Because You Answered

"Hello," I said into the phone, my voice steady but impatient.

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...

...

There was no response on the other end, just an eerie silence that made the hairs on my neck stand on end. I hung up and went straight to the kitchen to resume what I was doing, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling creeping up my spine. 

The phone rang again, its shrill sound cutting through the quiet of the house. This time, I hurriedly went to pick it up because I was expecting a call from Jason, my boyfriend. I eagerly answered, "Hello?" hoping to hear his familiar voice. 

Only static greeted me. I listened to it for what felt like a minute or so, my mind racing with possibilities. Maybe it was a bad connection, or perhaps Jason was in a place with poor signal. I hung up, irritation mingling with my unease, and rushed back to the kitchen, trying to focus on my tasks. 

The phone rang again. My patience fraying, I rushed over to the phone, grumbling under my breath. "Hello?" I said, my tone sharper than before.

Still no response. Only the persistent, unnerving static. My frustration peaked, but as I was about to hang up, I heard something faint beneath the static. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but there—a whisper, distorted and fragmented. 

I strained to make out the words, but they were too garbled. "Who is this?" I demanded, my voice rising in fear and frustration. "What do you want?"

The whispering continued, a jumble of sounds that made no sense. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat echoing the growing dread within me. I slammed the phone down, my hands shaking. 

For a moment, silence reigned. Then, the phone rang again. 

This time, I hesitated. Every instinct screamed at me not to answer, but curiosity and fear compelled me to pick up the receiver once more. "Hello?" I whispered, my voice barely audible.

A cold, eerie voice crackled through the static, clear and chilling. "I see you."

I dropped the phone, my breath coming in ragged gasps. I backed away from the phone, my eyes darting around the room. Every shadow seemed to move, every sound amplified in the sudden silence. 

The phone rang again, louder this time, more insistent. I didn't dare answer it. Instead, I backed away slowly, my mind racing. Who was calling? How could they see me?

Then, the lights flickered, casting the room in an eerie glow. I felt a cold breeze, though all the windows were closed. The phone continued to ring, its sound relentless.

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I grabbed the phone and threw it across the room. It hit the wall with a satisfying crash, the ringing finally silenced. 

But the silence didn't bring peace. Instead, it was filled with a sense of impending doom. The static from the phone, still connected to the wall by its cord, filled the room. Through it, the voice came again, louder and clearer.

"I see you. And I'm coming."

Terror gripped me as I realized that whoever—or whatever—was on the other end wasn't bound by the phone. They were here, in my house, watching me. The lights flickered again, and the air grew colder.

Desperate, I ran to the door, but it wouldn't budge. I was trapped. The whispering grew louder, filling my head, drowning out my thoughts.

I turned, my back against the door, and saw a shadowy figure emerging from the hallway. It was tall, its features indistinguishable, but its presence radiated malevolence.

"Why?" I managed to choke out, my voice trembling.

The figure stopped, its shadowy form looming over me. "Because you answered."