“Girl, that was so much fun!” Becky said as we got into her new BMW that her mom bought her for her birthday. 

“OMG, I know. When Tom got on the table and poured beer all over his date, I nearly died!”

We laughed as we remembered the events of the night. She pulled up to my house.

“Remember, we have a lunch date tomorrow after work.” She yelled out the window as she drove away. I chuckled to myself at how crazy she is, but I love her. She’s my best friend, and I wouldn’t trade her for the world. As I was unlocking my door, I got chills, and all of my hair stood up, I felt as though someone was watching me. I looked around me and saw nothing but street lights, dogs sitting on the porch waiting for their owners to let them in, stray cats walking the sidewalk, and occasionally a passing car. I shrugged it off and decided it was just me, even though I have watched horror movies and know that if you just shrug it off, it ends badly. I walked into my house and turned on the light as my Husky JoJo came running at me.

“Hey girl, did anything happen while I was gone?” 

She just barked happily. I smiled and walked upstairs to take a shower so I could watch a movie and go to sleep. I walked to my living room tying my hair up in a ponytail, grabbed a blanket, put it on the couch and walked into the kitchen to make some popcorn. I sat down on the couch, blanket over my lap, popcorn in hand, and JoJo laying down beside me. I turned on Scream and turned my lamp off and got cozy. My eyes started to close as I heard my cell phone rang. I let it ring, not wanting to get up. I was too comfortable and warm, I just didn’t want to get up. A couple seconds later, it stopped. I sighed happily and tried to go back to sleep, but my phone rang again. If they called a second time, it must be important, right? I got up and looked at the number. Unknown number? I answered.

“Hello?”

Breathing. That’s all I heard, was their breathing. 

“Hello, are you okay?”

I tried to get them to talk to me, again just breathing

“Okay, I am hanging up now.”

I hung up and put my phone back down on the coffee table, and I yawned as i walked over to JoJo who was looking at me confused, like asking: 

“Why get up hooman?”

I smiled at her and patted her head, and I grabbed my cup and as I was walking away, my phone ran once again.

“Hello?”

Nothing. I didn’t even hear breathing this time. Not even that beeping noise you hear after they hang up on you. I went to put my phone down when it rang again. 

“Listen, please stop calling this number.”

I hung up on them. I went to put my phone down when it rang again. I groaned.

“Look, if you keep calling me I am going to call th-”

“Hello darling.”

My eyes widened as I heard a voice come through the phone.

“Um, hi. Who are you and why do you keep calling me?”

I didn’t hear anything for a while. Thinking he hung up, I went to pull the phone away until he spoke again.

“Oh, I love hearing the sound of your voice.”

  “Who are you and what do you want?”

I mentally slapped myself as my voice came out shaking and scared. He just laughed, a deep and low chuckle,  so quiet I almost missed it. My heart started racing, and my hands started to sweat. For some reason, I felt scared, I felt all the hairs stick up on my arms and neck. I quickly hung up and threw my phone on the couch. First mistake. I closed my eyes and tried to calm my breathing. I opened them and went to lock the doors and windows. I knew it was probably a prank call, or at least I tried to tell myself that. I went over and JoJo lifted her head, and looked at me. I smiled and grabbed the remote and turned the movie off. 

“Come on, girl. Let’s go to bed.”

JoJo’s ears shot up as she heard the word bed and hopped off the couch and ran up the stairs. I didn’t get a chance to move until my cell phone rang again. I hesitated not wanting to hear his voice again. I felt like it was the devil himself calling me. By the time I got to the phone, it stopped ringing. I sighed in relief and went To grab my phone and it rang again making me jump and scream.

“Hell-”

“Well, I am sorry. I didn’t mean to make you scream.”

He cut me off and what he said made my face pale. He can see me? But how? I started to look around at all the windows when he started to laugh again. A chill went through my whole body, but that laugh sounded so familiar. 

“It’s funny watching the blood drain from your face.”

“Who are you?”

I stuttered even though I tried not to, showing him that I’m very much scared. 

“Ow, you’ve already forgotten about me. That hurts Maddie.”

At that moment, my heart stopped, my hands started to shake, and my breath hitched.

“How do you know my name?”

My voice came out weaker than I wanted.

“You know who I am, Mad.”

At that moment, my world stopped and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. That nickname, the only one who calls me that is my ex boyfriend, James. 

“How did you get my number?”

“Don’t worry your pretty little head about it.”

“You know, you’re not allowed to talk or come near me.”

“Oh, honey. You’re mine remember.”

I started to cry, I had a restraining order on him. We had a really bad relationship. He was very controlling and abusive.

“Just leave me alone.”

“You hang up on me one more time, Madison and you’re going to regret it.”

I got scared and hung up. I ran up stairs, calling the police. They told me if I ever hear from him to call the police and tell them.

“911, what’s your emergency?”

“It’s Madison Jackson. He called me. What do I do?”

“Tell me his number.”

“304-346-3357.”

My heart was pounding in my chest that I could hear it.

“Madison…”

The 911 operator trailed off her sentence.

“What?”

“I need you to tell me where you are.”

“I’m home. Why?”

“I tracked his number and he’s in your house.”

My heart dropped and as soon as she said that, the phone went dead. I heard a crash downstairs, and I jumped. JoJo started barking really loud and I knew she saw something or someone. Soon her barking turned to whimpering. I ran down the stairs and my window was broken and there was blood everywhere. 

“Hey sweetheart.”

Someone whispered in my ear, I shivered as I heard his voice in my ear.