| GHOST STORIES | THE BLACK PHONE | COMPLETED

17 | HE'S SO FUCKING HIGH RIGHT NOW

     "BECAUSE I DON'T want us to have died for nothing. I want to at leave have died for a friend. And because I can't kill that hijo de puta, you have to do it for me." Robin spoke down the phone.

Finney paused for a moment. "How?"

"You're gonna use a weapon."

"What weapon?"

"The one in your hand." Abby spoke, catching onto Robin's idea quickly.

Finney furrowed his brows. "The phone?"

"Fill the receiver with dirt." Robin explained. "Pack it in tight. Give it some heft."

"Then what?"

"Then you practise, over and over. You raise the phone. Take a fast step back. Step forward, step back and swing! Try it."

"Now?"

"Yes. You raise the phone. Take a fast step back. Step forward, step back and swing! Again. You raise the phone. Take a fast step back. Step forward, step back and swing! Again. You raise the phone. Take a fast step back. Step forward, step back and swing! Again. You raise the phone. Take a fast step back. Step forward, step back and swing!" Robin watched his friend with pride as he copied the movements. "You got it. Now full the phone with dirt, like I told you."

Finney then frowned. "Will I still be able to talk with you?"

Abby looked at Robin, who looked back at her, wanting her to speak. "This was the last call, Finn. It's all you now."

"I miss you guys."

"Then do right by us and get out of here."

"I will."

"Bye, Finn." Robin spoke.

Abby grabbed onto her friends hand. "See ya, Finney."

Finney looked to the ground, his eyes welling with tears. "Bye, Robin. See ya, Abby."

The pair watched him place the phone back and then cut the wire. Each ghost now had their full attention on Finney, if he didn't make it out, they would all be doomed to spend the rest of their existence trapped between the rooms they were tortured in and the room they were buried in.

Finney did more than just fill the phone with dirt, however, he also set up a small trap using the cable and the hole he had dug. Inside the hole he had placed the gate that had been over the window, the cable would trip anyone who didn't know it was there into the hole. It was deep enough to where it would come about chest height for The Grabber.

James had once again been dragged along for a house hunt by Gwen, the pair cycled through the ominous neighbourhood. James more so watching the girl rather than looking at the houses, after all he had no idea which house he was meant to be looking for.

"Please dear Jesus, please. Please. I'm sorry I said you weren't real. Please be real. Please." Gwen spoke in desperation. "Please, please, please."

Suddenly, as thunder boomed, the girl let out a scream and fell from her bike. James came to a stop, abandoning his bike on the road and racing to Gwen's side to see if she was hurt. She quickly sat up and looked directly in front of her for a moment before turning her head to the side, her eyes widening as she realised they had found the house.

Gwen, without saying a word to James, picked up her bike and started to head back home. The boy stared at the house for a moment and then looked to the one opposite. His own eyes widening when he realised that it was the one that belonged to the strange man and where the woman was screaming. He quickly jumped on his bike and road after Gwen.

The pair raced into her home where she went to her room and grabbed a card for the detectives, she pulled the phone from the hook and dialled them. "Detective Wright, please."

Finney Blake was prepared, his plan in place as he simply waited for The Grabber to come downstairs. But as he heard the footsteps, something seemed off about them. They were lighter and seemed a lot slower. The door opened to reveal a man he had never seen before, The Grabber's brother that Abby had mentioned, what seemed like, forever ago.

"No fucking way." The man spoke, just as shocked as Finney. "I knew that he was hiding something from me down here, but holy Mary, mother of God."

"Please, help. Call my dad, call my sister." Finney begged.

"Oh, listen. Don't worry, he's not here. He-He had to go into work. Uh, I'm Max, man. Stay-Stay calm."

Abby looked at Vance, her eyes slightly wide as she watched the interaction. "He's so fucking high right now."

The boy nodded his head in agreement. "Now I wish we could call Finney and tell him to fucking run."

The man, Max, just continued talking. "No wonder he was freaking out this morning. Hey, you wanna know the story about how I found you, man?"

Suddenly The Grabber came behind his brother and swung an axe straight into his head, killing the man and causing Finney to let out a scream of terror. Even Abby cowered back slightly, Vance pushing her behind him as if they could be hurt by the very much alive man while they were very much dead.

Just outside, James found himself once again stood with Gwen as they waited for the police to show up and for once, they showed up quite quickly. "Is this the house?"

"Yes!" Gwen replied.

"Are you sure?"

"I'd never seen it before today, except in my dreams. The tree, the door, the address, the gate. Every detail."

Detective Miller nodded at the young girl, motioning for her and James to step back and allow them to head into the house.

"Look what you made me do." The Grabber frowned, covered in splattered blood. "You made me kill my brother."

Finney panted heavily. "No. It wasn't me-"

"He was an idiot. But he was my idiot. I'm sorry, Max. Now I'm gonna have to put you with the others. Looks like you'll find those naughty boys and girl after all." He spoke, yanking the axe from his brothers skull. "What's with the phone, huh? I told you it doesn't work! Normally, I would use a knife. but you are special, Finney. I'm gonna take my time. I want this to really hurt."

The man called down he dog, tying him near the door so Finney couldn't make an escape while he was distracted.