Duality (slashers x reader)

8. Your Number's Up

Riingggg. Riinggg.

My eyes flickered open and a yawn escaped my lips.

Riingggg. Riinggg.

I reached for my phone below my leg but found it missing. I sat up and swung my legs over the side of the sofa but my phone was nowhere to be found.

Riingggg. Riingggg.

I looked to the side table and saw a white mobile phone ringing. It was an old phone, I guessed from the 90s. I picked it up and answered it, trying to mask the tiredness and annoyance in my voice.

'Hello?'

'Hello.' The voice was smooth, deep, and almost sultry, though I didn't recognise who it belonged to.

'...Can I help you?'

'You tell me'

'Who is this?'

'I could ask the same of you.' I paused, considering what to answer. The answers I'd been getting were unusual and I wasn't sure what the caller was getting at. 

'Ok, I'm going to hang up now unless you have something to tell me.'

'Wait, don't hang up.'

'Why not?'

'I want to talk to you'

'Why?'

'You seem... nice'

'Look, I'm really sorry but I don't have time for this.'

'Wait don-' I hung up the phone and turned to resume the search for my phone. It was then that I saw the window was wide open, the curtains billowing in the cool night breeze. Weird. I thought I closed them. I crossed the room and pulled the window shut, locking it, and tugged the curtains closed again. The room looked the same except for the absence of my phone and laptop. I wasn't entirely sure if I'd seen that old mobile in here before either, but it didn't seem out of place for my father to own one.

The TV screen was black, and the VHS player was off and empty, even though I swore I'd watched a tape before falling asleep. I was utterly confused and wasn't sure what was going on. The clock read 9 p.m., meaning I'd been asleep for around 5 hours. I rubbed my head and paused, realisation washing over me. This was another dream. The missing items, the outdated mobile phone, the smooth-voiced caller.

Fuck fuck FUCK. It was last night all over again. Except this time I wasn't in a secluded summer camp with a masked killer. I was in my own home with a masked killer.

As if on cue, the phone rang again, and I stared at it in horror as if it would jump out at me if I looked away. On the fourth ring, I picked it up and hesitantly answered.

'He-hello?'

'Hello? Are you alright? You sound a little... unsettled.' I swallowed hard and steadied my voice, deciding to play along for now. 

'No, no, I'm good. Just glad you called back is all.'

'Ah, I see.' Ghostface chuckled. 'Tell me, why did you want me to call back?' I leaned on the sofa, trying to discreetly look around the house to see if anything was amiss.

'Well, I felt bad for how I hung up on you earlier after you seemed so nice.'

'Well, aren't you sweet?' Great, I just needed to keep buttering them up until I could think of a plan. I considered calling the police but I figured the caller, or their accomplice, would be watching me and they'd notice if I tried anything. I could attempt to escape but I'm not the fastest runner and they'd definitely spot me. There wasn't much I could do except wait it out and see if an opportunity presented itself.