Call From The Other Side

A widow keeps receiving phone calls from her deceased husband.

“The person you’ve dialed is not answering. Please leave a message at the tone.”

“Hey baby, I’m not going to be able to make it to date night tonight, work is running a bit late. I love you,”

No. No no no, not happening, impossible. He’s gone. He can’t call if he’s gone. I’m going crazy…I just miss him, that’s all. This is just a bad dream. It will all go away when I wake up. I just need to wake up…wake up. Wake up!

I stare at the computer screen. I can’t keep doing this. I haven’t gotten a good nights sleep in days. I just hear the ringing. Over and over, the ringing. Feel the vibration in my pocket as if it’s never ending. I frantically scan the article about grieving, hoping that’s all this is. There has to be something to help me. There has to be an explanation. This is the third article I’ve looked at. But again, nothing. You could experience depression, dreams that the person isn’t actually gone, think you see them everywhere. That’s NOT the problem! The phone! The phone is the problem…the ringing…

I open a new article. I have to keep trying. I’m not crazy. I just need to find the answer. Maybe I just need to have my phone checked out. Maybe somebody has HIS phone and are just prank calling me. I don’t know who would be sick enough to do such a thing but people are twisted. They are absolute monsters. But for now, I just need to keep reading. I just need an answer, or at least something close to a plausible explanation. Maybe I would be able to sleep if I found something. But again, just like the other three articles, this one is everything but helpful.

I look at the clock on the screen. It’s 2 A.M. Letting out a long sigh, I finally decide to go lay in bed. I know it won’t help. I know I won’t be able to sleep. I never do anymore. I’ll just hear the ringing, look at name on the caller ID, and scream. Just like every other night. But what else could I do? I know nothing will stop the nightmares until I have an answer.

Apparently this had never happened to somebody before, at least not that they like to admit. I’ve been searching the internet for days now and still nothing. If you don’t get better, talk to your doctor. They can help find a therapist. So what you’re saying is you want me to go to a person, tell them my dead husband keeps calling me, and then what? Just sit back and relax as they call an institution? I just need to get some sleep. That will help. Maybe I will talk to a doctor about sleeping pills. Then I’m sure this whole thing will stop. I can’t be crazy…right? It’s all just grief and sleep deprivation. That’s all. I slip into my PJ’s and climb into bed. I close my eyes and drift off.

*Bzzz bzzz bzzz* I hold my breath, glancing down at the phone in my pocket. His picture appears on the screen, name plastered across the top. I slowly let out my breath, shaking as I pull the phone from my pocket. My hand is so unsteady I almost drop the phone. This can’t be happening…He’s gone… I stare at the screen until the picture disappears and I get a missed call notification. I slide down the bedroom wall, hitting the floor hard and my body racks with sobs, hot tears streaming down my face.

I bolt awake, drenched in sweat. This has to stop. But it happens every day. Every day the phone rings. Every day his picture is on the screen. And every day I let the call go to voice mail and listen to his voice over and over. I never answered the call. I was always too scared to find out what… Or who… Would be on the other end of the line if I did. Would I actually hear his voice? Would it be somebody else? Would the call immediately end? I didn’t want to find out. No matter what happened, the outcome would be too much to handle. I had thought that maybe, just maybe, knowing would make all of this easier, or maybe even make it stop, but I couldn’t bring myself to answer. I realized I might want to see what time it is and glance at me phone. It was 2:30 A.M. I had gotten about 30 minutes of sleep. I check again to make sure that was right, since that was the most sleep I had gotten since this whole thing started a week ago, and that’s when I noticed the notification. 1 missed call. I started to shake as my finger unsteadily draws down the menu to see the number. It was him. The dream was real.

I throw my phone across the room and begin to cry. I can’t keep doing this. I need help… But who could I turn to? Nobody would believe me! I have no way of proving this is actually happening. No matter who I went to they would all think I was crazy. Maybe I could go to Sam. Maybe she will believe me…

“Hey girl! I haven’t seen you in a while! What’s up?? You look a little rough, is everything okay?” Sam greets me with a bright smile that changes to a look of concern as she holds me at an arms length away, looking me over quickly. She hugs me tightly, trying to comfort me. I sigh and try to choke back sobs.

“Something has been happening. I don’t know how to explain it and I need to talk to somebody. I’m just scared they will think I’m crazy. But I figured if anybody would help me it would be you.” My voice shakes as tears fill my eyes. I don’t even know how to begin to tell her. She’s going to think I’m crazy, no doubt about it…

“What’s been happening?? You know you can tell me anything. I’m sure it’s nothing so crazy that I, of all people, wouldn’t believe you! So spill!” Her voice is laced with concern and excitement. She has no idea what she’s in for. But how could she? I don’t even understand what’s going on. I think I’m crazy, myself! So why would she think any different?

“I’ve…been getting phone calls…”

“What’s so crazy about that?? People get phone calls all the time! Especially from random numbers.”

“That’s the thing… The number isn’t random. It’s… Never mind… Forget it, I’m just going crazy.”

Her eyes get huge, as if she’s figured it out herself. Then, out of nowhere, her expression changes completely. A look of utter agitation was etched on her face. She looked as though I had just offended her in the worst way possible. “Do you REALLY think you’re just going to say something like that, then not tell me?? When you’re THIS hurt??? You best start talking, right now.” I hated making her mad. When she wanted something, she got it. It wouldn’t take much for her to drag it out of me and that look was fixing to do me in. “Tell me. Now”

“Okay, okay… I’ve been getting phone calls from… Josh… Everyday, he calls, and leaves a message. Now it’s haunting me! I keep hearing the phone ringing even when it’s not, I keep hearing his voice everywhere I go, I keep dreaming about this! I haven’t got any good sleep for the past week!” I was practically screaming, tears streaming down my face. The look on her face was sheer shock. I knew I shouldn’t have told anybody.

“Okay… That’s a bit to take in… Do you have any way to prove it?” She’s talking to me like I’m crazy. Great…

“Not unless he calls! How would I be able to prove it unless he called?”

“Can’t you look at your recent calls?? His contact would be there. Or, you said he was leaving messages? Check your voicemail for the messages.” That wasn’t a half bad idea. I hadn’t thought about that yet. I go to my call history to see the recent calls. I feel all the color flee my face as I look through the call history. It’s not there, none of his calls are there! This can’t be happening! Okay, okay, maybe the voicemails will be there… I go to my voicemail and hit play on my last voicemail. It should have been his voice coming through the speaker but it was Sam’s. “That’s me… That’s not Josh… Are you sure this is actually happening? Have YOU tried calling him instead?” As if on cue the phone starts ringing. I begin to shake as I look at the name on the screen. Josh. I show it to Sam and she turns ghost pale. “Answer it, it’s the only way you’re going to find out,” she says hesitantly. She is shaking as bad as I am. I slowly hit the button, and hold the phone up to my ear.

“Hey babe, I’m glad I could finally get ahold of you…”

The End

Author's Note

This is my first story I've ever wrote.