A Crazy Night

A Crazy Night.

By Alexander X. Billingsley

Today is October 31, the third most festive year, aside from Thanksgiving, and Christmas. This was a year that I was going to enjoy only the weather and not the holiday. Staring out the window, and constantly daydreaming about the future and the past is a new hobby of mine. Somewhere about half a mile from town, sat a little house on a hill. It looks abandoned. It was a cool looking house, it reminded me of a Tudor. Usually during most mornings, it would shield me from the sun, great for sleeping in on Saturdays. It seems apparent that the house was abandoned for quite some time. When I first moved here, I would ask around, and get no responses, even searching through the local library, turning up empty. Sometimes, I would see a for rent sigh mysterious pop up on odd days. This was followed by a for sale sign a couple days later. Sometimes, I would see the real estate agent, nervously, come and hastily put the sigh up as quickly as possible, then flee the scene. When the agent left, the wind would come and knock the sign down. Eventually, blowing the small frame off the property, down the hill to never be seen again.

Nobody has told me much about the house ever since. Whatever happened, has been pushed under the rug. The neighborhood I lived in was quiet, almost nothing happened here, least that I knew of. Each neighbor would keep to themselves not inviting themselves into their neighbor's affairs. Almost like a kingdom, within a country. The clouds would roll swiftly across the sky, looking like fluffy marshmallows, and pillows. I sat for a while, in contemplation of what would be my next move. I focused my attention at the abandoned house, lost in thought. I saw some movement in the windows, like a white plume of smoke passing through. I grabbed my binoculars and focus the zoom in more. From this distance, it still felt like clouds dancing over the windows, defeated, I put the binoculars down. I blinked a couple of times, thinking that what I saw may have been a fluke.

I heard a ghostly howl near my window, the sound caught me off guard. I never believed in ghost, nor was going to start. I began rocking back and forth in my chair, keeping a level of a balance, trying not to fall over, I kept doing this until I was interrupted with a sudden ring. I glanced down, seeing the name light up on the screen of my phone. It read "Unknown" I was hesitant to answer. Usually, it's a telemarketer trying to sell me something, or a scam caller. I answered the phone anyway, quietly putting the phone up to my ear, not making a sound. I waiting for the person on the other line to say something. For a moment, there was nothing. Just silence.

"Hello?" I said, waiting for a response.

No one said anything. I hung the phone low, about to hang up. Then I heard a small whisper, I brought the phone back up to my ear.

"Hello?" With more seriousness. Another whisper, for a moment I was confused so I just hung up.

The phone rang again, and again, still showing unknown. After a while, I turned down the phone's notifications to vibrate. I could hear the numbing noise from the phone vibrating against the wood like material of my desk. The phone went silent, then a different number rang. Mavrick's numbered popped up, I answered. On the other end, I hear people laughing and giggling. It's apparent that my friends have pranked me. He and his other friends were laughing hysterically in the background. I felt the blood rush to my ears, feeling slightly embarrassed while also feeling relieved.

"Very funny man" I said finally.

"Funny? That was hilarious, the choke in your voice said it all."

I didn't argue with him. I quickly changed the subject not trying to dottle on my embarrassment.

"Yall doing anything tonight?"

"Me and the boys are going to attend a Halloween party."

"Ah, am I invited?" I said humorously.