:)
That was all the message said when I opened it. I didn’t recognise the number.
I replied “Who is this?”….. No response. Weird for sure but I had other things on my mind.
This Thursday had been a particularly shitty day in a horribly shit week. I slammed the front door shut behind me, clumsily kicked off my sandals and dumped my work bag on the floor, my belongings haphazardly strewn across the hallway. I headed straight to the kitchen for some liquid relief. A double dark rum and Dr pepper fizzed in my glass the sound only broken by the gently clinking of ice as I threw myself down on the sofa with as much grace as a newborn elephant.
I was waiting for my phone to buzz, the dread knotted in my stomach at the thought of a serious telling off from my brother Paul. Paul was always the sensible one, the golden child who always got it right, the sibling with his head screwed on and he just so happened to be the Assistant manager in the restaurant where I worked as a waitress. My phone buzzed and I hesitated before unlocking the screen preparing myself for the condescending bollocking in I was about to receive for walking out of my job today.
Except it wasn’t him it was just a weird smiley face from an unknown number. After getting no response I realised I had almost finished my drink and was deciding whether to get another one when my phone started vibrating. Paul flashed up on the screen.
“Look before you start just don’t, you didn’t even stick up for me…”
“I know I am sorry but you can’t just storm out like that it’s so unprofessional!”
“She is a shit boss! How can she expect me to just take vile behaviour like that, your my brother I expected better of you.”
“What was I meant to do start kicking off and lose my job too! I trusted you to hold this job down why do you think I put in a good word for you? You have made me look bad…”
I heard the regret in his voice the minute he uttered the sentence but I was seething, it took everything in my power to not throw my phone at the wall.
“I MADE YOU LOOK BAD! “ I exploded.
“You think that’s part of my job description…LETTING DIRTY OLD MEN GRAB MY ARSE! FUCK OFF PAUL! Some brother you are.”
I cut the phone off and tried to breathe deeply but it was useless I could feel my chest and throat tightening up, I let the warm tears fall down my cheeks without wiping them away. Maybe I would feel better after.
I wrapped myself in the yellow ochre throw draped across the back of the sofa like I was a little girl again and curled up in a fetal position and cried until I fell asleep.
I woke up at just gone 5 am. I had slept 13 hours straight my eyes were puffy and I had a crusty streak of dried tears and snot on my cheek. The TV was playing quietly in the background I couldn’t remember switching it on.
I picked up my phone off the table and saw I had 3 messages. One from Paul apologising but insisting that if I apologised for calling my boss a pervert apologist maybe she would let me come back to work. The other was from my ex boyfriend of 3 days asking me to forgive him for fucking my best friend, promising that it would never happen again, he misses me so much blah blah…. fucking blah.
The last one immediately had my attention.
:)
The same number. It came through 5 minutes before I woke up. I tried to call it but it just rang so I left a message asking who it was and locked my phone trying to forget about it. I could see the early morning sun was already streaming through the gaps in my blind and decided to seize the day and try and work the apathy from my body by going for an invigorating run on the nature reserve trail a few miles down the road. My inner grown up told me it would be good for me so who was I to argue.
I freshened up, slipped into my running gear, filled up my water bottle and was out the door car keys in hand within 10 minutes. As I was unlocking my car I noticed a crudely drawn smiley face traced into the dirt on my back window. I rubbed it off with my fingers assuming some of the local kids were responsible and got on with my day, but I found myself smiling thinking the universe was sending me little signs and Synchronicities that everything was going to be ok. Maybe my mystery texter was the 21st centuries version of a guardian angel letting me know they are watching over me, I grinned at the random thought. It comforted me.
I stopped to fill the car up with petrol and decided to quickly grab a breakfast cereal bar ready for my run. As I scanned along the shelves inside the petrol station I found what I was looking for near the confectionary but stopped dead in my tracks. Amongst the array of loose bars was a post it note stuck to the shelf. It had no writing on it. Just a simple smiley face.
Weird. I mean coincidences are one thing but this definitely stood out to me as being a little odd. I unpeeled the note checked both sides and stuffed it inside my purse and went to pay.
The run was exactly what I needed, I ran 6 miles a whole mile further than I usually managed and I was thoroughly exhausted. It was peaceful, hardly another soul out here. I stopped to catch my breath, my legs burned like my blood was molten lava and the sweat was dripping down my back causing my t shirt to stick to me. I decided to walk the rest of the way and just take in the scenery of the woodland around me, I knew it would help clear my head and give me some time to figure out what I was going to do with my life next.
Another mile deeper into the woodland something caught my eye on a tree trunk next to the trail. Stepping closer I could see it was a smiley face carved into the trunk the marks were gouged in deep and it looked fresh. First the texts, then my car, the post it note and now this! The hairs prickled up on my arms sweeping up to my exposed neck, the temperature felt like it had dropped 10 degrees. I suddenly became acutely aware of every sound filling the air and I felt the distinct sensation of eyes on me from somewhere amongst the trees. I hesitated feeling sick to my stomach and spun around expecting to see a shadowy figure watching me from a distance….. but there was no one. Just me in an endless sea of trees.
I got out of there as fast as I could, I knew it was probably nothing but it was too much of a coincidence. I made my way over to my parents that evening to spend some time with them glad to be out of my usual surroundings, Paul had clearly filled them in on what happened at work and I could sense they wanted to say something, the unspoken words hung heavy in the air but thankfully they didn’t. After some food I kissed them both goodbye and left, Paul had messaged me to let me know my boss had emailed me so when I got home I reluctantly went straight to the computer to open it up.
I knew what it said before I even opened it it was from my boss informing me that she was terminating my employment for gross misconduct. My eyes rolled so hard I swear they made made an audible sound and I clicked off of the email before I could send back a snarky response. As the screen returned to my inbox page a new email popped up from smileyface321@gmailcom.
“What the fuc…” my voice got caught in my throat.
My stomach sank and I contemplated even opening it. I knew what it said… I didn’t want to be a part of this weird fucking game anymore. But I found myself clicking on it anyway morbid curiosity compelled me….
🙂
Whoever this was they were predictable. Ding. Another one.
🙂
Ding.
🙂
Ding.
🙂
Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Din.. Di.. d ….
🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂
Who the fuck is this? I typed and hit send. Nothing. No fucking response.
I tried not to let it bother me, I figured it was just some bored freak looking for someone to torment. But I triple checked the house was completely locked up that night, my nerves on edge as I buried myself deep under my quilt. I switched off my mobile for good measure.
I woke up to the doorbell furiously ringing. I heaved myself out of bed looking like the walking dead and slowly plodded to the front door pulling my thick wooly dressing gown around me. I could tell by the stocky sillhouette behind the glass that it was my brother.
“You look like shit.” He casually told me as he handed me a steaming hot cup of coffee from the cafe in town and stepped in out of the cold.
“Thanks.” I rolled my eyes as I followed him into my kitchen. My mind was consumed with everything that had gone on over the last couple of days and he could tell I was withdrawn but I knew he would think I was nuts if I told him what had been going on.
“You will find another job, I’ll help you look. And look I am sorry, I know I should have stood up to Louise. If it makes you feel any better I told mum and dad that you had every right to react the way you did, that old guy was a filthy pig.” He looked me in the eye and i could see genuine remorse for once. I decided to put aside the sibling rivalry and go easy on him, plus I didn’t have the energy to argue.
“Thanks I guess…. but I am not going back to waitressing, I am sick of dealing with rude customers.” I told him as I dropped 3 slices of bread into the toaster and pushed the slider down.
“Ok I understand…. by the way what was with the weird messages you sent me last night?” He asked as he took another sip of coffee. Dread hit me square in the face. I shouldn’t have asked, I should have just changed the subject right there and then. I could have saved myself from the horrifying reality of the situation….. but i didn’t.
“What…. messages?” I asked the words came out of my mouth slowly I frowned confused, I already sensed the answer but I needed confirmation.
“These… “ He proceeded to unlock his phone and open his messages up and sure enough my name was top of the list he opened it.
:) 3:26 am
:) 4:11am
:) 6:09 am
For a solid 10 seconds I stared at his phone. The screen swam in and out of focus he was saying something but it was muffled all I could hear was the roar of blood pulsating in my ears. I could feel my throat closing, the unfiltered anxiety rising to a crescendo within my body. I wanted to scream. I stepped back unsteady as if the ground beneath me was swaying.
I looked up at him stunned the terror etched into my face, he stopped talking and looked at me like I had grown another head or something. Panic was enveloping me in a black suffocating shroud and my hands reached up to my throat trying to claw at myself to free the screaming fear that lit up every fibre of my being. Paul’s free hand reached for my own to stop me alarm flashed across his face. His mouth was moving, I think he was saying my name but I couldn’t hear him properly. In a knee jerk reaction I slapped the phone clean out of his hand.
“SANDY… what the FUCK!” Paul was reaching down for his phone. They had been in my home, the freak had actually broken into my home while I slept. I bolted past him to check the sliding doors at the back of the house locked. Living room window locked. Downstairs bathroom window locked. Every where was still locked. No signs of a break in nothing, not a damn thing was out of place.
Paul was understandably weirded out by my reaction as he stood in the kitchen looking at me like a woman possessed.
“What is going on Sandy?” He asked softly this time as he came close leant down so his face was level with mine and put his hand on my trembling shoulder. I looked at my big brother my eyes wide filling with tears and completely broke down.
I told him everything. I switched on my phone and showed him the messages, the emails the post it note. Paul understandably didn’t know what to say he was just as freaked out as me. We checked my mobile but any messages that had been sent in the early hours were deleted from my end. He suggested ringing the police but I told him I thought it was useless. What could the police do about some nuisance messages? There was no sign of a break in they would think I was crazy. Even I thought this whole situation was crazy. He offered to stay the night incase someone tried to break in again but I told him that I would call him if something else happened. I knew I wasn’t going to be sleeping anyway.
Paul left late after convincing me the house was secure we must have both checked it half a dozen times. But as I said goodnight to him I had this ominous feeling creeping under my skin.
I tried watching a film but I couldn’t concentrate, my phone had been eerily silent aside from my brother checking in on me from time to time. The rain was coming down hard outside the soft patter against the windows soothed me a little. I decided to try and find out if anyone else had experienced anything like this I opened Google on my phone and started searching for anything, any obscure reference that might help me understand who or what was doing this to me. I spent hours searching but couldn’t find any similiar accounts. I could feel my eyes getting heavier by the minute and before I knew it I had curled up and fallen asleep with my phone next to me.
I woke up this morning in agony my chest burned I knew something was wrong as soon as I opened my eyes. I tried to sit up but my skin was on fire, I felt like I had been branded above my breasts. My shirt was sticking to my skin and as tried to pull it free I felt searing pain as it ripped away from my flesh. I cried out in pain. Looking down I could see the upper portion of my light grey shirt is covered in dark red blotches there was a pattern to it like a screwed up rorschach test. It’s blood. My blood. What the fuck is happening to me. I manage to raise my shirt slowly peeling the last few sections and carved into my chest is a smiley face still bleeding where the cuts are the deepest.
I start to whimper, then cry, then i scream. I scream like an animal.
“WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM MEEE!!” I shout into the empty room. I fall silent. There is not a sound aside from my heavy laboured breathing and the ticking from the clock on the wall.
Ding. I slowly turn to look at my phone on the cushion next to my leg. I pick it up and unlock the screen. It’s a message from that fucking number……I open it..
:)