Fade: Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine1

At first it didn’t seem odd that it was taking Nathan so long to get back. I thought that maybe he was having trouble getting a hold of someone, but after I waited and stared at the nearby kitschy clock for over a half an hour, I began to get nervous.2

I stood up and walked over to the open door and peeked my head outside. The hall way was still empty, and silent. I couldn’t see or hear Nathan at all. 3

I stepped outside the door and looked down the hallway. “You out here?” I called, but only my own echo replied. I began to slowly walk down the hall. 4

“...Nathan . . . ?” I called, not even knowing his last name. By the time I reached the lobby, I was pretty sure that Nathan had left. 5

Some strange static-like noise filled the silent room, it wasn’t really loud, but it was the only noise besides the sound of my steps. I walked over to the main desk, where the static-noise got louder. I bent down to my knees and looked around the back of the large desk.6

A telephone receiver. It was dropped from the phone itself, dangling by it’s spiraled cord. The static noise was emanating from the phone in front of me, and so it was even louder than it had seemed before.7

I reached out and grabbed the phone, holding it inches away from my ear–just to make sure there was no one on the other side.8

At first there was nothing, just the distorted static roaring into my eardrum. Then, suddenly the static ceased and a voice began speaking out with shocking clarity.9

“Missy.” The voice called, It wasn’t hard to figure out that the childish voice was Maggie’s.10

“Maggie?” I asked, holding the phone up closer to my head. “Where are you?”11

“Up passed the hill.” 12

“What hill?” I asked as I held the spiraled cord with my left hand, nervously twisting it between my fingers.13

“Come play with me.” Maggie giggled. “Your other mommy wants you to. She told me. She told me everything. Besides, your boyfriend will be here soon too! Hehe. So come play with us, Missy!”14

“Maggie, I don’t understand—what–15

Suddenly Maggie’s voice was cut off and a disturbing hissing noise shot into my ear. I jerked the receiver away as I heard something that sounded like chanting and a woman speaking words in a foreign language. The phone went dead.16

My shaky hand dropped the receiver onto the phone. I sighed. My other mommy? I thought to myself. First Maggie had acted like we were sisters...and now she said I had another mommy? It didn’t make sense.17

And who’s my boyfriend? I thought for a moment, I didn’t even have any male friend, let alone a boyfriend. It took me a few seconds to realize Maggie was most likely talking about Nathan. 18

I ran out the back door of the station and stood silently for a moment. Nathan’s car was gone, and the entire station seemed empty. I was stranded, it seemed.19

The phone was dead, the cars were gone, and it was far too early in the morning for any type of transportation system to be running in town. I brushed the dark hair out of my eyes, and began to walk around to the front of the station. I needed to find Maggie–but I wasn’t even sure where she was. Up passed the hill. 20

There was only one hill, the one the highway stretched out on, the one just above my house. I looked down at the shabby doll in my pocket and nodded. That’s where Maggie was. I was sure of it.21

I began to start walking, there weren’t many cars out–in fact, I didn’t even see one. Mayborne was a small town and it was daybreak but it wasn’t usual for the roads to be totally empty. It felt . . . like a ghost town.22

To be honest, I wasn’t even sure how far away the hillside was from Mayborne. A few miles or so, but on foot it could have taken hours to reach. My mind was frazzled, and my body was tired, and yet I still felt the need to press on because something–someone was waiting for me.23