I contemplate on whether to call the number again or not but I finally decided too. I mean, what's the worst that could happen?
My fingers hover over the key pad as I look at the small screen and retype the number.
Ring... ring... ring... ri-
"Hello?" The person speaks on the other line. It sounds like a lady.
"Um, I'm calling because I got this message for me chosen for the... HHS?" I question. I'm still not even sure what it means.
"Oh you mean the Haunted House Stay? Yes is this," So that's what it means. She takes a moment while the sound of papers shuffling is heard. "Emery Collins or...?"
"Yes I'm Emery."
"Ok good. So t-"
"Sorry but can you tell me what this is all about? I don't remember signing up for anything about a haunted house." I want to figure out why this lady is calling. It seems a little creepy for someone to just call me and tell me I was chosen for something. I mean, it might just be me, but I don't know.
"Yes. Well you see um..." She stutters as if thinking of something. "We had these phone numbers and just chose them at random so then the, uh, lucky person gets chosen and you happened to be one of them," She says unconvincingly. Her voice sounds a bit off but I'm not going to ask about it. I scratch my thighs and furrow my eyebrows.
"Okay, but what is the Haunted House Stay?" The name is interesting but I'm not even sure if I want to do it by just hearing the name.
"Basically you fly out to Hurricane Island, Maine and then you have to stay in this... mansion there and whoever lasts the longest there wins," Says the lady whose name is still unknown. Lasts the longest. What is that supposed to mean?
"What do you mean by, lasts the longest? And what do I win?" I question a bit uneasy. If the prize is a cheap plastic toy you find in cereal boxes then hell no. I'd prefer the chance to go somewhere exotic.
"Oh, well it means that," She starts off slowly."Well, it's supposed to be this haunted house and it's scares people, I guess. So if you get scared you just leave and you lose. Simple," She says with a bit of uneasiness still lingering in her tone. My hands smooth my shirt down to keep them occupied and I wait for her to continue but I am only met with silence.
"And the prize? What do I win?" Maybe if it's something good I can get better things than Daisy and all those other people. Maybe I can finally be better than them.
"Oh yes, that would be a million dollars in cash." She says nonchalantly while I, on the other hand, gasp and bring my hand up to cover the sounds from my mouth.
"A- a million dollars," I stutter with wide eyes. "Cash?" 'Mhmmm' she hums in response. With a million dollars I would be able to have things that are better than a lot of other people. I could get so many things and instead of people always making me jealous, I could make them jealous. I could get my new car and that beautiful bag too. They would finally feel all the jealousy that I have to go through each and every day because they have better lives and things that just don't match up to mine. Haunted house? I can manage. It's not like I even believe in ghosts or paranormal happenings. Most likely all they will do is use some holograms and boom some creepy noises throughout the place. I'm not afraid, it's worth it. A smirk creeps onto my lips as I mutter the following words.
"Just tell me what I need to do."
-
I pack my bags with my needed items and got more bags and layed out my things to put in there.
"Let's see shirts, pants, shorts, pyjamas, underclothes, sweaters, and other stuff," I say to myself. "And of course I can't forget my camera." I walk over to my desk and inspect the camera to make sure it is clean before I put it in its carrier.
The lady on the phone , whose name turned out to be Macy, told me what I needed to do and and what I had to do in order to do that. I bought a plane ticket for Hurricane Island in two days and I just want to get all this packing over with. Well, I won't be landing in Hurricane Island due to the fact that it has no landing ground. I did a little research on the place and I found out that no one lives there anymore but there is a huge house and I'm guessing that's the 'haunted house'. I'm going to be landing near the island and a boat is then going to take me. Everything beyond that will be decided afterwards.
My hand grips my phone, deciding if I should tell Daisy about this. She'd probably support it but knowing Daisy there is no way to know for sure. If that makes sense. I'll just call her. No harm can be done either way I guess.
I dial her number and bring the phone to my ear while the soft ringing gives me time to think.
"Hello? Emery."
"Yeah, uh I need to tell you something."
"Sure, what's up?" She says in her usual cheery tone.
"You see, I was chosen to be in this Haunted House Stay thing in Maine and that means I'm going there in two days," I impatiently await her answer to see what she thinks.
"What? What do you mean?" She questions. The phone still in my hand while my other hand twiddles with the hem of my shirt. Let's see, how do I explain this...
I sigh. "I mean that these people called my house and said I was chosen to participate in this thing called a Haunted House Stay and that means I have to go to Maine to a supposable haunted house and whoever stays there the longest wins a million dollars," I say it all in one breath. It takes a moment for her to speak up and it leaves me.feeling anxious.
"Hold up Emery. So these random people called you and said you were chosen to stay in a haunted house? And a million dollars? Emery I don't think you should do this," Just by the way sheays it as if she knows better than me is making my mood instantly deflate.
"What?" I say disbelievingly. "I shouldn't do this? And why not?"
"Because you don't even know them and do you really think you're gonna get a million dollars? Please Emery, it's all just a hoax." She sounds annoyed but I'm not taking any of this. It's my decision, not hers.
"Why can't you just be happy for me? I could win this thing and get a lot of money. Do you know how much that would help me? A lot. And here you are saying I shouldn't do it. Wow Daisy, wow. Thanks for the support."I huff.
"I'm just saying. You don't even know if it's true or not."
"Whatever," I mutter and hang up before she can respond. I'm doing this whether or not she wants me too.
