Static in the Blood

I twist the dial. The static screeches—a sound like metal scraping bone. Then silence. Not empty silence. Waiting silence.

The ON AIR light dims. The console’s display flickers: *MIRA-00:00*. The timestamp glows red. The night he vanished.

My breath catches. The phone rings. No caller ID. Just a slow, rhythmic tap-tap-tap, like small fingers drumming against glass.

Then the voice, soft and broken: ‘Lila… you forgot the rules.’