Terror Tales

IN THE COURSE OF TIME

     It was 10:58pm when Amanda Barrows pulled into the parking lot to start her graveyard shift at the Sherwood Fall's 911 office. She got out of her vehicle and sighed a sound of relief as she was thankful at least it was a Tuesday. She was still tired from the weekend and nothing much ever happens on a Tuesday, or so she was told and thought maybe she could relax a bit and get a bit of reading done. She had only started her job a mere three weeks ago last Friday and already they had her working on her own. Of course being such a small town, Sherwood Falls only had two emergency operators on staff Caroline Kemper and older woman of maybe sixty and herself. They rotated shifts during the week and it was only on the weekends that they both would be working. She said goodnight to the night officer as they passed that held the desk until her shift started and then moved over to her desk and monitor. She pulled her horror book Feeder from her bag laying it down as she placed her purse into the bottom right drawer of her desk then made her way across the room to make a cup of tea. As the evening wore on she had made herself at home leaning back in the chair, feet on her desk, reading.

     Amanda sat there alone in the darkened room of the 911 office, she raised her eyes from the book and looked over at the clock on the wall. "2:00am," she shook her head in disgust, three whole hours had past, "God this is going to be a long night" she said out loud then slowly returned to sipping her orange spice black tea adjusting herself in the rigid office chair in an attempt to just stay awake and in hopes of getting somewhat more comfortable when the phone suddenly rang. It startled her and she jumped before quickly answering it.

     "9 1 1 operator, can I help you?" Amanda said with a bit of eagerness and apprehension, as each call she received was different and so far for the past three weeks of this new job there had been nothing more than a mismatch of non-emergency calls, but in the 911 office you just never know what each call may bring.

There was no response,

     "9 1 1 operator, please state your emergency?"

Suddenly a breathy deep voice crawled whispering across the line,

     "She's not breathing."

     "Who's not breathing?" Please repeat what is the nature of your emergency"

     "She's not breathing. He said. "You need to come to, no, no wait, wait a minute"

The voice paused.

     "What is the address" Then she heard it, a woman's terrified voice in the background.

     "Please no, no god no, don't kill me, please," the woman pleaded.

     "What is going?" on Amanda screamed into the phone. The woman's voice still pleading, her pleases and no's erratically jumping as the woman cried and begged, then her screams became muffled, and in a moment there was silence, a long and uncomfortable silence as Amanda pressed the receiver tighter against her ear, trying to hear anything. Suddenly the deep breathy voice returned once again.

     "Ok he said, now she's not breathing. You need to come to 200 North Wall Street," then the line went dead.

     Amanda sat there, the horror of what she just heard the vague reality of it still hanging in the air. Did he just kill her, did she just hear that? She picked up the dispatch microphone and announces the location to the officers on duty. Her words vibrating with the now heavy beating of her heart.

     "There is a possible 187 at 200 North Wall Street, repeat a possible 187 at 200 North Wall street officers use discretion as male suspect may be armed and dangerous."

There was a pause of static then,

     "247 in route."

     "219 in route."

     Amanda sat back in her chair still shaking, that poor woman she thought, as she lifted her cup to her mouth, then she suddenly dropped it spilling the liquid onto her dress. "Shit" she said standing up quickly and brushing the hot moisture from her clothes.

     "The address, the damn address" she repeated in an almost panic scream. The address he gave her 200 North Wall Street, why 200 North Wall Street that was the station, where she was, where she is. That bastard he gave her the wrong address.

      Amanda quickly sat back down to call the officers back when suddenly something or someone grabbed her from behind and wrapped the microphone cord around her neck and pulled it tight. She pulled and struggled trying to free herself and catch sight of her attacker. The cord tightening with every movement that she made. She couldn't scream from the pressure of the cord. She pushed hard against the desk trying to dislodge her attacker, but all it did was pulled the cord tighter about her neck. Amanda began to get dizzy and the room spun around her, her eyes bulged in her head and everything went black.

     Went she woke she looked over as saw the darkened figure of a man, he was on the phone with someone, then she heard it. The voice,

     "She's not breathing. You need to come to, then he turned and he looked her in the eyes and smiled.

     "No, no wait, wait a minute" he said as he moved toward her.

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This book is the work of fiction, any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictionally. Other characters, places and events are products of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2015 by David Brown

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For Information address EBDB Books – Rights department 234 Dogwood Drive SE, Calhoun, Georgia 30701

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