A Cellular Experience by P.C. Snider
Peter Kaylon was walking at night down a dark alley. He’s stumbling because he has been drinking that night. Trying to numb his emotions, his pain. He is a divorced man, in his forties. He never had kids. (That he knows of). Too much uncertainty in the world.
He paused beneath a flickering streetlamp, fumbling for his cigarette pack. (Another bad habit, he didn’t care for, but realizes too hard to quit).
As he looked down something gleamed on the wet pavement—a small, old flip phone, battered and half-hidden in a puddle. Curious, he knelt, reaching for it.
The phone’s casing was scratched, its cracked, but it still powered on with a faint glow. The device was vintage—probably from the early 2000s. Peter chuckled bitterly, thinking how outdated this must be. He flipped it open, expecting to see some old contacts, maybe a missed call or two.
But then, a message appeared on the screen: “This device can erase people from existence. Enter the contact info to delete.”
He blinked, thinking it was some cruel prank. But strangely, he felt a shiver run down his spine. His drunken mind rationalized it as a hallucination.
He hesitated, he remembered his ex’s contact info. He added her contact info to the device’s contact list. As he pressed ‘delete,’ a strange sensation washed over him, like a cold wind. The alley seemed darker now.
“I wonder if it worked.” He thought to himself.
He staggered backward, back against a red brick building in the alleyway.
“I bet it didn’t, there is no way a cellular flip phone from who knows when and where can delete a person from existence.”
He staggered out to the road. Figured he would cab it to his ex-girlfriend’s apartment see if anyone is there.
He called out for a cab. “Taxi!”
Wave after wave of cabbies drove by him. Even got drenched by a cab driving through a big puddle caused by the down-pouring rain.
Peter grumbled, then sighed.
“Go figures.” He mutters under his breath.
He puts his hood over his head thanks to his raincoat started walking to his ex-girlfriend’s apartment.
“Only an hr walk in the rain.” He sighs as he puts his newly found device in his raincoat’s pocket.
#
After an hr of stumbling his way to his ex-girlfriend’s place, he finally arrives. He buzzes her place on the front door of the building.
There is no answer.
“Come on, Tara, you gotta be there.” He muttered to himself.
He buzzes her apartment again. No answer.
He sighs.
“Just great, just great.”
“I have erased her from existence!”
He pulls out his flip phone. Stares in disbelief.
“She’s probably just out with her new guy, or doing errands, or groceries, or at the Movies or something.” He thought to himself.
“No way, this device can actually erase people from existence. There’s no way, no how!”
“Just doesn’t make sense!”
He puts phone back in his pocket.
He buzzes the apartment one last time.
“Third times the charm, third times the charm.”
Still no answer.
A old man comes out of the apartment.
He smells of liquor, cigarettes, and coffee.
“What’s with all the buzzing already?”
“I’m trying to see if my ex-girlfriend still is here.”
“Who’s your ex?”
“Tara.”
“Tara who?”
“Ugh, Tara Rogers”
“Apartment 205?”
“Si.”
“Well I haven’t seen her in awhile. That’s for sure.”
“How long is awhile?”
He thought about it long and hard.
“Honestly, I don’t know.”
Peter sighs.
“Sorry buddy.”
“Okay. Think you can let me into the building so I can see if she’s in her apartment? I’m really worried.”
“Sure.”
The old man opens the door for him.
Peter runs up the stairs to room 205.
Does his usual knock. Dun dah dah dun dun…. Dun dun.
No answer.
He can’t believe it.
“Oh my god. What have I done?” He thought.
“I have erased her from existence!”
He slowly stumbles down the stairs. Head down. Depressed from the realization of his actions.
Might as well walk back to my place. He thought trying to hold in throwing up.
#
After another two hour walk, he finally made it back to his bachelor apartment. He decided to drink some water a lot of water before he heads to bed.
Please God. No hangover. Please no hangover.
#
Next morning is Sunday. Thankfully for Peter. He has another day to recover before going into work on Monday.
“Huzzah! No hangover!”
First thing he does when he wakes up is to look at his new phone that he had found in the alley. Hmm wonder who else I should try to delete.
I wonder if I can transfer this power to my own newer smart phone. He also thought.
Another message suddenly appeared on the flip phone’s screen. Almost as if it was a coincidence, or even deja vu like experience.
“No this power is only tied to this device, and this device only. Do not attempt to transfer to another device.”
He dropped the flip phone as if in a panic.
“Holy moly! It heard my thoughts!”
He picks it up again. Hands shaking uncontrollably.
He thinks to himself. I know who to delete next.
An angry coworker that got mad at him last week.
Dang it. I don’t know the guy’s contact info though.
The Phone Book!
He runs to his bookshelf to get his latest updated phone book of his town.
He runs through the pages as fast as he can.
“Darryl Stevens. It’s your turn!” He laughs maniacally.
He enters the contact info. Then immediately presses delete. With no hesitation.
We will see if he comes in tomorrow now. He thinks to himself.
#
The next day comes faster than he realizes, Peter gets ready for work, almost forgot already about the coworker he thinks got deleted from existence.
As he walks to work, he is constantly wondering now if it worked on his coworker, as it did with his ex-girlfriend.
He reaches his desk at the Crisis Hotline in town.
But as he arrives he asks his boss if they heard from his coworker. They mentioned don’t even know who he is. Or was for that matter.
He sat down at his desk. This time, a sense of relief washes over Peter.
I don’t have to work with him anymore. He thought to himself as he setup his phone and workstation he chuckled at the thought of it.
#
As the work day finishes he walks back home, staring at his phone the whole way. His hands trembling at the thought of using it again. He manages to make it to his apartment without any problems.
What was he becoming? A murderer masked as a man with a toy? He decided he couldn’t keep on deleting people from existing.
He decides to enter his own contact information.
Peter Kaylon, phone number 333-333-5555.
He hesitates. But then presses delete.
He vanishes into thin air—the phone drops to the floor.
The lid still open.
“This device can erase people from existence. Enter the contact info to delete.”
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Completed on 6/7/2025 Copyright P.C. Snider
