Chapter 3: The Call

It was two and a half hours past curfew. Annie had come home to an empty house, it was strange, surprising even. Usually her dad got off work at Five and would be home making dinner by Six thirty. There was never any change, Monday through Friday he worked his nine to five job. He didn't take sick days, he barely took vacation time.

So it was shocking to see he wasn't home.

Annie searched the small home looking for her father, he must be here somewhere. His office was empty, his room? Empty. Bathroom? She was thankful to find it empty. Annie did not want to walk in on her dad again.

Walking towards the kitchen there was a note, blinking confused she reached up grasping the hand written letter. It was easily her fathers hand writing, his messy scribbling of words.

Annabelle,

I'm sure you're confused, work needs me in Texas for the time being. I don't know how long I will be gone and I would be home for you if they absolutely didn't need me.

There is money on the counter for dinner/groceries. I will have some money transferred to your bank account as soon as I land.

Please be safe and stay inside, I don't want anything to happen to you during these scary times.

I love you,

Dad

To say she was surprised was an understatement. In all her life, Annie has never seen her father go on a business trip. He was an engineer but he never said what company he worked with.

Shaking her head Annie went to make herself a bowl of popcorn for dinner, not wanting to bother making anything else. She quickly changed out of her work clothes and into her PJ's. Nothing too spectacular, her cow shorts and a purple long sleeve top. Grabbing a bowl for her popcorn she walked to the livingroom and started doing her homework.

As time went on she called Randy to see if he could help out with some algebra problems she hated math. "I hate word questions." she grumbled into the phone. She didn't understand why Mrs. Langdon would make almost every question a word question.

'You could just work on it tomorrow with me. I'm spent with school.'

Letting out a laugh "Right, same here. Want to see a movie this weekend?"

'Totally, we could see Thinner. I heard that was a good one.'

"Thinner maybe, it was an okay book, the dude was a complete pain."

'Right so we go see it, and make fun of it the entire time.' Grinning, she nodded her head. "Sounds like a plan!" Annie stood from the living room table. She wasn't sure if she should tell Randy or not about her new living situation, it might be best to hold off on that for a while. See if anything happens then she could tell her friends.

"So what you want to meet up at my place friday or just meet at the theater?"

'Won't your dad get weird and start grilling me with questions?' Rolling her eyes Annie held the phone to her ear as she did her little dishes. "No?"

Randy chuckled over the line, Annie could practically see him sitting up in his bed making that evil grin she loved.

'He's probably like the Sawyer family. Doesn't want his baby girl to be a street walker.' She laughed, shaking her head"Or maybe my dad is actually an alien and he's doing this elaborate test to see how humans act in isolation."

'Oof, poor thing, you don't even realize how true that is, do you?'

"Fuck off Randy," she giggled. What was it about him that made her feel this way? He always made her feel so happy and special. She felt like she could talk to him for hours and never get bored.

A beeping noise went off in her ear making Annie let out a groan. "Hold on, I got another call." Pulling the phone to her ear Annie pressed a button and answered the other call "Hello?"

'Hi there,'

Making a face Annie stopped her walking and just ended up standing in the middle of her hallway. "Are you looking for someone?"

'You could say that. Whats your name?' Her eyebrows scrunched together confused who the hell was on the phone. "Jeffrey Dahmer," The person on the other side of the phone only chuckled 'You're funny, I like that.'

"Yeah sure, is there a reason you're calling me? I have someone else on the line." This guy just gave her the creeps. What the hell was going on. Sure Annie has had prank callers in the past but they usually hung up whenever she didn't play into the games.

'Is it your boyfriend?' Annie rolled her eyes walking now to her bedroom. "And you care why?" The creepy dude on the line only laughed some more. 'I wanted to see if I had a chance.'

Letting out the most unladylike scoff she could, Annie pulled the phone away from her ear to glare at the device "You don't, now quit jacking off to girls voices. You'll never get anywhere with that."

'Wai-' Hanging up the line Annie let out a huff going back to her conversation with Randy.

'You okay?'

"Some asshole just called and literally wouldn't stop asking questions. It was so weird."

'Are you okay? What did they ask you?'

Her face flushed thinking what to tell Randy. "Well he asked for my name like a weirdo, didn't give his own in return when I said Jeffrey Dahmer." Randy felt some relief hearing the sarcastic response. "Then when I said I had someone on the other line they asked if you were my boyfriend."

It got awkward over the phone, she just knew it would as soon as she said boyfriend. Why would she say that to Randy of all people! Agh! As much as she wanted him to be her boyfriend she knew he wasn't the type to actually date someone like her.

He was interested in Sydney, she was smart, beautiful, funny, caring, fuck she was fucking perfect. Why couldn't she be more like Sydney, maybe then Randy would notice her the way she does him. 'Well would you want to?'

Damn it! She wasn't even paying attention to what he said. "Sorry, I sort of spaced out there...What did you say Randy?" she apologized hoping he wouldn't be too mad at her. 'It's nothing...just ignore that creep.'

Frowning she nodded closing her bedroom door "Yeah, hey I'm gonna head to bed. Night Randy."

'Night Annie-belle.' A half smile made its way to her face hearing the nickname. It was cute, crawling into bed Annie let out a sigh snuggle deep into her sheets happy that the weather was cooling off once again.

The phone rang once again, maybe it was Randy. He did that sometimes where they were on the phone and he hangs up only to call back two minutes later to say something else. It happened all the time. Letting out a laugh she answered the phone "Come on Randy, I was almost asleep." she grinned.

'That was very rude of you to hang up on me.' All sleep drained from Annie's system. It was the same creepy dude from before. 'I think I'll have to punish you.'

"Didn't you realize you called the wrong number? What do you want?"

'Why don't you tell me your name?'

The man on the other side of the phone chuckled sending terror chills down her spine. "Why do you want to know my name? Whats so good about knowing my name?"

'I'd like to know who I'm looking at.'

Scrunching her brows together confused Annie pulled her phone away from her ear to stare at the device confused. "How would..." she muttered confused looking out her window not seeing anyone, her head snapped to her closet it was cracked open, something she never did. Something to do with a fear from her childhood.

"Oh fuck," Scrambling off her bed she didn't even want to risk going near the bedroom door. 'Okay Annie, stay calm. Just stay calm, you don't know that the killer is in the house? He could be fucking with you.'

'Lets play a game. You answer my questions and you'll live.'

"Not like I have a choice." she grumbled inching her way towards her window. If she was lucky she might be able to escape off the roof. It would be a long shot but she might be able to escape. 'We'll start out easy, these creatures are considered angels to some and demons to others. What are they?'

Blinking shocked Annie knew this one. Annie, Randy, Billy, and Stu had seen it together when it first came out. "Cenobites."

'Correct, see not so hard.' Clenching her first she hated that he was condescending her. 'Which Actor plays the lead role in the Dead Zone?'

Dead Zone? It sounded familiar but she couldn't remember it. "Is that the detective movie?" he didn't answer. Wracking her brain she tried to think of the main character of the movie. "Christopher Walken?" She wasn't sure if that was it or not, just something in the back of her brain truly believed it was.

'Correct, How was pumpkinhead created?'

Her eyes widened She knew this one! She saw it with Randy after they found it in one of the sections at work. They made fun of it so much creating a great memory for her, hell she might have fallen for Randy that night without even realizing it. "After this fathers kid dies, he takes the dead body to this witch and she does some spell connecting the father and the creature together."

'You're doing quite well.' The man chuckled 'Final question, where am I?' Fear rippled through her system as she stared at her closet door. Backing towards the window she didn't want to die, but how was she supposed to know where he was?

Opening her window she dropped her phone as she shimmied out the window. Crawling up the slant of her roof she couldn't see anything, she was all alone. All she had to do was just wait up here and she would be safe.

No way he would think she could get up here. "AGH!" A gloved hand wrapped around her ankle yanking her backwards. Turning around she caught sight of a man dressed clad in black wearing a ghost styled mask. Ghostface.

Her nails dug deep into the asphalt shingles, little bits of rocks dug under her nails, some even ripping free from her fingers. Kicking her leg she made contact with the man's chest hearing a pained cry escape the mans lips. Crawling once again she forced herself to her feet and rushed to the other side. She needed to find a way down, cringing in pain she gripped the ledge of the roof and let herself dangle, having to hold herself by just her fingers over the side of a building was no joke.

Shimmying as best as she could towards the edge of the house she needed to land on the porch, at least then if she wouldn't die, she'd just be horribly hurt. "Yeah that's a plus, instead of death you'll just break every bone in your body." she grunted, clenching her eyes tightly "One...two...AGH!" pain seared through her fingertips feeling a boot slam down harshly on her left hand.

She couldn't hold on anymore, her body fell harshly. "Ah!" she felt like her soul had left her body watching the ghostfaced character stare down at her. All she felt was pain, her landing was anything but comfortable. Her back, her right leg, her head. Everything ached. She couldn't breathe.

Clenching her eyes tightly she whimpered trying to move, everything felt like it was a hundred pounds. Was this it? Was she going to die here like this? Clenching her eyes once again she took a deep breath. It felt like her lungs were punctured by one of her ribs.

Opening her eyes once again she whimpered, fearing for her life seeing Ghostface standing over her staring down at her with a cocked head. Kneeling down he straddled her waist tracing his long curved knife across her cheek, her throat, any part of exposed skin.

"Please..." she whispered, not able to raise her voice more than that. The sharp knife tip dug into her left shoulder, tears wouldn't stop. The torture was unbearable. "Annie you out here?" the killer looked up ripping his knife from her shoulder and got to his feet. "S-stu..." she whimpered.

"Oh my god!" Stu rushed to her side not sure what to do. He was frantic ripping his jacket off his shoulders pushing the fabric against her wound. "Hold on Annie." He whispered frantically, she couldn't focus on anything else besides his frantic face. Darkness started to surround her vision "Please hold on, you're gonna be okay." he whimpered watching her eyes flutter shut.

"Damn it!" He screamed lifting her tiny form in his arms with ease. "Hold on Annie please be okay," around the corner a man dressed clad in a black robe walked around the corner of her home, his mask shielding his face as he crept closer to the frantic teen.

Stu fumbled with the door struggling to get it open. He didn't want Annie to get hurt, she was pure. The purest of anyone in his friend group. A black gloved hand reached out ripping his passenger side door open scaring the crap out of Stu. "Damn it Billy. Don't sneak up on me like that!" he hissed glaring at his best friend.

The mask was ripped free from Billy's face showing his worried expression. "She'll be okay Stu,"

Stu shook his head laying her in his truck biting his bottom lip, his hands shook as he tried to buckle her in. "She..."

"Get her to the hospital, this was a necessary evil." His Annie was hurt because of them. "What happens if she finds out?"

Billy's stern eyes glared down at Stu. "She won't," Stu whimpered again. He felt like his heart would burst out of his chest "Just get her to the hospital, remember your alibi." nodding his head Stu got in his truck and raced off down the road.

Billy faced the dark empty house a crazed smile on his handsome face. 'Soon you'll be all ours Annie,' Walking inside the home Billy cleaned up everything he touched, making sure there was nothing that could tie him to the attack.

He wouldn't lie that watching the fear in her hazel eyes. She was different from Casey Becker, she didn't scream, she didn't really beg. Her small pained plea sounded like she had accepted her death. She wanted to live but wasn't going to fight him. Watching her lay beneath him unable to move. He felt a rush, he wanted to watch her blood drip down his knife as he dominated her.

God she was perfect.

Another crazed smile made it's way to his face. It wouldn't be too long till it was just the three of them, he'd take them to his grandparents cabin over in Washington. It'll be perfect. They'd start over, just the three of them.