• The answering machine flashed red in the darkness of her apartment. She watched it blink incessantly, never wavering in its pulsating, crimson warning that there was a message waiting to be heard. It was probably from him. Just the thought of hearing that quiet, whispery voice reverberating through the room was enough to send a cold wave of fear down her spine.

    The front door was shut, coat and keys were hung on their proper hooks, and galoshes were left out to dry. She did not touch the machine. A quick trip to the kitchen resulted in the kettle being turned on and a slice of raisin bread in the toaster. The answering machine was carefully avoided. Pajamas were put on, fuzzy brown slippers were put on chilled feet, and a good book was taken off the shelf. Still, the little red light flashed on and off, on and off.

    It wasn’t until she had settled down with a steaming cup of chamomile tea and raisin toast that she hesitantly walked over to her answering machine and pushed play. A cheerful beep started the tape. She held her breath.

    “Hey Freddy, it’s me.” An exasperated female voice instantly untied the knot in her stomach. “Listen, I need a huge favor from you; Marcus and I have to go to this stupid faculty dinner party on Saturday night, and our babysitter has a final. Could you please watch Doug for us that night? It would mean the world to us. Give me a call later, even if it’s to say no.”

    She chuckled to herself. There went her wild weekend plans. Oh well, Doug was a great kid, even if he did take a perverse joy in kicking her butt at Mortal Kombat. She wrote herself a reminder to make a return call later, and snuggled into the couch. There was bliss for a few moments as she munched her toast and delved into her book. The phone rang and the delight was shattered.

    Six times. Her phone always rang six times before the machine picked up. This gave her enough time to answer if she was sleeping or in another room, and discouraged telemarketers from leaving pointless messages. She froze like a deer in headlights as she mentally counted the rings. Each one seemed to last an eternity; the digital jangle stretching out before her like the path to the guillotine. The sixth chime tolled, a tiny click and whir signaled the start of the tape, and her own sunny voice escaped the black box to mock her.

    “The good news is you’ve reached Freddy Bates. The bad news is, I can’t answer your call in person. Leave me a message so we can keep in touch.” There was a short chuckle. “Don’t forget to wait for the beep, ok?” This was followed by a brief pause, and then a merry beep.

    The rain outside of her window seemed to hush for a moment, as though it too were waiting to hear what sound would slither from the bowels of that innocuous black box. There was nothing at first; and then those three words that she feared more than anything snuck up and assaulted her senses.

    “Hello, little girl.” His voice was, as usual, powder soft and smooth as glass, and it held that cutting edge of disapproval that always seemed to accompany that particular greeting. It was his way of subtly chastising her, but it cut like a knife every time.

    “Are you going to pick up the phone, Fredrika? I would like it very much if you did.” She found herself shaking her head and shrinking into the couch. It was ridiculous, but it was a reflexive action nonetheless. A tiny sigh escaped the box; she could almost see his eye close in irritation.

    “All right. We will do things your way, for now. I must say that I am growing weary of catering to your whims.” She choked a little. Whims?! Her leaving was by no means a whim. It was months of gathering the willpower to pack a bag and move across town. Gaining her freedom was certainly not a whim. She could feel the fire of defiance building in her chest as she glared at the machine.

    “Can you hear the rain, Fredrika?” The voice reached out to her, the sharp edge temporarily covered by velvet. “I can imagine you now, in the slippers I got you last winter. Your feet get cold so easily.” She peered down at her feet, shivered, and sent them flying with two short kicks. “It is a soft rain…the sort you used to love best, when I would take you to the rooftop so we could waltz to the music of the drops falling on the tin roof. Do you remember?”

    That was a hit below the belt. She buried her head in her arms to try and block out the sound. Why did he do this to her? The memories were beautiful ones, yes, but they were painful because they covered up the ugliness that writhed underneath. And yet that relentlessly gentle voice kept going, driving spikes into her heart with every word.

    “Are you listening, little girl? I want you to play close attention to what I am about to say.” Her head turned so that one ear was lifted towards the voice. “I know about him. That man you have been seeing. His name is Bryan, isn’t it?” Her eyes widened in terror. “Oh yes. I know all about him.” The sword edge was revealed once more, this time dripping with bitterness. “He took you to dinner a few times, and yet it was always a goodnight-kiss at the door, and no further. Good girl. I am proud of you.” She could feel acid and bile rising in her throat. He was following her. He was watching her.

    He knew.

    “I know all about him, and yet, I forgive you. You are weak, Fredrika, weak and lost, and deep down you know that he cannot heal your soul the way I can. He cannot keep the night terrors away like I do. He cannot save you, little girl.” She whimpered and scooted as far into the corner of the couch as she could go. She did not need saving. She wasn’t weak. It was the mantra that let her escape; the desperate hope that broke the chains binding her to him. She repeated it now, although it only had half strength when faced with the crushing coils of his clever words.

    “Do not forget,” he murmured tenderly, “that you belong to me, and you always will. You could run to the other side of the world, and your soul would cry out for me. You know that it is my embrace and mine alone that can bring you true peace. My possession of you is eternal.”

    Her breath came out in harsh, panting sobs. She was biting her lip; the inside of her mouth tasted of copper and tea. She couldn’t give in. Not now. Not after all the progress she’d made, not after coming so very far!

    “Pick up the phone, Fredrika.” There it was, that serenely commanding tone that used to make her run to obey. Even now she found herself half-stumbling to the receiver, fingertips brushing the cool plastic even as they trembled. She couldn’t do it; it would mean the end of everything she’d fought so hard for. Still, the instinctual need for his approval, his forgiveness, his protection from enemies unknown, was powerful.

    Three loud beeps shattered the tension in the room. The tape stopped. The time limit had been reached. She jerked her hand away from the phone as though it had caught fire. The answering machine flashed red once again. Her heartbeat slowly returned to normal.

    She took the miniature tape out of the machine and stalked over to the window, feeling as though a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. The window was thrown open, and she hurled the tape out into the street, taking a great deal of pleasure in seeing it crushed under the wheel of an SUV. The rain gently caressed her face, and she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was going to be all right after all. As she shut the window again, she failed to see a pale man looking up at her window, smiling quietly to himself as he planned the next level of the game.

    Fin.