deluded

4:03pm

[ 4:03 pm, Australian Eastern Daylight Time ]

the phone was yellow and faded; a home phone that she had claimed as her own several years back. her mother had said that she needed a mobile - that everyone her age had one - but she didn't want to have anything to do with them. she hated the way they rang, the way they demanded your attention, the way people depended on them. she didn't want to be dependent on them. she didn't want to be dependent, full stop.

the home phone was the compromise, and she had it shoved away in a corner where she wouldn't have to look at it - wouldn't have to think about it or the people waiting on the other side of the line.

but today was different. today the yellow brick sat in the centre of her bed while she stared at it. today, she wanted nothing else but to hear it ring. 

but it wasn't ringing. 

why wasn't it ringing?