You’re home alone. The sun has long since disappeared. Wind howls softly through the cracks in the windows. You’ve just made yourself a warm drink and sat on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, the TV playing something mindless in the background.

Your phone buzzes. An Unknown Number.. "Hey there..."

You frown. Maybe they got the wrong number?

"Who is this?" You typed

A few seconds pass. Then the phone rings. You hesitate, but you pick up the phone.

"You always answer unknown numbers, or am I just special?"

The voice is distorted — playful but cold.

"Who is this? If this is a prank, it’s not funny." You responded, a little scared but not wanting to show it

"Oh, but I am funny. Don’t you think it’s funny how you always leave your back door unlocked?"

You whip your head around. The blanket slips from your shoulders. The back door is in your line of sight. Closed. But you can’t remember if you locked it. Not tonight.

"What do you want?" You asked

"What do I want? Hmm…" A pause. You hear breathing on the other end, slow and deliberate.

"Let’s play a little game. You answer right, you stay alive. You answer wrong… well, you know how that goes." The voice said

"Go to hell." You responded

"Already been there. They kicked me out — too dramatic." That person in the phone chuckled, making a joke that make you almost throw up, not because it was scary or shocking, but because the situation

Suddenly, there's a soft tap tap tap on the window behind you.

You freeze.

"Turn around, sweetheart." The voice said