| Supernatural Science Fiction posted September 20, 2021 | Chapters: |
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The Curse/A Novel of the Breedline series
A chapter in the book THE CURSE
The Mysterious Voice
by scongrove
| Background Thanks for taking the time to read my chapter. If you catch typos or mistakes, please let me know. Stay safe & I hope you enjoy! |
The morning sun had just peeked out as Joseph neared the steps that led to his apartment building. Sweat beaded his forehead and soaked the back of his neck as he continued onward, his feet pounding against the sidewalk. Eager to get inside and take a shower, he forced himself to move faster. His lungs burned and the muscles in his calves ached. He could feel the beat of his heart begin to rise the moment he started to climb the stairs, taking two at a time.
The three-mile run through the park had been muggy and humid, but he’d managed without stopping to rest along the trails. It had been a miracle he’d even made it out of bed, much less have the energy to exercise. He’d been up most of the night, his thoughts consumed by the previous evening. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t shut them out. Images and flashbacks swirled inside his head like a never-ending nightmare.
He’d confided in Carrie, unveiling all his dark secrets. Starting with the death of his mother at the hands of his abusive father. At the time, Joseph was so young and impressionable, barely five years old. The brutality of his mother’s death completely devastated him, leaving him heartbroken, followed by abandonment issues.
Next, he went on to tell her how social services took over the moment his father was arrested and sentenced to twenty years. He went from one foster family to another. It was apparent no one wanted him due to his developing violent behavior and the inability to express empathy. Not long after, Joseph suffered an emotional breakdown, affecting his ability to think, feel, and behave clearly. By the time he reached thirteen, he’d been diagnosed with a chronic mental disorder. He displayed all the traits of a psychopath and was carted off to a mental institute, where he spent most of his adolescent years. On top of that, he told her about the voice inside his head. He had no choice but to expose the Shadow—an evil, dark entity who had possessed him shortly following his mother’s death—after the thing had revealed itself to Carrie.
At first, she was confused and uneasy. But to his surprise, Carrie believed him, expressing an unimaginable amount of compassion, pleading to let her help him. She’d even shown a remarkable understanding when he told her he’d killed his own father the day he’d been released from prison. But when he’d confessed to killing her ex-boyfriend, she instantly became frightened, wondering if the voice inside his head wanted him to kill her too. Although the Shadow taunted him relentlessly, demanding Joseph kill Carrie, he could never consciously or even physically harm her. He’d already fallen in love with her, but still, she would never be safe around him. That’s when he’d told her she was in danger and better off without him. But she refused the notion, believing he was a good person. And she’d said those three little words he’d never forget.
God… he’d never dreamed anyone, much less someone as wonderful and beautiful as Carrie, could love… a monster… like him.
Finally, when Joseph found the courage to tell Carrie the truth about how he’d witnessed those two guys who had attacked her the night before they met, she was utterly shell-shocked. At first, she seemed surprised but also grateful, thinking he was the mysterious wolfish creature who had come to her rescue in the nick of time. But when he refuted her theory and admitted to stalking her that night, contemplating on killing her before those two guys showed up, everything about Carrie’s compassionate demeanor went out the door, sending him along with it.
Oh God, he recalled thinking. What had I done?
Each time Joseph remembered the look of devastation on Carrie’s face and the raw emotion blazing in her eyes, it tore at his heart. The truth had leaked from his lips like someone else’s story, something other than his own, and one you’d never imagine to be real. The instant he’d told her, he wished he could take it all back. His gut churned just thinking about it. Everything seemed like a nightmare. But instead of waking up, realizing that it had only been a dream, it had all been real.
Last night, he’d left Carrie’s apartment in a daze, unable to think, or drive for that matter. The world around him appeared suspended like he was in some imaginary dream where nothing seemed real. A half hour on foot, when his mind was a little clearer, he’d realized it would take hours to get home. His apartment was at least ten miles away and it was already close to midnight. That’s when he decided to call for an Uber. He’d catch a ride back in the morning to retrieve his Jeep.
Then, his brows pinched together. "My Jeep..." he said with a gasp. "Dammit!"
He'd completely forgot about Carrie's Volkswagen Beetle. She'd left it at the restaurant last night. And he'd promised to pick her up this morning to retrieve it before work. Should I call or just text her?
As he made his way inside the apartment, the cool air came as a relief. It wasn’t long before his breathing steadied, and his heartbeat slowed to its normal tempo. Although his body was in tip-top shape, his mind felt defeated, overwhelmed, as if he were on the verge of a psychotic break.
The moment he decided to send her a text, his phone went off. He looked to the armband that was attached to his biceps, recognizing the number on the caller ID. Shit! His heart picked up the beat. It was his therapist, Dr. Mendoza. He wanted nothing more than to let it go to voice mail.
During his last session, Dr. Mendoza had questioned him about the voices he’d heard as a child. He lied when she asked him if he was being truthful when he’d told her they no longer existed. Besides, if he divulged his secret, he’d most likely end up back in the nut house. But when she brought up hearing a mysterious third voice on their last recorded session, a sudden uncontrollable fear took hold. The moment she wanted to replay it so he could hear it for himself, his mind spiraled out of control.
Was it possible, he thought, that it was the Shadow? There was no conceivable way the voice inside his head could have been captured on Dr. Mendoza’s recorder. Or could it? No, he thought. There had to be some other explanation. Perhaps a noise in the background mistaken for a voice or something malfunctioned with the recorder.
Nevertheless, he’d nearly threw up right there in her office. He’d felt a desperate need to get away… away from Dr. Mendoza and away from the truth. The room seemed to be closing in on him. He remembered how his body trembled, how unsteady he felt the second he got to his feet, feverishly searching for an escape. The moment he rushed out of his therapist’s office—promising to reschedule—he barely made it outside, spewing all the contents in his stomach, reverse as it had went down.
Joseph reached for his phone, and stared at it, reluctant to take the call. He took a deep breath and swiped to answer. “Hello.”
“Joseph, this is Dr. Mendoza. I hope I’m not calling at a bad time.”
“No.” He cleared his throat. “It’s fine.”
“Oh good.” Her voice sounded relieved. “I’ve been a bit concerned. You seemed rather unwell during our last session and you haven’t rescheduled. Is everything all right?”
“Uh, yeah. I’m sorry about that. I’ve been meaning to call, but…” He paused, thinking of an excuse. “Work... I-It’s been kind of hectic lately. I guess it just slipped my mind.”
There was a beat of silence, then finally, Dr. Mendoza said, “Joseph… are you sure you’re all right?”
“Yeah,” he quickly answered. “I’m fine. And I guess I should go ahead and make that appointment.”
“How about this morning?”
“This morning?” asked Joseph, his eyes rounding, feeling like a deer caught in the headlights. “Uh, sure. What time?”
“I have an opening in an hour.”
“Okay.” The word squeaked from his dry throat. “I’ll see you then.”
“Perfect,” she said. “I’ll connect you to the receptionist’s desk so they can pencil you in.”
“Thank you, Dr. Mendoza.”
“You’re welcome, Joseph.”
Shortly after Joseph ended the call, he stripped out of his sweaty clothes. It was like his body immediately went into auto pilot, but still, memories of Carrie’s voice, filled with sorrow and betrayal, plagued his mind. He swallowed back his nerves, and before he stepped into the shower, his thoughts went back to Dr. Mendoza. Now, he had to face it all over again. In less than an hour, he’d be at the Jones Therapy Clinic, sitting across from his therapist, dreading whatever was on that recording.
“I warned you about your therapist,” said the Shadow, his voice seething inside Joseph’s subconscious. “We need to take care of her.”
“No.” Joseph shook his head wearily. “I told you. I will not kill for you again.”
“You say that as though you have a choice.”
“You will no longer control me,” Joseph gritted out. “And I promise… I will find a way to destroy you.”
“Oh, we will see, Joseph,” said the Shadow around an unholy cackle. “We. Will. See.”
To be continued. . .
The three-mile run through the park had been muggy and humid, but he’d managed without stopping to rest along the trails. It had been a miracle he’d even made it out of bed, much less have the energy to exercise. He’d been up most of the night, his thoughts consumed by the previous evening. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t shut them out. Images and flashbacks swirled inside his head like a never-ending nightmare.
He’d confided in Carrie, unveiling all his dark secrets. Starting with the death of his mother at the hands of his abusive father. At the time, Joseph was so young and impressionable, barely five years old. The brutality of his mother’s death completely devastated him, leaving him heartbroken, followed by abandonment issues.
Next, he went on to tell her how social services took over the moment his father was arrested and sentenced to twenty years. He went from one foster family to another. It was apparent no one wanted him due to his developing violent behavior and the inability to express empathy. Not long after, Joseph suffered an emotional breakdown, affecting his ability to think, feel, and behave clearly. By the time he reached thirteen, he’d been diagnosed with a chronic mental disorder. He displayed all the traits of a psychopath and was carted off to a mental institute, where he spent most of his adolescent years. On top of that, he told her about the voice inside his head. He had no choice but to expose the Shadow—an evil, dark entity who had possessed him shortly following his mother’s death—after the thing had revealed itself to Carrie.
At first, she was confused and uneasy. But to his surprise, Carrie believed him, expressing an unimaginable amount of compassion, pleading to let her help him. She’d even shown a remarkable understanding when he told her he’d killed his own father the day he’d been released from prison. But when he’d confessed to killing her ex-boyfriend, she instantly became frightened, wondering if the voice inside his head wanted him to kill her too. Although the Shadow taunted him relentlessly, demanding Joseph kill Carrie, he could never consciously or even physically harm her. He’d already fallen in love with her, but still, she would never be safe around him. That’s when he’d told her she was in danger and better off without him. But she refused the notion, believing he was a good person. And she’d said those three little words he’d never forget.
God… he’d never dreamed anyone, much less someone as wonderful and beautiful as Carrie, could love… a monster… like him.
Finally, when Joseph found the courage to tell Carrie the truth about how he’d witnessed those two guys who had attacked her the night before they met, she was utterly shell-shocked. At first, she seemed surprised but also grateful, thinking he was the mysterious wolfish creature who had come to her rescue in the nick of time. But when he refuted her theory and admitted to stalking her that night, contemplating on killing her before those two guys showed up, everything about Carrie’s compassionate demeanor went out the door, sending him along with it.
Oh God, he recalled thinking. What had I done?
Each time Joseph remembered the look of devastation on Carrie’s face and the raw emotion blazing in her eyes, it tore at his heart. The truth had leaked from his lips like someone else’s story, something other than his own, and one you’d never imagine to be real. The instant he’d told her, he wished he could take it all back. His gut churned just thinking about it. Everything seemed like a nightmare. But instead of waking up, realizing that it had only been a dream, it had all been real.
Last night, he’d left Carrie’s apartment in a daze, unable to think, or drive for that matter. The world around him appeared suspended like he was in some imaginary dream where nothing seemed real. A half hour on foot, when his mind was a little clearer, he’d realized it would take hours to get home. His apartment was at least ten miles away and it was already close to midnight. That’s when he decided to call for an Uber. He’d catch a ride back in the morning to retrieve his Jeep.
Then, his brows pinched together. "My Jeep..." he said with a gasp. "Dammit!"
He'd completely forgot about Carrie's Volkswagen Beetle. She'd left it at the restaurant last night. And he'd promised to pick her up this morning to retrieve it before work. Should I call or just text her?
As he made his way inside the apartment, the cool air came as a relief. It wasn’t long before his breathing steadied, and his heartbeat slowed to its normal tempo. Although his body was in tip-top shape, his mind felt defeated, overwhelmed, as if he were on the verge of a psychotic break.
The moment he decided to send her a text, his phone went off. He looked to the armband that was attached to his biceps, recognizing the number on the caller ID. Shit! His heart picked up the beat. It was his therapist, Dr. Mendoza. He wanted nothing more than to let it go to voice mail.
During his last session, Dr. Mendoza had questioned him about the voices he’d heard as a child. He lied when she asked him if he was being truthful when he’d told her they no longer existed. Besides, if he divulged his secret, he’d most likely end up back in the nut house. But when she brought up hearing a mysterious third voice on their last recorded session, a sudden uncontrollable fear took hold. The moment she wanted to replay it so he could hear it for himself, his mind spiraled out of control.
Was it possible, he thought, that it was the Shadow? There was no conceivable way the voice inside his head could have been captured on Dr. Mendoza’s recorder. Or could it? No, he thought. There had to be some other explanation. Perhaps a noise in the background mistaken for a voice or something malfunctioned with the recorder.
Nevertheless, he’d nearly threw up right there in her office. He’d felt a desperate need to get away… away from Dr. Mendoza and away from the truth. The room seemed to be closing in on him. He remembered how his body trembled, how unsteady he felt the second he got to his feet, feverishly searching for an escape. The moment he rushed out of his therapist’s office—promising to reschedule—he barely made it outside, spewing all the contents in his stomach, reverse as it had went down.
Joseph reached for his phone, and stared at it, reluctant to take the call. He took a deep breath and swiped to answer. “Hello.”
“Joseph, this is Dr. Mendoza. I hope I’m not calling at a bad time.”
“No.” He cleared his throat. “It’s fine.”
“Oh good.” Her voice sounded relieved. “I’ve been a bit concerned. You seemed rather unwell during our last session and you haven’t rescheduled. Is everything all right?”
“Uh, yeah. I’m sorry about that. I’ve been meaning to call, but…” He paused, thinking of an excuse. “Work... I-It’s been kind of hectic lately. I guess it just slipped my mind.”
There was a beat of silence, then finally, Dr. Mendoza said, “Joseph… are you sure you’re all right?”
“Yeah,” he quickly answered. “I’m fine. And I guess I should go ahead and make that appointment.”
“How about this morning?”
“This morning?” asked Joseph, his eyes rounding, feeling like a deer caught in the headlights. “Uh, sure. What time?”
“I have an opening in an hour.”
“Okay.” The word squeaked from his dry throat. “I’ll see you then.”
“Perfect,” she said. “I’ll connect you to the receptionist’s desk so they can pencil you in.”
“Thank you, Dr. Mendoza.”
“You’re welcome, Joseph.”
Shortly after Joseph ended the call, he stripped out of his sweaty clothes. It was like his body immediately went into auto pilot, but still, memories of Carrie’s voice, filled with sorrow and betrayal, plagued his mind. He swallowed back his nerves, and before he stepped into the shower, his thoughts went back to Dr. Mendoza. Now, he had to face it all over again. In less than an hour, he’d be at the Jones Therapy Clinic, sitting across from his therapist, dreading whatever was on that recording.
“I warned you about your therapist,” said the Shadow, his voice seething inside Joseph’s subconscious. “We need to take care of her.”
“No.” Joseph shook his head wearily. “I told you. I will not kill for you again.”
“You say that as though you have a choice.”
“You will no longer control me,” Joseph gritted out. “And I promise… I will find a way to destroy you.”
“Oh, we will see, Joseph,” said the Shadow around an unholy cackle. “We. Will. See.”
To be continued. . .
NOTE: This is not part of the chapter. A reference for cast of characters, especially for new readers:
Carrie Randall - She is Detective Frank Perkin's niece. She works as a substance abuse counselor in Berkeley, California. She has a love interest in Joseph Parker.
Joseph Parker (a.k.a. Joseph Harris) - He works at the San Francisco Chronicle as a freelance journalist. At age five, an evil entity invaded his body after his father murdered his mother. While his father was sent to prison for his crime, Joseph was placed into several foster families until finally forced into a mental institute after diagnosed with schizophrenia and psychopathic behavior. As time passed and with the evil entity's guidance, Joseph was later released into society.
The Shadow - An evil entity who has possessed Joseph Parker. Its main purpose is to gain access to souls by using its host to kill, consuming human flesh.
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. Carrie Randall - She is Detective Frank Perkin's niece. She works as a substance abuse counselor in Berkeley, California. She has a love interest in Joseph Parker.
Joseph Parker (a.k.a. Joseph Harris) - He works at the San Francisco Chronicle as a freelance journalist. At age five, an evil entity invaded his body after his father murdered his mother. While his father was sent to prison for his crime, Joseph was placed into several foster families until finally forced into a mental institute after diagnosed with schizophrenia and psychopathic behavior. As time passed and with the evil entity's guidance, Joseph was later released into society.
The Shadow - An evil entity who has possessed Joseph Parker. Its main purpose is to gain access to souls by using its host to kill, consuming human flesh.
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