"Stalker" is one I wrote back in college and... from what I can gather from my files and stuff, it was written during a short period around 2004-2005 when there was a tiny community of people doing a writing contest called "First Line Fiction." Each month-- or it might have been weekly, but I don't think it was-- the competition runner put up a single sentence. It was meant to be the first line of the story. I believe the word limit was 500, so these were flash fiction stories.
Once the submission period was up, each contestant was given a few other entries to rank. I'm wanting to say it was 3-5 entries. So it was a ranked voting/point system. The winner got like $50 or $100. I won once with the first story I did there, "Triple Homicide on Train FA-7."
"Stalker" wasn't a submission for the FLF contest. But I do know it was inspired by one of the first lines. How do I know? Because I have another story, "Pickup at The Join" that has the same first line, and it's less than 500 words. That was my entry for that contest.
"Stalker" is what I did when I didn't have the word count limit. Still flash fiction, but not short enough for the contest.
Anyway, enjoy!
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“She’s a local. The number’s in our area code.”
“What makes you think she’s a ‘she’?”
“Who else would text you this late on a Tuesday to tell you you’re cute? Unless you came out while we were at the club this weekend and didn’t tell me.”
Cal opened his phone and pulled up the text again. You’re a hottie. “Beats me,” he said, snapping the phone shut again. “How drunk did I get?”
Monty shrugged. “You think I remember how drunk you got? I was the one who passed out, remember? After throwing up in your lap on the bus home.”
Cal did remember. Nasty. He hadn’t even tried to clean those pants-- just threw them away. “So I probably gave my number to someone. Maybe a few someones… and now one of them is actually texting me.”
“I thought girls usually called.”
“This is the texting age.”
“Maybe she's a hottie. You tend to have pretty good taste, even when you’re drunk.” Monty grinned. “Text her back. Ask if she has a sister.”
“I don’t even know who she is!”
“Why should that stop you?”
He shook his head, stuffing his phone into his pocket. “I’m not going to do anything. If she-- whoever she is-- isn’t just messing with me, she’ll text again. Maybe then I might reply.”
Cal’s phone vibrated, rattling against the glass of water on his nightstand. The clinking woke him up.
New Text Message
He flipped it open and opted not too look at it right away. Instead he checked the time. 2:57 stared at him. Cursing, he opened the text, looking first at the number. It was the same one.
On my mind on my mind!
Grumbling, he closed the phone and went back to sleep.
Monty stared at the screen on Cal’s phone, looking at the texts Cal had saved in the memory, all from that same local number. “They were all sent late, like after midnight.”
“Except for that first one. That one was at quarter till. Big difference, I know.”
“She’s texted you almost every night for three weeks. And you’ve done what?”
Cal shrugged. “Been jerked out of sleep for every damned one of them.”
Monty thrust the phone at him, pushing it into his chest. “I’m telling you, this girl’s got a thing for you. Text her back!”
“No way, man! This is kinda creeping me out at this point. I mean, look at some of those last ones. Check the one from Monday.”
Sighing, Monty opened the phone and pulled up the text. “Baby you there? I like tomatoes and bagels,” he read aloud, trying hard not to laugh and making a strangled snorting sound instead.
"She does sound hot.”
“This isn't funny, Monty. I’m starting to get weirded out by this. I mean, I haven’t answered a one of her texts, but she keeps texting me almost every night.”
In Monty’s hands, Cal’s phone began to vibrate. “I’ll check it,” he said, flipping it open. Cal peered over his shoulder.
My pockets are greasy.
“What’s that supposed to mean? Some new weird stalker pickup line?”
The phone vibrated again. Sorry baby I forgot something.
Again. There’s a taco in there.
Ow! Stop it!
I’m stealing your pillow.
The phone was receiving texts faster than they could read them.
C’mon let’s go upstairs.
I’ll tell u when i’m finished.
u don’t like me
nononono
“I think she just lost it,” Monty said. “I’m calling her.”
“Monty, don’t!”
Cal heard the phone ring three times before a voice picked up. “Hello?” She didn't sound to alert.
“Yeah, hi. Um… I keep getting texts from this number. Really weird ones. Mind explaining?”
There was a pause, and Cal heard a yawn on the other end of the line. “Who is this?”
“Cal.“ Monty made a face at Cal as he said his name.
“I don’t know a Cal.”
“I think we might have met at The Cave, on Third Avenue, maybe three weeks ago? I can't think of anywhere else I might have given out my number.”
“Oh! Oh my god, I’m sorry! I think… have I been texting you?”
Monty rolled his eyes. “That’s kind of what I said.”
“Oh, I'm sorry. I… I’ve been known to sleep-text. I’ll delete your number.”
Before Monty could respond, she hung up the line. Monty slammed the phone into Cal’s hands. “Guess you’ll have to find a new secret admirer, bro.”
Once the submission period was up, each contestant was given a few other entries to rank. I'm wanting to say it was 3-5 entries. So it was a ranked voting/point system. The winner got like $50 or $100. I won once with the first story I did there, "Triple Homicide on Train FA-7."
"Stalker" wasn't a submission for the FLF contest. But I do know it was inspired by one of the first lines. How do I know? Because I have another story, "Pickup at The Join" that has the same first line, and it's less than 500 words. That was my entry for that contest.
"Stalker" is what I did when I didn't have the word count limit. Still flash fiction, but not short enough for the contest.
Anyway, enjoy!
________________________________
“She’s a local. The number’s in our area code.”
“What makes you think she’s a ‘she’?”
“Who else would text you this late on a Tuesday to tell you you’re cute? Unless you came out while we were at the club this weekend and didn’t tell me.”
Cal opened his phone and pulled up the text again. You’re a hottie. “Beats me,” he said, snapping the phone shut again. “How drunk did I get?”
Monty shrugged. “You think I remember how drunk you got? I was the one who passed out, remember? After throwing up in your lap on the bus home.”
Cal did remember. Nasty. He hadn’t even tried to clean those pants-- just threw them away. “So I probably gave my number to someone. Maybe a few someones… and now one of them is actually texting me.”
“I thought girls usually called.”
“This is the texting age.”
“Maybe she's a hottie. You tend to have pretty good taste, even when you’re drunk.” Monty grinned. “Text her back. Ask if she has a sister.”
“I don’t even know who she is!”
“Why should that stop you?”
He shook his head, stuffing his phone into his pocket. “I’m not going to do anything. If she-- whoever she is-- isn’t just messing with me, she’ll text again. Maybe then I might reply.”
Cal’s phone vibrated, rattling against the glass of water on his nightstand. The clinking woke him up.
New Text Message
He flipped it open and opted not too look at it right away. Instead he checked the time. 2:57 stared at him. Cursing, he opened the text, looking first at the number. It was the same one.
On my mind on my mind!
Grumbling, he closed the phone and went back to sleep.
Monty stared at the screen on Cal’s phone, looking at the texts Cal had saved in the memory, all from that same local number. “They were all sent late, like after midnight.”
“Except for that first one. That one was at quarter till. Big difference, I know.”
“She’s texted you almost every night for three weeks. And you’ve done what?”
Cal shrugged. “Been jerked out of sleep for every damned one of them.”
Monty thrust the phone at him, pushing it into his chest. “I’m telling you, this girl’s got a thing for you. Text her back!”
“No way, man! This is kinda creeping me out at this point. I mean, look at some of those last ones. Check the one from Monday.”
Sighing, Monty opened the phone and pulled up the text. “Baby you there? I like tomatoes and bagels,” he read aloud, trying hard not to laugh and making a strangled snorting sound instead.
"She does sound hot.”
“This isn't funny, Monty. I’m starting to get weirded out by this. I mean, I haven’t answered a one of her texts, but she keeps texting me almost every night.”
In Monty’s hands, Cal’s phone began to vibrate. “I’ll check it,” he said, flipping it open. Cal peered over his shoulder.
My pockets are greasy.
“What’s that supposed to mean? Some new weird stalker pickup line?”
The phone vibrated again. Sorry baby I forgot something.
Again. There’s a taco in there.
Ow! Stop it!
I’m stealing your pillow.
The phone was receiving texts faster than they could read them.
C’mon let’s go upstairs.
I’ll tell u when i’m finished.
u don’t like me
nononono
“I think she just lost it,” Monty said. “I’m calling her.”
“Monty, don’t!”
Cal heard the phone ring three times before a voice picked up. “Hello?” She didn't sound to alert.
“Yeah, hi. Um… I keep getting texts from this number. Really weird ones. Mind explaining?”
There was a pause, and Cal heard a yawn on the other end of the line. “Who is this?”
“Cal.“ Monty made a face at Cal as he said his name.
“I don’t know a Cal.”
“I think we might have met at The Cave, on Third Avenue, maybe three weeks ago? I can't think of anywhere else I might have given out my number.”
“Oh! Oh my god, I’m sorry! I think… have I been texting you?”
Monty rolled his eyes. “That’s kind of what I said.”
“Oh, I'm sorry. I… I’ve been known to sleep-text. I’ll delete your number.”
Before Monty could respond, she hung up the line. Monty slammed the phone into Cal’s hands. “Guess you’ll have to find a new secret admirer, bro.”
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