inspired by true events*

She'd stayed up much later than she'd meant to talking to her ex-boyfriend on the phone. With their hectic schedules always in conflict, late nights and early mornings were the only times they could catch up.
A quarter past midnight wasn't exactly the wee hours of the morning, especially by her standards, but when you have to get up at six for an early morning design class
that requires your creativity to be in full bloom, you needed a little beauty rest.
She excused herself, trying not to sound sad about it.
Setting the alarm for six-fifteen, she was so tired she barely remembered to plug in her phone. As soon as the digital display went dark, she drifted off.
Loud, loud, loud in her ear caused her to jolt up out of her half-asleep state. It couldn't be time to get up yet. No, it was still dark. Her phone was ringing.
She looked at the time first, 12:30. Her ex must've forgotten to say something. But the caller ID read "private." Normally she wouldn't answer a call from a blocked number, but in her sleepy state, autopilot hit the green button.
"Hullo?" she said blearily.
Something in a weird accent, she couldn't make it out. She felt more awake now, at the sound of the harsh voice.
"Hello?" she said again.
". . . suck you dry. Would you like that?" came the strange voice again.
She gasped and slammed the phone shut. panicking, she hit redial and called her ex back.
"Hey?" he said, sounding half-asleep.
She was wide awake now and terrified.
"Someone called me!"
"What?"
"Someone called me! It came up private! I - he said weird things and I hung up and -"
beep.beep.
"Oh, my god! He's calling again! What do I do?!" Her heart was beginning to thunder in her chest.
"Just don't answer."
beep.beep.
"But he's calling right now! I'm scared!"
"It's ok. It's just some idiot. Just don't answer the phone."
beep.beep.
"I'm scared. I'm really scared!"
"He can't do anything. It';s just a phone call."
"No one else is home. I'm scared!"
beep.beep.
"He keeps calling!"
"You need to calm down. There's nothing to be afraid of."
And then the sound of the lock tumbling on the front door seemed imposabley loud. And even though she knew it was her roommate getting back, she was horrified. The door creaked like it had never done before in its life and then slammed shut.
"Someone's home," she whispered. "I think it's my roommate."
Lights came on in the living room, seeping under her door. Comforting and chilling at the same time. Say something. Oh, say something. Let me know it's you. Then the sound of a purse and keys being slung on the coffee table.
"It's my roommate. I'll call you back."
"Ok. Call me and let me know you're alright."
She hung up and ran out into the hallway.
"Hey," her roommate said, all smiles. But she must have seen her stricken face, "Oh my god. Are you ok?"
"No. Someone called me. A private call and said really creepy shit and I hung up but they kept calling!"
"Are they calling you now?"
"No."
"Come in my room. If they call you again, give me the phone, I'll curse the asshole out."
She felt relieved to have someone else home, but was still shaken. Sitting on her roommate's bed she listened to her stories from home. Letting her roommate talk, but
It was late. "I should go back to bed."
"Do you want to sleep in here?"
"No it's ok. I'll be fine."
She opened her door slowly, surveying the room, dimly lit by her night-light. Paranoid, she even checked her closet, but of course no one was there but her hamster. She slid back the mirrored door and crawled under the covers.
She picked up her phone cautiously, as if it might snap at her.
She called her ex again.
"I'm better. Now that someone's here."
"Okay, are you going to go back to sleep?"
"I'm going to try."
"Call me if you can't sleep."
"I'm afraid they'll call again."
"Don't pick up."
"I know, but-"
She felt foolish to say what she was thinking. If they call again after I've laid down; that means they're watching me. That means they can see me.
"Ok. Well, I'll call you tomorrow."
"Ok, goodnight."
She put the phone back down and stared at it until it went dark again. She wanted to lay on her right side, but she couldn't bring herself to put her back too the dark room and those big closet doors. She'd watched too many scary movies.
She cursed herself for staying through The Strangers even though fifteen minutes in, she could tell it was going to keep her up for the next couple weeks. She propped her pillows against the wall and dosed off half sitting up.

*but not very inspired