Mafia

Memory

Maia's black eyebrows were drawn together tightly in concentration. I could tell she was frustrated because her body was tense as she tried desperately to remember which card matched the one she had already flipped over. I laughed when her small nose scrunched up. She flipped over a card with a bouquet of roses.

"No match." I said.

She threw it down in anger and collapsed against the couch, folding her dark arms in front of her.

"This game is stupid." She pouted. Her mother walked in and Maya ran to her, wrapping her thin arms around Mrs. William's neck. I picked up the cards and wrapped them in a rubber band.

"How was she?"

"She was fine." I said trying my best to flatten out the cards Maya bent. She sat down on the couch behind me and unlatched Maya's arms from her.

"Did you have fun?" She asked the now smiling little girl.

"Yah we went to the park and Mason pushed me on the swings and we got ice cream and....." She trailed off them suddenly remembered the memory game. "That game is stupid!" Maya shouted pointing her finger at the cards I was still trying to fix. "I couldn't find this card." She held up the card with a girl stick figure. I laughed and so did Mrs. Wilson.

I finally got the cards to fit and I set the game back on the shelf.

She handed me money and I walked out with it and my phone in hand. I heard my phone ring.

"Hello!" I said. The phone was silent other than the quiet static coming from the other end of the call.

"Hello?" I asked. I rolled my eyes. This was probably just some prank call from a random teenager. I heard something stir and a little voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Hi Mason!" Maya yelled. I held the phone away from my face but it was to late to be spared of her deafening roar.

"Hey baby! Why'd you call me?" I asked her. I knew she could work a phone but I wasn't sure who's phone she was calling from or how she remembered my number.

"Mommy left a phone with me and told me to hide in the closet! I don't know why though. I think we're playing hide and seek but when we play mommy doesn't give me a phone!" There was a sound coming from Maya's end of the phone. "Oh I gotta be quiet!" She whispered. "I think she's coming!" I heard the door creak open. "You're not mommy!" She said.

"Maya?" I heard the phone fall. I listened carefully for anything. The phone was picked up and a gruff voice talked through the loud static. He said:

She wants mommy
Mommy wants her too
They're both gonna die
With or without you.

"Hello?" I yelled into the phone. It cut off and all I heard was a repeated beeping in my ear. I was breathing heavily, despite the fact that I hadn't moved since Maya had called. I fumbled with my phone and tried to call 9-1-1. No one picked up. I tried again but my phone died.

"No! No! No!" I yelled at my phone.

"Is everything alright?" I heard someone say behind me.

"No!" I yelled at the random stranger. He looked surprised at my sudden outburst. He held out a large hand and reached for my shoulders. "No, no, no." I whimpered. He enveloped me into a hug and rubbed little circles on the center of my back. I cried into his shirt.

When I could stop crying for a few minutes I backed away, wiped off my face, and took a good look at the man in front of me.