Stranger's Call

Part One

Megan sat at  the base of her window frame staring out of the bedroom window. It was just after 4 in the afternoon, and the sun was already slowly sinking behind the mountains that were clearly viewable from where she sat. A picturesque scene of green foliage and brown pathways all at a distance from her house. She was thinking and hoping for something, anything in her sad and often loveless life to change. She had been born to parents who were far more invested in their careers then in helping raise their seventeen year old daughter. They were rarely home, often attending meetings abroad, leaving their only child alone in a 3 floor house in the lonely woods of an even lonelier neighborhood. 

Her parents refrained from hiring a sitter since she had reached the age of fifteen. Megan was far too responsible to do anything that would endanger her or their home. She was also very smart, and had achieved quite the noticeable grades in school, noticeable to everyone but her absentminded parents that is. She was also very capable of taking care of herself, something she had learned to do even before she could fully talk and walk. 

Having non-existent parents who were never home made for a lonely life. Especially in a house that was as large as her own. The place had five bedrooms, two office spaces, one of which also contained her parents’ large collection of antique paintings and books. A large kitchen, two bathrooms and a half; the half bathroom a toilet and sink in the basement area that had been refurbished as her father’s personal space; where he kept his collection of model cars. When he was home, the basement was the place he was often locked inside of. 

There was also a large living space and medium sized dining area, which was as useful as a pebble in the ocean. She ate alone in the kitchen bar, making small meals that she had learned to prepare on her own or using several at home recipe books that her mom collected but clearly did not use.

Megan would come home from school further in town, driving to and from the house in the car her parents had gifted her with as soon as she had achieved getting her driver’s license. Some might think it was in response to their pride in their daughter’s achievement at  managing to pass the test at sixteen. She knew it was really to relieve the burden of driving her where she needed to be from their own busy schedules. But at least the car came in handy. 

At the present moment though, staring out at the darkening skies, Meg found no interest in a drive around town or in anything particular. She chewed the end of a long strand of her brown hair, crossed legged; indian style. So absorbed by the swirling thoughts in her mind that the sudden sound of her house phone ringing made her jump up in surprise. She stared out of her bedroom door, the sound echoing up to her room through the long empty hallways of the house. 

She got up, running down the stairs hurriedly to catch the caller before the ringing ceased. The cordless phone was perched in the hallway between the living room and the staircase. She had yet to ask her parents for a line inside of her bedroom simply because she didn’t necessarily need one. She had no friends in or out of school. And the idea of bothering them to get her any sort of cellphone was so unnecessary as it was pointless, she didn’t talk to anyone. She was as disconnected as her parents were to the fact that their daughter was a loner. 

Meg took the phone from the cradle and hit the answer button, pulling it to her ear, before speaking; “Hello?”

Her tone was curious, if a little hopeful, that it might be her parents checking in on her or at least the house. But that thought was cut short as soon as another female’s voice filled the other end. A loud and panicked voice. 

“Help me! Please...he took me and kidnapped me. I don’t know where I am. Please…” Meg pulled the phone from her ear for a moment, staring at it in fright.