30 missed calls.
Peace's phone buzzed with another notification.
"You're not backing out, girl!" the text read.
Riley would make such a terrifying ex, Peace thought, snuggled under her blanket, eyes glued to The Evil Dead. The movie's jump scares were the perfect distraction.
She sighed, switched her phone to Do Not Disturb, and stuffed her mouth with popcorn.
The film drew her in, her mind fully engrossed, until the sudden sound of a phone ringing jolted her upright. Popcorn flew in every direction.
Her heart raced as she stared at her phone. It was still on DND.
So where was the ringing coming from?
A cold chill crept up her spine as she muted the TV and grabbed the remote like it was a weapon. She scanned the room nervously before stepping into the kitchen.
Nothing.
The bathroom?
Still nothing.
The storage room?
Empty.
Her breath hitched as her gaze shifted toward the bedroom.
Let's be honest: this house had every reason to be haunted. Built in 1770, it had been renovated so many times it barely resembled the original structure. When Peace moved in nearly ten years ago, it was already falling apart. Now, it seemed ready to collapse entirely.
And yet, she stayed. Perhaps it was her love for horror movies that made her feel at home in a place like this.
But this? This was real.
She tiptoed into the bedroom, dread pooling in her stomach. The ringing grew louder.
On the bed sat an iPhone. Not just any iPhone, a sleek iPhone 16 Pro.
Her chest tightened. She couldn't afford a phone like that. How the hell did it get here?
She didn't like this. Not one bit.
Hands trembling, she reached for the phone.
"Did you think you could run away from me, Peace?"
The voice on the other end sent icy fear straight through her veins. She froze, her breath shallow.
This isn't real. This isn't real.
Instead of screaming, she hurled the phone against the wall. It shattered on impact.
Still shaking, she scooped up the pieces, dumped them in the kitchen sink, and turned on the faucet. Water poured over the fragments, but it wasn't enough.
She grabbed a pair of gloves, retrieved a hammer, and smashed the phone until it was nothing but unrecognizable bits.
Finally, she pried out what looked like a tracking chip, turned on the gas stove, and threw it into the flame.
Her chest heaved as she backed away, her mind reeling.
It's him.
The train incident, the nightmares she'd been trying to convince herself were just nightmares, it was all real.
A loud knock at the front door jolted her from her thoughts.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
If she ran fast enough, maybe she could escape—
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Jump out the window, disappear before he—
"Open the damn door, Peace!"
She sagged against the kitchen counter at the familiar voice.
Riley.
Practically stumbling to the door, Peace flung it open, relief washing over her.
"Never put your phone on DND again!" Riley snapped, shoving a bag into her arms.
Peace nodded, hugging herself. "Got it."
"Now wear that. My wife's waiting, and we don't have all night."
Peace opened her mouth to protest but stopped. Anything, anything, was better than staying in this house.
She grabbed the bag and headed to her room. Tonight, she was going out.