Eric and I sit by the couch, reading our books. We’ve been married for a little over 20 years now, but things haven’t always been so good. I won’t go into detail, because it’s kinda sad, and the police don’t know much, so I’ll just keep it simple when I say that our daughter disappeared a long time ago. 15 years, to be precise. 

I sip at my coffee, looking over to Eric as the phone rings. He picks it up, his face remailing a dull, emotionless expression for about a minute. Then his face shifts. He puts the phone on speaker and beckons me over.

“Thank you, Father.” The voice on the other end says. It’s a female voice, but raspy and low. “It’s been so long since I’ve spoken to you two. . . .” The girl on the other end pauses for a moment and laughs. “It’s been 15 years, after all.”

“Maybelle?” I ask, confused at why someone would pull a prank such as this. I laugh and smack Eric in the back. He can’t seriously believe that this is her. “Whoever you are, you aren’t my Maybelle, so go back to your parents and tell them that they need to teach you some proper manners. And don’t think about calling back.”

I take the phone from Eric and put it back down, ending the call. “Honey? I don’t think you should have done that.” Eric says with a slight tremble.

“Do you really think that was her? Both you and I know that that would be impossible. She’s dead.” I say before laughing again. “You need a drink, Eric. To loosen up.”

He opens his mouth as the phone rings again. I scoff, walking over and picking up the phone.

“I said, don’t call back.” I say, angry that our perfect night had been ruined. 

“But, Mother, you said never to hang up on your family.” The girl on the end of the line says. “I never died that night. I never died. You could come down to the lake and see me. It’s been so long . . .” 

I scream and drop the phone as Eric rushes over. “There’s no way that she’s alive.” I mutter, feeling a cold shiver run down my spine.

It must have been a joke, because Maybelle drowned in the lake behind our house 15 years ago. I know for a fact that she’s dead, because I watched her sink.