Out With The 'Unknown'

Submitted into Contest #34 in response to: Write a story told entirely through text messages or emails.... view prompt

3 comments

General

Unknown Number

Tuesday, January 7・ 7:33 p.m.


UN - When did you say that you were available? I need to know ASAP!


ME - Who is this? 


UN - What!? Come on, Kate. It’s me! Stop 

pretending that you don’t know me.


ME - I’m not Kate. My name doesn’t even have a ‘K’ in it.


UN - I’m serious, Kate. We Have a mission

to complete! If we don’t, we’ll be 

EXTERMINATED. Exterminated, Kate. 


UN - If you don’t comply, I will come and 

get you tomorrow. 

 

ME - Um… Sorry, but you have the wrong number. I AM NOT KATE!!


UN - Yeah, real funny, Kate. I know it’s you.



Amy Jane

Tuesday, January 7 ・ 7:48 p.m.


ME - So… This person keeps texting me and 

talking about some mission. And being 

exterminated. And they think that my name

 is Kate. What should I do?

                                                                     

AJ - Why don’t you tell the person your actual 

Name? Maybe then, they will know that you aren’t Kate.

                                                                           

ME - But, I already told this guy that I wasn't Kate! He already knows… I hope.


AJ - But he doesn’t know. Because you didn’t say 

what your actual name was. Now, for all he knows, 

you ARE Kate. 


ME - AJ, I am not Kate, though. I even told

him that I did not have a ‘K’ in my name.


AJ - Pais, just say your actual name. Don’t get

paranoid. It is a text message. He’ll understand. 


ME - But what if he is a gang member? An escaped felon? A rapist, serial killer or even a ‘big bad wolf?’


AJ - OMG! Just do it. He will stop bothering

you. I promise.


AJ - ‘Big bad wolf?’ Paislie, What the heck? 


ME - IDK. It just popped into my brain. I thought that it made sense.


AJ - Btw, you’re ridiculous. Absolutely, positively 

Idiotic. 


ME - Was that the whole point of this? To say that I am an idiot?


AJ - Yeah. Pretty much. 


Unknown Number

Tuesday, January 7 ・ 8:14 p.m.


ME - Hey, what is your name again?


UN - Kate, are you okay? Is your memory 

any different after the accident? This is 

Eddy Roman. Does that ring a bell? 


ME - Well, no. Because I’m not Kate. I’m Paislie.


UN - Oh… I get it! You are her sister! Nice

to meet ya! Can you give the phone to Kate 

so I can talk to her?


ME - No. Because My sister’s name is Ana. NOT KATE.


UN - Does her middle name happen to be

Katherine? As in Ana Kate Betcherfeld? 


ME - Weird. Yeah, actually. Did you look her up?


UN - I didn’t have to. She is my assigned

partner. I met you before. At her 2017 New Year’s

Party. You were the one that started throwing glitter 

At people right? You looked exactly like Kate.


ME - Yeah. I did throw glitter. And Kate was

was older than me. People always thought

we were twins.


ME - Wait! Were you the guy who threw

My glitter back at me? Glitter was

EVERYWHERE!


UN - Yeah! So you do remember! How has Kate

been after the accident? Weren’t you in the car too?


ME - About that… I was the only one in either 

car to live. The driver in the other car died…

And so did Ana. You didn’t hear?            


UN - Oh no! I am sorry for your loss. As well 

As my loss. When did that happen? 


ME - About a month ago. It was 3 weeks after

the accident.


UN - Were you okay after the accident?


ME - Yeah. It only hit Ana’s side of the car.


UN - Well now I need to find a new partner to 

complete my assignment. 


ME - What do you want me to do about it?


UN - Well…


ME - Oh.. I see.


UN - Yeah. I’ll pick you up tomorrow. At noon. 


ME - OK.

Amy Jane

Wednesday, January 8 ・ 12:01 a.m.


ME - Guess what? He wasn’t a rapist and his name is Eddy. He knew Ana.


Amy Jane

Wednesday, January 8 ・ 8:00 a.m.


AJ - Wow. Do you know what he looks 

like? Did he send any pictures? 


ME - Well, no. But he is picking me up today. We are going out 

to lunch. I think I know who he is.                                             


AJ - Well darn. Send a pick. I have

to take Raleigh to a doctor’s appointment.

Talk later, Pais.

 

Mommy

Wednesday, January 8 ・ 11:30 a.m.


ME - Mom! What kind of clothes do you wear

on a secret mission?  


M  - What!? What in the world, Paislie! 

Why are you so random? 


ME - Silly, mom! I am filming a secret agent movie!

I wanna post it on You Tube!


M  - Oh! Why didn’t you say so? All 

black. Anything black. Something stylish. 

But pants… not skirts. Ooh! And leather!


ME - Mom. What exactly do 'secret agents' do?

 

M - Well… We have to talk. About our 

family. It is something you can do too…

because you are old enough now. 


ME - Mom, what are you saying?


M - I am in an organization, where we

hunt criminals and interrogate them. After

we are finished with the criminals, we hand 

them off to bounty hunters and give 

information to the police.  


ME - Mom… Wow. I don't know what to say.


M - Ana was involved. Before she died,

she told me that she thought you were ready. 

Please join us. You’ll be good! 


ME - Pfft. Of course, mom.


M - Don’t be sarcastic. This is real. You get

exterminated if you disregard a mission.

I can trust you not to fail, because you just 

18. 


ME - God, mom. You could have waited to tell

me that part.


M - Okay. Sorry honey, I’d love to talk more,

but I have a dentist appointment. Also, NO 

MORE FREAKIN’ SARCASM!!


ME - Love u, mom!


M - Love you too, sweetie! 


Dad

Wednesday, January 8 ・ 11:48 a.m.


D - Hey, Paislie. It’s me, Dad. How do you 

set up the Google Chrome on a Microsoft

computer? 


ME - Dad, I thought you already had Chrome.

Didn’t you? At one point?


D - Well… I accidentally deleted it. I think.


ME - Dad. do you absolutely need your computer

today? 


D - I guess not… Why?


ME - I am going to be out of town for the day.

I can come over tomorrow. 


D - Love you. Bye.


ME - Love u 2, Dad!

Eddy

Wednesday, January 8 ・ 12:02 p.m.


E - I am outside of your complex. Where 

are you? 


ME - I am coming. Just hold on for a second.


E - Okay. Also, don’t say anything 

when you get into my car. They bugged

it. If you need to talk, type it. I will check 

at every stop.


ME - Okay… Do you want any snacks? Before we go? I might get snacky.


E - Yeah, that’s fine. 


ME - Can you unlock the car door please?


E - Oops! Sorry. Yeah. 


ME - Thanks, Eddy.


E - What’s your name again? Priscilla? 


ME - Paislie. Where did you get Priscilla from?


E - IDK. There is a P in both. I made a 

connection. 


ME - Haha. Okay.


ME - Where’re we going?


E - Orlando. We are going to have to 

be quiet for a while. There aren't very many 

stops. But I will check at every stop to answer 

your texts.


ME - Orlando is 3 almost 4 hours away from Tallahassee!


E - Yup. Get comfy, we have a long ride.

Don’t worry we’ll stop to stretch, get gas,

and get food.


Amy Jane

Wednesday, January 8 ・ 1:36 p.m.


ME - Hey Cousin Amy. Wanna play the swipe game?


AJ - Okay. I will go first. 


AJ - Chubby rug in the chili that dad made.

You go.


ME - Sergio is going to eat his cat out of boredom.


AJ - HAHAHA! LOL! You win. 


AJ - So, what’s up? Unknown number

pick you up yet?


ME - Yeah.


AJ - Is he super cute? Or a dud?


ME - Amy! Why are you so boy crazy? Plus, you have Larson, right?


AJ - Well, yeah. But i’m not looking for a man

for me. You need a boyfriend. Because you are

crazy.


ME - Amy. I made myself a rule when I was 12. I won’t date until I’m 20. 


AJ - Party pooper.


ME - Party puker.


AJ - I don’t drink that much. That was one time.

one really fun time.


ME - Embarrassed that you drank before turning 21? 


AJ - Um. No?


ME - Ha. Anyway, when are you going to be in Florida next? I miss you.


AJ - Actually, I am in Orlando for a 

Business trip. 


ME - Ahh. I see. Wanna meet for lunch tomorrow?


AJ - Of course! Look, I gotta go, talk to you

later?


ME - Yeah, bye!


Eddy

Wednesday, January 8 ・ 2:42 p.m.


ME - I gotta use the bathroom. Can we stop soon? Because it has 

been 2 hours already.


E - Yeah. At the next stop. It’s only a mile away.


E - Where do you want to eat? It is going to 

have to be fast food.


ME - Okay. What about McDonald’s?


E -  Yeah that’s fine. We have to go in

to eat it, tho. 


ME - Why?


E -  Car is bugged, remember?


ME - Oh yeah!


ME - Since we aren’t in the car, can I talk now?


E -  Oh, right yeah. Sorry. I was just getting

used to not talking.


Amy Jane

Wednesday, January 8 ・ 3:37 p.m.


AJ - How’s it going?


ME - Good. What do u need? I’m busy.


AJ - Nothing. It’s just that I am bored. Text 

me back later. 


Eddy

Wednesday, January 8 ・ 6:53 p.m.


E - We are here. I have supplies in my trunk.

We are staking out. So, until we find our 

suspect, no talking. 


ME - Okay. :( I'll be quiet.


E - You can still text to talk. If you need to. If not just sit and watch until I say otherwise.


ME - Okay. Do I do that now?


E - Yes. That is what I said.


Eddy

Wednesday, January 8 ・  8:45 p.m.


E - Okay. Get ready. I see a figure.


E - Never mind. It was just a lamppost.

Shoot. You're asleep. 


ME - Why'd you wake me up? I was peaceful.


E - It is a stake out. And there’s the fact that

you have been sleeping for the past hour. If 

we need to get up and run, you’ll be too drowsy 

to. 


ME - Well, I can still run. I would just be slower.


E - Ok. Fair enough.


ME - HA! I am always right!


E - I am not going to argue with that. I definitely

agree with you. 


ME - Thank you, Eddy. If it means anything, I’ll let you

be right eventually.


E - Eventually? So you will be going on 

more missions? 


ME - Yeah, this is fun.


E - And when we get you initiated, we don’t 

need to text to talk. We can just talk. 


ME - Sounds good, Eddy.


ME - Hey, there is a shady person over there? Is that who we are looking for?


E - Oh. Yes! Let’s get her.


ME - Wait a second, I know who that is. It might be my cousin. I am not sure though.


E - I don’t know…


ME - Brb. 


E - Wait for me...Dang.


Mommy

Thursday, January 9 ・ 6:45 a.m.


ME - Mommy! I’m so sorry! I screwed up! I

accidentally put Amy in jail when I was

on a secret mission. I feel bad, because

we’re family. Please don’t be mad!


M - You? On a mission? Honey, I haven’t 

had you initiated yet. 


ME - I went with Ana’s old partner. He thought that

she was still alive and Amy was robbing a club in 

Orlando. I caught her with a bag of money. 


M - Oh… Honey, I’m not mad at you.

I’m proud of you. 


ME - You’re not mad?


M - Of course not. You got your first perp.

And there’s the fact that Amy is a bad 

influence. 


ME - Okay. I’ll agree with that.


M - I love you! I have to go. What time 

Are you coming?


ME - Around noon. Why?


M - No reason. Dad’s just antsy about

his computer. 


ME - Okay. Bye. Love you.


Eddy

Thursday, January 9 ・ 10:34 a.m.


E - Hey, Paislie.


ME - Whatcha need, Eddy?


E - So… Do wanna meet tomorrow for

coffee, or something?


ME - Sure, Eddy. That sounds nice.


ME - See ya tomorrow, new best friend?


E - New best friend?


ME - Yeah. I arrested the last one. :)


E - Okay. See ya, bestie!









March 27, 2020 13:57

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3 comments

B. W.
14:17 Sep 28, 2020

I've only checked out a few of your stories along with your first one so i've decided to check out a couple more of them. I honestly loved the way that you did the story and some of the names with it as well. I'm not sure if anything was wrong with it at least to me and i felt like everything was great tbh, you've already made a lot of stories by now but still, here's my advice: continue to write stories on here though only whenever you can, not when your busy or anything like that. So ya know what i'm gonna go ahead and give this story? it ...

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Fred Aiken
12:58 Apr 03, 2020

It had a quirky tone. I enjoyed reading this piece. Sometimes texting narratives don’t come across as being all too realistic, but I think it was leveraged very well in this piece.

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Artemisia Pearl
18:07 Apr 03, 2020

Thanks so much! I am glad that you enjoyed!

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