Special Delivery (part 1)

 The large box arrived late in the afternoon on December 26th. Maddie wasn't expecting any packages or deliveries, so she found the box laying at her doorway very strange. It had no labels whatsoever. The rush of the holidays had died down. Maddie had recently returned home from visiting her family out of state, and was enjoying the peace and quiet. She hauled the box inside in case someone would come looking for it later. A couple of days passed and no one came to claim the box. Maddie decided to open the box to see if there was any clue regarding the actual recipient of the box.

Inside were three items. A very voluminous black coat, a bottle of wine, and a compact disc. She picked them up and laid then down in the sofa. It was such a weird combination, and yet still no clue who it was for. The wine looked like a nice fancy Rioja. The CD had no markings at all. Maddie picked up the coat, it was long and thick, with a big fur trimmed hood. Maybe a little bit too thick and long for her taste, but definitely warm. Maddie opened up the coat and slipped her arms in. She walked towards a wall mirror. The coat fit her perfectly, even if it wasn't her style. The coat was very plain and utilitarian. It reached down to her calf, and had a large good, but was devoid of any embellishments. Maddie slipped her hands into the spacious pockets and noticed a folded piece of paper. In plain printed letters it read:

"Bundle up in your new coat, relax with some music, and have a nice glass of wine."

Maddie was even more puzzled, it seemed such a bizarre scenario. But a nice glass of Rioja was always a good touch. She took off the coat and threw it back in the box, and went to the kitchen to grab a wine glass and a corkscrew.  Maddie settled down with her glass of wine and noticed the CD laying next to the bottle. It was a burned CD, without any markings. Curiosity got the best of her, and she decided to pop it into her sound system to have a listen. It probably had been years since the last time Maddie played a CD, but her player still worked.

A faint nature soundscape opened, followed by rhythmic drums with a relaxing beat. The beat went on and on. Maddie was starting to relax, just like the note said. She got out of the couch to grab a second wine glass, but felt a slight chill creep up under the pajamas she was wearing. She looked around and grabbed the coat that lying in the box. She slipped her arms into the coat, zipped it up, and curled up with a blanket and her wine. Listening to the nature sounds and repeating beat, she drifted into sleep in no time.

part 2...