The old leather suitcase sat in the middle of Arthur’s dining table like it had been waiting for him. Its brass latches were dull with age, and the handle was cracked from years of travel. Arthur leaned closer, his heart beating faster than it had in a long time.
With one hard push, the first latch snapped open. The second followed with a sharp click that echoed through his quiet apartment. Inside, under layers of yellowed tissue paper, something was wrapped in dark velvet. Arthur carefully pulled the fabric back.
A flash of silver caught the light. Then came a soft, steady ticking sound. Arthur froze. The thing inside the suitcase was moving. Suddenly, his cheap auction find no longer felt like a bit of harmless fun. It felt like a dangerous mistake…