and place them on the table. There was some small bags of chips, a black and white photo of Louie and someone laying in the grass, and a rough looking flannel tee.  “Louie, why would she pack something like this, it looks worse for wear and it kinda stinks.” I held the shirt as far from myself as possible.

I dropped the shirt on the table and looked up at him waiting for a response. He had a horrified look on his face, “No. There is no way. How could he know? How? This is literally impossible.” He stood up from the table quickly and lost his balance, knocking his chair over behind him.

I got up from the table and tried to help steady him, “How could who know? What is going on?”

He lunged at me and pushed his face into my chest. I held him tight as he trembled, beginning to sob. “Louie, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s going on. I am here for you. What was in the note?” I asked as I tried to pick the paper up with my free hand.

He hiccuped and sniffled trying desperately to stop crying. I could barely make out what he was trying to say. “He. Me. You are. Danger.” Was all he could muster to say.

I patted his back and rubbed his head softly trying to smooth him, “shhh it’s okay. Whatever it is, you are safe here.”

He shook his head furiously and pushed off my chest. “NO!” He shouted, startling himself, “No. You don’t understand. It’s him. Somehow he found me. He said he is going to hurt you if I do not return to the address he sent me. He-I don’t know how he found out that I would be here or that you were helping me, but. Somehow he did!” 

He basically threw himself on my kitchen floor as he continued to wail uncontrollably. “He? You mean your ex? He found you?” I started pacing around the room. I had never expected him to find out where he was. There was no way he could know that I had picked up Louie from the hospital. There was no way he could have found my house and dropped this weird package off. “Unless…”

I squatted down on the floor next to Louie and pulled him into a tight hug. “I have an idea as to how he could have found you but you aren’t going to like it.”

He had calmed down enough and looked up at me and sniffled, “what do you mean? How do you think he could have? It’s basically impossible.”

I wiped away some of his tears with my shirt sleeve, “It’s a stretch, but I think someone might have informed him of me helping you and visiting you in the hospital. But before I make assumptions, did you happen to tell anyone at all that you were getting released today?”

He shook his head and rubbed his face dry with his shirt. “No. Only people who knew I was getting out was Judy, and my doctors.”

I rubbed the back of my neck and sighed, “Is there any slight chance that anyone else could have found out?”

He sat there thinking for a second, “I mean, it is possible that Norman could have told my mom or Noelle, but I told him not to tell anyone.”

I just shook my head as I got up off the floor, extending my hand to him to help him get up too, “That is what I thought. I think maybe he told your mom or Noelle and they accidentally let it slip at home around a certain someone.”

As he took my hand, he looked at me clearly confused, “What do you mean a certain someone? Do you mean Micah? There is no way that he would know anything about my ex. I mean he knows what he had done to me, but he doesn't know who he is or what he looks like.”

I pulled him up onto his feet and went to the fridge and got Louie a bottle of water. “We cannot be certain of anything right now. All we know is that he knows you are here and that I helped you. What exactly did he say in that note?”

He took the water and chugged it before he answered. “He basically said he knows everything and that I had better go back or he will do unspeakable things to you. He never named who you were, he just knows that you helped me and he is very pissed off about that. He obviously feels threatened because I got help from someone for once.” He held the empty bottle up and inspected it, “Well, got help from some guy he doesn't know and that isnt my family.”

I ran my hands down my face and let out an exasperated sigh, “Well I don't quite care for what he has to say. You are not going back to that place now. I guess maybe now might be a better time than any to get the police involved. As incompetent as they are, at least them knowing could add a layer of security.”