Highly Commended
Over 18s Category
By June M Hodges
Every night at ten o’clock the halls of Twilight Time were filled with the loud jangle of Edith’s telephone.
“Cursed thing….!” Swore the dinosaur in Matron’s tunic who ruled the Earth here.
“Waking everyone up….” She cut a swathe of disinfectant as she steamed into Room 12.
“Edith WHO is that ringing you every night?”
“It’s Albert. It’s my lifeline to him, my special telephone…”
“Albert’s DEAD. Deal with it!” She blasted. Compassion was not her forte. Crazy old woman. Husband died yonks ago. She ordered Jones to remove the antique telephone to the cellar. It was a
relic, ornate with gold filigree on the handset.
“Worth a fortune….” He muttered. The dinosaur made a mental note.
“Please bring it back…” Wailed Edith. “He will keep ringing until I join him.”
“And that will be soon I hope. Deal with it.”
She did a night shift. At three one morning the telephone was calling from the cellar. Impossible. She went down:
“Where’s Edith?”
“Who is it? I’ll call the Police…”
“It’s Albert. I’ll report you to Poova.”
“It’s POVA. You don’t scare me hoaxer. Deal with it.”
She put it down and looked at the severed cable hanging in the air.
Edith died. The dinosaur smuggled the telephone home. Antiques Road Show here we come. That night at ten o’clock it clanged out. She shuddered and picked it up:
“WHO is this?”
“It’s Edith. I’ll keep ringing until you join me. Deal with it.”
