The Message From The Dead Number

Episode 9: The Hand

Maya screamed.

A cold hand was gripping her ankle. Ice cold.

She kicked wildly and scrambled backwards down the hallway.

The lights flickered back on.

The closet door was wide open. Empty.

But on the wooden floor, there were two new wet footprints.

Leading out of the closet. And stopping right where Maya had been lying.

Her ankle throbbed. There were five red marks there. Like fingers.

"Who are you?" Maya whispered.

The house was silent. Too silent.

Then her phone buzzed. No signal, but it buzzed.

A new text message. From: Unknown.

It said: "You shouldn't have run. Now we play for real."

Maya dropped the phone.

Behind her, in the mirror at the end of the hall, she saw it.

The other Maya. Standing there. Tilting her head.

And then she held up Maya's phone. And smiled.

But Maya was still holding her phone in her hand.

There were two phones.

The other Maya mouthed one word: "Run."

Maya ran.

Maya ran to the front door. Locked.

She ran to the back door. Also locked.

She was trapped.

Her phone buzzed again in her hand.

Another text from Unknown: "I'm behind you."

Maya slowly turned around.

The hallway was empty.

But the mirror... the mirror was cracked now.

And in the biggest crack, she could see a smile.