Cold Hard Sweat

[gaggirl]

Its 3 am. I awaken in a cold sweat. The phone is ringing. Half asleep with my eyes still closed I pick up the handset and press the receive button.

“Hello” I sigh in a flat tired voice. Nothing. “Hello?” I say louder, thinking perhaps I only dreamt I said it out loud. It happens to me all the time. They hang up.

It happens again the next night. And the next. By the third night I was getting annoyed with these late night hangups believing them to be no accident.

At 3 am day 4 he rings me and steam fumes out of my nostrils. I snatch the phone from beside my bed and shout into the phone .

“Listen to me fuckhead, stop fucking ringing me at 3 in the fucking morning!” I press “end” on the phone and throw it down next to the pillow. My husband laying beside me doesn't rouse even with that hollering he is ever the deepest sleeper. The phone rings again. I look at the clock its been not five minutes! I open my mouth to speak, but a low gravelly voice speaks on the other end of the phone.

“Its time” is all he says. He hangs up. Grrr! What the fuck does that mean? “Its time”

A week passes or more, but every night I press “do not disturb” on the base. However this night is a night my husband is away for work interstate and I get a call at 3 am. I was dreaming abut my other half when it rang again and expected it to be my husband. I answer it without even thinking. Instead of my husbands sleepy voice telling me he loves me, I get some guy groaning on the other end, and a little laugh at the end. It raises the hairs on my head. I hand up. It rings. I quickly hit answer and end. Let him run up his bill I dont care. He does this ten times. I turn on all the lights in the house on the way to the phone and pull the cord out of the wall. There! Now you cant use up my message space either. My mobile rings. I almost run to it, relieved that my mans rung me its just what I need now to hear his friendly comforting voice.!

“baby!! My god you wont beli-”
“DONT YOU EVER HANG UP ON ME AGAIN SLUT or I'll cut you into a thousand little peices.“
he laughs again. “yeah thats right. Your MINE bitch.” he hangs up. The call leaves me shaken, chilled to the bone. I throw the phone from me and look at it like its a snake. I nervously look around at all my windows, hoping hes not watching, though theres no intimation. I realise I am shaking. Almost too scared to do so, I pick up the mobile and with trembling fingers press my husbands number into the phone.

[sillyjunior2000]

Originally Posted by gaggirl

“yeah thats right. Your MINE bitch.”

WoW. that sounds so wonderfully possessive.
continue. It sounds interesting.

[Hellcat]

Good stuff there Gaggy... love you ramping up the tension, theres more to come i hope?!

Cold, hard sweat.... exactly what i was experiencing... love it x

[gaggirl]

Speaking to my man is a big comfort. The time I speak with him soothes the raw nerves and makes it seem so far away from real worry. Even so, he suggests turning off all the lights so that if anyone is outside I will be able to see them. So I do. But the time comes when I have to hang up.

Sneaking through the house form one side to the other I search for the best vantage point. I tried the the closet but I felt blind. I tried the bathroom but it felt isolated. In the end I position myself in the corner of the kitchen down by the stove on the floor and watch the rest of the night go by with wide eyes, my phones at my side ready to call triple 0.

My eyes flutter awake. It is day. I smile and stretch myself out, Oh. Thats right!! My eyes are bolt upright as I look around for signs of another presence. Nothing though, it feels alright.

I'm in the kitchen and aching all over. "Not good!" I groan. I check the phones and all of them are clear. I feel almost silly for sitting here all night calling my boyfriend and getting so worried because of a prank caller!! So far hes cost me a few extra days on the end of my life and a good nights sleep. Bastard! I hope he does ring again, I think boldly, Ill hang up on him alright! After a coffee or two I ready myself for the day and go about my business. I re enrol at uni for the second Semester to catch up on the rest of my first year that got put on hold.

The following night I am nervous but I refuse to let it get to me. I ignore the phone when it rings at 3 am.

And then that day I ring the phone companies and have all the numbers changed.

[tom8517]

fantastic start, I'm really enjoying this, the way you're building the suspense is great. Looking forward to reading more.

[gaggirl]

It has been some weeks since I changed the numbers and now we are treated to unbroken sleep that isn't due to having the phone switched off. It makes for better studying too.

I'm on my way into Nurse building at uni. Pushing my way through the door I wind my way through the hallway packed with fellow nursing students in search of my tute. My mobile rings. ARg!! About time! Id been trying to get my study partner all morning about todays presentation. I fiddle with the switch without looking and continue pushing my way through student bodies.

"Hello?"

"Hey you there yet?"Husband!

"Yeah Ive been trying to call Biba all morning to see what hte fuck si going on!" I complain. " I d better go. Ph! someone is on the other line. I love you wish me luck!"

" I love you too. Yoll be fine. Ring me after?"

"yep!" and just make it to the other line before it goes to message bank. On the other end is silence.


Suddenly an old fashioned clock alarm goes off in my ear. It rings Long and shrilll. It drowns out all sounds around me. and it gives me the creepiest doom type of feeling of intensity I have never experienced before.

Huh?!

And then it dawns on me. Its time.. alarm clock...

I stop in my tracks as people continue to push past me, buffeting me towards the wall where I lean against it feeling faint. Swallowing hard I press the cancel button.

It rings again. Same private number.

Shit.

It might be her.

With great hesitation I hit the accept button and gingerly put it to my ear, expecting the shrill alarm to go off again.

"Umm helloooo?" a female voice greets me on the line.

"Oh thank god" I whisper aloud.

"What? Oh never mind. I have the projector already in the room! Where are you?"

"I'm on my way. Ive been trying to call you all morning you know! See you in a sec"

On my way to the tute a thousand thoughts enter my mind. How did that creep get my number? Do I have to change that too now? Moreover, if he knows my numbers, what else does he know?

*****

By the time I make it through our presentation I don't feel so shaken. That afternoon my mind was thankfully on my work. The cranky middle aged maternity clerk puts the phone to her chest and called me over.

"Hey. Its for you" she gives me a suspicious glance and takes an armful of files with her keys over to the filing room. I speak into the phone.

"Hello Annika speaking?"

"You thought I wouldn't find you didn't you?"

Now he knows where I work? My heart thuds in my chest. Okay I've had enough of this.

"Oh goody its you" I say sarcastically, with alot more bravado than I actually feel.

He doesn't miss a beat.

"SHut up and listen to me. Changing your number was a very very stupid thing to do Annika. We are going to have to talk about this. In person. Real soon. Just before I Fuck that superior smile off your face you smart arssed bitch!

When he hangs up then, he leaves me well and truly rattled, standing with the phone still in hand against my ear, my jaw open in surprise and terror.