When she woke up, there were 17 voicemails from a stranger. She looked at her phone and saw with dismay that she had not changed the phone settings. Airplane mode/do not disturb settings were still activated. She had attended a night class. The teacher reminded the students to silence their phones.


Curious, she opened the voicemail file. Each voicemail had the same title "Unknown Number" attached to it.


The first voicemail from the Unknown Number was a hang up. The time recorded 1 AM.


Opening the second voicemail, a man's beautiful baritone voice said "Hello?" waited then hung up.


Pressing the third voicemail, the same voice asked "Hello? Anyone there? I hope I have the right number." Silence. "Hmmmmm," then the hang up.


She furrowed her brow thinking, "Do I recognize this man's voice? I don't think so." She was pleased that her voicemail greeting was generic, a simple "You know what to do," then the beep.


She pressed the return the call of the Unknown Number. It didn't connect. She frowned and replayed the third email listening intently.


Pausing for a bit, wracking her brain for clues and finding none, she pressed the next voicemail.


She almost dropped the phone when the voice broke out in loud song. he sang as if he were on stage.

"Strangers in the night

Exchanging glances

Wandering in the night

What were the chances

We'd be sharing" the voice mail cut off. The rich deep baritone quality of the voice sounded like he had musical training.


She pressed the voicemail. He broke into song, not quite as robust as the last voicemail.

"I've been waiting for a girl like you

Can't take my eyes off of you

You'd be like heaven to touch

I want to hold you so much

At long.." the voicemail cut off.


She stared at the phone. "What is this? Who is this? Who do I know that can sing like that?" She blankly looked around the room searching for answers that weren't there. Dazed, without thinking, she walked to the door to check the lock. With a quiet exhale, she rested her forehead on the door. The door was locked.


Tension in her fingers, holding the phone tightly, she pressed the next voicemail. "I hoped you would call me. I think we really connected, and I would like to see you again. You are beautiful and a very special lady. Call me." Silence, then hung up.


Now shaking, she pressed the next voicemail, "I wish I had more time on your voicemail to let you know how much I admire you, I really like you. Won't you pick up? This would be ea..." the voicemail cut off. She noted the time., 2 AM


She became even more confused, her anxiety rising. "Someone who thinks they know who I am? He says he loves me, he knows who I am? Is this the weird guy I saw staring at me at the service station last night? How did he get my phone number?" She paced the room fidgeting and thinking.


Finally, taking a deep breath, she pressed the next voicemail. The voice picked up with a different song.

"You're just too good to be true

Can't take my eyes off of you

You'd be like heaven to touch

I want to hold you so much

At long..." the voicemail cut off.



She froze. Terror filled her mind. She sat down hard on the chair trembling. Looking at her phone, she didn't want to hear anymore, but, 'Who Is this man?'

She ran into the bathroom to pick up her panic attack meds. The reflection from the mirror didn't help her confidence. Her wildly frightened eyes looked like a wild cornered animal. She breathed out in a whisper, 'Be strong, he doesn't, can't know where you live. He is only on the phone.' She put the unopened meds back on the counter. If she took them now, she would not be able to protect herself.


She stood silently at the bathroom door and pressed the next voicemail, noting the time, 2:30 AM. "I know you want to talk to me, I miss you already, and want to spend more time with you. Please call be back as soon as possi..." the voicemail cut off.


She preferred the talking better than the singing. At least, there was a chance to figure out who the man is. She then pressed the next voicemail.


Again, with a stronger robust baritone voice,

"I just called to say I love you

I just called to say how much I care

I just called to sa.." the voicemail cut off. it seemed as if the voice echoed in the room, taking up al the breathing space.


"Now he's talking about love? Really? Love?" she said out loud. She had stepped back to face the mirror. Her reflection grimaced at he word love.


She pressed the next voicemail. "I don't like that you are not calling me back or answering your phone. Are you just being mean? I thought you really liked me. Call be back now." He hung up.


The following voicemail carried a different feel. His singing was strong and almost angry.

"I poured it on and I poured it out

I tried to show you just how much i care

I'm tired of words or I'm too hoarse to shout

But you've..." the voicemail cut off.


She frowned, the tone of the songs which were so loving and creepy were becoming more aggressive, almost demanding. She didn't like this version of events. Foreboding caused her to tense again. She looked down at the panic attack medicine bottle. But didn't touch it. She took several deep breaths to calm her already jangled nerves. She walked back to the chair.


Hesitantly, she pressed the next voicemail. The caller broke into song again.

"Well, remember, I remember, don't worry

How could I ever forget? It is the first time

The last time we ever met

But I..." the voicemail cut him off mid-stanza.


This voicemail caused her to stop cold. 'He said in this song we had met had med. Where would I have met this guy? Now I am really scared, he DOES know me.' She dropped the phone on the floor. She put her hands on her face to muffle the scream, closing her eyes and started sobbing. She rocked back and forth for a long while feeling hopeless and vulnerable. 'I had better call the police, but I don't have the phone number of this guy, only Unknown Number.'


Feeling vulnerable, she got up and ran into the bathroom again picking up the panic attack meds. Surely this will help. After a moment, she put the meds on the counter without opening the bottle. She took a deep breath. Looking at hear swollen eyes in the mirror, she terror and fear giving way to resolve, and almost anger. 'If this guy knows me, I had better keep a clear head for anything he has in mind.' Feeling emboldened, she went back and picked up her phone.


Tensely sitting,, she steeled for whatever was next, she pressed the next voicemail. He had immediately called back without a pause to continue the song.

"No, you don't fool me

Well, the hurt doesn't show

But the pain still grows

It's no stranger to me." He sighed and hung up.


Her eyes narrowed with even more emotional composure. She pressed the next voicemail.


"I am becoming more impatient to see you, and I think we made beautiful music together. If I don't hear from you soon, you will miss out on a good thing. I am serious, and will give you one more chance. Don't wait." Silence, then he hung up.


She questioned, 'beautiful music, miss out on a good thing? None of this makes sense, WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS?'


Steely anger rising, mixed with apprehension, she pressed the next voicemail hard. The singing again.

"Unchain my heart, baby let me be

Unchain my heart, cause you don't care about me

You got me sewed up like a pil..." the voicemail cut off.


She pressed the next voicemail with resolve, noting the time, 5 AM. This time he had venomous anger in this deep voice. He yelled so loudly and quickly, he was hard to understand.


"Well, CARRIE! I have come to the conclusion that you are a LIAR. I felt we had a connection and a chance at true love. It appears to me that you like to play with a man's emotions. I don't EVER want to talk or SEE you again. I HOPE YOU ROT..." the voice mail cut off.


She wanted to respond and give him a piece of her mind. She paced around the room punching the air with her fists, as she released pent up emotion. This man had teased and caused her to fear, to cry, and hurt her, OVER NOTHING!


Finally, when she calmed down enough from emotional exhaustion, she blocked the Unknown Number, but saved the emails. Her hand still trembled with anger.


Then, she remembered Carrie. She whispered a silent prayer for Carrie, hoping that the woman would be safe and not run into this man in the future.