Lifeline

The story follows Alex, a recently widowed man grieving the sudden and tragic loss of his wife, Cathy, in a car accident. Wracked with guilt and loneliness, Alex withdraws from his friends and family, spending most of his time at home, aimlessly picking up the phone and hanging up before dialing.

One night, after a power surge, his old rotary phone rings unexpectedly. On the other end is a woman’s voice—faint, crackling with static, but unmistakably Cathy’s. She speaks as though nothing has happened, as though she’s still alive. She tells him she’s okay , that she’s just calling from a different place. Somewhere else .