The Red Witch - The Black Phone

Taken Advice

After picking at some of the food the Grabber brought me I managed to find the cord Billy had talked about. I tried throwing it up between the bars. But it only ricocheted off, falling back on the tiled floor each time.

I sighed in defeat, falling onto the ground before I thought of something. I pushed myself up, jumping over the pit Bruce told me to dig, which I had covered with one of the carpets, and rushed into the bathroom. I dragged out one of the rugs, throwing it across the hole and jumping across as well.

I positioned the carpet roll on the wall, pushing the cord up through it. Miraculously it worked and the cord hooked around one of the steel rods. I pushed the rug away and took the cord, using it as a rope to pull myself up. But I fell, landing flat on my ass.

I huffed out of both frustration and pain before getting an idea and heaving myself off the ground. I took the cord, tying it in a small knot to use as a step. I was getting out of here. If not for myself then for Billy.

I stepped up, my hands clutching onto the window sill as I pushed myself up. My fingers just barely latched onto the bars as I tried to get them off. Mustering up all the strength I had to keep myself up and pull on the bars.

Suddenly I heard a clunking sound and then I was on the ground. A pain shot up from my ankle and a dull ache spread through my skull. I groaned, trying to regain focus on my surroundings.

The bars that were once on the window now lay strewn on the ground at my side. Well, now I knew what hit me in the head. I slowly sat up, my eyesight clearing as I looked down at my ankle. It was throbbing and I could already see it swelling up. I just hoped it wasn't broken.

I pushed myself off the ground, immediately toppling back over as another sharp pain shot up from my ankle. Fuck... I sighed angrily, I was so screwed.

I took deep breaths, trying to calm myself as I reached for the half-eaten tray of food. I stuffed some of the scrambled eggs down my throat, taking a long swig of sprite. I sighed, regaining my composure as my adrenaline wore off. But the lack of adrenaline also made my ankle feel worse.

Stay calm, I told myself as I tried not to freak out and keep my breath even. I crawled over to the wall, opposite the window, pressing my back against it. I closed my eyes, leaning my head back against the concrete.

I was tired. And I felt helpless. What was I supposed to do with the window bars? I mean, there was no way I could climb up and break out that window now. I trusted Billy, but like, what was I supposed to do with steel bars? Hit the Grabber over the head? Because he wouldn't see that coming.

And then what was I supposed to do with the hole Bruce told me to dig? Dig it deep enough so the Grabber wouldn't get out? I mean that might work, but then how would I get out if it was over my head? Ugh, it was all so hopeless...

I mindlessly let my fingers trace over my left shoe. All my friends, Finn, Gwen, Donna, Suzie, and... Robin. They were all here, with me in a way. Not in person but in spirit. At least I wanted to believe that. I wanted to get out for them. For Billy, and Bruce. For Griffin and even Vance. I wanted to escape for them, but I didn't know how to...

My fingertips stopped tracing around my converse, landing on Robin's name at the bottom. Me Gustas. I still didn't know what it meant. Damn Robin, why couldn't you have written in English like a normal mother fucker. I deeply wished me and Donna had paid attention to Spanish, now.

I guess I would just have to ask about it when I escaped...

I took a deep breath, pushing myself up with all the strength I had left. Using the wall to regain my balance before hobbling over to clean up. If the grabber came down here and saw what I had done who knows what he might do.

Somehow I managed to get the rug, cable, and bars inside the bathroom where the Grabber wouldn't see them. I didn't know what else to do from there, so I kept digging that stupid hole. Not like I had anything better to do anyways, right?

I dug till the pit was about shoulder height, doing the same system as I did yesterday. Dig, and flush. I gave up then, placing the mat back over the top. I looked out the window, watching as the sky darkened outside.

I wondered what people were doing out there. Were they going about their normal lives like nothing happened? Were the cops looking for me? Were my friends looking for me? Was anyone looking for me, or would they not bother to search for The Red Witch herself?

Thoughts swirled around my head as I looked up and out the window, trying to keep my weight off my right foot. My thoughts were only disrupted as I heard the familiar ding of the black phone.

Rrrrrinnnnggg.

"Hello?" I said, picking up the phone after I rushed over. The only sound on the other side was static. And I debated hanging up until I heard a new voice over the phone.
"Right here. This is it."
"What?" I asked, confused as to what the boy was talking about.

"Tomorrow's the day mother fucker!" He said and I instantly realized who it was. Vance Hopper. "Have you tried stacking the carpets?" Vance asked angrily.
"I've tried everything." I lied. I hadn't tried what he suggested but I already knew it wouldn't work.

"No!" Vance hissed. "Not everything. There's an outlet in the shitter, across from the john." He explained, not even waiting for me to say something. "On the other side of that wall, there's a storage room. You can't get into that room, because there's a big-ass, upright freezer in the way."

"Break into the wall about two feet above the outlet till you get to a panel with screws in it. Get the panel off, you're into the freezer."
"And then out into the storage room." I finished, realizing what he was saying. "Thank you."
"Whatever," Vance said like it was no big deal. "Just... Just kill that bastard for me."

The line clicked and I knew that was it. Vance was gone but he gave me what I needed to escape. Hopefully...

I limped over to the hallway, carefully stepping around the hidden pit and into the bathroom. I did what Vance advised and took the lid off the toilet tank, hobbling over to the wall opposite the toilet. I used the corner of the lid and started hammering it into the concrete, hoping the porcelain wouldn't break in my hands.

Bit by bit the cement chipped away, falling into a pile of dust and small rocks at my feet. I kept whacking that lid into the wall until I heard a dull thunk on the other side. I went in with my hands, pulling out the last few rocks and clearing my way to the panel.

My hands were covered in small cuts by the time I was done, their color a dusty grey. I looked over the panel, how was I going to get the screws out? A sudden idea occurred to me, I reached inside my back pocket and pulled out the monopoly battleship Robin gave me.

"Please work, please work, please work..." I whispered to myself as I stuck the tip of the boat into the screw. I twisted left, watching with pride as slowly the screws came unscrewed. I guess that thing was lucky after all.

Once the screws were out I took off the panel, tossing it somewhere behind me. I glanced at the door, listening for any signs of the Grabber. When I didn't hear any I crawled through the hole. The coldness on the other side engulfed me as I pushed my shoulder into the door.

I was so confident it would burst open and I'd be free to go. I had chipped at that wall all night just for this moment. And it didn't budge. The door was locked from the outside. And if I wasn't screwed before I was definitely screwed now...

I slipped back out of the hole, letting myself collapse on the dirty tiled floor. Vance said last night that tomorrow was the day. And tomorrow was today. I didn't know what that meant at the time but now I had a pretty good guess. I was going to die today.

Rrrrrinnnnggg.