I was going to get PTSD because of that stupid phone ringing. I'd just whenever I heard it, and was aways hesitant to pick it up. But it was on the landline, which I thought was unusual, because the only people who ever called on the landline was people who worked with my parents, so I thought nothing of it as I picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Hello, my final girl."
It was like an automatic response. I'd freeze up whenever I'd hear the low voice, and my blood would run cold. My hands started to shake, because I was attacked the last time I answered the phone.
I went to hang up, but the other person on the line spoke quickly. "Oh, no, no, no, my dear, I wouldn't do that if I were you."
"What the fuck do you want from me!" I shouted into the phone. I was getting really sick of this.
"Oh, I don't want anything from you. Eh, scratch that, there is a few things I want from you, but that's not important right now. I want you."
"Well that's too fucking bad," my voice got low, "because you're not going to get me."
Again, I went to hang up, but the next words almost paralyzed me. "Who do you thinks going to die next?"
"Hopefully you." Was my immediate response.
The voice chuckled on the other line, amused. "I'm afraid that's not going to happen. You seemed full of ideas at that little get together. You don't even want to guess?"
"How do you know about that?" Was someone there today actually the killer? I couldn't register the fact that one of my friends could be there killer. We've been friends since we were young, it just wouldn't make sense to me.
"I'm always watching you, Karina. I'm wherever you are."
"Always?"
"Always."
"So, then, you're here, right now? Watching me?"
"Mhm."
I smiled sarcastically and looked around, finding the kitchen window curtains pulled back, letting in the light of the sun. I titled my head, the small, fake smile still on my lips and I flipped whoever was watching me off and then hung up the phone.
I walked over to the curtains and ripped them close, my anger growing by the second. My thought registered to the question he asked me. Who do you think is going to die next? Did that mean the next victim was going to die tonight? Today? In a couple hours?
I had a notebook out and a black pen in my left hand, writing down notes. I jotted down the only descriptions and characteristics of the killer I could get— roughly five-six, strong, female? And then I wrote down the letter W, circling it with a question mark.
I thought back to earlier today, and the group meeting. Who could be next? Ning and Haechan were my first thought, but wouldn't that seem to obvious? I recall Mark getting worried, and Ning saying he shouldn't be, because no one cares about the inferior sequels.
Unless, they did. Or they didn't, but it would be a good way to throw everyone off track, and if the killer was there, I bet that's exactly who they were going for. I jumped out of the chair and rushed to my phone, dialing Tiffany's number.
It seemed like forever before I hung up, panicked. No answer. I called Mark next, but he didn't pick up either. I called him again, and a sigh of relief went through me went I heard his voice. "Mark, listen to me, are you alone?"
"Uh, yeah, why?"
"Where are you?"
"Home. My moms out getting dinner."
"Wes, you need to leave right now. The killer called me, and I think you're next." My words were rushed as I spoke, coming out jumbled into words I could only hope he'd be able to understand.
"What? Karina, can you say that again? You're breaking up."
"Mark, you need to leave the house right now!"
"I—holy shit!" And then the phone hung up and my eyes widened. I pocketed my phone and ran downstairs, grabbing a kitchen knife and leaving the house.
Wes lived not even three minutes away from me, I could only hope to make it in time.
By the time I arrived, my lungs were on fire and my legs ached. "Oh, my fucking god." My hand flew up to my mouth. Sheriff young was laying on the sidewalk, completely covered in blood. My eyes looked up to the house and I rushed inside. The door seemed to be blocked by something heavy, so I had to push all of my weight onto the door. Something slumped against the floor and I was able to push through.
Something like a scream or a cry tore through my throat, but I wasn't sure. Faintly, in the distance, I could hear the sirens of police cars, but everything played in slow motion. Mark lay on the ground, blood pouring out of his neck. I knelt down beside him, my hands hovering over his body as my vision blurred. A sob left my mouth, seeing my best friends dead body.
We'd been drifting the last couple of months, but that didn't matter to me. I felt myself getting pulled up, and out of the house. I shook my head, trying to get out of the policeman's grasp, but I felt too weak. "Karina?" I heard a frantic voice call. "Karina?" They said louder.
Everything was blurry, and I couldn't form a thought, but as someone shook me, everything came back into focus. Irene was standing in front of me, hands on my shoulders. "Are you okay?" "Mark—" my voice broke.
"I know, I know." She pulled me into her chest and wrapped her arms around me, holding me as I cried into her chest.
"Is she okay?" An unfamiliar voice asked. I looked up, my eyes almost widening. Yoona stood next to us, looking at me worriedly. "Were you the one who found them?"
I nodded, not saying anything. My voice was dry, and I felt like I couldn't speak. She placed a hand against my shoulder, rubbing it softly before she left, walking over to Key, who had come with the police.
I pulled back from Irene, my hand holding my stomach. I tried to stop imaging his dead body, but the sight wouldn't leave my mind. It was there, everyone I closed my eyes.
The image of his dead body beneath me, blood spilling from his wound. And there was nothing I could do. I was too late. I could feel the blame and guilt creep up on me— because if I would have figured it out sooner, I could've been here quicker.
But would that have stopped them? There were so many scenarios that played through my mind, and all of a sudden my mind went to having not thoughts, to having too many, and I could feel a headache start to form.
My head looked around, spotting on a certain figure. "Irene?"
"What?" She asked, looking at me like she thought I needed something.
"Isn't that the cop who was guarding Aeri?" I pointed to a cop standing beside another one. Irene quickly went over to the cop, and I could tell by the way her eyes widened as he spoke that something good wasn't about to happen.
I followed Irene as she ran to her car, and I climbed into the passenger seat. "Karina—"
"Don't. I'm coming with you." I stopped what was going to be a protest, just as the back door opened and Key slid inside.
Irene paused. "What are you waiting for? Drive!"
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