The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

Telephone
by K.R. Morrison

I groaned as I looked up the stairs. I always hated this mission, but it had to be done.

Our upstairs neighbor, Mr. Wadd, was a jerk. No two ways about it. Even Dad thought so, and he was one of the nicest guys on the planet. As far as I could tell—I was only eight years old, after all.

My dad, Ed Fahey, was the star of my life. He had served in the Great War, and had been left with mustard-gas poisoning and a game leg. Naturally he couldn’t work when he got back, so we were poor as church mice. Mom and Granny did what they could, but it wasn’t much.

Whenever Dad had a turn for the worse, it was my duty to go upstairs and ask to use Mr. Wadd’s phone to call the doctor.

Wadd had it in for my dad, which puzzled me. Dad had assured the guy’s freedom, but this guy treated him like dirt.

Well, I got up there, passing winos sleeping on the landing, and knocked at the door.

Wadd was home, but he took his time opening the door. When he saw it was me, his eyes gleamed with a mixture of hate and greed.

“Morning, Mr. Wadd.” I was always polite. Dad had told me to always be polite, even if I’d rather slug the guy. “Could I please use the phone? Dad’s having problems and I gotta call the doctor.”

He stuck out a grubby, fat hand. “Nickel.”

I didn’t have a nickel. “Sorry, I don’t have one today. Can I owe you? It’s really important.”

“No nickel, no phone.” He slammed the door and locked it.

I was so mad, I didn’t even say “excuse me” when I accidentally kicked one of the winos on the way down.

When I got in my door, I knew something was different. Mom no longer had the urgent look on her face, and Granny was crying.

“Mr. Wadd wouldn’t let me use the phone. He just slammed the door,” I started.

“No mind,” Mom said through her tears. “Your dad’s gone.”

I hadn’t even started to cry when a car pulled up outside. It was Dr. Johnson!

As he climbed up to the stoop, he said to me, “Your dad’s taken ill again, I gather.”

I just stood there with my mouth open. Mom came up behind me.

“John? I thought Mr. Wadd denied you the use of his phone.”

“Well, I don’t know about that,” the doctor said. “It was Mr. Wadd who called me.”

I looked up the stairwell. Had he actually had a change of heart?

The winos were stirring, getting ready for their day, but it wasn’t them who caught my attention.

There was a light from Mr. Wadd’s place. I could see the reflection on the stairwell window.

“Wait.” I pointed up the stairs. “His door is open. That never happens.”

Dr. Johnson frowned, and he and I climbed the stairs to see what was what.

The door was wide open. Like I said, he kept that door shut as close as an oyster shell.

We walked in, and a horrible sight met our eyes.

Mr. Wadd was sitting in his recliner, dead as a doornail. The phone cord was wrapped tightly around his throat, and his face was contorted in a look of abject terror.

Dr. Johnson tried to steer me out of the room, but gave up and zipped down the stairs to call the authorities.

I was about to leave when I saw something sticking out of Wadd’s shirt pocket. It hadn’t been there earlier. For some reason, I felt like I had to have that paper.

So I took it, and ran back downstairs and though our apartment to my room.

There I read it:

“Thanks for the use of the phone. Ed”

I smiled to myself and muttered, “Sic semper tyrannus.”

Nice going, Dad.

.

 

Fiction © Copyright K.R. Morrison
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com.

More from K.R. Morrison:

Enoch’s Return: Pride’s Downfall Book 4

All hell broke loose, as demon fought saint, and undead fought mortal. Fangs and swords, fire and light, mingled in a cacophony of noise that would have awakened the dead — if they hadn’t already been in the pitch of battle.

Toby was looking forward to celebrating his 21st birthday with family and friends. However, the day is shattered by the arrival of his sister, Erica, fresh out of the juvenile detention center, where she has lived in isolation most of her life. There is something very wrong with her still; witness her biting the ear of her taxi driver and licking the blood from her lips, and the way she antagonizes everyone around her. The other thing that is very off-putting about the day is a gift he receives – a musty tent and a few iron spikes that have been lying in the ground for years. Toby faints at the sight of the “treasure,” while Erica reacts violently and runs off to who-knows-where.
While he is unconscious, Toby learns who he truly is, and of his mission.

Available on Amazon!