She Read It In An Ad

She spied the ad while she was leafing through the LA View on Thursday night. Deanna Sheldon, I know who you are and what you are doing. Please contact me ASAP. Nick Black: 810-666-4666.

March 29, 2012
Deanna

She spied the ad while she was leafing through the Tanglewood Times on Thursday night. Deanna Sheldon, I know who you are and what you are doing. Please contact me ASAP. Nick Black: 810-666-4666. A chill ran down her back...her name was Deanna Sheldon, but she didn't know anyone named Nick Black. Does he know I talk to the dead? She looked at the phone number again, and was unnerved. The numbers 666 seemed to jump out at her. Wasn't that suppose to be the number for the devil? By talking to the dead, had she attracted the attention of the devil himself? She threw the paper in the garbage. She had no intention of contacting Mr. Black.

The next Thursday, she was again leafing through a copy of the Tanglewood Times, when she noticed a new ad. I'm still waiting to hear from you, Deanna. You can't hide from me.  Nick: 810-666-4666. She was paralyzed for a few seconds. What does he mean, I can't hide from him? Does he know where I live? Should I call him? But the idea of calling Nick was too dreadful to contemplate. Again, she thew the paper into the trash, she didn't even finish reading it.

Wednesday night her stomach started aching, just thinking about the paper coming the next day. Walking to the mailbox on Thursday, she debated on whether to leave the paper in it. Curiosity got the better of her. She grabbed the paper, and ran back to the house.  Sitting at the kitchen table, she turned straight to the ads, scanning until she found another message from Nick.

There it was, in bold, block letters. DEANNA, CONTACT ME OR YOU'LL BE SORRY! NICK

She was totally unnerved. YOU'LL BE SORRY! Picking up the phone, she dialed the ominous number, she didn't need to read it off the paper - it was ingrained in her soul. Her heart skipped a beat for every ring. Finally it picked up...a deep voice said,

“This is Nick, leave a message.”

A bit relieved, that she was just talking to an answering machine, she said,

“This is Deanna Sheldon, you've been leaving messages for me in the Tanglewood Times...I...I just want to know what you want. My number is 810-779-2442.”

As if it were burning with the fires of hell, she quickly threw the phone down.

She was on edge all that evening, couldn't really concentrate when the dead came to speak with her, asking for help. When the phone rang at 9:00 pm, she jumped, letting out a little scream. She almost didn't answer it; then taking a deep breath, hands sweating, she picked up the phone. “Hello, Deanna Sheldon speaking.”

There was a pause...she considered hanging up, then it started, a mechanical voice saying...

“Are you considering buying new windows this year?”

She slammed the phone down in disgust. “Darn telemarketers!”

That night she tossed and turned in bed. When she did fall asleep, it was only to wake up after a nightmare, about being chased through Hades by horned beings with pitchforks. She was hot and sweating, the sheets and blanket wrapped around her, so she couldn't move.

She got up, went to the kitchen and got herself a diet cola with lots of ice. This has got to end, if he doesn't call me soon...I'll end up back in the psych ward! She turned on the TV, finding what was supposed to be a comic love story, but was just plain bad. She finally dozed off.

She woke to the sun streaming through the front window into her eyes. What time is it? She tried to focus her eyes on the digital readout on the DVD player. Oh my God, I'm late for work! She scrambled to get dressed, without eating breakfast, she dashed to her car and raced across town, driving well over the speed limit. Hope the police don't stop me...hope I don't get fired!

She dragged herself home that night, exhausted, hungry - she had forgotten to make a lunch and didn't have any cash - and still on edge over Nick Black. The answering machine was beeping when she entered the house. Her finger hovered over the play button. Should I eat first, and take a nap, then listen to the message? No...I've got to get this over with.

Ever so slowly, she pushed the play button...

“Hello, this is Nick, guess we're playing phone tag. Give me a call.”

Ahhh...couldn't he at least say what he wanted? Grabbing the phone, she dialed the now familiar number. It rang three times, then picked up, she was ready to leave another message...but a human voice said,

“Hello?”

“Is this Nick Black?”

“Speaking.”

“This is Deanna Sheldon, you've been trying to contact me?”

“Oh, Deanna, is it really you?”

“...Yes...”

“Oh yeah, I forgot, you don't know me. I feel like we've know each other for a long time, I've heard so much about you...”

“From who?”

“Well, this is the crazy part...I...”

“I'm listening!”

“I'm a psychic medium. I talk to the dead.”

“You what!”

“Oh, I thought you might know already.  They told me you were a psychic, like me, told me all about you.  Said we should get together.” He laughingly added, “I think they are trying to set us up together, you aren't married or in a relationship are you?”

“No...I'm not. You mean that's what all this was about?”

“Yeah, what did you think it was about?”

“Oh, I'm so embarrassed...I thought...well, your name is Nick Black and your has all those 666's in it...and.”

“You thought I was the devil?”

“Well, Nick is another name for the devil and well, the black part, and...”

Nick's laughter stopped her. It was warm, and infectious, nothing like the way she pictured the devil would laugh. She found herself smiling.

“You are something else Deanna Sheldon, I can't wait to meet you! You will agree to meet with me, won't you?”

“Yes, Nick Black, I think I will. If the dead think it's a good idea, how can I say otherwise?”

Author's Note

Written for a group writing prompt about reading an unusual ad.

Reviews

[Robin Adcock]

hmmmm....a good read. I thought Nick was very forceful in his approach and Deanna just seemed like a victim...a bit of a flake. You could do without the last two sentences. Just finish it with;

“Yes, Nick Black, I think I will. If the dead think it's a good idea, how can I say otherwise?”

That tells the reader enough without wrapping it up too neatly.

[moonbeam40]

All can Astral Travel, where they arrive depends on their thoughts, you are a great person Wendy, I enjoy all your work:)).Moonbe

[moonbeam40]

I enjoyed all the chapters from start to finish, I thought it ended very well, your story ,your ending of your story, your choice, I loved it, well done ! :))Moonbeam

[Wendy Seames Garner]

Thanks once again, Moonbeam! I will write more in this book - my granddaughter won't let me end it.

[Pax]

funny, a nice sense of humor. i didnt know the dead can be a match maker. great job on this story.

[emmajoy]

I read this quite hungrily, got so far and quickly; was so sure i knew what was going to happen and . was completely wrong! Like the flow of it, the details you give are just enough, the slow build-up is controlled, the dialogue's great!

[gombeggar]

interesting...you feel you'll continue this?

[Tegon Maus]

How fast are you? I didn't even get an idea for this prompt untill today ! This looks like an expansion to you book... right?

[Chris]

"Just two psychic secretaries getting together to discuss the all the things they had in common, well...they might have had a few eavesdroppers along with them. " - this sentence is hurting.

Wen, you could take this one places... I think you sold the idea kinda short and let it fizzle out maybe halfway down the page.