Losers

Part 10-Edward Kaspbrack

Eddie was driving through the busy city and in the middle of a phone call with his wife when he received a call from an unknown number. He stared at the word "Maine" above it and felt his hands begin to slip from the steering wheel a little. He was suddenly filled with dread and fear, but had no idea why...
but that word... that place...
He hesitantly answered, "hello?"

"Eddie?"

"Who is this?" He asked mechanically, his stomach turning to stone.

"Its Mike. Mike Hanlon."
He knew that name... from his childhood... but...
He was so busy gazing down at the caller ID that he ran a red light and a taxi plowed straight into him.
"Eddie?!" Mike called from the other end of the phone and Eddie shouted back to him that he was okay. But... was he?

He clambered out of the crumpled vehicle and apologised to the screaming taxi driver before taking his phone and putting it to his ear.
"Mike? From Derry?" The words left his mouth without him having time to think about it, it must have been over twenty six years since he left the little town when he was a kid.

"That's right. You need to come home. Do you remember the day you made the promise?"

"Yes," he said flatly but he wasn't sure he did. It was like... a dream from long ago. He remembered it when Mike said it, but the details were just floating out of reach.

"So you'll come?"

He looked around at his car and sighed, "yes."

Mike said no more and hung up, leaving Eddie to clean up the mess that the phone call had just caused.