The Midnight Phone Call

By Mohini Deshpande

"Hello?" I answered as the telephone rang in the middle of the night.

And received silence from the other end.

A chill ran down my spine.

A fear of the unknown.

"Who could it be, so late in the night?"

I wondered out loud.

And felt a hand on my shoulder from behind.

Startled I turned around

To find my mother, to my relief!

We both waited for it to ring again

As the clock ticked away,

loudly and eerily in the pin drop silence of the night!

The presence of my mother made my completely adult self feel safe.

And ring it did! I picked up the phone..

And felt the presence of someone familiar on the other end, though noone spoke..

"Sharvari??" I questioned.."Is that you, Shara?"

And sure it was!

There always had been telepathy amongst the two of us since school!

And yet what she said next, I didnt see it coming!

"I feel like I'm at a dead end and I don’t feel steering myself into a U turn would do any good.

Thank you for being such a good friend to me, but goodbye.

Love you!!"

"Shara!! Hello?? Where are you?? You have to tell me where you are and you have to stop doing what you're about to!

Sharvari?? Shar- teeeeeeennn

The phone got diconnected and with it a lot of other things!

I didn't know what just happened.

I couldn’t digest and process.

I didn't know what to do next.

I didnt know my best friend.

How could I not know her??

And how scary is it that now I dont even have that chance??

By Mohini Deshpande