By David Lohr

(Continued)

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"Congratulations, Crystal," a note on the gift-wrapped box said. "This side up. Batteries included." Sure enough, there was a new pack of batteries taped to one side of the box. Excited at the prospect of what might be inside, Crystal ripped apart the wrapping paper and flipped open the flaps on the top of the box. As she peered inside, she thought for a moment that her eyes were deceiving her. Unfortunately, they were not, and Crystal's inquisitiveness quickly turned to horror as she ran, screaming, from the room. "Is this my dog, Grandma?" she cried over and over again.

Her granddaughter's hysterics baffled Shirley, and she ran into the room to see what all the commotion was about. When she looked inside the box, she too was horrified. Inside was Valentine candy and a black garbage bag with Chevy's bloodied head inside. Someone, as unthinkable as it may be, had decapitated the girl's pet and taken the time to gift-wrap and deliver it to the home she shared with her mother and grandmother. The family was left with two questions: who and why?

Crystal Brown

According to Shirley, Crystal suffers from psychological problems, and the dog was used as part of her therapy. Crystal would open up to the dog and share thoughts and feelings she was not comfortable telling others. The two were, according to Crystal's grandmother, "best friends."

"It tore the heart right out of her," Shirley told Crime Library. "This kid has been a dog lover since she was a little kid. She even got hit by a car trying to save a dog when she was nine years old. She ran out in the street in front of a car to grab a dog. The car hit her and broke her legs, but she saved the dog. This is how she is; she loves animals."

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Contact David Lohr  at           crimewriter74@adelphia.net

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