Welcome to the Call Me MAYbe Flash Fiction Challenge!!
All stories begin with "The phone rang" and are no more than 1,000 words. Deadline to submit is May 31. For full contest rules and prize list, visit this link: http://mystiparker.blogspot.com/2013/04/next-month-call-me-maybe-flash-fiction.html
#17: Tased & Confused
by
Melissa March
The phone rang, echoing through the house. Why couldn’t he leave me alone? Didn’t he know I couldn’t take it anymore? I reached behind the little table and pulled the plug, killing the phone mid-ring.
Archie Philips thinks he loves me.
He’s also insane.
Four weeks ago I left for a research
project in Germany that changed my life. I met Dr. Oskar Heinz and fell
head-over-heels in love.
After only four weeks—four amazing
weeks—he asked me to marry him. I must be out of my mind because I said yes.
So, here I am, in my little apartment—with boxes
marked donate or keep scattered everywhere—once again trying to ignore Archie
and his frantic calls.
Archie’s first surprise call—the day I got home—was
very disturbing.
“Carrie?”
“Yes, this is Carrie.”
“Thank God you’re home. I was so worried.”
“Who is this?”
“It’s me, Archie.”
Archie?
How’d he get my number, its unlisted?
“Archie, how did you get this number?”
“I found it online. It’s a good thing you don’t
list it, there are some real nut jobs out there.”
Don’t
I know.
“What do you want?” I tried to sound casual.
“You’ve been gone so long and no one would tell me
where you were.”
Archie lived in a home for people who were on the
unstable side: the kind that needed to be locked in 24/7. He was diagnosed paranoid
delusional.
I was working in the lab when he’d ventured from
the third floor to the sixth when some idiot intern forgot to lock the door. He
didn’t look crazy. I didn’t have a clue he was a patient until the guards came
for him.
After that he started sending me cards and homemade
presents. I wrote it off as flattering but harmless.
“That’s
because I don’t work there anymore. Remember?”
“You need to come home now. You know you shouldn’t
be out after dark. That’s the rules.”
“Archie, I didn’t live there. I worked
there—”
“NO!” He screamed. I hung up.
He called right back. I was so frazzled I forgot to
look at the caller ID.
“Don’t hang up on me.” His voice was chillingly
calm.
“Archie, I don’t have time to argue with you. I’m
busy.” I pinched the phone between my ear and shoulder as I taped another box.
“What’re you doing?”
“I’m packing.”
“Why are you packing?”
“I’m moving.”
“Moving? Moving where?” He was getting frantic.
“To Germany.”
“You can’t leave me! Why are you leaving me?” Each
word was more shrill and louder than the last.
“I’m getting
married,” I blurted.
Dead silence. I waited a minute before hanging up.
Just as I started to pull the phone away I heard him.
“If you marry him I’ll kill him.”
Okay, totally freaked out now. How could I forget
that this was not a sane person? Was I that stupid?
“I’m calling the police.”
“Go ahead. They won’t do anything to me. I’ll get
to him before they get to me. I’ll—”
I hung up. When he called right back I unplugged
the phone.
I called the hospital director. Today was the first
Archie’d called since. I let the answering machine get it, he didn’t leave
messages, just kept calling. It was too much, so I unplugged it again.
I was a little worried, but knew he was locked up
good and tight surrounded by plenty of armed guards.
The sun dipped under the horizon, shadowing the
room. Exhausted from all the packing—and the psycho stalker—I stretched onto
the sofa and fell asleep.
The clink-scraping noise wasn’t loud, but it woke
me. I thought it was the neighbor’s cat clawing the door again, until it
squeaked open. Mr. Darcy couldn’t do that.
My heart tripled its beat, thundering in my ears. A
faint whisper of footsteps eased across the carpet.
My taser was tucked in my purse in the kitchen. Carefully, I rolled onto the floor, hands and knees.
My taser was tucked in my purse in the kitchen. Carefully, I rolled onto the floor, hands and knees.
Sudden light flooded the room.
“Carrie, why are you on the floor?” Archie asked.
Fear had a strangle hold on me.
“Are you hurt?” He came to me, hand extended.
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m going to take care of that man and then we’re
going home.”
Ignoring his hand I stood, facing him and the
kitchen. My mind raced to form a plan of escape.
“Are you hungry?” I asked, setting my plan in
motion.
“Starving. I missed dinner.”
“How about grilled cheese?” I offered, thinking of
the taser.
“I love grilled cheese,” he smiled.
I led him to the kitchen where my purse lay on the
counter by the fridge.
“Have a seat.”
He slid casually into a chair, drumming his fingers
on the table.
“I’m glad you’re not upset about this,” he said. “I
knew you’d be okay, I mean, I know you don’t love him. I’ll make sure he never
bothers you again.”
Archie wasn’t wrapped too tight, you can’t predict
crazy so I kept quiet as I pulled the taser from my purse, listening to him
ramble on about killing Oskar.
I plunged it into Archie’s neck, sending a
bazillion jolts into his insane ass. He fell on the floor, flopping around like
a fish out of water.
I probably should’ve stopped after he quit moving,
but I wanted to make sure he was unconscious.
My hands were shaking so bad I barely got 911
dialed.
I ran out of the house and waited for the police.
They arrived, rushing past me into the house only
to come out a few seconds later looking confused.
“There’s no one in there.”
“What?!”
“Are you sure you—”
“Yes, I tasered a psycho in my kitchen! Look again!”
The cops hustled inside, guns drawn. I followed.
The kitchen was empty, the chairs neatly tucked under the table.
There was no sign of Archie.
The two officers eyed me suspiciously.
I about jumped out of my skin when the phone started
ringing.
****
Melissa March is a stay at home mom and wife. She spends her time playing with matchbox cars with her toddler when she isn’t nose deep in a book or writing one. She lives in Pennsylvania and her debut novel Love You to Death will be available March 2014 from Melange Books.
Good post, Melissa. I'm sure the cops are wondering who is crazy. It's gonna be rough on her if she needs calls them again.
ReplyDeleteNice story Melissa! Now I'm left wondering if Carrie was in fact "Archie" ;) Great work on this and happy writing to you!
ReplyDeleteThanks Leona and Leila! It's my first flash fiction story! I had fun writing it and I'm glad you liked it!
ReplyDeleteMelissa, I think you have just granted me nightmares, thanks a lot!! (That's a huge compliment by the way!) Really well done. :)
ReplyDeleteSCARY!!!!!! CLEVER !!!!!! FUN !!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI shall have strange threads woven into my dreams tonight, Melissa!
ReplyDeleteWow!
I'm so flattered! Thank you all for letting me know you enjoyed my story...it's the first of it's kind for me. There are few others in the contest that will send a tingle up your spine!
ReplyDelete