THE WRONG NUMBER
byJayandi
Everything started with a simple phone call, but In a moment, it turned into something that I can't explain
My name is Clara Steven, and I am 30 years old. I had a mother, father, and twin sister. All of them died in a car accident, and I am the only one who survived At present, I'm working as a forensic psychologist
It was around 8 p.m. on a Tuesday, and I was sitting on a couch, watching my favorite TV show. At that moment my phone buzzed, and the screen illuminated with a number I didn’t recognize, sparking my curiosity I usually don’t answer calls from unknown numbers, but for some reason, I decided to answer this time.
" HELLO? "
There was an uncomfortable silence on the other end It's not static; it's the kind of quiet that feels purposeful. Then a voice spoke, soft and distant, like it was coming from the other side of a long tunnel.
"Hello! Is this Sarah?"
I frowned and replied, “Actually, I think you might have dialed the wrong number.”
The voice hesitated, then said, “Are you sure?”
That surprised me. “Yeah, I'm sure. Sorry about that.” I hung up, feeling somewhat unsettled.
A few minutes later phone started to buzz again It came from the same number. I chose to let the phone ring this time, deliberately watching the screen until silence fell. A voicemail notification appeared almost instantly Even though I knew better, I chose to listen
“Sarah , ” the voice said, "Now, it demands attention even more.".
“Why aren’t you answering? You said you’d help me Please don’t leave me here”
A shiver coursed through me, awakening a deep sense of unease. I deleted the voicemail, telling myself it was just a desperate stranger who called the wrong number. It happens, right?
The next day at work, I received another call from the same number. I was in the middle of a meeting, so I declined it However, my phone vibrated just moments later with another voicemail. I didn’t listen to it until I got home.
This time, the voice sounded different. Less distant, more urgent. "Sarah, you made a promise to me. I truly need your support right now. Please, come back and help me through this"
My stomach twisted in anxiety. I wasn’t Sarah; I had no connection to this person Why did he keep reaching out to me?
That night, I had a haunting dream of a woman standing alone in a dark, empty street. Her face appeared pale and blurred, like an improper photograph waiting to be developed. She was crying, yet her sobs were silent, her shoulders trembling without a sound When she turned to me, her eyes were dark voids endless and hollow, drawing me into their depths.
I woke up gasping, the sheets damp with sweat. My phone was on the nightstand, buzzing with another call from the same number
This time, I responded. “Listen,” I snapped, “I don’t know who you think I am, but you have the wrong person. Please stop calling me. ”
The silence lingered, leaving me to wonder if they had truly hung up on me. Just then, the voice whispered, “You’re lying”
A wave of fear washed over me. “I 'm not.....”
“You promised you’d stay by my side,” the voice intensified, filled with frustration. “You said you’d be there for me, Sarah.”
“Listen, I’m not Sarah!” I exclaimed, forcefully putting the phone down.
But the calls continued Over the next few days, they came at random times early in the morning, during my lunch break, and in the middle of the night Each time, the voicemails became more frantic, and the voice grew more desperate.
“Why are you doing this to me? I need you, Sarah Please It’s so dark and cold here”
He never stopped.
By Friday, I was barely functioning. My coworkers noticed I was distracted, my boss pulled me aside to ask if everything was okay I lied and told her I wasn’t sleeping well, but the truth was, I was terrified
That night, the call returned. This time, however, when I answered, it was not the familiar voice I had come to expect Instead, it was deeper, more menacing, with an unsettling edge that felt undeniably inhuman
“Sarah’s dead.”
I froze My mouth went dry, and my voice came out as a whisper “What?”
“Sarah’s dead,” it repeated. “And you ’ re next.”
I dropped the phone as if it had burned me, my chest tightening with panic. I considered calling the police, but what would I say? Was it a random voice on the phone who was threatening me? They would probably dismiss me as paranoid.
I barely slept that night. Around 3 AM, I was awakened by the sound of footsteps outside my bedroom door. My heart stopped. I lived alone.
I grabbed my phone and called 911, whispering to the operator that someone was in my apartment. The seconds felt like hours as I stared at the door, waiting for it to open But it never did By the time the police arrived, the apartment was empty. No signs of forced entry, no evidence that anyone else had been there.
But my phone my phone was lying on the nightstand, the screen lit up with a new voicemail notification. My hands trembled as I picked it up The police officers were still there, checking the locks and windows, so I played the voicemail on speaker.
The voice was different again Calm, cold, and deliberate.
“Why did you call them? They can’t help you No one can ”
I dropped the phone, my stomach twisting in knots. One of the officers picked it up, frowning at the screen “Miss, are you sure you ’ re okay? Are you sure you didn’t just imagine the call?”
I grabbed the phone from him, furious “You heard it too!”
He exchanged a glance with his partner, who shrugged. “There’s nothing on the voicemail,” the second officer said, holding up a small audio recorder. “I recorded what you played. It’s just silence.”
I snatched the phone back and played the voicemail again, desperate for them to hear it. But they were right this time, it was nothing but empty static My skin crawled.
The officers gave me a tired look, told me to lock my doors, and left. I stayed awake the rest of the night, clutching a kitchen knife and staring at my phone, waiting for it to buzz again It didn’t
After everything that happened, I decided to investigate on my own As the first step, I began searching for a girl named Sarah.
I looked through my friends, family, and cousins, but I was unable to find any information about her.
The following day, I decided to take a leave of absence from work. I began
It was around 9:00 am when I decided to visit my old house, where I spent my childhood. This house is located in the countryside, near a picturesque lake However, now it stands as a deserted place; no one has come here since the accident occurred. Currently, this house belongs to me
I unlocked the door and stepped inside. The room was filled with cobwebs and dust, and memories of my childhood began to swirl in my mind. A wave of loneliness washed over me, and I found myself crying for about thirty minutes. The memories of loved ones can be particularly painful when there's no one left to share them with.
Eventually, I made my way to my parents' room With all the keys to the cupboards in hand, I opened -
my mother's cupboard Inside, I found her clothes and other belongings. The lingering fragrance of her clothing brought back a flood of emotions, and I cried again Then, my eyes were drawn to something covered with a blanket on the bottom shelf of the cupboard It was a box
There were some old, memorable items: birth certificates and a letter I unfolded the letter and began to read it.
From: Your beloved mother
To: Anyone who survived
If you are reading this letter, it means I am no longer here I don't know who among -
you has been fortunate enough to survive and come across this message, but I have something important to share Please read this carefully Your grandmother was the previous owner of this house I’ve never revealed to you how she passed away. She was very ill and could not be cured, and her distress over her condition was compounded by an overwhelming attachment to this home. After her death, I inherited the house.
The neighbors shared stories about the house with me, but I didn't take them seriously since I had been raised abroad since I was 18. They claimed that your grandmother’s spirit still lingers here and that anyone who lives in this house meets with misfortune. This is why I decided to move away. I am writing this letter on the day we resolved to find a new home.
Love you all, my family!
My body was shivering, and I was scared to death because I was alone in this house. I suddenly went outside with the box and started driving back to my place
As soon as I arrived, I had a satisfying lunch after days while seated on the comfortable cushion with the box beside me. I switched on the television to fill the -
quiet, where an important breaking news story unfolded.
News Reporter : "The dead body of a 30year-old woman has been found following a car accident. She has been identified as Jacqueline Sarah Steven If anyone who knew her received this message, please come forward to confirm her identity."
I quickly pulled the birth certificates from the box and zeroed in on Jacqueline's. A rush of adrenaline coursed through me as I focused, my mind racing with the implications. I took a long drink from my -
- water bottle, trying to steady myself as I noticed the sweat pouring down. Reading the birth certificate, I saw her name clearly. We had never used that middle name, and it struck me that my mother had never brought it up before
I immediately took my car and drove to the location mentioned in the news. After two hours, I arrived at the site, it was surrounded by police barriers I approached a policeman
"Hello, sir! I am a relative of the deceased," I said.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I am her identical twin sister, sir."
"Okay. Please show me your identity card."
"Here it is, sir," I replied, handing it over
"Okay. You can come in and confirm the body."
"Thank you, sir"
After the policeman verified my identity, he took me to the bod doubt, I recognized her. I was utterly shocked and felt faint.
"Are you okay, Ms. Steven?" the policeman asked.
"Yes, I'm all right. I just felt dizzy. Thank you," I responded.
The policeman offered me a chair to sit on I told him the entire story, excluding the part about the phone call. Then I asked, "Where has she been all this time?"
"She was in an orphanage After turning 18, she attended college and her career was as a teacher," he explained.
After that, I decided to go to our old house to find out more. Now I realized that I was the next target On my way to the old house, an old lady stopped me.
"Hello, young lady! Where are you going?" she asked.
I was confused. "Who are you? Why are you asking?"
"You are in danger. You can't survive, but you are the only one who can break the curse Because you are the only one left," she warned I looked at her, astonished. "How do you know about that?"
"It doesn't matter Do you need my help or not?" she replied "Yes, of course," I said.
She got into my car, and we both drove to the old house. Once there, she did some things that I didn't understand I thought it best not to question her, as I was already overwhelmed by everything that had happened. After she finished her work, she told me she was leaving and that I needed to return home. Then she walked out through the front door. I hurried to the door, but no one was there Fear gripped my heart, and I left everything behind and got into my car to head back home
ING NEWSbody of a 30-year-old woman named a car accident Clara is identified as the Sarah Steven. This incident has raised n the community. Further details about e accident and any investigations are ork to uncover more information
Key Points:
Victim Identification:
Clara Steven, 30 years old
Identical twin sister of Jacqueline Sarah Steven
Incident Overview:
Clara's body was found following a car accident
The nature of the accident and its circumstances are currently under investigation
Community Impact:
The news has shocked the local community
Concerns regarding road safety and potential causes of the accident may arise Next Steps:
Authorities are likely to conduct a thorough investigation
Updates will be provided as more information becomes available
"Lucy, where are you? Come out from wherever you are. It’s evening now, Lucy. You must have played enough —come on!”
Tina’s voice echoed through the garden, a place so familiar it felt like an extension of their home. The cool evening air swirled around her as she called again, the last rays of daylight slipping away.
Seven-year-old Tina had always looked after her younger sister, five-yearold Lucy. Every evening, they played together in the garden just a short walk from their house. Tonight, like many others, they’d been running, laughing, and playing hide-and-seek without a care. But time had slipped away, and the sun had dipped below the horizon, leaving only the glow of dusk behind.
Tina’s heart began to race. If we don’t get home soon, we’ll be in trouble.
She called again, her voice tinged with worry “Lucy! Where are you? It’s time to go home!”
There was no answer No sound of footsteps or giggles Tina scanned the garden, her eyes searching desperately through the shadows for her sister
She started running through the overgrown grass, calling her name, “Lucy!” But there was still no response.
Then, out of nowhere, she heard the familiar voice of her mother, Anna.
“Tina, what are you doing here all alone?” Anna asked, looking both concerned and puzzled
“Mom!” Tina gasped, nearly collapsing in relief. “I can't find Lucy. She was with me, but now she’s... she’s gone!”
Anna’s face hardened, her eyes narrowing with a mixture of confusion and concern. “I left Lucy at home and came to check where you were. What’s going on with you two today?”
Tina’s heart pounded Lucy’s not at home?
She opened her mouth to say more but was interrupted by her mother’s sharp voice.
“Enough of this now Let’s go home You kids always manage to get yourselves into trouble,” Anna muttered, taking Tina’s hand and leading her back toward the house.
But as they walked, Tina couldn’t shake the nagging feeling deep in her chest. How could Lucy have gone home without me? She’s never done that before
When they arrived home, Tina tried to push the unsettling thought from her mind. Dinner was ready, and the smell of her mother’s cooking filled the house.
“Dinner’s ready! Come on, kids!” Anna called from the dining room
Tina’s stomach growled, and she rushed to the table with excitement. The evening’s worry faded for a moment as she saw her sister sitting silently at the table, her plate untouched.
Anna placed a plate of warm chicken pasta in front of Tina “So, Tina, how was school today? Did anything interesting happen?”
Tina shrugged “Nothing special, just the usual”
Sam, Tina and Lucy’s father, smiled as he looked at Lucy. “Lucy, tell us what you did with your friends at nursery today.”
But Lucy remained silent, her eyes focused on her food but not eating Minutes passed, and still, she didn’t speak.
“Lucy?” Sam asked, his voice softening. “Are you okay?”
Lucy’s voice was barely a whisper when she finally spoke “I’m sleepy I’m going to bed.”
Her parents exchanged confused looks as Lucy got up and left the table
“She must be tired, Sam. Let her rest. We’ll see if she’s back to her usual self tomorrow,” Anna said, trying to reassure her husband.
But Tina couldn’t let it go Her sister’s behavior was completely out of character. They always shared a room, and Lucy had never gone to bed without her.
After dinner, Tina wished her parents goodnight and went to their shared bedroom. The room felt darker than usual, the silence heavy in the air
As Tina lay in bed, she thought she saw a figure standing on the balcony, faintly illuminated by the streetlights. At first, she thought it was Lucy, but when she turned on the light, her heart sank. Lucy wasn’t in the room
Tina stood up quickly, her feet cold against the floor as she rushed out onto the balcony
“Lucy!” she called, her voice shaky with worry. “What are you doing out here in the middle of the night? You said you were sleepy, didn’t you?”
Lucy stood by the railing, her face blank, her posture stiff and unmoving. “Let me stay here,” she whispered.
“Lucy, please,” Tina begged, her voice trembling “I know you love staring at the moon, but today’s a new moon. There’s no moon tonight Come back inside”
“I’m coming inside. You go to sleep,” Lucy said softly, but there was something about her tone that sent a chill down Tina’s spine
“What’s wrong with you? You’re acting so strange.”
Lucy’s eyes darkened, her expression unreadable as she turned and walked back into the room. Without a word, she curled up in a corner of the bed, pulling the blankets tightly around her
Tina stood frozen in the doorway, trying to make sense of what had just happened There was something so wrong, so unfamiliar about Lucy tonight. It was as if she weren’t her sister at all.
Tina stayed awake for hours, unable to shake the feeling that something wasn’t right, something far beyond what she could understand But for now, all she could do was watch her sister sleep quiet, still, and eerily distant in the darkened room.
That night, as Tina lay in bed, she couldn't shake the unease she felt about Lucy. Her sister had always been cheerful, chatty, -
“No, Lucy!” Tina cried.
and full of energy. But now, something about her seemed distant like she was present in body but not in spirit.
Tina glanced over at Lucy, who was sitting at their small desk with her sketchbook Her long, dark hair fell over her shoulders as her hand moved effortlessly across the page. The faint glow of the desk lamp reflected in Lucy’s emerald-green eyes, making them look even more vibrant in the dimly lit room
“Lucy, what are you drawing?” Tina asked, trying to sound casual.
Lucy didn’t reply. Instead, she kept sketching, her movements precise yet almost robotic Curious and a little uneasy, Tina got up and moved closer
“Lucy, let me see ” Tina froze mid-sentence as her eyes fell on the page.
The drawing was haunting It depicted their garden, but it wasn’t the beautiful place they knew The trees were twisted, with skeletal branches reaching toward a dark, starless sky. In the center of the garden was a figure, cloaked in shadows, with glowing green eyes that mirrored Lucy’s.
“Lucy, what is this?” Tina’s voice wavered
Lucy slowly looked up, her green eyes locking with Tina’s. “It’s what I see, ” she whispered.
Tina felt a chill run down her spine. “What do you mean? You see this... where?”
Lucy tilted her head, her voice eerily calm “In the garden Every time I’m
As Lucy wandered off to the garden again, sketchbook in hand, Tina followed her quietly. She noticed that Lucy moved with a strange confidence, as if she knew exactly where she was going.
When Lucy stopped under the old oak tree, she knelt down and placed her hand on the ground. Tina watched, holding her breath.
“Lucy, what are you doing?” Tina finally asked, stepping closer Lucy turned around, her green eyes almost glowing in the sunlight. “I’m listening,” she said simply.
“Listening to what?” Tina demanded, her frustration and fear growing Lucy pointed to the ground beneath the tree. “It’s speaking to me, Tina. It wants me to finish the drawings.”
Tina’s blood ran cold “What drawings, Lucy? Who is speaking to you?”
Lucy smiled faintly, her expression both innocent and unsettling. “You’ll see soon, Tina The garden knows us It’s been waiting for us to come back”
The next morning, Tina woke up to find Lucy gone. Her bed was empty, and the sketchbook Lucy always carried was nowhere to be found Panic surged through Tina as she ran to the garden, knowing deep down that’s where Lucy would be.
d out, her voice trembling
ooked different in the daylight less inviting, more ominous. d branches of the old oak tree seemed to reach out like hands, casting eerie shadows on the ground
heart stopped when she saw Lucy sitting under the tree, her book open on her lap. But what she was drawing sent chills ne.
owed their house engulfed in flames, with dark, shadowy ding it. In the middle of the chaos, two glowing green eyes rily similar to Lucy’s.
“Lucy, what is this?!” Tina demanded, grabbing the sketchbook.
Lucy looked up, her green eyes unusually bright. “It’s coming,” she whispered.
“What’s coming? Lucy, you ’ re scaring me!”
Lucy pointed to the base of the old oak tree “It’s here The voice told me to draw it. It’s always been waiting for us. ”
Tina’s breath caught in her throat “What voice? Lucy, what are you talking about?”
But Lucy didn’t answer. Instead, she stood up and began walking toward the tree Tina noticed something glinting at the base a small, rusted metal box half-buried in the dirt.
Tina grabbed Lucy’s arm, stopping her. “We’re going back to the house. Now!”
“No!” Lucy yelled, her voice filled with a strange force. “We have to open it! It’s the only way to stop them!”
Before Tina could react, Lucy broke free and knelt by the tree, her small hands digging into the soil until she unearthed the box She opened it with ease, as if she’d done it before. Inside was a faded photograph of a young girl with green eyes, just -
like Lucy’s, standing in the same garden
Tina’s stomach turned. “Who is that?”
“She’s me, ” Lucy said, her voice hollow “No, Lucy. That’s impossible!”
Lucy turned to Tina, tears streaming down her face “She’s the first Lucy She lived here before us She’s been waiting for me to come back. The garden... it’s her prison.”
That night, Tina stayed up, clutching Lucy’s sketchbook. She couldn’t shake the image of the strange girl with green eyes. There was something sinister about the way Lucy had said, “She’s me. ”
While Lucy slept, Tina began flipping through the sketchbook, hoping to find answers. Each page was filled with eerie drawings of the garden trees twisting into monstrous shapes, shadowy figures lurking behind bushes, and in the center, the old oak tree with something beneath its roots
One page caught Tina’s eye: a detailed drawing of Lucy standing at the tree, her hand outstretched toward a dark figure that loomed behind her.
Scrawled in shaky handwriting at the bottom were the words: “The exchange is made”
Before Tina could make sense of it, Lucy stirred in her sleep. Her breathing was shallow, her body twitching as though she were in pain.
“Lucy?” Tina whispered, shaking her gently
Lucy’s eyes shot open, glowing a bright, unnatural green. She sat up, her gaze fixed on Tina. “They’re coming for you, Tina,” she said in a voice that wasn’t hers.
Tina stumbled back, fear clawing at her chest “Lucy, stop it! You’re scaring me!”
But Lucy didn’t respond Instead, she stood up and walked to the balcony, her movements stiff and unnatural Tina followed her, heart pounding
“Lucy, where are you going? Talk to me!”
Lucy turned slowly, her glowing eyes boring into Tina “It’s not me they want. It’s you. ”
Suddenly, the animal The b Tina had hear
“Tina... come t
The ground b were trying to to move, grab
Lucy smiled garden alway
Desperate, Tina grabbed the photograph they’d found and held it up to the light. That’s when she noticed something she hadn’t before: the girl in the picture wasn’t just standing by the tree she was chained to it.
A chill ran down Tina’s spine She flipped the photograph over and found faded writing on the back: “She chose to stay. Will you?”
The door to the balcony rattled violently, as though someone or something was trying to break in Tina clutched Lucy close, her mind racing. What did the garden want? Why was it after them?
Just then, Lucy stirred in her arms, her voice faint but urgent. “It’s the pact, Tina Someone has to stay, or it will take everything”
Tina’s blood ran cold. “What do you mean, ‘take everything’? Lucy, what are you talking about?”
Lucy’s green eyes fluttered open “The first Lucy made the deal Now it’s our turn to finish it.”
Suddenly, the balcony door shattered, and the room was flooded with darkness Out of the shadows stepped the figure from Lucy’s drawings, its eyes glowing like twin emeralds.
“You cannot break the cycle,” it growled, its voice echoing with malice.
Tina clung to Lucy, her mind screaming for a way out. Then she remembered the sketchbook. Snatching it up, she frantically flipped through the pages until she found one with the oak tree drawn in vivid detail At the base of the tree was a single word written in red: “Burn”
Realizing what she had to do, Tina grabbed a lighter from her bedside table and set the page on fire. The flames roared to life, and the shadowy figure let out an ear-piercing scream as the room was engulfed in blinding light
When Tina opened her eyes, she was back in bed. Lucy was sitting up, her eyes clear and human again.
“It’s not over, ” Lucy whispered, her voice trembling.
The morning sun streamed through the windows, but it did little to ease Tina’s fear. Lucy had fallen into a deep sleep, but her words from the night before haunted Tina: “It’s not over. ”
Tina knew she had to end this She couldn’t let the shadow of the garden claim them both. Gripping the photograph tightly, she returned to the oak tree, her heart hammering in her chest.
The garden was eerily silent, as if it were waiting for her The whispers had stopped, replaced by an unsettling stillness. Tina knelt by the tree, brushing away the dirt around its roots. That’s when she saw it: a rusted, ancient chain buried in the soil, leading deeper into the ground.
As Tina tugged on the chain, the earth began to shift, revealing a small wooden box engraved with strange symbols. She opened it carefully, finding a letter and a ring inside. The lette i i h k handwriting:
"To the next bearer, The garden demands a keeper. Someone to gu hunger I was the first, but the garden grows restl To break the cycle, you must return what was offer the blood of the one it truly seeks. Only then
Tina’s hands trembled as she slipped the ring o almost alive, as if it were watching her She gl where Lucy was still sleeping.
“The one it truly seeks...”
“No,” Tina whispered to herself “It can’t have L instead.”
Suddenly, the ground beneath the oak tree opened up, revealing a gaping pit of darkness From within, the shadowy figure emerged, taller and more menacing than ever. Its glowing green eyes locked onto Tina.
“You dare defy the pact?” it growled, its voice like thunder.
Tina stood her ground, the ring on her finger glowing faintly. “You’ve taken enough. It ends today.”
The shadow laughed, a deep, guttural sound. “You think you can outwit the garden? Foolish child. It is older than time, hungrier than death.”
The figure lunged toward her, but Tina held up the photograph “This is what you want, isn’t it? The girl you chained here the first keeper”
The shadow hesitated, its form flickering. Tina seized the moment, throwing the photograph into the pit The whispers returned, louder and more frantic, as if the garden were crying out in pain
But the shadow wasn’t done. It surged forward, grabbing Tina by the wrist. “If you won’t give her to us, then you will stay!”
A sharp pain shot through Tina’s hand, and she realized the ring was burning into her skin. Her vision blurred, and for a moment, she saw flashes of the first Lucy’s life: her laughter, her fear, and finally, her sacrifice to the garden
“No!” Tina screamed, yanking her hand free. The ring fell into the pit, and with it, the shadow began to dissolve. The oak tree groaned, its branches withering, as the pit closed up
The garden was silent once more.
Tina woke up in her bed, the sunlight warm against her skin. Lucy was sitting beside her, a faint smile on her face
“You did it,” Lucy said softly.
Tina sat up, her head spinning “What happened?”
“The garden is gone, ” Lucy said. “It’s... free now. And so are we. ”
Tina looked out the window The once-ominous garden was now just a patch of grass, the oak tree reduced to a crumbling stump
Lucy handed her the sketchbook, now empty. “Thank you, Tina. For saving me. ”
Tina hugged her sister tightly, tears streaming down her face. “We’ll never go back there again. Ever.”
Unleashing extraordinary creativity, we redefine limits and propel businesses into the digital age. Our team crafts tailored digital marketing plans, masters social media, many many more.
