Halloween Tales

Call From The Future

Aneesha anxiously sat by her personal computer, eagerly awaiting the weekly blog update from her favourite blogger, CloseToTheFuture. She stumbled upon this captivating blog just two weeks ago, and since then, she has binged through its content overnight whenever her parents are asleep. The blog culture was flourishing in the United States, and Aneesha was drawn into its web. Her friend, Vish, who shared her interest in conspiracy theories and future predictions, had introduced her to the blog. It was filled with compelling evidence and theories about future events, keeping her thoroughly engaged.

In addition to the intriguing theories on the site, there was a serialized story penned by an unknown author. It felt as though someone was writing her life as it unfolded. The story featured a character named Richa, also of Asian descent, living in the United States with her parents. Even their schools bore eerie similarities, which fascinated Aneesha.

The latest episode had finally been updated on the blog, and as she delved into it, she found herself enthralled. The episode depicted Richa's adventure at a music concert with her friends, detailing every moment of the night. At the concert, Richa left her group and rendezvoused with a mysterious stranger, who turned out to be her secret lover. After a passionate interlude away from prying eyes, she rejoined her friends and continued to enjoy the concert and party. But by the end of that night, disaster had already struck, as one of the girls had gone missing, leaving the story on a gripping cliffhanger.

The following day, Aneesha urged her friends to read the story, but they dismissed it hastily. Unbeknownst to them, as they all headed to the Britney Spears concert that week, Aneesha had almost forgotten about the story. After settling into their seats, she mentioned she was going to fetch some drinks. She didn't have a secret boyfriend, but she longed for one, feeling unlovable. As she strolled past the stalls near the arena, she spotted someone dressed exactly like Vish kissing a boy in secret. Aneesha initially thought it was a coincidence, but when she returned to her group, she realized Vish was missing. It struck her that Vish did indeed have a secret boyfriend.

A sudden call from an unfamiliar number on her new BlackBerry flip phone startled Aneesha. When she answered, it was a woman on the other end.

"Hello," Aneesha said.

"Aneesha?" the voice panted.

"Yes, who is this?"

"I'm sorry, I don't have much time to explain, but I'm you from the future."

Aneesha laughed, "You think I'm crazy? Stop pranking. Tell me who this is."

"I know you'd react like this. I am you, in fact. So I will tell you exactly what you need to hear to believe me," said the older Aneesha on the other end. She proceeded to divulge her deepest secrets, never shared with anyone, not even written in her diary. Nobody but Aneesha could have known these details.

Aneesha was in shock. "How is this possible? How are you talking to me?"

"I wish I had all the time in the world to explain it to you, but I wish that you live out your life fully to know everything that happens in the future. For that, you need to stay alive."

Young Aneesha was taken aback. "Are you dying?"

"We will if you don't do exactly as I've asked. There's a killer among you. After the incident at the concert, the killer is back after all these years. Hannah and Pam are already dead. I want you to find the killer and stop her. The killer is...," but the call was abruptly cut off.

Tensed and worried, Aneesha tried to call back, but the phone informed her that the number didn't exist. If everything her future self said was true, one of the six girls must be the killer. She was certain it wasn't Pam, Hannah, or herself, leaving Vish, Fleur, and Renee as the remaining possibilities. Vish was like a sister to her, so she immediately excluded her from the list. Fleur was a foreign exchange student from France, while Renee had recently transferred from a different school district. Aneesha's instincts leaned toward Renee.

That evening, when the parties were over, Aneesha made sure everyone got home safely. However, Renee had gone missing. The very person Aneesha had suspected as the killer had disappeared. They scoured the arena but couldn't find her. They promptly notified her family and the police, and the girls were sent home with their parents. When Aneesha returned home with her father, she settled back into her room after a serious warning and grounding. Her parents were anxious about what was happening to her friend.

Confused and concerned, Aneesha opened her laptop to re-read the blogs, searching for clues or anything she might have missed. As she revisited the story, she realized it wasn't about her but actually about Vish. All along, she had believed she was the story's protagonist when, in fact, it was her best friend.

Suddenly, a message from her friends informed her that Renee had been found unconscious in the arena. She had been struck on the head but was now safe. Aneesha was even more perplexed. Why had the killer spared Renee?

Then, a clicking sound at her window caught her attention. Someone was throwing rocks to get her attention, and when she looked down, she saw Vish. Aneesha carefully climbed down from the back of the house to speak with her friend.

In the dimly lit park nearby, Aneesha and Vish confronted each other, the tension between them palpable. Doubt clouded their minds, and their hearts raced with suspicion. Vish was visibly frightened, and her attempts to back away from Aneesha only intensified the mistrust.

Aneesha couldn't shake the growing suspicion that Vish might be the killer. As their conversation escalated, Aneesha felt cornered, fearing for her own safety. In an act of self-defense and desperation, she struck out at Vish. With one swift blow, Vish collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Aneesha stood there, panting and shaking. She never thought it would come to this. Her friend lay on the ground, unconscious and vulnerable. What had she done?

As Aneesha glanced down at Vish, the question loomed larger than ever: Who was actually Richa from the story? Was it Aneesha or Vish? And what about the killer? Had the killer been vanquished, or had they just claimed their first victim? The park, once a place of solace and friendship, now held secrets and questions that demanded answers.

Aneesha knelt beside Vish, her heart heavy with regret and worry. She needed to make a choice—whether to help her friend and continue their quest for the truth or leave her to die. Whatever her decision, the mystery of Richa and the identity of the killer would be long forgotten until the killings resumed 20 years later. 

----- 

Did you like this story?

Who do you think was the actual killer? 

Olivia_Benedetti's Halloween Bash Contest (Prompt 10)