Wrong Number
Prologue
HOLLY'S POV
Knees buckling under pressure as my legs struggled to carry my body weight, I fought tiredly to try and stay upright in the phone booth; blood soaked palms bracing my stance inside the tight glass cubicle. Each breath I took was short and stubborn – as condensation built against the glass I could feel the faintest line of sweat forming sharply above my brow as my heartbeat became irregular with fear. The sound of a single gunshot fired earlier in the night had been enough motivation to keep running – just like my sister had told me too; her instructions clear and concise when it came to our survival. She’d convinced me that she’d create the perfect diversion until I was able to get help. She’d promised me she’d find me when the time was right. Hearing echoed screams of frustration pool from deep within the dense overgrown forest I’d just run through, I shut my eyes – tears swelling and pooling on the apples of my cheeks as my mind created imaginary conclusions fearing the worst.
Licking my bottom lip un-dry before I bit down hard, I grabbed at the handset on the side of the old metal telephone box and held it to my ear with all the effort I could manage. Deep breaths turning shallow as I searched through my pockets for a quarter to make a call.
“Your call could not be connected”, the robotic voice on the other end sang, “Please check the number and try again.”
I sighed, forehead resting against the blood soaked glass I had painted before and began to cry. Uncontrollably.
“HOLLYYYYY!”
I wasn’t sure if hearing my own name was a figment of my imagination or faint calls from my sister who was still out there. Before the call was able to be discontinued; wasting the quarter I’d slotted into the machine, I hit the receiver back down punching in on the keypad another set of numbers I remembered off the top of my head hoping, quietly beneath my breath that the call would be answered.
“Hello?”, a voice answered wryly and quiet. I couldn’t help but let out a laugh which managed to choke me.
“Harry.. I need your help.. I need… you have to come and get me.”
“Who is this?”, he asked with a croak and his voice quickly registered the thought inside my head that not everyone would be awake at 4am.
“H—Holly..”, I choked.
“Holly baby it’s like 4am”, he explained as I could hear shuffling about assumingly in his room.
“I know Harry and trust me”, I began to sob, “I wouldn’t be calling any other time but Chloe and I are in trouble and you need to come get us--.”
“Where are you?”, he asked cutting me off, his voice becoming static with the connection.
“Um.. in a phonebox.”
“Well that doesn’t help me now Holly does it?”, he chuckled.
Before I was able to answer the sight of car headlights in the distance with the shrieking sound of tires on the road caused me to drop down and huddle out of sight on the paved floor. As rain began to fall hard and heavy mimicking the feelings that were now engrossed in my psyche I pulled at my jacket covering my chest before sobbing into the handset.
Leaving Chloe had been a bad idea.
“Harry you need to hurry”, I begged still hearing him hustle in the background. The sound of a car engine rolling closer caused me to hold my breath.
“Holly, I can’t hurry and help of you don’t tell me where you are--.”
“Harry, please, I think I killed my dad and….”, I cried feeling hopeless, “There are people after me..”
Knees buckling under pressure as my legs struggled to carry my body weight, I fought tiredly to try and stay upright in the phone booth; blood soaked palms bracing my stance inside the tight glass cubicle. Each breath I took was short and stubborn – as condensation built against the glass I could feel the faintest line of sweat forming sharply above my brow as my heartbeat became irregular with fear. The sound of a single gunshot fired earlier in the night had been enough motivation to keep running – just like my sister had told me too; her instructions clear and concise when it came to our survival. She’d convinced me that she’d create the perfect diversion until I was able to get help. She’d promised me she’d find me when the time was right. Hearing echoed screams of frustration pool from deep within the dense overgrown forest I’d just run through, I shut my eyes – tears swelling and pooling on the apples of my cheeks as my mind created imaginary conclusions fearing the worst.
Licking my bottom lip un-dry before I bit down hard, I grabbed at the handset on the side of the old metal telephone box and held it to my ear with all the effort I could manage. Deep breaths turning shallow as I searched through my pockets for a quarter to make a call.
“Your call could not be connected”, the robotic voice on the other end sang, “Please check the number and try again.”
I sighed, forehead resting against the blood soaked glass I had painted before and began to cry. Uncontrollably.
“HOLLYYYYY!”
I wasn’t sure if hearing my own name was a figment of my imagination or faint calls from my sister who was still out there. Before the call was able to be discontinued; wasting the quarter I’d slotted into the machine, I hit the receiver back down punching in on the keypad another set of numbers I remembered off the top of my head hoping, quietly beneath my breath that the call would be answered.
“Hello?”, a voice answered wryly and quiet. I couldn’t help but let out a laugh which managed to choke me.
“Harry.. I need your help.. I need… you have to come and get me.”
“Who is this?”, he asked with a croak and his voice quickly registered the thought inside my head that not everyone would be awake at 4am.
“H—Holly..”, I choked.
“Holly baby it’s like 4am”, he explained as I could hear shuffling about assumingly in his room.
“I know Harry and trust me”, I began to sob, “I wouldn’t be calling any other time but Chloe and I are in trouble and you need to come get us--.”
“Where are you?”, he asked cutting me off, his voice becoming static with the connection.
“Um.. in a phonebox.”
“Well that doesn’t help me now Holly does it?”, he chuckled.
Before I was able to answer the sight of car headlights in the distance with the shrieking sound of tires on the road caused me to drop down and huddle out of sight on the paved floor. As rain began to fall hard and heavy mimicking the feelings that were now engrossed in my psyche I pulled at my jacket covering my chest before sobbing into the handset.
Leaving Chloe had been a bad idea.
“Harry you need to hurry”, I begged still hearing him hustle in the background. The sound of a car engine rolling closer caused me to hold my breath.
“Holly, I can’t hurry and help of you don’t tell me where you are--.”
“Harry, please, I think I killed my dad and….”, I cried feeling hopeless, “There are people after me..”
Notes
My first story. I hope you all like it :)
GDJFLNEDLKDNKSJFIK
I can't even anymore.
This is perfect
5/3/15