Not Always There When You Call Novels & Stories

Just a calendar that keeps moving forward as if nothing underneath it has shifted. I miss a call. From her. Not intentionally. I’m in a meeting—budget triage. Real numbers. Real consequences. People whose jobs are attached to columns and cells. By the time I check my phone, there’s no voicemail. Just the timestamp. She doesn’t call back. She never pushes. And that’s how I know this one matters. Later that evening, when I finally reach her, her voice is the same as always—steady, warm, distant in the way space creates rather than conflict.

Deluna might have something to say about it. The air felt stiffening, as my skin prickled with unease. I realized with a sinking feeling that I couldn't reach Deluna on the phone because I didn't even have her number saved on the phone. Our sporadic encounters had never involved direct calls; she seemed to sense my solitude.

“I just missed you.” Guilt curled in my stomach, hot and heavy. “You could’ve called.” “I did. Your phone never went through.” I opened my mouth, then closed it. Right. I have been silencing my phone more often lately. Let calls go unanswered and told myself I’d return them later. “I knew you’d come through this station this morning,” she continued. “You’re always free on Wednesdays.” I frowned. “How do you…” “You’ve always been predictable,” she said with a faint smile.

The taxi whisked her away, carrying her home as a sense of unease settled within her. As Lena stepped through the front door, exhaustion weighed heavily on her shoulders. She had been looking forward to seeing Jayden, her significant other, but was disheartened to discover that he hadn't returned home yet. Worried, she reached for her phone and dialed his number, hoping to hear his voice on the other end. However, disappointment washed over her as the familiar automated message repeated: "The number you have dialed is not reachable at the moment." Frustration crept into Lena's voice as she dialed once again, desperately hoping for a different outcome. "Come on, Jayden, where are you?" she mu

I called Grace to ask what had gone wrong, but she didn't answer her calls. I tried the girls too, they aren't picking as well. I was worried, what could be the problem?. I waited for a few minutes and tried my staff number again, it went through. “ Where are you? Why do you leave that place? And why don't you pick up your calls when I call?” I need an explanation from them. “We are sorry for not picking up your calls. We are on our way already. You will see us soon.”

I just came back from my doctor's appointment. I tried calling Nicolas so many times so he could accompany me, but he never answered. The one time he answered, he snapped at me, telling me not to call him again. With a heavy heart and feeling lonely, I completed my check-up.

In my apartment, as I hover between two different outfits, I hear the ping of a phone message, but not from my own mobile. After a few moments, there is the sound of cursing from the lounge. Sticking my head around the door, "Problem?" I ask. Ryan, looking thoroughly annoyed, says, "I'm sorry. I've been called away. There's something that needs dealing with..." "Always on call when you work for yourself?"

I panicked when I felt there was no pulse and then I did what I could do. I dragged the person to the adjoining ditch and ran from there. But I thought there was no one. How could he get that footage? All the blood drained from my body and I wanted to scream, but I was numb, and scared. I could hear people talking, and laughing but all I saw was me in that footage. Suddenly my phone rang, it was Adrian and I answered it immediately. “I hope everything is clear now..” he drawled. “How?” I whispered. “Does it really matter? How, when, and what. Nothing matters. I have my own ways.” he said.

The sound echoed through the empty clinic like a gunshot. I dove for my phone, calling her number. *The person you are trying to reach is no longer in service.* "No," I gasped, the blood draining from my face as I looked at the shattered glass at my feet. "No, no, no..."

"The number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable." Nate stared at his phone, frustration creeping in as the automated message played for the fifth time. Something wasn't right. Even if Lena was in surgery, her phone would usually just ring. Completely unreachable? That wasn't like her. Could her phone have died? Maybe, but in their line of work, that was rare. They always stayed connected—for emergencies, if nothing else. "Nate." Retta's voice cut through his thoughts.