"Hello?"

"Hello?" I answered nervously not knowing what kind of call I would be receiving. Would it be from the significant other? Would it be some good news, or bad news from that faraway place I called home? Or would it be some caller who had dialed my number wrongly? Or maybe one of those unsolicited spam calls. Or maybe some crackhead who just have got nothing better to do and decided to scare me to bits.

"Hello?" There was a momentary uneasy silence on both ends of the line. I could hear my own breathing and the beatings in my heart. The few seconds of silence in anticipation of a response to my simple greeting was like light years of waiting. I had enough. "Hello?" It was a harsh hello with the intended meaning that "if you do not want to talk, don't call." The line went dead. My heart skipped a beat as I felt the feeling of someone hanging up on me. I wondered why. Who could that be?

Before I could even put the phone down, there was a thunderous bang on the front door. My face did a 180 degrees sharp turn towards the white wooden front door. I felt almost frozen in time and space. I could hardly move my legs for fear that the creaking sounds of the floor would be a sign that I was in the house. Despite the chilliness of the morning, beads of perspiration were running down my neck. I have heard the news just yesterday about some assault taking place around the apartment. I wish I could dial a number for help, but I do not know who or what to call. I had no one to call, not even the number of my hubby's workplace. I was helpless and felt in absolute lack of control. The pounding on the door became louder, faster and furious, and I could almost feel that the door was going to crack. I panicked...


to be continued...