Prank Calls

Prank Calls by Franco Ibalio

A few years back, when I was still in college; Some of my close friends and I would go to my dorm to play some games, watch movies and have fun. Once, when we were there, my bestfriend suggested an idea. He grabbed the phonebook off the shelf and took the phone on the table. "Let's make prank calls!" he said enthusiastically. We all nod in unison.

He began calling some of the numbers. Most wouldn't answer, probably because everyon'es asleeps at that time. So Carter decided it would be easier to just dial random numbers instead, and so we did.

We had taken turns making scary voices and funny sounds. We would listen to the confused person on the other end of the line and laugh so much as soon as we would hang up.

Then Casey's turn came. She dialed the number and waited for the person to answer, we quietted down. "Do you want to play a game with me?" She said in a child-like voice. "................." There was no answer. After about a minute or so, he responded in a deep eerie voice. "...... Okay..... Let's.... Play.... Hide... and... Seek..." He hung up. We looked up at each other, processing what had just happened.

Then, the power went out, leaving us imobilized in the dark. We heard the door creak open. 

"One.."  It was ''him''.

The next thing I heard was me and my group, stumbling and scattering around my dorm, trying to look for a place to hide no doubt. My heart was thumping loudly against my chest. What the hell was happening? 

"Two.." I ran as fast as I could and found my way under the sink in my kitchen. "Three.." I was panting so hard that I felt like my lungs were going to burst.

"Four" I had seen Carter run into my room. He's probably going to hide in my closet. That's when I saw him. It was hard to distinguish he's features because it was dark; and the only light that emitted into the room was coming from the moon. His face was turned the other way, but I was able to see his hands, they were covered in veins and they had claws.

"Five" he walked his way back to the main room. 

"Seven" He walked a little bit more then stopped. I could hear his breath. It was hoarse and very loud. "Eight" started to make his way towards something. Droplets of sweat rolled down from my forehead; adrenaline pumped throughout my body from the anxiety.

"Nine.." he opens something.

"Ten. I found you." I heard a scream. The next day, Casey was nowhere to be found.

I don't make prank calls anymore.