Reconnected Telephone

By Ian K Pickup

Haunted artefacts...the hunted become the hunters...the terrors of the unconscious mind... Ian K Pickup presents five more short stories guaranteed to have you sleeping with the light on, if you ever sleep again. And remember, don't touch that dial...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing
• Release date: Jun 15, 2017
• ISBN: 9781786451330

Book preview

Reconnected Telephone

by

Ian K Pickup

SMASHWORDS EDITION

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Copyright 2016 Ian K Pickup at Smashwords.

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/iankpickup

http://www.beatentrackpublishing.com

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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This is a work of fiction and the characters and events in it exist only in its pages and in the author’s imagination.

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Acknowledgements

Special thanks to:

Beaten Track Publishing

Tony Higginson

Mum, Dad and Our Kid

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All stories written by Ian K Pickup.

Front cover artwork by K G Pickup.

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Contents

Acknowledgements

Reconnected Telephone

Archibald

Account of an Exorcism in England

A Real Nightmare

Coma

By Ian K Pickup

Beaten Track Publishing

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Reconnected Telephone

John and Sam had just moved into their new house and couldn’t wait to get unpacked and settled in. After spending the last three years in a tiny, cramped flat, saving up a deposit for the early-seventies built home, all the extra space was a complete luxury.

Sam had already excitedly written a list of extra furniture they would need to buy, as well as replacing a few of the existing items left in the house. Her husband constantly had to remind her that it would all happen in good time.

The property had been well looked after by the previous owners, and the storage cupboards were in perfect condition, if a little dated. They would do for now, and while giving them a quick clean and polish, Sam found a heavy red plastic telephone with a manual round dial on a top shelf.

Could we get this converted and fit for use again, my love? she asked John, turning the numbered dial with her finger and listening to the sound it made as well as her husband’s reply.

I don’t see why not, if that’s what you want. Plenty of people have retro house phones nowadays, and we just rely on our mobiles. It’s a good idea, love. We’ll look into it.

Sam took the phone downstairs before carrying on with the cleaning.

Only a fortnight later, the phone was modernised and connected, and by then, the happy couple were well settled into their new home.

The phone was a real novelty at first, bringing back happy memories of when Sam was a teenager and spent hours on the phone to old friends and boyfriends, being constantly moaned at by her parents for the bills she ran up.

One evening, their restored phone rang, and a man on the other end of the line asked for Sandra. People were talking and laughing in the background, and John could hear music; it sounded as though the caller was ringing from a pub.

I’m sorry, there’s no one by that name living here, he replied.

The caller instantly turned aggressive. Just fucking put her on the phone, now!

Wrong number, John replied in a firm manner before putting the receiver down and walking away, shaking his head in annoyance.

He explained what had happened to his wife, and she told him to forget all about it. However, just ten minutes later, the phone rang again.

I’ll answer it this time, said Sam, and she disappeared