Beyond the Black Phone

Ariah Byone, or Sol as her friends called her, had always been a bit of a loner. Her mom, Celeste, was the town's medicine woman, practicing hoodoo, which made some folks wary of their family. Ariah didn't mind; she had her own gifts, like clairvoyance, which she'd inherited from her mom. She'd often have visions of things that hadn't happened yet, but she couldn't quite control them. In school, Ariah would often sneak glances at Finney Blake, the quiet, reserved boy who sat a few rows ahead of her in science class. She'd had a crush on him for what felt like forever, but she'd never mustered the courage to talk to him. That was, until the day some bullies decided to pick on him. Ariah had jumped into the fray, punching one of the bullies right in the nose. Finney had looked at her with surprise and gratitude, and for a moment, their eyes had locked. After that incident, Ariah felt a little more confident around Finney. She'd see him around school, and they'd exchange pleasantries. One day, Ariah met Finney's little sister, Gwen, at the local park. They struck up a conversation, and before long, Ariah was invited over to their house to hang out. As she walked in, she saw Finney sitting on the couch, looking just as adorable as she'd imagined. She got flustered, but they ended up having a nice conversation, bonding over their shared love of science fiction. Finney seemed like a nice guy, but Ariah couldn't help but notice that he seemed to have a thing for Donna, a popular girl in school. Ariah pushed that thought aside, not wanting to ruin her newfound friendship with Finney. Finney's friend Robin went missing, and the whole school was in an uproar. Ariah had a bad feeling about it, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. She tried to talk to Finney, but he seemed distant, preoccupied. That night, Ariah had a vision of a dark van, speeding down a deserted road. She saw a figure in the back, struggling to get free. She couldn't shake the feeling that it was Finney. The next day, Finney didn't show up to school. Ariah tried to brush it off, thinking maybe he was just skipping class, but as the day went on, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. She decided to go to Finney's house to see if he was okay. When she got there, his mom was frantic, telling her that Finney had been kidnapped. Ariah's heart sank as she realized her vision had come true. She went to the police station to report what she'd seen, but they didn't seem to take her seriously. Frustrated, Ariah decided to take matters into her own hands. She started driving around the neighborhood, calling out Finney's name, but there was no answer. As she turned a corner, she saw a black van speeding away. She gave chase, but it disappeared into the night. Ariah was about to give up when she felt a hand grab her arm. She struggled, but it was too late. The Grabber dragged her into the van, and everything went black. When Ariah woke up, she was in a soundproof basement, her head throbbing. She looked around and saw Finney, bound and gagged, but alive. She rushed over to him, trying to free him, but he just shook his head. The Grabber appeared, his mask glinting in the dim light. Ariah tried to struggle, but it was no use. The Grabber tied her up, and Finney looked at her with a mixture of fear and apology. Ariah tried to reassure him, but she was scared too. As they sat in the darkness, Ariah heard a faint ringing. It was a black rotary phone, disconnected from the wall. Finney looked at her, and they both shrugged. Suddenly, a voice spoke through the receiver. It was Bruce, one of The Grabber's previous victims. He told Finney and Ariah that they could communicate with him, and he might be able to help them escape. Finney and Ariah took turns talking to the ghosts, trying to gather information about The Grabber and his plans. Bruce told them about the other victims, and how they'd been trapped in the basement. Ariah, with her clairvoyance, began to piece together the clues. She saw visions of the house, the basement, and The Grabber's movements. She shared her visions with Finney, and they started to formulate a plan. As they talked, Ariah realized that she was getting to know Finney in a way she never had before. They were bonding over their shared fear and determination. Finney seemed different, more confident, and Ariah found herself feeling drawn to him. She pushed the thought aside, focusing on their escape plan. But as they sat in the darkness, waiting for the right moment to make their move, Ariah couldn't help but wonder what the future held for them, both in and out of the basement.