Chapter Text

Unknown Number

Today, 12:13 AM

Unknown Number

Hi Natalie

How are you doing?

Natalie

sorry who is this?

Unknown Number

I can’t tell you that

Please don’t block me

Natalie

why the fuck wouldn’t i block you

please delete my number

Unknown Number

Natalie please

Natalie

how the fuck do you know my name

actually

screw this

Unknown Number

Wait Natalie don’t

Natalie has blocked Unknown Number.

Unknown Number

Today, 5:26 PM

Natalie unblocked Unknown Number.

Natalie

alright here’s what’s gonna happen ok

Unknown Number

Natalie?

Why did you unblock me?

Natalie

nope, you’re answering MY questions. i need answers

a random number texting me knowing my name isn’t just something that happens normally

Unknown Number

You’ve never known a normal day in your life Nat

Natalie

…what the hell

okay first of all you don’t get to say shit about my life stranger

second of all. here’s a question

who are you

Unknown Number

Again, I can’t tell you that

Natalie

why the fuck not

Unknown Number

You’d freak out if you knew who I was to you

Natalie

you know how that sounds, right?

you sound like a creep

Unknown Number

I’m not, I swear

Natalie

that’s what a creep would say

Unknown Number

I can tell you that I’m not a creep

Natalie

well if you’re not a creep then how do you have my number and why do you know my name

Unknown Number

That’s two questions

Natalie

you’re fucking insufferable

you’re like a teenage boy

Unknown Number

Well that’s not too far off I think

Natalie

what does that mean

Unknown Number

To answer your original question

Your number is the only one I have in my phone

Thing

I don’t know how I have a phone

And it has your name on your contact

I know who you are though

Natalie

ok this is really fucking creepy

what do you mean you don’t know how you have a phone? if you’re a teenage boy you probably should have one to like contact your parents or something

right?

Unknown Number

If I had mom or dad’s contact I would’ve texted them first instead of you

Natalie

you’re talking like we have the same parents

Unknown Number

Well…

Natalie

well?

Unknown Number

I don’t know

Ask me another question

Natalie

oh so now you want me to ask you things

Unknown Number

Just ask something Nat I know you want to

Natalie

god you are so annoying

ok

um

do i know you?

Unknown Number

Kind of

You would’ve

Natalie

are you someone from school?

Unknown Number

No, I’m not

Natalie

do you live here?

Unknown Number

Kind of

Natalie

how do you ‘kind of’ live here?

you either do or you don’t

Unknown Number

It’s really complicated

And to be honest I don’t even know myself

Natalie

jesus christ man do you even exist

Read 5:47 PM

Natalie

no way dude

Unknown Number

I wish there was an easy answer to that question

But genuinely I don’t know

Natalie

do you have any other answer than ‘i don’t know’??

do you know anything at all

Unknown Number

Not as much as I thought I did

Natalie

so let me get this straight.

you know me but i don’t know you, you’re from somewhere around here ‘kind of’, your parents are not part of the equation, you’re likely a teenage boy, but you… don’t exist?

Unknown Number

I guess yeah

I don’t exist in the way that a real human does

Natalie

are you like a scammer or chatbot or something because that’s the only thing that makes sense anymore

shit my dad was right about internet safety

Unknown Number

No, I’m not any of those things

You probably won’t believe me, and I don’t blame you, but I just linger in your world. I’m not really here. I exist to some people only in their heads, or sometimes more than that. I didn’t think I’d exist to you, much less in this form

I wish I could explain this better but truthfully I don’t have much grasp on what I am. I mean, I’m just an extent of an already existing person, but I’m also kinda my own being

I haven’t known this entire time and it’s been driving me insane

Unknown Number

This doesn’t make sense, I’m sorry

Natalie

it doesn’t, really

like i get it kinda, but i don’t get what it has to do with me

this sounds like something that happens to people like my mother

you wouldn’t happen to know my mother would you

Read 5:58 PM

Unknown Number

No

Natalie

...alright

so what’s your name then

Unknown Number

I can’t really tell you that

Natalie

why not

Unknown Number

Um. Well

I’m just kinda someone

Natalie

well if you’re someone, you’ve gotta have a name right?

Unknown Number

Promise not to get mad at me?

Natalie

??

why

Unknown Number

I don’t know

Natalie

why would i get mad at you

Unknown Number

No I mean I literally don’t know

I don’t know my own name

Natalie

oh

that’s

Unknown Number

Yeah

Natalie

how do you not know your own name

Unknown Number

I don’t know, no one ever told me. Everyone refuses to say it

Natalie

who is ‘everyone’

Unknown Number

I wish I could tell you

It would probably help you to know

Natalie

how do you know what’s good for me

Unknown Number

Look I don’t know how any of this works okay

I just know you and that you’re important to me

Natalie

which isn’t creepy at all

Unknown Number

I’m sorry

Natalie

i’m kidding it’s fine

it’s nice to have someone to talk to anyway that isnt my parents or my boyfriend

do you know them

Unknown Number

I’m not real, remember?

Natalie

right yeah whatever

i still don’t get it

Unknown Number

I don’t either

Besides, if I told you who else I know, you’ll know who I am

And I’m not sure either of us are ready for that

Natalie

oh

alright then

it’s just kinda unfair that you seem to know me but i don’t get to know you

for all i know you could be a stalker

Unknown Number

I’m not, Natalie

I wish I could tell you more but I don’t want you to hate me

Natalie

how can i hate you

i don't even know you

Unknown Number

Hm

How can you

i can hate someone i don’t even know. i do it every fucking day