The call is NOT coming from inside the house. It just sounds like it is.

I’ll never forget it. Just thinking about it sends shivers down my spine. I was babysitting for the Bumpuses, and the kids were already in bed. The phone rang, so of course I picked it up. I could hear his voice, clear as a bell because the Uniden 1580-3 DECT 6.0 is interference-free with brilliant sound. All he said was “SOON.”

I was so scared that I dropped the handset and accidentally activated the speakerphone. And there it was again, that voice taunting me … “SOON.” I should have just hung up, but I didn’t. Instead, I transferred the call to the handset in the kitchen so I could grab a butcher’s knife for protection.

I half-expected that when I picked up, he would be gone. But he wasn’t. “SOON.” He just kept saying it over and over. “SOON WHAT? WHAT’S HAPPENING SOON?,” I screamed out to him, hysterical. But then it dawned on me. There was one more handset! I thought maybe the kids were just playing a prank on me. So I transferred the call again and tiptoed quietly up the stairs. I slowly opened the bedroom door, then I jumped in and said “A-HA!”

But they were both fast asleep! I looked over at the phone. The call sat parked on hold, silently mocking me. I quivered as I reached for the handset. I picked it up and put it to my ear. “Hi Janie, just wanted to let you know that we’ll be home SOON.”

Confused, my eyes darted down to the Caller ID. It said CARL P. BUMPUS. But how was that possible?! And then he spoke again. “Sorry if you didn’t hear me before, my cell phone kept cutting out.”

As I realized I wasn’t about to meet an untimely death, the adrenaline rush faded. I breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Ok Mr. Bumpus, see you SOON.” And then I thought, “Boy, it’s too bad Uniden doesn’t make cell phones. Sure would save a girl a lot of grief.”

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