The Phone Call Continued...

Almost a month has gone by since I got that strange phone call from myself. Maybe you remember the one? Some prankster was texting me from my own phone number. It was very disconcerting.

The holidays came and went and I had all but put the incident out of my mind. Until today. Today I woke up with no less than 34 text messages from myself. They all said very similar things.

"Wake up."

"We need to talk."

"Take your phone off silent!"

"You still use Do Not Disturb, don't you?"

"Just how long do you sleep?"

"Never mind."

You get the picture. I didn't register at first who blew up my phone's messages. Then I nearly dropped the phone when I noticed my own number at the top of the screen. It seemed my tormenter was back. Figuratively speaking, of course.

I sat up and rubbed my eyes. Whatever it was could not be too urgent. Responding to my little personal troll could wait until I had my first cup of tea...and maybe some breakfast. I left my phone on the bedside table and stretched before padding out of the bedroom.

Stepping into the kitchen, I was surprised when a mug of tea was shoved into my hand. I squinted at the person before me. I started to scream at the evident intruder, but was distracted by a pair of glasses being shoved into my hands. I put them on, still blinking at the light.

When I finally registered that there were in fact three strange people in my kitchen I threw the steaming hot tea onto the nearest one. The blonde-headed boy looked down at his shirt, then back at me with his mouth gaping. I stared back until the sound of laughter arrested my attention.

Another boy, slightly taller than the blonde and sporting a startling shock of red hair, was doubled over in a debilitating fit of giggles. Blondie and I looked at him with shared incredulity. I glanced at the only other occupant of my tiny kitchen and took a step back.

Apparently I had an evil twin.

I'm assuming evil, anyways. Breaking and entering is against the law, after all. She was also laughing, but was at least managing to hand a towel to Blondie in an attempt to clean up the mess. I started backing out of the room, intending to get my phone and call the police when she lunged forward and grabbed my wrist.

"We need to talk," she said staring at me with such intensity that I found myself nodding dumbly. She dragged me into the living room with Blondie and Red trailing behind us.

There were three suitcases on the floor, and Blondie started rooting through one of them. He pulled out a clean shirt. He started to change when Evil Twin stopped him.

"She's going to have enough shocks for today without you adding nudity to it," she said dryly.

He had the decency to blush before he left the room with his clean shirt. Red meanwhile had plopped himself down on the sofa and was watching us with undisguised amusement. Evil Twin sat down in my favorite chair and gestured for me to sit as well.

I sighed and resigned myself to the strangest day I had ever experienced.

"So what was so important that you had to contact me from the future?"

"..."

"In person, no less," I continued.

Blondie walked back in with his tea-stained shirt in hand. I gestured wildly at him and Red.

"And why did you have to bring these two?" I demanded as the three began exchanging significant looks.

"We're not from the future," Red smirked at me. I looked sceptical.

"Then what are you? This is really extreme for a practical joke," I was skeptical.

Evil Twin held up her hand. "We're not from the future," she stated. "We're from a tangent universe."

"Come again?" My jaw hit the floor.

***

That seems like a good place to stop. This little story seemed to want to continue, but I don't know where it's going or when I might add to it. Until then, I'm just glad to have gotten some writing done instead of just a half-finished post and vague outlines.

You can find the beginning of the story here.

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The Phone Call

I got a phone call yesterday afternoon. I was just sitting in Braum's talking with the family over drinks when I felt the buzzing in my pocket. I pulled it out and checked who it was. It was myself. 

I don't have a home number anymore, and it listed the number of the phone I was holding. I stared at the screen in disbelief before I swiped the bar and answered the call. 

"Hello?"

Silence. 

I was a bit unnerved, so I hung up. Everyone at the table was giving me funny looks. How do you explain that you just prank called yourself? We all laughed it off and picked up our conversation, but I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that would not go away.

I got a text message that evening from the same number. My number. It was blank. I'm not even sure how to send a blank message. It had me really creeped out, and I was starting to feel nauseated. Deja vu is normal, and I'm used to that. This is weird. Disconcerting, even. 

I know my phone is old, maybe it's malfunctioning. That's it. I must just need a new one.

Except when I checked my email this morning, I had an email. From myself. That I didn't send. I do email myself occasionally to remind me of something, but this one is blank, except for the signature at the bottom.

I drove to our local AT&T store in a panic. I knew they would think I was crazy, so all I told the salesman was that I needed a new phone. Mine was old, it even had a crack in the back from where I had dropped it once. Just to be sure, I had them change the phone number, too.

I sighed with relief as I drove home with my new phone. I left the old one at the store. I don't care if they recycle it or throw it away. I got home and began setting up the new phone how I want it. 

I got another message. From my new number. This one isn't blank. 

"Took you long enough."

I stared at the message in disbelief. I tried to swallow the lump in my throat as I typed out a reply. 

"Who are you?"

I half expected the same message to show up in my inbox. It didn't. 

"I think you know. Or at least you suspect who I am."

Mind games. Perfect. At least they don't use chat speak. 

"What do you want?"

I was a little scared to ask that question. 

…

I stared at those ellipses for over a minute as my tormentor typed a reply. 

"I'll let you know when I have that figured out."

That was the only reply I got. I tried texting, calling, even emailing myself trying to get answers. I haven't gotten any response. I kept pinching myself, trying to wake up from this nightmare. That hasn't worked, either.

Am I contacting myself from the future somehow? If so, why? My stomach still hasn't settled down. I couldn't eat much supper tonight. I'm keeping my phone handy, though. Just in case. 

Disclaimer:

This is a work of fiction inspired by a true event. I did get a phone call from myself. It was weird.