Hello"
"Who is it? "
"Is this Emma Swan?"
Her heart skipped a beat. She didn't recognize the voice on the other end of the line.
She cleared her throat and responded, "Yes."
The caller hesitated for just a moment before saying, "Something is coming to your place"
"Who are you?" she said.
The fear in her voice was evident.
" I am going to try to explain what's happening to you and who I am to you. Please don't be scared."
"How did you get my number?"
There was a sigh on the other end. "
It's really not important how I got your number. What matters is this: If you want to survive tonight do you need me to tell with you?"
Emma took a deep breath, considering the situation.
" Don't ever try to fool me" Emma firmly after a pause " Tell me who you are"
There was a brief silence before the person sighed again. "I am you"
And then a click on the line as they hung up.
Someone knocked on the door.
Emma looked out through the window at the man standing on her porch. He raised an eyebrow at her, waiting until she moved away from the window so he could enter.
When she still hadn't answered he started knocking loudly, and when that failed he banged his fist against the door. After he knocked for a few more seconds, Emma started calling the same number back.
"I will kill you", he screamed .
He pounded harder on the door. "You're never leaving your house! You won't be able to leave!"
Emma trying to decide if he was truly threatening or if this was a prank.
Then the door flew open. Emma stepped back instinctively. The guy stood in the doorway, eyes burning with rage. His hands were balled into fists. He had blood covering one of them. A large gash covered his face.
He pointed to the living room chair, which Emma moved quickly towards. Her heart racing with panic as she sat down. Her mind was still processing what she just saw.
The man sat down across from her. The chair groaned beneath him. He wiped a stray strand of hair from his face revealing a small burn on his forehead.
The phone rang, Emma picked up.
"Help me"
'I told you he is coming "
" You didn't listen "
He moved closer and grabbed her by the arms. She felt herself getting smaller, like all of the air had been sucked out of her lungs. She stared at him wide eyed.
His grip tightened, squeezing her neck. She began choking. "Please" she managed to gasp out "don't."
The man shook his head.
"Please " she begged, tears starting to form in her eyes.
"You will pay for everything you've done. I swear to God"
He turned around and walked toward the bedroom door. Before he closed it he yelled,
"And don't think you can run away!
His grip tightened and Emma kept holding the phone, someone screaming on the other side
" Don't kill her"
He took out the gun and aimed at her chest. Emma closed her eyes and waited for the gunshot. The sound came seconds before something hard hit the back of the mans head.
Emma slowly opened her eyes. Someone was kneeling next to her, looking up at her with pity written all over their face.
The man had stopped moving.
"Are you alright?" They asked her.
Emma nodded silently.
They reached out and helped pull her into a sitting position.
She put pressure on her throat and took shallow breaths to avoid choking again.
"Your attacker?"
She nodded again. "Who was he?" the person demanded.
Emma glanced at the man. "He's dead."
"Thank you."
She looked down, afraid the person would see the tear stains on her face.
"What's your name?" The person asked her.
Emma thought about this. "My friends call me Emma."
"Alright, Emma. I'm going to send you some help"
If you haven't called us, you would have died", the police officer said.
Emma couldn't say anything. She just wanted this nightmare to end.
"I didn't call you",she murmured in her mind.
She checked her phone, the call from her number to herself.
A text message read.
[Emma's number: I am safe]
[Emma's number: You better be. You are supposed to answer my calls]
She was grateful for the text but wasn't sure whether that meant she should trust it or not.
