A game of Love and Blood

Reader discretion is adviced, this story contain graphic content depicting violence which may not be suitable to all readers. This is a fictional story and do not portray real events or real persons.

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Chapter 1

Opening Act

Lindsay moved across her marbled floors, following the beeping sound of the microwave. Her blonde curls bounced with her walk.

"One sec, let me put you on speaker." Lindsay grabbed her phone from in between her neck and shoulder, putting the call on speaker and opening the microwave.

"I can't believe you didn't invite me over." Cam groaned into the phone.

"I'll literally see you tomorrow." Lindsay chuckled as she fiddled with the bag of popcorn. "Plus, you don't like scary movies anyway."

"Jason, Michael, Freddy, yeah no thank you." Cam returned a laugh into the phone.

"Well those are just the classics.." Lindsay explained while throwing a popcorn in her mouth. "..the indie-horror is where the real scary stuff is."

"Yeah, still no thank you." Cam sighed. "We could've watched.. I don't know, like Scooby Doo or something." Lindsay couldn't help but laugh at his comments while seasoning her popcorn. "The live action ones duh."

"Maybe another time, Cam." Lindsay struggled telling Cam the real reason she wanted to be alone tonight.

"Whatever!" Cam teased into the phone, keeping the conversation light. Lindsay couldn't keep from smiling at his voice, despite not being the best friend recently. Cam always made her smile.

Lindsay made an incoherent noise into the phone to tease him back while emptying her snack into a bowl.

"So what time tomorrow?" Cam asked, getting the hint.

"11 sharp okay? You can't be late." Lindsay put on a stern tone as she made her way into her living room, plopping her self into the giant sectional.

"Aye Aye captain!" Cam joked at her. "I'll see ya then."

"See ya then, love you!" Lindsay chirped with the remote in her hand. Cam said he loved her too and he hung up the call.

Cam is Lindsay's best friend, they've known each other for years now but recently.. Recently she hasn't been the best. She just broke up with her cheating, lying boyfriend. One who stole all her time and she barely gave any to her best friend. Cam was always patient though, and he was always there for her if she needed. 

She tried her best to shake off her feelings, she just wanted to be alone for a minute. Feel comfortable and watch a good movie.

It didn't take her long to find a suggestion on Hulu, another new age slasher it seems. She pressed play and the screen went black, suddenly the landline rang while the beginning credits started. She didn't care to pause as she was going to make it quick.

"Hello?" Lindsay grabbed the phone and answered quickly, leaning on the wall to still see the movie playing.

Nothing could  be heard over the phone.

"Hello? Who is this?" She glanced at the caller ID but all it said was unknown.

"Okay, I'm hanging up now." Her hand went to place the phone back into the dock but

"Wait! Sorry! Sorry, I- my phone is being stupid!" She heard the voice before hanging up and rolling her eyes while dragging the phone back to her ear.

"Hi, how can I help you?" Lindsay asked with a sarcastic smile, slumping more into the wall, her eyes focused on the starting movie.

"Hi! Yes. So sorry to call so late at night, this is Miss Gheller, from down the street." the old lady's voice sounded tired and anxious. Suddenly Lindsay almost felt bad for being so quick and dry.

"Hi, Miss Gheller.." Lindsay cooed into the phone "Is everything okay?"

"Yes sweetie, everything's okay. Is your mom or dad around?" She asked innocently.

"Nope, just me! They're gone til Tuesday. Wanna leave a message?" Her voice went higher, trying to be nicer now to accommodate the lady. Miss Gheller has always been nice to them, she remembers playing in the pool at her house when theirs was getting re-done.

"No it's alright sweetheart. I'll get out of your hair!" Miss Gheller's grainy voice rang through the phone.

"Are you sure?" Lindsay had turned around now, half expecting to hang up after her answer.

"Yes sweetie, just let them know I called m'kay?" The old lady sounded tired.

"Sure thing Miss Gheller, goodnight now." Lindsay hung up the line after she heard the lady say goodnight too.

She whirred around at a piercing sound, the movie had begun now. Lindsay wondered why Miss Gheller would call like that. From her memory, Miss Gheller never called close to 9 at night. Regardless, Lindsay shook the thought and continued watching the movie. Getting comfortable again and curling up with her popcorn.

Riiiiiiiiing

Lindsay snapped her neck to the ringing landline. She moved a bit quicker this time, thinking maybe its Miss Gheller again. Maybe she did need help and she didn't want to ask.

"Hello?" Lindsay answered quickly. "Miss Gheller?"

"Try again." a foreign voice rang through the phone, startling Lindsay just a bit.

"Hello? Who's this?" Lindsay crinkled her eyebrows, looking away from the movie now.

"Take a guess." the voice sounded raspy, deep.

"I don't know, you called me." Lindsay rolled her eyes, turning around and ready to hang up.

"Lindsay seriously? Don't act like you don't know my voice." The voice talked with confidence, but Lindsay couldn't put a finger on who it was. This person knows her name, who is this?

"Cameron if this is you pranking me, it's really not funn-" she was abruptly cut off.

"No pranks babe! Please just talk to me!" the voice sang innocently. Lindsay's eyes closed to slivers, her eyelids heavy now.

"I told you to lose my number." Lindsay didn't have an ounce of energy to give this man.

"Babe please, I just wanna talk." the voice sounded sincere, just.. the voice still didn't sound like Sam's.

"I don't want to talk to you Sam! Leave me alone!" She screeched into the phone and slammed into into its dock.

Why was he even bothering her? They broke up days ago now and he hasn't said a word to her. Sam and Lindsay were never meant to work anyways, Lindsay knew that now.

"Can't I watch a damn movie in peace.." Lindsay rambled to herself. She started towards the couch once more but the landline ringing cut her off.

Lindsay stormed to the phone, Sam really has lost his shit.

"Fuck off Sa-" Lindsay started when she picked up.

"Don't ever fucking hang up on me, whore!" the voice went wild, raging in anger as it spoke. "Now let's just have a talk, babe." The voice eased up, going back to its regular tone from before.

Lindsay froze upon hearing the angry tone, flinching from the familiar sound.

"I don't want to talk to you, Sam." Lindsay said through clenched teeth, she huffed while looking up at the vaulted ceilings of the living room.

"C'monnn.." the voice dragged almost teasingly, "Just a small one."

"Get. Lost." Lindsay seethed, immediately docking the phone and ending the call.

She couldn't believe this.

Riiiiiiiiing

Lindsay reached for the phone, anger clear in her voice.

"Go to hell!" she screamed in the phone.

Her breath was loud and her heart rate picked up, there was nothing Lindsay wouldn't do to forget about Sam.

"Lindsay?" Miss Gheller spoke through the phone, her voice sounded frightened.

"Oh my God, Miss Gheller I'm so sorry.." her eyes went wide and her hand covered her mouth slightly. "I thought you were someone else!"

The line went silent but Lindsay could hear her breath still on the line.

"Miss Gheller?" Lindsay almost whispered into the phone, afraid her voice would be too much again.

"This isn't Miss Gheller." that voice came back.

Lindsay turned her head back to the tv, a loud knocking noise from the movie. Linsday stayed quiet a moment, the gears turning in her head. Miss Gheller, then Sam? How does that make any sense?

"Who is this?" Lindsay spoke a little shaky, her heart race quickened once more.

"You mean it's not obvious?" The voice sounded excited, like it was finally going to spill a big secret.

Lindsay stayed silent, she refused to answer the question.

"Answer me, whore!" Lindsay jumped at the voice in the phone, her hand squeezed tighter around it.

"No! Please, leave me alone!" Her voice came out raspy. She had no clue was on the other end now. All of these past calls made no sense now. She turned towards the dock again, ready to end the calls for good and unplug the whole thing.

"Hang up and I'll stab those pretty eyes out of your face!" the voice screamed at her.

Lindsay jumped again and crouched down a bit, sliding against the wall. Her hands shook just the slightest bit.

"Good girl." the voice eased again, playing into a teasing tone. "Now, won't you play a game with me, Lindsay?"

She shuttered at her name, who the hell could this be? Lindsay looked up to the movie playing, a girl similar to her was on screen. She was on the phone just like her, panic setting in just like her.

"What kind of game?" Lindsay's voice shook as she continued staring at the movie.

The blonde girl on screen was already crying, the lights were off and she's attempting to hide.

"Only the best for you, Lindsay." the voice schmoozed. "I'll ask you three questions, get them right and you live. Wrong and you die." the voice sounded like it was having fun, amused by such a ridiculous game.

"I don't wanna play that game." Lindsay felt tears forming in her eyes, not falling yet like the girl on screen.

"No?" The voice sounded surprised, like anyone would normally take it up on this offer.

"Please.. stop." Lindsay shut her eyes tight, tears threatened to spill any moment.

"Fine. No game." The voice spoke back, normal and justified.

The line went silent. Lindsay tried her best to keep her breath quiet, afraid the wrong noise would send this voice off the ledge again. Lindsay peered at the tv, the blonde girl was being chased all around her house. She was already bleeding by the looks of it, screaming bloody murder with no one around to help her.

"Twenty dollars, she runs up the stairs" the voice whispered at her. Lindsay froze again, watching as the blonde girl on screen turns a corner and starts running up the stairs.

Lindsay didn't hesitate her next move in running straight for her kitchen and grabbing the biggest knife she could, ducking behind the kitchen island.

"Who the hell are you?" She cried into the phone, her voice uncontrollably shaky now.

The phone stayed silent for a moment, then she heard the tone of the line going dead.

Lindsay took a deep breath, clutching the knife close to her body, unable to make a move. She knew the person on the phone was watching her, she knew she had to call the police.

"911 what's your emergency?" the operator answered as fast as she hoped.

"I'm Lindsay Palmer, please help me. I think someone's in the house." She spoke as quietly as she could. She got on her knees and slowly crawled to the side of the island, getting a peak of the open concept living room, empty.

"Okay Lindsay, I need your address. Are you in a safe location?" the operator sounded so sure, a tone Lindsay couldn't grasp at the moment.

"814 Grandberry Drive, please hurry. I don't know where h-" Lindsay whispers went mute at what she saw. A hooded figure looming through her living room. She turned around again, hidden by the island. She clutched the phone's microphone as hard as she could, not letting a single noise slip out.

Lindsay heard taps on the marble flooring, they walked across the living room and stopped somewhere else. She was lucky the movie was occupying enough noise that she wasn't found yet.

"Lindsayyy!" that voice from the phone rang out in her house, somewhere close. Her throat tightened and her eyes went wide.

She could see the reflection in the microwave window, this hooded figure with a white mask standing on the other side of the island. It seemed to her that they locked eyes and she refused to move an inch. The figure cocked its head to the left, questioning her decision not to run. Lindsay shook in fear as her eyes filled with more tears.

"What's wrong babe?" The figure asked, still making eye contact with her. "Not who you thought?"

******

pt 2 coming soon :)