...

He was having a relaxing night when his phone rang.  He usually ignores any phone calls after 10pm but it was his buddy John.  He wouldn't be calling this late unless it was important.  He pushed the slider over and answered.

"Hey John, what's up?"

"Malcom! I'm freaking out man. I just needed to call you."

"Why? What's going on? You alright?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. So get this. I was just chilling in my living room right.  I was eating some spaghetti and watching TV when I heard a voice coming from outside my kitchen window. You know how that window faces out to the back yard."

"Yeah, I know."

"Okay so, there's nothing out there.  It's just grass and then just dirt and weeds for miles. But I know I heard a voice. Even Abie heard it.  Her tail dropped between her legs like she was scared of something.  She just stared at the window.  Completely silent."

"John man. Just sounds like you're trippin'. Were you watching a scary moving and scared yourself."

"Shut up man. I'm not finished. So I got up right and stared out the window from where I was in the living room. And then I heard it again Malcolm.  As clear as day. I heard a voice saying, 'Hey.  Come outside. I need your help. Hey. John."

"That's freaky man.  I would have shit my pants."

"Yeah.  That's not even the end. So, I walked up to the window and tried looking out but I couldn't see shit. You know how dark it gets out there. So I went to the glass sliding door and turned on the porch light and Abie was just staring with me like she also knew something was out there."

"Oh man, and this all happened right now?"

"Oh yeah. Just now. Right before I called you. It freaked me out. But get this. I know this is stupid but I opened the sliding door and walked out on to the porch."

"Fuck man. Do you want to die? That's how the first person dies in a horror movie."

"I know. I know. But something was just compelling me.  I needed to know. It felt like something was pulling me. I can't explain it. Something about that voice was pulling me."

"That's super weird. Obviously nothing happened. Right?"

"Well.  Something else happened.  That's why I needed to call you."

"What happened?"

"I stood out there and Abie wouldn't come outside with me."
"Smart dog."
"And I heard a rustling in the bushes just passed the grass.  Around where the dirt starts. Then I heard the voice again."

"I would have ran inside. What did it say?"

"It said 'Hey. John. Help me. I'm here. Help."

"Whoa. No fucking way dude. I don't believe you."

"I swear to you man.  That's what it said. And the weirdest part is that it sounded exactly like you. That's why I needed to call you."

"What?! It sounded like me?"

"Yeah. I swear to you man. It sound just like you."

"Okay. So what. You think I was pranking you?"

"That would be better than what happened."

"I'm not pranking you man.  If anything, I think you're trying to prank me."
"Just had to make sure. The other weird thing is that I felt compelled to go toward the voice. It was like I had no control over my body. A part of me was saying I need to help Malcolm and another part was like What are you doing stupid! Stop moving that way!"

"Shit man. That's crazy."

"It wasn't until Abie barked over and over that I stopped moving and kinda got out of my trance. I was all the way into the grass before I stopped. I couldn't believe it. I ran back inside and closed the sliding door. That's when I called you."

"That's fucking crazy man. I've been here all night.  There's no way I could prank you. Plus, you don't even live close.  You think I want to go all the way out there and waste my gas just to scare you. Nah man, that wasn't me."

"I know.  I just don't know what that was."

"Sounds like something was mimicking me. Like a lure. To get you out there. You know. Like fishing."

Then a silence fell on the phone call. It lasted unusually long and then Malcolm asked, "You there?"

"Yeah I'm here."

"What's wrong?"

"This. IS. YOU. right?"

"What? Of course man. Don't be stupid. You want to come over so you can see and I can tuck you in all cozy and tight."
"Okay. Okay."

"How's Abie?" Is she still freaking out?"

"She's fine. She's a little spooked but she's right next to me. She's gonna get a great treat tomorrow. Aren't you girl. Yes you are. Yes."

"That's good.  She's a good girl."

"Wait!"

"What?"

"Wait. Wait. Shhhh."

Malcolm sucked the air out of his words and stayed silent. There was just empty digital air that lingered on the phone call. John was listening to something that Malcolm couldn't hear through the phone. There was an otherworldly eeriness in the sounds of shuffles and movement that John was making. All Malcolm could do was just listen.

"John. What's going on?" he asked in a soft whisper.

"Shhhh. I can hear something." 

"What? What is it?"

"I'm not sure. It sounds like tapping. But I can't figure out where it's coming from.  It's like....." then John took a pause seemingly listening to the sounds.  "It's like 3 taps and then it stops and then 2 taps and then stops and then 3 taps again."

"Maybe a tree branch in the breeze?"

"Nah. There's no breeze and what tree branch? You know there's no trees around my place."

"Then what is it? Is it that thing again? You're just trying to mess with me now. You're trying to prank me this time."

"Nah man. Shhhh. I can hear it in multiple places.  Like all around the house."
"Call the cops man. It's someone fucking with you."

"Oh yeah right. We live in a small town. They all know me.  And what would I say. That I got scared because I hear tapping and a voice in the dark that sounded like my friend? Come on man."

"Okay, you're right. But what if it is someone messing with you?"

"Fuck. I hope it is.  If it's something else I think that would be worse."

"Oh yeah like what? Something supernatural?"

"Shit, something like my tia used to tell us about when we were growing up. She used to tell us stories at night when we would visit her.  All kinds of weird stuff. But I remember one about naguales.  They're like witches or shaman that could shape shift into animals or even into other people.  Or like chaneques."

"What are chaneques?"

"They're like little duendes.  They look like children but with an old person's face.  They make themselves sound like children that need help to lead travelers into forests and then leave them lost."

"That sounds like what you heard."

"No.  It's similar but its not the same.  What I heard, they're mimicas. Or mimics.  And they make themselves sound like loved ones or people you know.  To lead you away from safe places and into the night.  Where they get you lost and they replace you or pull out your soul and get inside you and use your body to get close to others.  They sound just like people you care about.  If you let yourself hear the voices and try to hear it better, they like hook your mind and you feel compelled to go to where the voice is coming from.  My tia used to always warn us about being outside at night on her property. To never listen to any voice that we heard in the dark.  She used to even tell us that she could hear them sometimes at night trying to lure her out.  Sounding like my mom sometimes.  Asking for help.  But my mom says she never called my tia for help outside in the night.  Or sometimes she said she could hear a small boy.  Telling her it was hurt.  She wouldn't listen.  She would put on music and start a fire she said.  I always thought she was making it up but now that I think about it, every time we stayed the night she would have a fire going and have music softly playing.  She would stay in her rocking chair waiting for us to go to sleep."

"That's pretty creepy man. But it can't be real, right?"

"I mean after what I heard tonight, I believe it now."

"No way man. That shit ain't real."

"Shhhhh, I hear something."

"Shut up. You're just trying to scare me."

"No man. I heard it. It was a voice again. It said, 'hey, I need help.' I swear. Hold on. I gotta close all the windows."

"You're freaking me out man."
"I leave all these freaking windows open because it gets so hot in here. I have...." and just then the phone fell deathly silent and then to the ground. Only silence hung in the air for what seemed like forever.  Malcolm held his phone close and could hear voice in the distance.  He couldn't understand what it was saying but he could hear soft movement around the phone.  Malcolm called out to John multiple times but no response.  He was about to hang up when John came back on the line.

"Hey Malcolm. You there?"

"Yeah man.  What happened?"

"Sorry.  I just thought I heard something."

"I was about to hang up. You're lucky I stayed on."

"I appreciate that. Hey you know what. I think I'm gonna come over."
"You're gonna drive all the way over here? You're that scared?"

"I'll be there in a few.  See you soon."

"Alright man."

Malcolm hung up the phone and after a long while had passed without John showing up he had decided to go to sleep.  He turned off the lights and cracked open a window to let the air in and as he laid down to sleep he could hear John calling out to him from outside.

"Malcolm. Hey Malcolm. I'm here."

He got up and went to the window. "Took you forever man. Where the hell have you been? Where are you?"

"My car broke down. Not far from here. Can you give me a hand?"

"Yeah okay. Hold on one second. I need to put some pants on."

And for one quick moment the whole conversation made sense to him. He needed to go help his friend.  But a cold shiver went up his spine and he thought no way. That's stupid. It's not real.  He brushed it off and felt compelled to help his friend.

"Hey man. I'm coming."