The Walkie

"Lauren? Johnathan found this old walkie-talkie at the playground today and a red light just came on it. Its right there on the table by his backpack."

"And?"

"It doesn't have batteries in it. I checked earlier. I'm gonna throw it away before he wakes up... He's always bringing junk into this house."

Daniel is right. The old, two-way radio with pieces chipped off and scratches all over it, is pretty worn and probably hasn't worked in many years. Lauren, his wife, isn't bothered by the odd occurrence. Her eyes remain glued to the television, watching an all-time favorite of hers for the umpteenth time, Natural Born Killers.

Daniel rolls his head off her lap and begins getting up from the sofa. His bare feet hit the cold linoleum, sending a chill through them as he nears the radio. He knows the battery compartment is empty.

Before he can grab it, a raspy voice escapes from within.

—No one ever survives...

Daniel practically jumps out of his skin, pointing at the thing.

"Did you hear that, Lauren! It just said something! Someone's voice came out of it."

"What are you talking about, babe? Come back and watch the movie." Lauren says with a lack of interest.

"Look, I heard it say something! Come over here! I'm being serious!

Lauren reluctantly shoves her throw-blanket to the side, shrugging her way over to the table.

The voice speaks again...

—Your wife is a sad soul. You could have done better for yourself.

They look at one another, a sudden unease settling between them. They both heard a woman’s voice.

"See! I told you! What the fuck!" Daniel says while goosebumps begin sprouting on his arms.

"Okay, I heard it, but what did she say?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I heard it, but it sounds like Russian. Or something like it."

"No... that was English."

“No, it wasn’t”

—Quit arguing before something terrible happens.

They look at each other again, confirming the impossible.

"Well, what did she say? Lauren asks with a tremble in her voice.

Realizing whoever it is, must be able to see them, Daniel pulls all the curtain shut downstairs while responding. "It said for us to quit arguing. And before something bad happens."

"Really? No way! All I heard was Russian or whatever it is. When did you learn to speak it?"

"I'm telling you, it’s English! How are we not hearing the same thing? Look, grab your phone and start recording. If it says something else, we can watch it after. We should be hearing the same thing, right?”

"Yeah, okay."

Lauren retrieves her phone and stands beside her husband. She switches the camera to video mode and presses the record button. They both stare at the small, hand-held device leaning against their son's Aquaman backpack with eyes locked in laser focus.

They continue waiting, both on edge, not knowing how to explain how someone could be talking through it. Daniel's mind pushes him to speak...

"Who are you? And how are you doing this?"

—Names won't help you here, darling. Where I am should be your only concern.

"Did you get it?" Daniel turns to his wife. "The recording. Did you get it?"

"Yeah. I think so."

Lauren taps her phone several times and brings up the recording. She plays the disturbed woman's voice.

--Имя здесь тебе не поможет, дорогая. Меня должно волновать только то, где я нахожусь.

"WOW! I heard it that time! It was English." Lauren says in a rush, her eyes stretched open.

"No...no no no. That time I heard the language you were talking about. What did you hear her say?"

"She said something like, names won't help us, but we should be worried about where she is."

"WHAT, in the hell is going on? I hear English when she's talking through the thing, but hear something else when it's recorded? And it's the opposite for you?"

"I don't like it. Get it out of here." Lauren says, taking a cautious step back.

—I wouldn't do that if I were you. I'd hate to lose my composure. Things can get rather messy if I do.

"What did she say?" Lauren asks, maintaining a confused look on her face."

"She said she doesn’t want to lose her composure. That we shouldn't throw it away. This has to be some kind of prank going on here. But still, how the hell does it work without batteries?"

"I don't care what she wants or how she is doing this. This is too creepy. Get rid of it, Danny."

—But Lauren, you’d miss out on all the fun we are going to have.

In a loud whisper, Daniel turns to his wife and says, "She knew your name...she said your name."

—Yes, I did... Daniel.

"She knows mine too!"

"She probably heard us calling each other by name. I bet this is a prank. From one of your stupid ass friends." Lauren says with obvious annoyance.

"My friends all speak English. And even if they hired someone to do this, that doesn't explain the language changing."

—Tell Lauren I said that murdering Kimbo was an admirable thing. Maybe she is worthy of something.

"Holy shit! This is getting crazy, babe! She just said you killed someone named Kimbo?"

Lauren drops her phone. Her jaw follows suit.

"How...how could she know that? I was ten when that happened. I didn't kill anyone. Kimbo was my sister's goldfish. I poured rubbing alcohol in the water because I was jealous that Marcy got all our mother's attention. I haven't thought about that fish since. I wish I would have never done that."

"That's brutal..."

"I was ten, Daniel!" Lauren shouts as her eyes begin to water. "Get that thing out of here! If you don't, I will!"

In a frantic state, Lauren storms to the walkie and grabs it with the thought of throwing it out the front door.

As soon as her right-hand clutches it, she stops in place. Her shoulders lock and eyes bulge. A violent tremor runs through her body before collapsing to the floor where convulsing begins. Daniel doesn't know what is happening to her but knows the walkie must be causing it.

He scrambles to his wife, quickly dropping to his knees and gripping her shoulders, desperately trying to steady the seizing motion.

It doesn’t work. He then sees the device still clutched tightly in her hand. He pries it out with force, causing it to slide to the middle of the floor. The quaking stops immediately.

“Lauren? You okay, baby? Talk to me! Lauren? LAUREN!”

A lack of response means she’s unconscious, or perhaps, dead. Daniel grabs her wrist and feels a steady pulse throbbing. When he gazes back at her face, she is smiling, catching him off guard. A flicker of relief allows him to manage a half mile in return.

It’s short lived…

The very next second her eyes turn black as coal and her smile becomes an evil glare.

—Hello, Darling. Shall we continue our fun?

The voice is unmistakable, yet darker and full of malice. Whatever spoke through the walkie, now inhabits Lauren’s body. Daniel pushes away from her and backs himself into a wall.

The woman cranes Lauren's stolen neck to see where Daniel scampered off to. He's crouched low, fingertips touching the floor like he's trying to decide what to do or which way to go.

—No time be a coward. Coward. I won't kill you. Not until you give your wife a big…fat…kiss.

With that, she shoots to her feet in an instant, defying natural laws of movement. She begins slowly morphing into her true self.

Lauren's black hair becomes long, wiry and full of gray strands. Her teeth become rotted and slimy. Wrinkles carve themselves into her face and her fingers nails grow thick and dirty.

Daniel is on the verge of a psychotic meltdown. He thinks about his six-year-old son, Johnathan sleeping upstairs and feels he should try and lure the woman outside the house. If he is to die tonight, he doesn't want this thing to get to his son too.

Daniel looks around for a weapon. There are plenty of knives in the kitchen, but he can't imagine using one on the witch or whatever she is. What if Lauren is still alive in the body and he unintentionally kills her?

He runs for the front door, knocking furniture out his way.

—Go ahead, run. You’ll only die a tired man, haha!

Ignoring her completely, he throws open the door and runs outside. A second later when he turns around, the witch is right there, inches from his face. She tackles him to the grass and begins pounding on his back with relentless fury. Daniel digs his fingers into the dirt to try pulling his way from under her. With impossible strength, she flips him onto his back before he can even register the movement.

—Time for that kiss you promised me.

"Leave me and my family alone you ugly bitch!"

Her hand lashes out, striking him across the face, leaving four thin lines of blood in its wake.

"Daddy! Who is that?"

Awakened by all the commotion inside, Johnathan appears in the doorway, clutching a blanket in one hand and the walkie in the other.

The struggle stops momentarily as both their heads swing to the boy in the doorway.

"Jonathan! Go back inside and lock the door behind you! NOW!

--Don't listen to him, boy. I’ll play with you next! Wait... What is that in your hand. That's not a plaything, boy. Unless you’re willing to become its prisoner...

"I don't know what she is saying daddy. Is that a costume she’s wearing?”

"She said to run from her and lock the door behind you!"

The witch cautiously gets up from Daniel, gesturing for the child to remain calm. She takes careful steps toward him with her arm reached out.

--Give it to me son... GIVE IT TO ME NOW, YOU MISERABLE LITTLE MAGGOT!

Jonathan frowns. Her words escape him, but the rise in her voice makes him a little defiant. He believes only his parents are allowed to scold him. He looks at the walkie, noticing the red light for the first time. Is this what she wants, he thinks to himself. To Jonathan, the walkie is his. He found it and plans on keeping it. He drops the blanket and starts pushing the talk button. He hears light static and puts the walkie to his ear. He begins twisting the knobs until one makes a distinct click. The red light goes off, plunging the walkie into silence.

--You stupid little, Uhh! You shouldn't have done that!

Daniel struggles to his feet, staggering towards the porch. The witch begins clutching her neck. She drops to her knees, choking for breath before crashing to the ground on her back. A dome of red light erupts from the earth beneath her and covers her body. It rapidly shrinks to the size of a green pea, capturing the evil spirit before darting into the walkie.

She lays with her face to the grass, no longer moving...

Daniel reaches his son and picks him up into his arms with overwhelming relief.

"What did you do?" Daniel asks.

"I twisted the knobs and it turned off, I think. I'm sorry."

"No! No, don't be sorry. You did the right thing."

Daniel sets his child down and grabs the walkie from his hand to carefully set it on the porch. He runs inside, holding Jonathan's hand in a tight grip. He's not letting his son out of his sight.

He returns with a hammer and a pair of black gloves. He takes the walkie to the driveway and begins pounding it into oblivion, creating warping, demonic sounds of agony as pieces fly off.

"It's okay, Jonathan... That thing was evil and so was that woman. Look at my face! She hurt daddy."

"Where's mom? I want my mom."

They run to the grass where Lauren lies motionless. She is no longer in the form of a hideous witch.

"Lauren, baby! Speak to me! Go get my phone, Jonathan. It's on the couch."

"What's wrong with mom?"

"Just please go get my phone. I'll explain it to you after we get her some help."

When Lauren finally wakes, two weeks have passed. Flowers and get-well cards adorn the hospital room.

Lauren tells everyone she had a vivid nightmare where her dad's old record player came to life and terrorized everyone in the neighborhood.

She sits up in her bed, unaware of the new streak of gray winding through her hair.

Lauren doesn't remember anything from that night.

Worried about her mental health, Daniel alters the story to shield her from future scars. His only goal is to mend their lives and move forward.

But no one knows that somewhere in the woods, exists a second walkie waiting to be found.

It’s cursed twin.

They always come in pairs…