The Midnight Caller

There's a boy who keeps staying up until 2a.m. But something went wrong and traumatized

him. The Repeater Call Liam was used to the silence of the 2 a.m. shift at

WXYZ Radio. The station was small, and he was alone in the brick building,

running smooth jazz and filling out logs. The only company was the hum of the

old server rack and the reassuring glow of the "On Air" sign (currently off).

The phone rang precisely at 2:07 a.m. Liam checked the screen. UNKNOWN CALLER.

He picked up. “WXYZ, this is Liam.” There was no greeting, just a hollow,

static-laced silence, followed by a wet, deliberate sound of breathing—the kind you make when