The Cardinal and the Astley

Jack Ridgeway parked his car in the driveway and confirmed nobody was around before getting out. He didn't notice any strange cars either. He walked towards the front door of his house and saw a small box on the porch. He stopped. He had a feeling what was in there.

A week ago, he found a box on his porch. Inside was a severed cardinal bird head and a typewritten note that said, "Wonderful you, no more looking for love. Take me to your heart, hold me in your arms." Three days later, a second box had another severed cardinal head and the typewritten note said, "Jack, whenever you need somebody, dial my number. I'll never let you down and I ain't too proud to beg." There wasn't a phone number on the note.

Jack dismissed the first cardinal head and note. He figured it was some kids in the neighborhood playing some bizarre joke. But the next note mentioned his name and he became worried.

Who was doing this? How much did they know about him? The last few days, he eyed people, especially women, suspiciously. But it could be a man, which really disturbed him. Jack racked his brain for anyone he knew who would do something like this. He couldn't think of anybody.

He went to the box and carefully opened it. It was another severed cardinal head and a typewritten note. "Jack, my arms keep missing you. Never gonna give you up. I'll never set you free, together forever."

Whoever left this had a sick sense of humor or was unhinged. Then he realized the text of the notes were Rick Astley song titles. What did that mean? When he got in the house, he would call the police.

He put the note back in the box, unlocked the front door and went inside. After locking the door, he set the box on a nearby end table. He looked down the short vestibule that connected to another hallway to his left and the living room in front of him. Taking quiet, deliberate steps, Jack's heart raced and he breathed through his nose. He stayed in the middle, seeing if anyone was at the end of the hallway to his left or in the hidden corner of the living room to his right, waiting for him.

He bounded out of the vestibule and into the living room, his back to the hallway. Jack drew a quick breath when he saw a woman sitting on his couch in the corner.

She looked surprised. "Hey, you're not John."

Jack didn't know who she was. She was an attractive brunette, but that didn't matter now. "Who are you? What are you doing in my house?"

She looked embarrassed. "This is awkward. I thought you were John Ridgeway."

"Who's John Ridgeway? And who are you?"

She gave him a quick smile and said, "I'm Nora. Sorry, I thought you were John and I let myself in."

This wasn't making sense to him. "How?"

"I found your key on the front porch. John told me it would be there."

Jack wondered how she found the key. "Who's John Ridgeway?"

"He's a guy I'm supposed to meet. He told me to come to his house at 1256 El Cahon Avenue." She fidgeted and asked, "Is John your brother?"

That was his address. What was going on here? "I don't have a brother." Jack slowly backed towards the hallway. "I think you need to leave."

She got up from the couch and put her hands on her hips. "I should. I feel so stupid. Sorry."

Jack asked, "Did you leave a box at my door?"

She looked puzzled. "A box?"

Jack's breaths became shallow. "I found a box with a cardinal head and a note with Rick Astley song titles."

She let out a nervous laugh and said, "Why would I do something like that?" Jack thought she was lying. He heard the floor creak behind him.

Jack turned to his left in time to see a man in the hallway with a large knife bearing down on him. The knife swung down and grazed his left forearm, leaving a shallow cut. Jack used the palm of his right hand to strike the man in the chest. The man reeled back for a moment, giving Jack a chance to run towards the kitchen. That's when he noticed Nora had a gun aimed at him. He dove into the kitchen as she fired. She missed.

Jack crashed to the floor. He got up as she entered the kitchen. He leaped at her, tackling her to the ground. He saw the gun come out of her hand. They both went for the gun. He got it first and fired.

He watched the life leave her eyes. Jack raised the gun at the knife wielding man, who was a few feet away from him. The man cried, "You killed her! You killed my Nora!" He lunged towards Jack, who fired. The man fell in front of him. He watched the man's blood pooling on the linoleum.

Jack shook violently and felt sick. He got up, steadying himself on the edge of the kitchen table. He placed the gun on the table and collapsed into a chair.

It was all a blur after that. The police arrived and he told them what happened. Jack found out the couple he shot were wanted by the FBI for the murders of ten single men in six different states. They used the severed bird heads and Rick Astley song titles to terrorize their victims before killing them. Jack was going to be next. But he got them first. From then on, whenever he saw a cardinal or heard a Rick Astley song, he'd relive the horror of that day.