Phone Call (A Short Story) 🌟

Phone Call (Philippine Ghost Story)

Among the passengers of Cebu Pacific airlines was a young woman named Ella Rodriguez. For almost 10 years, she has been working abroad in order to help with her family's financial needs. And now, she was finally given an opportunity to come home and see her family again.

With a smooth touchdown, Ella's plane finally landed at its destination -- her hometown, Iloilo. She was so happy to return to her cultural roots and was also surprised by the city's many developments and improvements. It was almost as if she entered to a different world yet, she felt home...

Hours later as Ella arrived at her house, which has also changed, her family quickly dashed outside to meet her. Epecially her younger cousins, Enso and Chi-chi. 

Enso and Chi-chi were a hyper-active pair that enjoyed playing with their eldest cousin who is, of course, Ella. Much has truly changed after 10 years, but the connection between Ella and her family stayed the same. Happy and content.  

Ella was thrilled to see them all and was excited to tell them about her adventures at the US. But just as her day was about to get even better, things started to feel strange once Ella took out her cellphone. When she turned it on, she was surprised to see 13 missed calls from an unknown number. Ella ignored it at first only until she experienced something creepy...

Around 3 o'clock in the morning, Ella's phone rang unexpectedly. 

Who would be calling at a time like this?  She asked herself, and when she answered it, she said feeling a bit drowsy, "hello?"

She didn't hear a reply but instead, the sound of dirt being dug or stepped on and worse, of someone's deep horrid breathing. The sounds jolted her heart and kept her eyes wide open. She quickly stopped the call and covered herself with her blanket feeling instantly scared...

When the sun came up, but was eventually covered by the neutral clouds, her phone rang again with the exact unknown number that called her last night. She didn't answer it at all for she was so frightened. But after more than ten rings, Ella's other cousin, Yan, who has been with her since her phone began ringing that day answered it for her.

Ella was about to tell her not to until, "El," Yan said, "Someone wants to talk to you."

Ella was surprised to find out that Yan actually heard someone's voice. Was this a joke? 

Even though Ella was still a bit frightened, she accepted the call.

"Hello?" Ella said with a somewhat trembling voice, "Who-who's this?"

"This is Bella," the person on the other line replied. She sounded normal. "I need your help."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Ella protested but...

"Ella," Bella suddenly said sounding desperate, "I know you don't remember me, but I really need your help."

"What? I don't even know you. Is this a scam--"

"I need you to find something for me." 

She got cut off. 

"You can find it at the back of your house near the carabaos. Please... You don't have much time."

"Wait!"

And the call stopped.

Ella didn't know what was happening. What she was hearing sounded crazy. Is one of her family members trying to prank her? With curiosity and the determination to get to the bottom of it, she decided to go to the back of her house where a large carabao stood. 

Ella walked around, checking if anyone was there but no soul in sight. She was confused, until she realized something. The name "Bella" actually seemed familiar to her and her voice as well. It was, in a way, similar to hers, and on that very moment, Ella remembered! She remembered everything!

As she was about to run away--Ring! Ring!--Ella's phone rang and answered itself. There was the sound of dirt and deep breathing again, which made Ella's heart throb so fast. She wanted to cry. But before she could--"AHHHHH!!!"--a bloody face appeared in front of her!

"You found me, ate!" The known-to-be ghost named Bella exclaimed, suddenly making Ella trip and accidentally stab herself with the nearby carabao's horn.

Ella died. And as her body hung there bleeding, her phone fell to the ground and the ringing stopped.

THE END?