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A hand reaches for a ringing telephone, bringing the receiver up to their face before they speak, "Hello?" Casey Becker, barely seventeen stands innocently within her home. "Hello?" A man's voice sounds through the phone confusing Casey for a moment before she shrugs. "Yes?" Casey questioned. "Who is this?" The man asks, his question was something Casey wanted to ask him but she remained polite as her mother always taught her. "Who are you trying to reach?" Casey asked the stranger as she moves through her home. "I don't know," The man answers her.

"I think you have the wrong number," Casey informs the stranger. "Do I?" The man pondered. "It happens. Take it easy," Casey said to the man before she hung up the phone. She made her way from the living room to her kitchen where the phone rings again, she reaches for the portable phone with a sigh. "Hello?" Casey answered. "I'm sorry. I guess I dialed the wrong number," The same stranger from before spoke. "So why did you dial it again?" Casey asked him with furrowed brows. "To apologise," The man replied to her question. "You're forgiven. Bye now," Casey moved to hang up when the voice stopped her, "Wait, wait, don't hang up."

Casey stands in front of a sliding glass door, it's pitch black outside with no visibility. "What?" Casey questioned. "I want to talk to you for a second," The stranger said softly. "They've got nine hundred numbers for that. Seeya," Casey told the man with a grin on her face as she hung up, she was enjoying the attention this stranger was giving her. After a few moments, the phone rings again while popcorn sizzles in a pot on the stove, Casey covers it with a lid before reaching for the portable phone. "Hello," Casey states. "Why don't you want to talk to me?" The stranger asked, sounding as though they were pouting.

"Who is this?" Casey asked. "You tell me your name, I'll tell you mine," The stranger offered. "I don't think so," Casey replied to him. "What's that noise?" The stranger questioned hearing the popping sound in the background. Casey smiles, "Popcorn." The stranger seems to perk up at that. "You're making popcorn?" The stranger asked. "Uh-huh," Casey answered sweetly as she checked on the popcorn. "I only eat popcorn at the movies," The stranger told Casey. "I'm getting ready to watch a movie," Casey informed them.

"Really? What?" The stranger questioned her in interest. "Just some scary movie," Casey informed him with a shrug. "Do you like scary movies?" The stranger asked. "Uh-huh," Casey answered. "What's your favourite scary movie?" The stranger asked flirtatiously. Casey moves away from the stove and takes a seat at the kitchen counter, directly in front of the glass door. "I don't know," Casey replied in a coy tone. "You have to have a favourite," The stranger told her in a teasing tone.

Casey thinks for a second before saying, "Uh... Halloween. You know, the one with the guy with the white mask who just sorta walks around and stalks the babysitters. What's yours?" The stranger's response was soft, "Guess." Casey thought for a moment, "Uh... Nightmare on Elm Street." The stranger replied instantly, "Is that the one where the guy had knives for fingers?" Casey smiled at his question, "Yeah... Freddy Krueger." She ran her fingers through her hair as the stranger spoke, "Freddy--That's right. I liked that movie. It was scary."

"The first one was, but the rest sucked," Caaey told them. "So, you gotta boyfriend?" The stranger asked in a flirty tone. "Why? You wanna ask me out?" Casey giggled. "Maybe. Do you have a boyfriend?" The stranger repeated. "No," Casey answered, the stranger tensing at the response in a way they should have expected it from her. "You never told me your name," The stranger reminded her, Casey smiled as she twirled her hair. "Why do you want to know?" Casey asked with her own flirty tone. "Because I want to know who I'm looking at," The stranger answered her.

Casey spins around like lightning facing the glass door, her eyes wide and fearful from the man's words. "What did you say?" Casey asked in fear. "I want to know who I'm talking to," The stranger answered her. "That's not what you said," Casey said to him, her breathing was shallow as she suddenly felt like she was being watched. "What do you think I said?" The stranger asked her in an amused voice. Casey clicks on the outside light, the flood light illuminates the backyard. Her eyes survey the grounds but it's empty, no one's there so she turns the light out as the popcorn on the stove pops.

"I have to go now," Casey told the stranger on the phone. "Wait... I thought we were gonna go out," The stranger questioned her, his amused tone still present. "Nah, I don't think so..." Casey replied to him. "Don't hang up on me," The stranger warned the blonde. "Gotta go..." Casey breathed out moving to hang up. "Don't..." Whatever he was going to say was cut off by Casey hanging up on him. She checks the glass door making sure it's locked and then moves to the stove as the phone rings, she slides the popcorn from the stove and reaches for the phone hesitatingly.

"Yes?" Casey asked softly. "I told you not to hang up on me," The stranger said harshly. "What do you want?" Casey asked fearfully. "To talk," The stranger answered coolly. "Dial someone else, okay?" Casey told the man. "You getting scared?" The stranger asked her. "No--bored," Casey answered as she tried to play off the fear she felt, hanging up the phone but as she moves to place it down, it rings again startling her. "Listen, asshole--" Casey begins but is cut off by the stranger yelling, "NO, YOU LISTEN, YOU LITTLE BITCH. IF YOU HANG UP ON ME AGAIN, I'LL GUT YOU LIKE A FISH! UNDERSTAND?"

Silence followed his words, her full attention was given to the stranger on the phone. "Is this some kind of joke?" Casey asked him. "More of a game, really," The stranger replied tauntingly. Casey eyes the glass doors then looks up the hallway to the front doors, moving towards them before noticing it unlocked, she quickly bolts it. "I'm two seconds from calling the police," Casey warned the caller. "They'd never make it in time," The stranger told her, she knew he was right about that. Casey moves her face flush against the door, her eye looking through the peephole.

"What do you want?" Casey asked as she notices the empty yard. "To see what your insides look like," The stranger venomously answered her. Casey's jaw drops as total fear storms her face, she hangs up the phone and throws it down on a side table. The doorbell chimes causing Casey to jump, she turns to the door as it chimes again. "Who's there?" Casey called out only to recieve another chime, she moves to it. "Who's there?" Casey repeated louder. Fuck this, I'm calling the police, Casey thought to herself, reaching for the phone that began ringing just as she picks it up.

Casey almost drops the phone, losing her breath as she brings it to her ear with trembling hands, saying nothing as she listened. "You should never say "Who's there?" Don't you watch scary movies? It's a death wish," The stranger asked her with a taunting tone. Casey clutches the wall, nearly collapsing as she tries ger damndest to hang tough. "Look, enough is enough. You had your fun now you better leave me alone or else," Casey warned the stranger tormenting her. "Or else what?" The stranger asked teasingly.

"My boyfriend will be here any second and he'll be pissed when I tell him..." Casey warned the stranger. "I thought you didn't have a boyfriend," The stranger spoke, the words coming out through gritted teeth. "I lied. I do have a boyfriend and he'll be here any second and your ass better be gone," Casey threatened the stranger. "Sure..." The stranger teased lightly. "I swear it. And he's big and plays football and will beat the shit out of you," Casey informed him with shaky breaths, her hands were still trembling and her mind was a mess. "I'm getting scared," The stranger teased.

"I'm telling the truth. I lied before..." Casey continued to tell them the truth. "I believe you..." The stranger clarified but something in their tone hinted at something Casey couldn't pick up on. "So you better leave," Casey told them firmly. "His name wouldn't be Steve, would it?" The stranger asked making Casey freeze, her knees buckle. "How do you know his name?" Casey questioned him fearfully. "Go to the back door and turn on the porch light -- again," The stranger teased firmly, a smirk present on their face watching the scene.

A terrified Casey forces herself to move, staggering to the kitchen where the glass doors were. Her shaky hand finds the light switch, she hits it prompting the floodlight to lit up the backyard revealing Steve Orth tied to a lawn chair with a gag in his mouth. He's been roughed up but he's still alive, his eyes open wide in fear as he stared at his girlfriend with pleading eyes. He wanted to go home, he wanted Casey to save him and for them to get out alive. Casey's eyes were wide as tears fell down her cheeks, she was scared for her boyfriend and herself. This night had gone downhill quickly and she had a terrible feeling she wasn't gonna make it out alive.

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Rosemary Speaks

And so the year of chaos begins...

How do you think Annie will react to this knowing she is being stalked too?

Any other thoughts or questions?

See you in the next chapter!