It took her two trips to bring everything inside. As expected, most of the packages were addressed to the other residents. But there was a small, square-shaped package with her name on it. The return label said it was from Make Better Choices. “Hey, Burt. I think your organic dog treats from Etsy are here,” she said, bringing the box into the parlor.
The dog rolled out of his chair gracelessly and trotted over to her.
“Organic dog treats?” Nick asked, scratching his bare chest.
“Wander recommended them for his digestive issues.”
“That dog’s farts can strip the paint off a car,” Mrs. Penny observed. She flopped down on the divan and helped herself to Riley’s toast.
The doorbell rang, and Gabe raced to the front door. He returned with a dozen donuts and opened the box. “You do not have power over me, donuts,” he said.
Burt lost interest in organic dog treats and tip-tapped over to Gabe.
“Donotgive him any donuts,” Riley warned Gabe.
But the man was busy performing mountain climbers over the open box of pastries with swift exhalations of breath that blew powdered sugar into Burt’s face.
“Leave them,” she told the dog sternly.
Burt pouted and settled for licking the sugar off his muzzle.
Riley grabbed a pair of scissors off the parlor’s writing desk and sliced open the box.
“Who’s ready for a special tr—”
The word was cut off by an explosive pop and a cloud of sparkle.
There was a deadly silence as every color of glitter rained down.
“What the fuck?” Nick choked.
“Oh my God.” Riley coughed as glitter invaded her nose and mouth.
Gabe, still sweating through mountain climbers, was coated in a thick layer of sparkle as if he were some kind of personal training fairy.
“Give me the fucking box,” Nick ordered.
Blindly, Riley felt around until her hands made contact with the box.
“What in the rainbow swirl hell happened in here?” Fred demanded.
“Oooooh! Did we get glitter bombed?” Lily asked from the doorway.
“Am I dead? Is this hell?”
The question came from Mrs. Penny on the divan. Her glasses were obscured by glitter.
“You’re not dead, Mrs. Penny,” Riley assured her.
“How would you know? What if you’re dead too?”
The woman had a point.
Riley coughed again, sending a small cloud of glitter back into the air.
Everything was covered. Walls, ceiling, floor, furniture, dog, donuts.
Nick, glitter clinging to his eyelashes, glared at the box.
