Hello...

It was a dark and stormy night, and Sarah was home alone. Her parents had gone out of town for the weekend, leaving her with strict instructions to not answer the phone or open the door for anyone.

As she sat in her living room, snuggled up on the couch with a book, she heard the phone ring. She hesitated, knowing she wasn't supposed to answer it, but the curiosity got the best of her. She picked up the phone and heard a strange, guttural breathing on the other end of the line.

"Hello?" she asked, her voice shaking.

No response.

"Who is this?" she asked again, her heart racing.

Still no response, only the sound of heavy breathing on the other end.

Sarah quickly hung up the phone and tried to shake off the feeling of unease that had settled in her stomach. But the phone rang again, and again, and again, each time with the same eerie breathing on the other end.

Finally, Sarah couldn't take it anymore. She unplugged the phone from the wall and tried to settle back into her book, but the feeling of being watched wouldn't leave her alone. She felt like there was someone, or something, in the room with her.

Just then, the power went out, plunging the house into darkness. Sarah was left alone in the pitch-black room, her heart pounding in her chest. She tried to find her way to the flashlight she kept in the kitchen, but her feet kept stumbling over something in the dark.

Finally, she made it to the kitchen and fumbled for the flashlight. As she turned it on, she saw the source of the obstacle she had been tripping over: a pair of feet, sticking out from under the kitchen table.

Sarah's heart raced as she slowly made her way around the table, shining the flashlight on the body of a man lying on the floor. She recognized him as one of her father's coworkers, but he looked different somehow. His skin was pale and waxy, and his eyes were open and staring.

Suddenly, Sarah heard a noise coming from the phone, which she had left on the kitchen counter. She cautiously approached it and saw that the phone was still unplugged, but it was ringing anyway. She hesitated, but the ringing persisted, so she answered it.

"Hello?" she asked tentatively.

This time, there was a voice on the other end, but it wasn't the same as the breathing from before. It was deep and menacing, and it spoke in a language that Sarah didn't recognize.

She tried to hang up the phone, but it wouldn't disconnect. The voice on the other end grew louder and more urgent, and Sarah felt like she was going to be sick with fear.

Just then, the power flickered back on, flooding the room with light. The phone went silent, and Sarah was left alone with the body on the floor.

She didn't know what to do. She was too scared to call the police, but she couldn't just leave the body there. She finally mustered up the courage to grab the phone and dial 911.

When the police arrived, they found Sarah huddled in the corner of the kitchen, clutching the phone. They took her statement and examined the body, but they couldn't find any evidence of foul play.

As they were leaving, one of the officers handed Sarah a business card.

"If you need anything, just give me a call," he said kindly.

Sarah nodded, still too shaken to speak. As the officers left, she looked down at the card in her hand.

It was blank, except for one word scrawled across it in red ink.

"NEVER."