Stalker Celebrity

Black and Red

The dim glow of the dashboard lights illuminated the interior of the RV as they traversed the desolate highway. Tall, shadowy trees passed them at rapid speeds.

He is going to crash the RV. He is going to crash the RV. If I fall asleep there will be no one to keep him awake and we will both die.

Violet's hand curiously reached out to grab at his warm thigh feeling the warm denim beneath her fingers.

"Uh, what are you doing?" he asked his voice stiff curling into laughter.

"Anything to keep us awake. You're blinking slower and slower."

He choked on his spit, "I can't believe I'm saying this; you shouldn't do that."

"Too much distraction for an exhausted brain?" Violet asked playfully. 

His face fell, "I'm still worried this place is bugged."

Violet paused looking around as if expecting to see an obvious device. She sighed.

"If I were you I'd sell the van." Violet said suppressing a yawn at the back of her throat.  

"Yeah, I think I will." Case said between a long yawn. 

Seeking to find some energy in conversation, Violet's voice turned nostalgic, "What was the best Halloween you ever had as a kid?"

Case blinked, "My best Halloween?" he repeated adjusting his grip on the wheel.

"Hmm... one year Brayden was Mario, I was Luigi and Aubree went as Yoshi and we cleaned up that year cause Brayden had just gotten his license and instead of going out with his friends he took us—"

There was a sudden intrusion. Violet's cellphone began to ring inside of her coat. 

The name "Mother" flashed across the screen of her phone illuminating the RV interior. Seeing the words caused her caused  her breath to catch. Six years had passed since she last spoken to her mother.

"—Somethin' wrong?" Case asked slowly as the phone rang his strained eyes focused on the road. 

"It's my mother." Violet said slowly.

The words tumbled out, infused with anxiety, "It has to be an emergency." Violet said her hands felt numb. 

Case's expression darkened, "Shit."

A shaking finger swiped to answer the call.

"...Mother?"

The voice that greeted her wasn't the one she was expecting. It was robotic, distorted — an amalgamation of frequencies.

"Mother...?"

"Is Caselock dead yet?" 

It was a robot voice talking. 

Fear surged through Violet, and she tightened her hold on the phone, "Who is this?" she asked feeling the chill spread through her veins. 

"Chills raced down Violet's spine. She tightened her grip on the phone. "Who the hell are you? How did you get this number? How are you calling me from my mother's phone?"

"..."

"Violet, you can fake calling from numbers. Just hang up."

Then, unmistakably, it was her mother's voice, "Violet."

"That's my mother's voice." Violet said automatically; more to herself than anyone else.

"Violet." It said again, it sounded unnatural this time.