The Last Call...

The Last Call

It was a quiet night at the emergency call center. Jake had been working there for three years, and he was used to the routine of answering calls from people in distress, dispatching ambulances, police, or fire trucks as needed. He liked his job, even though it could be stressful and emotionally draining at times. He felt like he was making a difference, helping people in their darkest moments.

He checked the clock on his computer screen. It was 11:45 pm, and his shift would end in 15 minutes. He had only received a few calls that night, nothing too serious. He hoped it would stay that way until he clocked out. He was looking forward to going home and getting some sleep.

He glanced at his co-workers, who were sitting in their cubicles, wearing headsets and staring at their monitors. They looked bored and tired, like him. He wondered what they were doing after work. Maybe some of them would go out for a drink, or watch a movie, or just crash on their couches. He didn’t really know them well, even though they worked together every night. They rarely talked to each other, except for the occasional small talk or joke. They were too busy with their calls, or too focused on their own lives.

He decided to check his phone for any messages. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He unlocked it and saw that he had one missed call and one voicemail from his girlfriend, Lisa. He smiled and tapped on the voicemail icon. He put the phone to his ear and listened.

“Hey, Jake, it’s me. I just wanted to say good night and I love you. I’m sorry I couldn’t talk to you earlier, I had a long day at work and I was feeling really tired. I hope you’re having a good night and not too busy with your calls. I miss you so much and I can’t wait to see you tomorrow. Call me when you get off work, okay? Bye.”

Jake felt a warm surge of affection for Lisa. She was the best thing that ever happened to him. They had met six months ago at a mutual friend’s party, and they hit it off right away. They had so much in common, and they made each other laugh. They moved in together after three months of dating, and they were very happy.

Jake pressed the call button on his phone and waited for Lisa to answer. He wanted to hear her voice again, to tell her he loved her too, to make plans for tomorrow.

But she didn’t answer.

He frowned and checked the time of the voicemail. It was from 10:30 pm, over an hour ago. That was strange. Lisa usually stayed up late, watching TV or reading a book. She rarely went to bed before midnight.

He tried calling her again, but still no answer.

He felt a pang of worry in his chest. Maybe she had fallen asleep and didn’t hear her phone ringing. Maybe she had left it on silent mode by mistake. Maybe she had gone out for a walk or to buy something at the convenience store nearby.

Or maybe something bad had happened to her.

He shook his head and tried to calm himself down. He was being paranoid, he told himself. There was nothing to worry about. Lisa was fine, she was just busy or asleep or something.

He decided to send her a text message instead.

“Hey babe, I just got your voicemail. I love you too and I miss you too. Call me when you can.”

He pressed send and put his phone back in his pocket.

He looked at the clock again. It was 11:50 pm, ten minutes left until his shift ended.

He hoped Lisa would call him back soon.

He put his headset back on and resumed his work.

He didn’t have to wait long for another call.

His phone rang and he answered it automatically.

“Emergency services, this is Jake speaking. How may I help you?”

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line.

Then he heard a voice that made his blood run cold.

It was Lisa’s voice.

But it wasn’t her normal voice.

It was distorted and raspy, as if she was choking or gasping for air.

It sounded like she was in pain or terror.

It sounded like she was dying.

“Jake…help me…please…”

Jake felt a shock of horror and disbelief wash over him.

He recognized Lisa’s voice instantly, even though it sounded so different from how he remembered it.

He knew it was her.

He knew it was real.

He knew something terrible had happened to her.

“Lisa? Lisa! Is that you? What’s going on? Where are you? Talk to me!”

He shouted into the phone, his voice trembling with fear and urgency.

He heard Lisa’s voice again, but it was fainter and weaker than before.

It sounded like she was fading away.

“Jake…I’m sorry…I love you…”

Then the line went dead.

Jake stared at his phone in shock and disbelief.

He couldn’t believe what he had just heard.

He couldn’t believe that Lisa was gone.

He couldn’t believe that he had lost her.

He felt a surge of grief and anger overwhelm him.

He wanted to scream, to cry, to smash his phone against the wall.

He wanted to know what had happened to Lisa, who had hurt her, why she had called him.

He wanted to find her, to save her, to bring her back.

But he knew it was too late.

He knew she was dead.

He knew he would never see her again.

He knew he would never hear her voice again.

He knew he would never tell her he loved her again.

He knew he would never be happy again.

He knew his life was over.

He dropped his phone on his desk and buried his face in his hands.

He sobbed uncontrollably, oblivious to everything around him.

He didn’t notice the other calls coming in, the other people in distress, the other lives in danger.

He didn’t notice his co-workers looking at him with concern and curiosity, wondering what was wrong with him, what had happened to him, who had called him.

He didn’t notice the clock striking midnight, marking the end of his shift, the end of his night, the end of his life.

He didn’t notice anything at all.

All he noticed was the silence.

The silence that filled his ears, his mind, his heart.

The silence that echoed Lisa’s last words to him.

The silence that haunted him forever.

The silence that was the last thing he ever heard.