Before the Sun

Chapter Fifteen- Kiss Me Again

I'm delved into a static silence when Nikolai leaves. I hear the operative hum of the building, crawling electricity dancing around the room, and the heavy rain growing angrier outside. Our room is lost within the dense clouds, the city lights hazy through the mistiness. I itch to tug the curtains closed, but the fear of stepping off this bed, removing my back from the headboard and leaving it open for attack, rises too large. So, I leave them wide open, droplets of rain showering the glass.

A shrill alarm blares from the corner of the room, a short yelp slipping from my lungs. I feel my cheeks gain a cold pigment and my hands briefly lose their feeling. I will the stiff air into my system and recompose my erratic self.

It's only a phone.

I debate on leaving it, letting it ring until it dies out or simply pressing the decline button. But the worrisome thought that it could be Nikolai has me huffing, crawling off the bed and picking up the phone. For a moment, there's only silence. I hear rustling, soft movements and the sound of a quiet street. And then I listen closer, harder, and I hear the shallow breaths. They're murky, gravelled and strained. I blink, shift from foot to foot.

"Hello?"

I say and wait for a response. There's another prolonged frame of stillness, just the rise and fall of his lungs piling into the microphone.

"Who is this?"

I try, eyes flicking to the door. I check both locks, keeping my sight glued to the slither of light seeping into the room from the hallway.

"Hello, Sofia."

The words come just before I remove the phone from my ear. The voice is robotic, fake. It has the hairs on the back of my neck standing up like needles in defence. My feet are glued to the matted carpet, eyebrows stapled together. I recognise the croaky, gritty tone and huff out a laugh.

"Are you going to ask me what my favourite scary movie is next, Mr Ghost face?"

A chuckle rattles through the line, the voice changer crackling and breaking. A loud sigh heaves from the caller.

"No, I already know that."

They say. I hear the muffled sound of footsteps pick up in pace in the background of our call, puddles dispersing under their footfalls. It has me swivelling towards the expanse of the window, stomach falling slightly.

"Oh yeh? Why don't you tell me what it is then?"

I find myself playing into whatever twisted joke this is, stepping closer towards the glass. I come close enough to feel the chill temperature radiating off the window, my hand splaying across the sheet and eyes aiming down towards the darkened streets. I'm just able to make out the world below, slowly moving traffic and fast paced umbrellas lining the city.

"Scream- that's your favourite movie."

The fake voice states. I step away from the glass, eyes falling closed. I wonder for a long while whether to hang up, whether to shout and cuss and throw the phone down- but I don't.

"Wrong. It's Friday the thirteenth."

I laugh, bitter and callous, because Scream is my favourite movie.

"No, no- don't lie to me Sofia. Why do you think I sound like this?"

The phone speaks, humour evident even in their masked voice.

"Because you're a coward who won't show their face. Instead, you wear masks and use voice changers. You're a fucking coward, you hear me?"

I grit, emotion bubbling over my words. My teeth clench together, enamel squeaking and crunching until I feel pain dispersing through my jaw.