[Not Just Any Other] Ghost Story

Chapter 11

"Are you okay?" Caleb asked again when Sarah still hadn't replied.

Regaining her footing, she leaned on him to stand. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," she lied, unable to get the call's spine-tingling heavy breathing out of her head. It was probably a wrong number or even a telemarketer who didn't realize she'd picked up, and yet she was somehow sure that it was meant for her.

But if so, why? And more importantly, by whom?

"COPS!" The frantic yell interrupted both Sarah's train of thought and the surrounding conversations. Everyone fell silent, but the kids didn't have to be told twice. The party was officially over.

Throwing all evidence of wrongdoing on the ground, they scattered like roaches when the lights go on. As they clambered to reach their cars, many ran right through the spot that Sarah and Caleb had been talking. And while he was quick on his feet and tried to also drag her out of the way, she resisted.

"My phone!" she yelled, pulling her hand out of Caleb's to dive for the pile of leaves where she thought her device had landed.

"Sarah!" Caleb called out after her as a throng pushed between them.

Sure she could return to him in a few moments, she frantically patted the wet detritus. In the darkness, knees brushed her shoulder and someone stepped on her hand.

"Aargh! You fucker," Sarah screamed without slowing her search. That phone was probably the single most valuable thing she owned.

"Sarah, come on," Caleb continued to plead as he was pushed further and further away by the fleeing crowd.

Her heartbeat accelerating, Sarah became more harried. The phone had to be there. She saw it land just a few feet away. Unless someone had accidentally kicked it farther as they fled . . ..

Dum dadi doo. Dum dadi doo.

The shriek of her familiar ringtone broke through the enveloping panic. But the sound wasn't coming from the immediate area, rather from somewhere past the dark treeline.

Dum dadi doo. Dum dadi doo.

Sarah stood, concentrating on the ringing. Yup, it was definitely farther than she thought.

"Sarah!" Caleb's yell was almost indiscernible now, he'd been separated from her by so much. "I've ..."

Having a lead on her phone, she was less anxious as before. "Go to your car," she urged. "I'll be right there."

Unable to hear his answer or even see his reaction, she turned to the forest and walked in.

Dum dadi doo. Dum dadi doo.

The ringtone led her deeper among the trees, the sound becoming louder with each step she took. The chaos behind her faded equally, disappearing with the increased distance. Deeper, deeper, and deeper still Sarah went. And the phone just kept on ringing.

Dum dadi doo. Dum dadi doo.

Dum dadi doo. Dum dadi doo.

Where the hell was it?

"Sarah," someone whispered her name.

She whipped her head around, but no one was there.

"Sarah," came the faint call again, this time from the opposite direction.

"Who's there?" she croaked the question, unable to hide the quiver in her voice.

Dum dadi doo. Dum dadi doo.

The phone rang in answer, followed by the crack of a twig.

Sarah took a step backward, stumbling into a thorny bush. "Ow," she muttered while pulling away, snagging her leggings. "Son of a--"