Curtain Call

Alison tosses and turns in her bed before shooting up with a loud scream that almost wakes up the neighbourhood. She sits in bed sounding exhausted and worn out, despite having slept until 1.30pm. Ali drags herself out of her expensive pink Saturn sheets and walks over to her gorgeous looking white lace curtains to a window that looks out over her foggy front yard. After a few seconds of staring out into the unknown abyss Alison closes her curtains and walks out of her room.

 

As she creeps down the wooden stairwell it creaks like a rusty old bike chain in need of serious oiling. Her shadow is cast on the wall as she enters the living room looking very cautious of her surroundings. Ali begins checking all nearby windows and doors then proceeds to lock the ones that are not already locked. She finds a note on the kitchen sink and picks it to read it. Ali I’ve gone to the coast for a few days to see dad. I’ll give him your best even though you don’t want me to. Love Jason.

 

Ali sighs as she scrunches it up and throws it in the bin. She flicks the switch on her kettle and then her phone rings. She is startled by the sudden noise of it and won’t budge from her current position for at least a few seconds. Then she rushes to answer it but stands silently listening to the other end at first.

 

After a gulp and feeling the fear scroll down her throat Ali works up enough courage to answer. “Hello” She says in an expecting the worst tone of voice. “Alison.” The gentle female voice rings back. “Hanna? Is that you?” Enquires Ali. “We’ve been worried about you. We know you haven’t left the house in days.” Hanna confesses. “Days. Try weeks. I’m too scared to go anywhere since Jason left for the coast again.” Ali confesses back. “You’re alone?” Asks Hanna. Alison peeps through her velvet white curtains to check on the front yard, it’s empty and still rather foggy. “Look you girls have to stay away from me. I don’t want you to get hurt anymore.” Ali tells her. “Ali I’m putting Spencer on.” Informs Hanna.

 

Alison’s hands begin to shake as she continues peering out the front. “Alison. Listen to me. We need to talk to you about something and we need to talk today.” Spencer says seriously. “No I can’t see you, any of you. I’m too dangerous to be around.” Ali implores. “It’s not an argument. We will be over to yours tonight, 8pm sharp. Be expecting us.” Orders Spencer then before Ali can negotiate Spencer hangs up. “No! Spencer d****t!” Alison throws her phone against the wall in a fit of rage.

 

Ali starts to pace back and fourth in her living room, her eyes gliding over at the clock with every step. It’s 7.15pm. Alison rushes into her kitchen and opens the fridge door violently. She pulls out a bottle of beer with Jason’s name written on the label. Ali opens the bottle and begins chugging the beer like it’s a can of soda then like a crazy homeless person she starts talking to herself. “Maybe if I’m drunk I won’t make sense when they get here.” She repeats to herself easily a dozen times. Footsteps make their way up her gravelled pathway heading for the front door. Ali is too busy rummaging for more adult like drinks. A gloved hand reaches for the outer doorknob and twists slowly. Alison finds what she is looking for in a bottle of whiskey stowed away in the top cupboard over the oven. She brings a tall glass out of her drainer and unscrews the bottle, pouring whiskey half way up the glass and without even mixing it with anything Ali slams down the whiskey in one gulp. She pours several more and drinks, drinks, drinks. The front door is now wide open and the wind is strong enough to almost lift the think curtains off of their rods.

 

The clock now reads 7.35pm and Ali sits at her kitchen table hunched over and looking as white as an albino. She leans forward in the leather chair to try and make out the clock but her vision is blurry and she just starts to laugh at it hysterically. Suddenly a dark hooded shadow appears at the entrance to the kitchen and Ali just smiles at it and stumbles to her feet. “Guys I told you I was okay.” She slurs her words like a raving hobo.

 

The shadow does nothing and Ali draws nearer and nearer. “You know Spencer. I really wish you wouldn’t hang up on me the way you did. It’s rude and uncalled for.” Ali goes on the explain. “Now give me a hug Aria.” Ali attempts to hug the shadow but it sidesteps her and she lands flat on her face. Ali sits up slowly, cradling her head. “Ouch. What was with the moving Hanna.”? Ali asks becoming more gullible by the second. The shadow stands in front of the drawers and opens the top one up. Glistering in the moonlight is a large butchers knife that the gloved hand reaches in and takes out.

 

The shadow turns around and faces Ali who is seated on the floor with her legs wide apart like a two year old. “You know what we should do? We should play murder in the dark like we used to in seventh grade. Everyone hide.” Initiates Ali. She uses the nearby door frame to help herself up and the shadow is now standing right in front of her.

 

Ali looks down and sees the knife then she starts to giggle. “Nice touch Spencer. Always the dramatic one right.” Ali continues to spill. “I haven’t even turned the lights off yet.” Ali rubs the shadows head and the hood slips off. Ali looks deep into the eyes of a mask that looks exactly like her own face. The shadow is revealed as having long blonde hair. Ali playfully reaches for the mask and pulls it off. She grins like a chuckling child. “Ah not Spencer.” She says rather surprised. Then a shick sound is heard like something being stuck into a melon. Alison gasps and her eyes widen.