White Alabasters

The Alphabetically Dated Letter

Six months later.......

On a bright sunny noon , I was summoned by the warden to receive a parcel delivered in my name. The delivery guy was clueless about the sender and so was the parcel,which raised doubts. I was hoping for a surprise birthday present sent by my family in advance but I ended up receiving a brown envelope measuring two handspans . Tearing it open, I expected to grab tickets to my home town for the weekend or atleast bookings for a luxurious holiday. My excitement had a fall to find a letter. "A letter really! why ? " , I scoffed, "Who sends a letter in the era of email and online texting." Nonetheless I unfolded the paper, with a slick sound another rectangular envelope dropped out. I kneeled down to pick it up and kept it on the study table after scanning for a while. Returning my gaze on the anonymous letter , I started reading," Miss, if you are as firm as your experiences and your words foreshadow your intellect. Must follow the path. " "Wait ! What? " , I exclaimed at the peculiar statements. At first I thought this is some creepy prank or threat that I must report as per safety guidelines. In confusion, my sight dropped on the rectangular envelope . Opening the seal on the edge of the white washed paper, I stroked it to let out the paper it secured. It was a form which had ' Dura Metallon '

residing in bold at its crown. It was a form for applicants who were out for getting a job. A college student who isn't graduated is for sure not qualified to apply for a respectful position, what will they hire me for? Oh! but who would say no to a humble pay cheque. Maybe I could apply for a part time job. I finally decided to give it a chance and started investigating to verify that it wasn't a fraud . I contacted my trusted professor and one of my seniors from the Student Council to help me verify the status of the form. As for the source, I knew that Dura Metallon was a corporation dealing in metal ore mining . I searched the web for further information, it opened a window of horizon. The Dura Metallon Corporation is tenth on the finance list of the world. It has three branches, first one established on highest standards of corporate system containing the board of directors and the company officials . It works as the headquarters governing the further two branches. The second branch is focused on the research work and financial proposals. It works as the messenger between the two sections . The third branch is works with mining sectors, dealing with the on ground situations and reporting to the centre.

As per my field of expertise and temperament , the second branch seemed suitable.

As soon as the form was verified by my trusted people, I registered online and got the timings of the interview , that were to take place coming Wednesday.

Although something about the letter was still ticking my mind but I still consoled my racing fears. I skyped my family and told them about applying in the Dura Metallon Corporation for a part time job , encapsulating the details about the mysterious letter. They would have just worried about me and commanded me to quit. As I was helping my brother with his aptitude homework, the first word of mystery letter flashed through my mind, if we go five backwards the number of the alphabet' M ' , we get the date of the month for today. I declined the thought for a coincidence. I laughed at my over analysis and ended the video call.

I was standing at a bus stand when a random person asked for my contact number. Strangely enough I started telling my mobile number to him, he demanded me to write it down on a paper. Obeying his order I started writing my number on a thin slip which appeared in my grip at a glance. But to my surprise, the numbers on the paper changed to alphabets which flew in the air detaching from the paper. I got up from my bed with extensive breathing and switched on the study lamp beside me . I messed up everything on the table to find the letter. I opened the letter and decoded it to find the first alphabet of each of the first six words stood for today's date.