Two Can Play at That Game...

I woke, startled by my phone buzzing beside me, as the only sound in the room. Through bleary eyes, I stared at the screen, trying to understand what I saw. I read the time in the top corner: 3 AM! Who on earth was texting me now? I press my glasses onto my eyes, and the whole world comes into focus. I push my blankets down and sit up, trying to get a better look at the screen. 

My eyes scan down a bit further. "Hello." 

It's an unknown number and one I have never seen before. I don't think anything of it, my sleep-fogged brain is too slow to process fear. So, I do the only logical thing and lay back down. 

"Nina." My phone buzzes again. I try to ignore it, but the gears in my head start to move and my heart responds, the beats picking up. 

"Come on Nina, I know you're a fan of games." I finally pick up the phone and promptly throw it across the room, a yelp escaping my mouth. The only question running through my mind is how could they know so much? I glance up at the trophy sitting on a ledge above my bed. Brookwood Middle School Chess Champion 2019. I am in fact a fan of games. I have been for years. I guess that is pretty common knowledge. Anyone around here could do a search and I would come up, right? 

I sit and stare at it for a full minute, trying to calm my racing heart. I finally stood, convinced myself it was a prank, and put the phone in my lap. I await another text, but nothing comes.

I got to open it, swiping the screen to unlock it. 

Nope. Of course. 

1, 1, 4, 3. Wrong. 

1, 2, 4, 3. Wrong. My hands refuse to cooperate. 

1, 3, 4, 3. Finally, I can see my home screen. 

I open my messages and tap on the dreaded contact, which isn't hard to find. Social interaction is not my strong suit, which makes this all the more terrifying. My hands almost give out as I try to navigate the screen,  but part of me keeps pushing, wanting to know more. Curiosity killed the cat. I truly did. 

"What do you want?" I text back, knowing that I am not as confident as I sound. 

"Oh, Nothing." The mystery person sends back, not five seconds after mine delivers. "Why ever would you think that?" 

I almost laugh. A million reasons run through my head, but I can't put them all into words. "You texted me creepily in the middle of the night?" 

"Oh. That." I can almost hear them laughing at me. I imagine it as a cold, hard sound echoing through a lofty chamber. "You can relax. I'm not going to hurt you." 

"You will." I send it back before I can think it through, my anger getting the better of me. 

"Oh. Nina," A shiver goes rushing down my spine. "Two can play at that game." 

My hands start to shake again. "What do you..." 

I don't get to finish before another text comes through. "By the way, I find throwing very rude." 

This time the laughter is real. 

And it is just as I imagined.