jinnsstoryhut

I arrived after 3am, really too late or, early depending on your pov, to call anyone.  I pressed the play button on the machine and walked into the bathroom.  There was a moment of silence,  making me believe there was nothing there but, the crack of the first voice came through.  Adam, not surprising, bill collectors, Dr. Pines office, then I thought I heard a voice.. I rewound the machine, nothing but static, still, I know what I heard at least, I thought I heard..oh well, I finished changing my clothes.

The trip had been uneventful, I have no idea why I thought Alex was so exciting, he was a bore, a braggart, an egomaniac and a flirt, with any thing that wore a skirt.  He couldn't match Adam in anyway, especially the love making department.  I pushed aside the guilty feelings about Adam and touched the lamp.

Just as I was dozing off, the phone rang, I fumbled and whispered hello into the thing..  Static, and a voice..   "How does it feel to be alone?"

I wasn't in the mood for prank calls, I was tired.  I shut the phone down, anyone that wanted to talk to me could wait until tomorrow.  However, the voice had something in it that sounded so cold, disembodied, I shook off the chill and turned over.

The sliver of light that filtered through the blinds managed to land squarely on my left eye.. The unholy voice came back to me, what had it said?  Oh yes, how did it feel to be alone.. Pranksters, they didn't sleep.   I needed my morning jolt.

I was thinking about Adam,  what would I tell him, it didn't matter, he'd forgive me, he always did.  He truly deserved better than me but, he thought I was the most beautiful girl in the world..(lol) and I guess I exploited that fact.  I'd never admit that to my mother.. who was not answering her phone at 7:30am.. 

Adam wasn't answering his phone either, not his home phone or his cell.. Same with my sister, what happened had they all gone on vacation together?  "How does it feel to be alone?"   Cold fingers crawled up my arms, I hugged myself rubbing my arms vigorously, I needed to put the nagging feeling that something wasn't right to rest..  I jumped into the shower but couldn't quite shake the feeling.. 

And now it intensified, there were no cars on the street..

"How does it feel to be alone?" 

Creepy, I am reminded of "Resident Evil" and so may other Zombie stories.  I called my mother again, no answer, I dialed my sister, no answer, I dialed Adam, no answer, just the static..

My heart is beating so fast, although I refuse to believe it, I know, for some reason, they are all gone..  I begin to cry, that's all I know to do..  Then some thought reasoned.. somewhere within my mind, I dialed 911.. Nothing but the static and the unearthly voice..

"How does it feel to be alone?"

Screaming I threw the phone out the window, I slammed the gas pedal to the floor as if I were outrunning whatever was after me.. Whatever was after....me,   Was something after..... me?I pointed my vehicle in the direction of my mother's house, knowing I wouldn't find her there still, the idea that I was going somewhere, the thought that I had a purpose, lulled me into a false calm.

I drove fast yet, I still stopped at the red lights, old habits die hard.  I started driving towards my mothers house but, I knew, she wouldn't be there.  Turning around, I headed towards my sisters house, I would give anything to see her and her little rug-rats..   "Oh god please be there!"

"How does it feel to be alone?"

The house was quiet, deafeningly so, no one came to the door, no little hands wiping some sticky something on my pant legs..  The table still had last nights dinner on it..  The baby's high chair sat next to my sister's place.  I sat down at the table and cried.. "Where are you?"

"How does it feel to be alone?"

I knew it was futile but, I did what I always did when I was in trouble, headed towards Adams house.  Tears blurred my vision cause, I knew he would be gone too.  Pieces of paper slithered down the empty street.  All I could hear was the hum of my own engine, no trains, no planes, no sirens..

"How does it feel to be alone?"

I sat in the diveway, there was no reason to get out of the car.. he wasn't there, they were all gone.

I drove fast yet, I still stopped at the red lights, old habits die hard.  I started driving towards my mothers house but, I knew, she wouldn't be there.  Turning around, I headed towards my sisters house, I would give anything to see her and her little rug-rats..   "Oh god please be there!"

"How does it feel to be alone?"

The house was quiet, deafeningly so, no one came to the door, no little hands wiping some sticky something on my pant legs..  The table still had last nights dinner on it..  The baby's high chair sat next to my sister's place.  I sat down at the table and cried.. "Where are you?"

"How does it feel to be alone?"

I knew it was futile but, I did what I always did when I was in trouble, headed towards Adams house.  Tears blurred my vision cause, I knew he would be gone too.  Pieces of paper slithered down the empty street.  All I could hear was the hum of my own engine, no trains, no planes, no sirens..

"How does it feel to be alone?"

I sat in the diveway, there was no reason to get out of the car.. he wasn't there, they were all gone.

Was I really so bad? There were people out there that killed people just for the fun of it, I wasn't like that.

I stretched out on a park bench, I couldn't bear to go inside.  My thinking processes weren't working, nothing was working.  I felt more than heard the growl deep in the pit of my stomach but, I didn't move from the bench, I didn't want to go inside.  I didn't want to go anyplace I knew people should have been...

The ants crawled over the piece of candy some child had dropped on the sidewalk.  They clamored over it, I wondered did they have a purpose, would they take it and split it up between them all or would the sweet treat cause a war?   Did they know what was happening?  Did they know I was alone?  I watched a line of them pick up the piece of candy and begin to march away.  I sat up and placed my foot down in front of them, I caused them to go in circles, not to be mean but, they were my only friends, without them, I was totally alone..  I watched as they sent out one scout after another, they picked up the candy again and started off in the direction which they wanted to go, again I caused the circular movements.. "You can't leave me.. please!"  The phones began to ring again.  I sat there with my friends..

"How does it feel to be alone?"

I sat there.. I think for hours.  The phones were still ringing, they must have wanted to talk to me very badly.  That thought played around my mind for a moment.. "maybe I should talk to them.."  Instead, I sat.  I felt numb, as if I were attached to .... nothing.  My friends were still there, not out of any love for me but, I wouldn't let them leave.  Seems they were my last touch of reality, if they left surely I'd go insane and I was very afraid of that, I mean.. did it hurt?

The shrilling of the phones were becoming a source of twisted security. I believe my rationing was, as long as they rang, someone was out there, and still I sat.  I was hungry, sleepy, scared but, still I sat, immobile, still,  except for the movement of my foot.  The sun had set and the streetlight above the bench popped on.  The phones continued to ring, screaming their protests at me.. What did they protest, oh they were upset, I didn't answer.  I wanted to but still, I sat..

"How does it feel to be alone?"

The night was so still, I wished I could have heard the marching of the ant's feet on the sidewalk.  There was a hum from the street light and the shrill ringing of the phones.  The phones rang and rang and rang, for hours and hours and hours.. My friends had changed tactics, they were crawling over my feet, they wanted to leave me too.

Sighing I made a decision, I'd answer the phone, I knew what I was going to hear.. but, just to hear that unearthly voice would make me feel I was still in this world, it would make me feel like there was someone else out there.  I picked up the receiver, I slowly brought it to my ear.. I know, I know...

"Tell me, how does it feel to be alone?"

It was different this time, the voice said "Tell me, how does it feel to be alone?'  I almost screamed, someone was speaking to me, there was someone there.  I squeezed my eyes shut..

"It hurts.. it's frightening, I want my family, god I would give anything to see them, to hug my mom, kiss the little rug-rats, I want Adam, I want to love him for the rest of our lives, I miss my sister, she was right, I can't... I can't... make it alone...., please, please.. help me.. I don't want to be alone, I DON'T WANT TO BE ALONE!"

The breath seemed to fly from my body, I could see it.  I heard voices, I recognized them, my mom.. sounded like she was worried, Adam.. my sister.. why are they crying.. There were the little rug rats, they were crying.. what was wrong?  I reached out my hand to touch my mother and it went through her shoulder.. Snatching my hand back I sat still for a moment.  Then I tried to touch Adam, again my hand went right through Adam..  I looked down at myself, I was lying on a bed, I was covered by a white sheet,  A hospital?  It was cold, something was hanging off the end of my foot.  I leaned forward to see it...

Silent screams... no one could hear them except me, I watched my mom, Adam, my sister and the rugrats cry.  I tried to tell them I was there but, they couldn't hear, see or feel me.. the note on my foot.. I laughed when I read it, it was a toe tag..