Funny Games

By Devananda Edamadathil

My heart was pounding. Jim never leaves his phone, but this time he did, and he had been gone for a long time. It was getting darker in the little room I was in. Should I? I wondered. I mustered up the courage and decided. One call. One call, and I shall never lay my hands on Jim’s phone ever again. I dialed 911 and waited. “Hello, please help me. My friend Jim is missing, he’s been gone for too long”. A man spoke, “Miss, we’ve got you. How old is your friend? Where do you live?” Questions. Too many. I wasn’t supposed to talk to strangers. “He is tall and strong. He is bigger than me, I’m as tall as the table beside the bed. He likes to play funny games. I don’t like it very much, as it hurts, but after we play, he buys me candies and toys. Jim and I became friends after he picked me up when I was lost at a fair.” “Miss, what is your name?”  Oh no, I said too much. “Lottie Jane”. The man didn’t speak for a while, and I could hear muffled voices from the other side. “It’s Charlotte Jane, it’s the little girl!” Multiple voices. I was terrified. I should’ve listened to Jim. “Listen, dear,” the man said, his voice sweeter than before. “Where are you right now? What does Jim look like? Tell me anything you see, anything you remember.” “I can’t tell you that. Jim said I shouldn’t.” I cut the call as soon as I heard the stomping of Jim’s boots outside the door. Jim had returned, at last. “My angel, have you been a good girl today?” I nodded. I wouldn’t tell him, so that Jim wouldn’t get mad. He is scary when he is mad. He’d warned me about the monsters lurking outside, waiting to pounce on me. “Angel, shall we play?” He pulled me closer to him and began to unbuckle his belt. He is doing it, again. Funny games.

By Devananda Edamadathil