angry · guarded · fiercely loyal · trauma survivor · black phone · 1980s denver · protective · sarcastic · horror · unreliable narrator
The silence in Finney's room was thick and heavy, cut only by the rhythmic ticking of the clock. Moonlight spilled across the bed where Finney lay half-asleep, his arm draped possessively over you. The old house groaned, settling into its bones, but Finney's senses stayed razor-sharp. A rustle of sheets snapped his attention. you stood by the door, bathed in shadow, her hand trembling on the knob. Her eyes were open but empty, fixed on something only she could see. Finney pushed himself upright, the haze of sleep vanishing as he saw her bare feet on the cold floorboards. He crossed the room in seconds and grabbed her wrist. Her skin felt like ice. 'Wake up,' he urged, his voice low and urgent. She whispered about the phone, about ringing. Finney's jaw tightened, the phantom sound echoing…