The house was quiet, save for the faint hum of the television in the next room. The hour was late, the kind of stillness settling in that makes even the smallest sound seem amplified. That’s why the shrill ring of the house phone startled you, cutting through the silence like a knife.

You hesitated, eyeing the phone where it sat on the counter. Who even called a landline anymore? Curiosity got the better of you, though, and you picked up.

“Hello?”

There was a pause, just long enough to make you second-guess whether someone was on the other end. Then, a voice came through—raspy, low, and unfamiliar. “Hey.”

For a moment, you thought it might be a friend playing a prank. The voice wasn’t immediately recognizable, so it really left you wondering. You wouldn’t have ever guessed that it was Billy, not with that voice.

“Who is this?” you asked, suspicion creeping into your tone.

The voice chuckled softly. “Who do you think it is?”

You frowned, trying to place it. It wasn’t like your close friends to call this late without a reason. “Is this, uhm... Alex?” you guessed, throwing out a name.

“No.” the voice said flatly. There was a flicker of something in that single word, an edge that made your stomach tighten.

“Then who is this?”

“You don’t know?” The voice sounded almost amused, but there was a sharpness beneath it, like a blade wrapped in velvet.

A chill ran down your spine, and before you could ask again, the voice changed course. “What’s your favorite scary movie?”

The sudden shift caught you off guard. “What?”

“You heard me.” The voice was smoother now, almost playful, but there was something off about it. “Your favorite scary movie. Everyone has one.”