| Fiction |
WHISPERS IN THE DARK
Whispers in the dark is a weekly short story in which weird
is the norm. An exercise in strangeness, the stories are
never to be taken too seriously, but should never be taken
too lightly. For if you lay awake long enough in the dark,
you’re bound to hear a whisper sooner or later.
Cell Reception By Aaron Hall
The man tried desperately to calm himself as he pushed the send button on his cell phone. He breathed a sigh of relief as it began to ring, thankful to still have reception. He tried to stop his hand from shaking.
“Hello?”
It was his four year old daughter. They always got onto her about answering the phone, but this one time he was glad she had.
“Hi baby, it’s Daddy.”
“Hi daddy. I drew a picture
today.”
“You did? That’s great sweetie. Listen, is mommy
around?”
“Yeah, she’s right here.”
“Okay baby, I need you to
take her the phone okay? I love you sweetie.”
“I love you
too daddy. MOMMY! TELEPHONE!”
The man smiled as he wiped a tear from his eye. He tried to keep his breathing even as he waited for his wife to answer the phone.
“Hello?”
“Hey honey, it’s me.”
“You were supposed to be
home hours ago, what are you doing? Have you been out
drinking again? I thought you were done with that.”
“I know
sweetheart, this is the last time, I promise.”
“I thought
the last time was the last time.”
Try as he might, he couldn’t stop the tears from coming. He had let her down so many times, he only wished there was some way to make her believe him this time.
“Honey, I need you to listen to … e.”
“What? You’re
breaking up.”
Oh God, not now.
“I need you to … ow somethi…”
“Where are you? I can’t
understand what you’re saying.”
Sobs were racking his body now as he tried one last time to talk into the cell phone.
“..isten to … u… hav….ow… I’m sorry.”
With that the phone lost reception, severing the call. Miles away his wife went from annoyed to worried. It was the first time he had ever apologized.
As the water level in his car rose, the man craned his neck to look up at the bridge he had crashed off of in a drunken stupor. The impact into the lake had been enough to sober him up, at least enough to make his phone call. He thought about taking one last breath as the car was quickly filling up with water, but decided against it. As the car went under and the water rose over his head he closed his eyes and kept thinking to himself over and over…
…I’m sorry.