WHO'S THIS?

The phone rang sharply, jarring the woman from her thoughts.

"Hello, this is Olives Cosmetics, how can I help you?" she answered with her usual professional tone.

"Who is this?" a man's voice asked on the other end of the line, his tone unsettlingly calm.

From the sound of his voice, it was clear that he was a man, but something about his question sent chills down Melanie's spine.

The spa often received calls from male clients, but it was strange for a caller to ask who he was speaking with when he had dialed her number.

"This is Olives Cosmetics. Can I help you?" she repeated, her voice steady despite her growing sense of dread.

"Who am I speaking with?" the man asked again, his voice dripping with an eerie calmness.

Melanie snapped, unable to hide her frustration any longer.

"What the hell do you mean by who am I talking to? You literally called me! Do you have amnesia or something?" she yelled, her irritation palpable.

"I only called because I missed your call," the man replied politely, his tone a stark contrast to Melanie's rising agitation.

Melanie shuddered. This was the same excuse she'd been hearing for days now from the series of strange calls she'd been receiving.

"Look, mister, if this is some kind of prank, you better hang up now or I'm calling the cops," Melanie warned, her patience wearing thin.

There was an eerie silence on the other end of the line, followed by a low chuckle that sent shivers down her spine.

"Hello? Hello?" Melanie called out, her voice tinged with irritation.

The man laughed manically, his laughter echoing through the phone, leaving Melanie feeling trapped in a surreal nightmare.

After a moment of quiet, the man spoke again, his voice dripping with sinister intent. "See you soon," he said.

Melanie's heart raced as she fought to keep her composure.

"See you soon? What are you up to?" she yelled, her fear evident in her voice.

But the man had already hung up, leaving Melanie alone in the stillness of her apartment.

She dropped the phone in fright, her hand on her chest as she hyperventilated, trying to steady her breathing.

"What the hell was that?" she gasped, feeling a wave of dread wash over her.

As Melanie struggled to regain her composure, she shook her head in disbelief.

"Did that creep just hang up on me?" she asked herself.

"Melanie, stop talking to yourself," she whispered, trying to reassure herself. "You're not losing your mind."

Deciding she needed support, Melanie quickly called her best friend Blythe.

The phone rang a few times before Blythe's familiar voice answered.

"What are you scared of this time?" Blythe asked, her tone laced with exasperation.

"Seriously, Blythe? I just got a call from one of those weird wackos again," Melanie whined as she sat up on the bed.

"Let me guess, the guy said 'I'm watching you'?" Blythe asked, sounding unfazed.

"No Blythe, ughh, that was what the last guy said, this one said see you soon" Melanie corrected as she got up to pace around her bedroom.

"Look, you're probably imagining things, you've been working too hard lately" Blythe explained.

"Blythe, I'm not being overworked" Melanie saidas she heaved out a deep sigh, sensing that an argument was brewing.

"You sure?, Cause you hardly hang out any longer" Blythe said.

"That's because I have to work, I have bills to pay" Melanie complained.

"Your lowest pay for any session is a hundred dollars, highest is five hundred dollars, so what the hell are you talking about?" Blythe asked.

"I have other responsibilities" Melanie explained.

"Like what and what, list ten, I'm waiting" Blythe said.

"Look Blythe, my responsibilities are not the problem here, I'm being harassed and I'm obviously in danger" Melanie yelled angrily.

"That's why I said you're being delusional, take a vacation girl" Blythe suggested.

"No, I have work, even if I was being delusional, I can't imagine things like this that require a lot of mental work, you know I'm not good at that, you're better at that" Melanie groaned plopping down on the bed.

"So what you're trying to say is that I'm better at being delusional?" Blythe asked.

"No Blythe, I mean you're better at those imagining things that require a high amount of mental work" Melanie explained.

Blythe rolled her eyes.

"You're an author and your stories are amazing, I could never do that, it's not just my thing" Melanie added.

"Look Melanie, what you need is a vacation, I've been trying to tell you" Blythe said.

"You're still on that?" Melanie asked.

"Pretty much, yeah" Blythe shrugged.

"Ughh, you're impossible, I'm calling Blaine instead" Melanie groaned.

"Blaine Thompson?, As in Blaine Thompson, my twin brother?" Blythe asked.

"Yes, your twin brother and my best friend who seems to understand me better" Melanie scoffed.

"If he understands you better, why bother calling me?" Blythe asked,

"Because you're also my best friend and I thought you'd act faster than him" Melanie scoffed,

"Whatever, I gotta write, bye bye, scaredy-cat" Blythe said,

"Bye Blythe" Melanie groaned,

The call went flat after Blythe hung up,

"Why does everyone keep hanging up on me today, the hell is going on?" Melanie whispered as she called Blaine,

"Hey, Shawty, what's up?" Blaine asked cheerfully when he answered the call.

"Everything's going downhill Blaine" Melanie complained.

"Isn't everything always going downhill? You say that even when you run out of hot sauce" Blaine chuckled.

"Look, this is serious, and also, even lack of hot sauce is an emergency" Melanie smiled fondly as she carried a cardboard box filled with cosmetics.

"So, is this a hot sauce emergency or what?" Blaine asked.

"It's worse than a hot sauce emergency" Melanie answered as she started sorting out the powders.

"That's gotta be bad then" Blaine shrugged.

"It is" Melanie sighed sniffing the container of a perfume.

"So what's your problem?" Blaine asked.

"For the past few days, everytime I go out, I feel like I'm being watched, and I keep on getting these creepy calls, take today for an instance, this guy told me see you soon, last guy said I'm watching you, the other last guy said I've found you and the other other last guy said I see you and the other other other..." Melanie explained.

"I get it, you're being harassed" Blaine interjected.

"Exactly, and I told Blythe about it, she told me I was being delusional" Melanie whined.

"She didn't even volunteer to track them down or hack into their systems or anything" Melanie added.

"Blythe only hacks devices if you give her money, I bet if you offer her some cash, you'd be set" Blaine chuckled.

"Oh please, how much do I earn" Melanie sighed.

"So why'd you actually call me?" Blaine asked.

"Because I need your help, you fucking airhead" Melanie answered.

"That's not a nice way of asking for help Lani" Blaine smirked.

"Blaine, please, I don't wanna die, I need your help" Melanie whined in a baby voice,

"Is that better?" Melanie deadpanned after a few seconds.

"Yes, how about you move into my house while we try to get you another house? Also now's the best time to get the police involved" Blaine suggested.

"That sounds good" Melanie said in acceptance of his proposal.

"When?" Blaine asked,

"I'm leaving for an appointment very soon, so let's say, this evening" Melanie informed him as she read the time from her watch.

"I'll pick you up at 7" Blaine said.

"Sure, see you then" She agreed.

"He hung up too?" Melanie groaned as she heard the tone of the call being ended already, exasperated by the day's strange events.

As Melanie prepared for her other plans, she couldn't shake the feeling that her life was about to take an unexpected turn.