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 Posted: Sat Oct 12, 2024 8:00 pm
The Call (1) : An unknown number calls you. Maybe you pick it up, maybe you don’t, but the message is the same–someone on the other line is warning you about something. They seem to have details that give credence to whatever they’re warning you about, but there’s something particularly unbelievable about it all–because, they sound like you. And they know things only you would know. And then, the line drops, and you’re left alone. If you try to call the number back, it’s been disconnected. If it was a prank, it was a good one. But, maybe there was something more to it.
Because why not?
She had just gotten ready for bed when she got perhaps the creepiest phone call of her entire life. Granted, she was only fourteen, nearly fifteen, so that may not be saying too much but still. No one should ever receive weird, staticky phone calls one after the other, with the final one being a one-sided conversation with someone who sounded exactly like them, whispering horrible, horrible things into their ear.
No one likes you. No one trusts you. You aren’t good enough, will never be good enough. You’ll never make your parents proud.
Stop lying to yourself.
Her frantic attempts to call whoever it was back only got her to the automated message about the line being disconnected, so Siobhan laid awake in her bed overnight. Between her thoughts spiraling into very dark places and all the crying, her eyes were red and puffy, and she looked like a panda with how dark the circles were under her eyes.
So it stood to reason that she called Cressida as soon as it seemed reasonable, and she hurried on over. As soon as she laid eyes on her friend, Siobhan ran straight to her, hoping for a great, big, comforting hug.
“Cressiiiiiiieeeeeeeee!” she cried. Sobbed, really. It was probably hard to understand her. "It was awful! She was awful to me! It was so weird, too!”
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Posted: Sat Oct 12, 2024 8:48 pm
Cressida had of course allowed Siobhan over, Siobhan was her best friend, apart from Alice, and she could come over whenever she wished to. However, she hadn’t been prepared for the state that her friend was going to be in, nor the fact that she was going to have arms flung around her, and for a moment, Cressida just stood there, limp and finally, reached up, returning the hug and patting her friend on the back.
“Sibby. Hush. Wait until we get to my room. The Monster is home today, and I don’t want her to know that you’re upset.”
There was quiet authority in her voice and she gently drew away, keeping on hand on Siobhan’s elbow as she led the still sobbing girl to her bedroom and pulled them both inside, locking the door behind them.
“What happened? Who was awful to you? Give me names, Sibby. I’ll take care of it.”
Hopefully her mother hadn’t heard any of this. She didn’t want another lecture about how having ‘weak friends makes you a weak person’. Cressida didn’t have the energy.
“Come now, you’re all right. I’m here.”
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Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2024 6:19 pm
Siobhan did her best to control herself as they made their way to Cressida’s room. It wasn’t a long trip, but once they were behind closed doors she was thankfully able to stay calm. She was taking deep breaths, trying to get the voice out of her head.
“No idea, but they were horrible. I got a string of random, really staticky calls last night. I wasn’t really screening the calls, but on the third call whoever was doing it finally said something.”
She paused at that point, panic now mixing with the fear in her eyes. “And she sounded just like me! And she was saying all these awful things to me. Like how no one likes me, and that I’m not good enough, and…and…”
Going back over the events reduced the poor girl to tears once more, though knowing that Cressie’s mom was home she cried as quietly as she could manage given everything.
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Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2024 5:47 pm
“Well, whoever it was, they were absolutely wrong. If someone doesn’t like you, they’re idiots.” Cressida’s words were a growl and she pulled Siobhan into a tight embrace, patting her on the top of the head. “Did you block the numbers, Sibby? Give me the numbers and I’ll tell them what’s what. I’ll track them down. If they’re someone at school, I’ll make sure that they rue the day that they decided to pick on my best friend. You’re one of the greatest people in this entire city.”
Honestly, Cressida was a little surprised that Siobhan was reacting this way. Her friend had confidence, confidence that she deserved to have, rightly so. But.
“Is there something else bothering you? This isn’t…a normal reaction for you. You have it together better than this, Sibby. What’s really going on?”
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Posted: Sat Oct 19, 2024 12:33 am
She hugged her bestie just as tight, bobbling her head both in agreement–she knew whoever it was, was lying, but hurtful words were hurtful words–and in answer to her question. Once the tears fully subsided, Siobhan let go and wiped at her eyes and cheeks.
“Mhmm. I tried calling back a few times but got that ‘line is disconnected’ message thing,” she explained through her sniffles. “I blocked it after that.” She was calm again, though, thanks in no small part to Cressida. She always knew what to say and what to do to get her on the path to feeling better, no matter the reason for her upset. This time was no exception.
“Thanks, Cressie,” she said as she pulled her phone out and navigated to her recent calls before handing it over. “Here. It’s just the one number…”
The question that followed gave her pause, and it took her a minute to assess her current situation and the reason for her reaction. Cressida was right–this wasn’t a normal reaction for her. School had just started so it wasn’t really that, home life was…well, home life. There wasn’t really anything she could pinpoint that might have knocked her off kilter, so ultimately she shook her head.
She was about to explain when Cressida’s phone started ringing. Siobhan flinched at the sound, and glanced over at the source first, then to her friend.
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Posted: Sat Oct 19, 2024 5:07 pm
Cressida hummed and took a look at the number, and then paused, remaining still as she picked up her own phone, and seeing that it was the same number of whoever had been harassing Siobhan, she tilted her head, eyes cold as she thought through her next move.
Finally, she reached out and wrapped her free hand around Siobhan’s and pressed the answer button on her own phone. She took a deep breath.
And she screamed into the phone like a hunting pterodactyl. After a few seconds of the shriek, she hung up and flipped her phone upside down, turning the ringer off and squeezing her friend’s hand.
“I don’t think they’ll be bothering me again. And I’m not going to bother to listen to their drivel.”
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Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2024 1:25 pm
The surprise that took her when Cressida did that was stronger than any fear or worry she had about the call, and when her friend finally hung up Siobhan couldn’t help but blink a dumbly at her.
Before promptly breaking out into a fit of laughter, pulling her friend into yet another tight hug. This time, though, it was out of joy and gratitude as opposed to a need for comfort. She even bounced a few times before letting go.
“You are a legend, seriously,” she laughed as she took hold of Cressie’s hands, expression bright as she pulled on a beaming smile. “That should show them. Well! I feel so much better after that. You wanna do some shopping and then maybe grab lunch? My treat! It’s the least I could do.”
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2024 12:32 pm
Cressida grinned, her ice blue eyes sparkling with mischief. “I know I am. Nobody is as amazing as I am. Also, absolutely let's go shopping and grab some food. I think you need it.” And even though her friend was insisting that she would pay…Cressida knew that she would end up getting something for Siobhan. THere was no way she was going to just let her friend suffer and not get anything out of it.
“Lead the way, bestie. For once, I’ll follow.”
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