Episode 1.01 - False Callings
It was a normal summer evening. The cool, crisp night air had just settled in and now Holly James was lazily lounging on her front porch. She was outstretched on an almost itchy green lawnchair, one that she had remembered having as long as she was able too. She slowly reached over the side of the chair to grab her cold rootbeer, which had been sweating earlier from the warm sun and sizzling concrete. She took a long sip, embracing its unique taste. It felt nice and cold sliding down her throat. Things seemed to be going great...and then her phone rang. Holly set down her drink and got up. Her cell was inside, in the kitchen, which lay right behind the glass sliding door. She opened the sliding wonder and found her phone giving off its normal Gwen Steffani hum and opened it up. The phone didn't give a number or name, just UNKNOWN CALLER/NUMBER. She cautiously pushed the TALK button, remembering the speech her dad had given her the day she recieved her phone: the talk of dangers and wierd child kidnappers. She remembered the kidnapper part right after she hit TALK, which made her think of going away from her rootbeer.
Not cool.
"Hello?" Holly said. Beat. No one. "Seriously, like, hello?"
A slow, heavy breath. Holly's heart started racing and nearly exploded from her chest as she heard a blood curtling scream, and then a breathy cry, "Holly!" Holly gasped sharply before she heard laughing. Her best friend. Tameka was playing another crank call.
"God, Tameka, what's your damage?!" Holly said in an angry, laughlike voice.
"Well, I wanted to see how you would handle it a Camilla Belle performance." Tameka said, still laughing. "Yeah, so my mom was wondering if you still had that Avril CD? She's suddenly become a 'fan.' She really just wants to hang out with out friends so she can get the 'in' on Jen's dad. I tried to explain that Jen's dad is married, but that was followed by a, 'Oh, honey...you'll learn! Us Roberts are like sports channels to guys. One look and they can't pay attention to anythin' else.' So, yeah...do you have Under My Skin 'cause my mom is getting under mine..."
Holly's heart was still racing and she was still taking in the part about Jen's dad. It took her a moment to turn Tameka's sounds into words, and then into sentences, and then actual things she could understand.
"Holly?" Tameka asked. "You all right? Did you die or something?"
"Huh? Oh. Sorry. Yeah I have it. Lemme take it out of my CD player and I'll be over in a few secs. Well, not really because I have to walk to your apartment so I'll have to find my iPod to keep me company on the way. Tell your mom to go to YouTube to tide her over 'til I get there. So, see you in thirty?"
"Got it. I'll have the pizza out and we can talk about boys! No, just kidding. That's like twelve year old stuff...so I'll see you in a bit. Bye."
Tameka hung up and Holly snapped her phone shut. She set her phone down by the charger and walked into her room. iPod, iPod...where art thou? She finally spotted a thin white cord protruding from one of her dresser drawers. She went over and uncovered her iPod, which was still on and looping The Sweet Escape. She turned it off and slipped on her flops before writing a quick note in blue, smacking it on the fridge, and shuffling out of the door. She shut the door behind her, locked it, and was on her way to Tameka Roberts house.
Victoria Evans watched out her window, through the curtains, and set her gaze on neighbor kid Holly James to see what she was up to. Lately she had been worried about the Calling. It seemed like nothing had come to get her in the past four years, but now it felt like something was coming. Like back in California. Back in her good memories...before the bad thing happened...she shook her head to get the thought out. That was two years ago, she thought, She's not here anymore and nothing can change that. And then she felt a trickle up her spine which instinctively made her shoot her eyes back at Holly. She saw a silver minivan turn around the corner. Was it him? Was it the devil that had tormented her for so long? It stopped short of Holly and the window rolled down. Phew. It was just Mr. James, probably taking his daughter to a friend's house. False alarm. Just then her phone rang. Victoria twisted around and picked it up, a voice she hadn't heard in a long time and thought she never would again, "Hey. So, we need your help...Vi." It was Buffy.
