AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“How do you make calls? That thing?” I asked, pointing to the mustard-yellow phone on the wall.
“Hell no. That’s only for certain situations. We all have special phones that forward our calls while we’re here,” Dice said. Connor nodded.
I walked closer, fidgeting with the back of the couch as I spied one of their phones on the table in between the couches.
It was a small favor, but things were already weird in this place. If it got any odder, I might not be able to stand it. Normal people would’ve offered to lend me a phone to make my calls. These people were definitely not normal.
I rubbed my hand along the tweed fabric of the couch, trying to size up who would be the best to ask. Cookie and Dice were… Yeah, they were something, all right. Connor didn’t speak enough to figure out.
Cookie turned toward me. “Dude, you’re lurking. You gotta either sit or move. Whatever this energy is you’re putting out right now is weird.”
I was weird? I’d let that one go—at least until I got my hands on a phone.
I moved and took a seat on the couch, eyeing up the phone on the table. It looked like one of those old flip styles, and my fingers itched to pick it up.
“Is it possible to borrow someone’s phone?” I scanned their faces, pleading my case to everyone. “I’d only need it for a minute. If I go out to the bridge, who knows how long it’ll take to get another opening and get back.” If the bridge guy would let me back in. He’d hated me instantly, like I’d stolen his lunch money in a past life.
Dice cracked up laughing, wiping a tear from his eye. “Yeah, those bridge openings can take a long time until you get to know the schedule.”
They all laughed for a good long time, and I waited, hoping someone would remember the favor about the phone. Unless they were forgetting about it on purpose.
“Oh, you wanted a phone, right?” Dice asked.
“Yeah, if one of you wouldn’t mind.”
He’d already gotten up and walked over to a drawer, where he pulled out another ancient flip phone and a charger. He dropped them on the couch beside me. “Here. That’ll work.”
“Thank you! I’ll bring it right back after I make a call.” I grabbed it, ready to hightail it back to the utility closet that served as my bedroom.
Dice was already back to watching his show. “You don’t have to bring it back. That’s yours. It should forward your calls from your other phone when you’re here. Programmed it yesterday. I forgot to give it to you.”
I’d sat here going out of my mind, pacing the halls with a phone that they knew didn’t work, and nothing had jogged his memory to give this to me?
I swallowed back what Iwantedto say. “Oh, that’s great. Thanks.”
My calls would get forwarded here? How was that possible?
“How…”Don’t ask.The less I knew about this place, the better, because I wasn’t staying. If it was some kind of mob organization, I didn’t want to hear anything that could lock me into this.
“Now she’s catching on,” Cookie said, glancing at me and giving me an approving nod.
I faked another smile and headed toward my utility room.
“She hates it here. I’m pretty sure she hates us too,” Connor said in a flat tone as I walked away.
For some reason, they all couldn’t stop laughing at that. Their laughter rang down the hall, haunting my steps as I tried to get away from them.
He was absolutely right. I did hate them and this place. I would rather do a year in a state prison or a forced labor camp than stay here any longer than needed.
I closed the door to my utility closet, in spite of the overwhelming smell of bleach. Those two little cleaning psychos had probably spilled some just to torment me.
I dialed Johnny first. “Hey, it’s me.”
There was silence.
“Johnny? It’s Billie. Are you there?”
“Oh, Billie,” he said finally, as if he’d actually forgotten my name for a second. He couldn’t have beentooworried about me missing.
