Call 09022024-#1B 999 Call Operator #3

Transcription of call as follows:

Police, what’s your emergency?

Yes, hello Police! I’ve got a man here and, well – let’s just say he’s been quite stabbed.

Are you in any danger?

Me? Gosh no! No. I suspect he thought I was at first, though. The way he postured and pulled out his little knife.

Is the attacker still in the area?

Oh yes, very much so. Although I really wouldn’t go so far as to call him an attacker. In fact, in many ways it was an act of affection by the end. An embrace. …A cuddle, even! Ha! Yes, let’s call it a cuddle. [LAUGHTER]

Are you sure you’re okay? Panic is normal in these situations. Have you been hurt?

Of course it hurts, how couldn’t it? But I’ve come to rather enjoy the pain by now. All those teeny tiny holes, bright and sharp…

I’m going to need you to stay with me. The man, the one you said was stabbed, is he still there?

I doubt he’s going anywhere ever again.

…Is he breathing? Does he need an ambulance?

Absolutely. But that isn’t the real question, is it?

I can dispatch an ambulance, but I need your location. Do you know your address? Do you know where you are?

I know exactly where I am. I grew up here, you know. It was a decent place back then. Nice people lived here, you understand? Not like now, now it’s a dreadful place. Not safe to walk at night. I take some pride in that, actually.

Sir, I need an address or a landmark. Tell me where you are.

Oh the land is definitely marked now, same as me. And it feels good. It satisfies in a way I never really thought anything would. It fills that hollow, lonely hole inside quite nicely. It’s not sadism or masochism, I tried both of those already.

I think it’s the fear. The look in their eyes once they realize their mistake – it just makes me want to hold them close, so I do.

The injured man – did you stab him?

Ah, well, that’s a tricky one. Sort of? In many ways he stabbed himself on me. By the time he saw the needles we were already very close. Close enough to smell his sweat and cheap aftershave. In fact, he barely had time to be afraid before we embraced. He’s terrified now, of course…

[WHIMPERING IN BACKGROUND]

I need to put you through to my supervisor.

If you leave this call I shall embrace him again and I sincerely doubt he would survive.
You know what? I’d like to change my answer. I did stab him, yes. I certainly repositioned myself to make sure he got some in his face. In his eyes. Does that count? [LAUGHTER] He keeps touching them like he’s going to be able to pull all the metal out but I told him, it will only drive them deeper!

It won’t last too long, thankfully, he’ll finish bleeding out any minute now. But in the meantime, that fear wafting off him as he lies there, half afraid of death and half afraid of living with what has happened to him – it’s quite delightful. And it drowns out the aftershave nicely.

(SLOWLY) Give me your address and remain where you are.

Do I frighten you? Mr. Operator.

Is that why you called? To try and scare whoever picked up?

Call it dessert. But you’re not afraid, are you? Unsettled, off-balance, but – nothing more. Why is that?

I guess I’m just not scared of needles.

Not sca– This isn’t some poxy blood test, some little pinprick, this is hundreds, thousands of razor-sharp points pushing into your flesh! We’re talking about the embrace of an iron maiden, an excruciating agony formed from a thousand tiny hurts!

Sir, you’re clearly not… well. And I believe you’ve hurt someone who may have tried to mug you, so if you give me your location I can send someone over to help.

Oh, I see. You don’t believe me.
Yes, I suppose that makes sense. It is somewhat outlandish, and that’s only exacerbated by the distancing effect of the phone.
…Yes, the more I think on it, the more obvious it is that this call was never going to give me what I was after. I wonder, though, which of the police contact centres you’re hiding in…

…Hendon?

…Lambeth?

Excuse me?

Lambeth, then, and I am sure I could recognize your voice now.

Ah, there it is. There’s the fear. Not much, just a little prick, but we found it in the end, didn’t we?

I’m transferring you to my supervisor now.

Then I’ll be going. I have no interest in speaking to them, and besides, we agreed that if you left the call my friend here would have a last little cuddle before I go.

I do hope we speak again soon, Mr. Operator. See if we can’t find some other frightful little pinpricks we can explore together…

Call ends.

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Lambeth Contact Centre