Stories, Myths and Legends

A 911 Call

Hi, everyone, this is my first time posting but no one else has been able to help me. I work the morning shift (usually) for emergency dispatch in a very small, rural county. I'm new to the area and thus the job. Last week, my closest friend was getting off the overnight and was spooked about a call they'd taken. He didn't hear any of it until the very end. Apparently, they were only able to record our end of the call. The caller's part was transcribed from memory by the operators and supervisor on duty. They've been very quiet about all of this, but that's not uncommon for any calls we get. Because he's been unable to shake it off, my friend was able to sneak a copy of the transcript for me. Now I'm just as weirded out. If anyone has any explanations for any of this, it would make us feel a little better.

[CALLER]:Somebody, I need help. I'm lost and homeless and my dad is — well, I think I know where he is but—
[OPERATOR]: OK, calm down, and—
[CALLER]: OkK. My name is Natalie. My dad, his name is Salvador, and we're from Pennsylvania. We boarded a train at ...Union Station. Pittsburgh.
[OPERATOR]: Natalie, what's your emergency?
[CALLER]: Everything was OK. We were going to Cincinnati. I fell asleep, and I — I woke up at night. We were switching trains. Daddy was mad because he said we were in Detroit and that's nowhere near Cincinnati. But the men there kept saying to sit down, to wait. I was still tired. Everyone was tired and lying down. But I couldn't fall asleep because it was so cold.
[OPERATOR]: Natalie, do you know where you are now?
[CALLER]: The men — they must have been worried about people being sick. They kept going around with instruments and sticking them in people's ears and mouths, and had little paper cups for everybody to drink out of. My dad was arguing with one of them when they got to me.
[OPERATOR]: Natalie, do you know where — Natalie?
[CALLER]: They didn't explain what they were looking for but it only took a second. When I went to drink out of the cup—
[OPERATOR]: Do you know what was in the cup, Natalie?
[CALLER]: It was real bitter. But the train came and the man had to hurry to finish so he didn't notice me spit half it out.
[OPERATOR]: Do you have any symptoms? Do you feel—
[CALLER]: It was so cold and my teeth were chattering. We all crowded to get in and — the train was so dark inside, but warm. Daddy picked me up, and I just remember barely keeping my eyes open 'cause it was so nice and warm and I was tired. I remember somebody saying, "Natalie, that's a nice name. I'm Jaspar." But I was already half asleep.
[OPERATOR]: OK, Natalie, are you still inside the train?
[CALLER]: I woke up in the middle of the night thirsty. My throat was like cotton from that bitter stuff. I was in a really nice bed, I never had sheets like that before. There were a lot of doors. I was trying to find the bathroom but the first one took me outside.
[OPERATOR]: Is that where you are now?
[CALLER]: It wasn't dark this time. It wasn't right. It was so big, much bigger than a train could be. It was huge, like, I've never been to one — I've seen pictures though — it's how a ball would be, I guess. And there were tables of food on shiny metal trays and so many people. Everyone dressed nice. Men in suits. Women in dresses, like shimmery, with veils.
[OPERATOR]: Natalie?
[CALLER]: Smelling the food, I realized how hungry I was. I went to the table and picked up some stick with fruit and cheese, and there was the voice again. "That's good," it said, "I'm glad you're feeling better, Natalie." I looked up and saw a lady in a long black dress, and I dropped the food 'cause she wasn't using her mouth to talk. She just stared at me. "Such a pretty name," she said.
[OPERATOR]: Natalie, I need to know where—
[CALLER]: I looked around and saw — saw everyone was like that, talking without their mouths. All the laughing. So many voices but they just stared out, blank faces. A man with a white flower in his suit pocket looked at me and I heard someone say, "I have all the time in the world, Natalie."
[OPERATOR]: Do you know any of these—
[CALLER]: At the bar, I saw my dad. I ran over and he put his drink down, just turned to me on the stool. Don't worry, he said. You're safe here, Natalie. But he didn't move his mouth either, and I started crying.
[OPERATOR]: [To supervisor: She can't hear us.]
[CALLER]: The man behind the counter was staring at me, and I couldn't even tell who was talking to me, but someone said, "Natalie's such a pretty name."
[OPERATOR]: [To supervisor: Can we check the connection?]
[CALLER]: I ran back to our room and hid under my covers crying until I hurt all over. I thought someone would come in but no one ever did. I just kept crying until I woke up, and I realized the whole thing was a dream. Except it wasn't nice. I was in a bunk with hard sheets and it smelled really bad, like sweat and pee. I just sat up, scared to feel for anything in the dark.
[OPERATOR]: [Talking in background] Natalie?
[CALLER]: Then I heard voices — voices from outside, and I heard a scraping sound. They were opening up the train again. It was still really dark but I could see people started coming in. I don't know why, I was just so scared of being in there, I jumped up and pushed through the people and ran as hard as I could out of the station. I know people were yelling behind me but I didn't stop until I was near the edge of the forest. I don't know why, I — I just ran — my daddy was still there, but when I turned I didn't see him, just other people yelling and running toward me.
[OPERATOR]: Natalie, can you hear me?
[CALLER]: I just kept going. I don't know how long, hours I guess, until my legs burned and my arms were all scraped up. I fell asleep again in the middle of the forest, freezing.
[OPERATOR]: [To supervisor: What do you mean we're not connected?]
[CALLER]: I kept hearing this voice, and I realized I was dreaming but I was still right there in the forest. Just like when I was on the train. I got off the moss under me and started following it. It just kept calling me, Natalie, until I found this big hole in the ground. Nothing down there but dirt and leaves, and a girl, 8 years old, I guess. "Come down here, Natalie," but her mouth didn't move.
[OPERATOR]: Natalie, where are you calling from?
[CALLER]: Ever since then it doesn't matter where I sleep. I always dream I'm right where I am, and there's someone calling me into some hole in the ground, or some dark closet. They always say, "Such a pretty name," or, "I have all the time in the world, Natalie."
[OPERATOR]: Natalie, how are you placing this call?
[CALLER]: I don't know where I am. I was in the forest two days, I think, and then I found this town. But no one's here. Not for a long time, even the grocery store, all the fruit and vegetables aren't just rotted, they're dirt. There's some dog and cat bones, but not many, and no people bones either.
[OPERATOR]: [To supervisor: Not recording?]
[CALLER]: I miss my daddy so much. I try to find the train station but I get lost in the forest and have to come back. There's no one here but me and Jasper. I'm afraid they killed Daddy. Sometimes it's him in dreams, telling me to crawl down the stormdrain, but it's not Daddy, it's Jasper, his face doesn't move.
[OPERATOR]: OK, Natalie, I need you to describe—
[CALLER]: I call a different city every night but no one answers.
[OPERATOR]: Natalie, can you still not hear me?
[CALLER]: [Crying]
[OPERATOR]: Natalie?
[CALLER]: I don't want to go to sleep.
[OPERATOR]: Natalie?
[CALLER]: [In background: Such a pretty name.]