Terror overwhelmed him. He felt his heart speed up considerably. He pulled himself from the couch and slowly made his way toward the staircase. The sounds of the feet ran back and forth accompanied by the laugh of a little girl.
“Hello? You’re not supposed to be here.” And the running stopped just like that. He gripped the railing with a shaking, white knuckled hand. There was nothing now, nothing but empty silence. He shook his head letting out a nervous laugh. “These fucking pills, I’ll tell you-”
“You’re not fun anymore Jeff.” A girl’s voice yelled behind him. Spinning around he lost his balance and fell to the floor. He scanned the area but saw nothing; no girl.
“It’s the pills; don’t freak out. There’s no one in this house, especially not some child. You’re tired. It’s been a long day and you just took two real strong pills.”
Of course it’s just the pills you dumb shit. Look at you.
Jeff laughed as he pulled himself up. “These fucking pills will-”
Suddenly something whizzed past his head at a high velocity; smashing against the wall into a million pieces. Jeff spun around to see no one behind him, just an empty end table where there once was a ceramic vase. Jeff walked across the room and looked at the broken object.
“Just the pills? How the fuck can you blame the pills on that?”
***
Don’t worry Virginia, you’re almost there. Check into the hotel; take a shower and then crash. A good night sleep is all you need to get you through tomorrow.
She desperately tried to trick herself into thinking that the source of her worries stem from the class; anxious over the promotion. She could be nervous over the economy, the war, terrorism, fucking aliens…but she could not admit that she was worried about Jeff. To admit this would raise panic. She cared too much for him.
The mountains of New Hampshire were overwhelming. They looked like massive sculptures carved by the mighty titans in Greek Mythology. The sun had already begun to sink behind them. As the daylight began to disappear and make way for the night, a sense of dread tore through her. She felt the hairs on her body stand on end as her mind began to race.
As she struggled to stabilize her thoughts the radio went to static. Startled, yet annoyed, Virginia immediately reached down and turned the station. More static is all she got. She got a collage of broken notes, chopped voices and ominous static. Frustrated she turned the radio off.
Silence. She could deal with silence.
“Mountains must be blocking-” but before she could finish the radio turned back on. Static, noise and voices.
“You…can’t save…dies along…Jeff…will you try…collapse.” A voice spoke between the static. Suddenly the static dropped and the song “In Dreams” by Roy Orbison played.
Panic ran through her body as she stared at the radio. Did she hear that right?
A horn honking pulled her attention back to the road. Headlights were barreling toward her and she jerked the wheel hard, narrowly missing the head on collision. The car spun out in three complete circles before coming to a stop on the side of the road. Virginia sat there with shallow breaths, her hands cemented to the steering wheel.
“A candy colored clown they call the sandman, tiptoes into my room every night, just to sprinkle stardust as he whispers, go to sleep, everything is alright.” Roy Orbison sang as Virginia sat there, still in shock of the radio message as well as the near death experience she just had. She beat her hand off the steering wheel.
“Fucking goddamn it Virginia. Get a grip on yourself. You’re nervous, you’re distracted and fucking exhausted. The hotel’s close. Let’s just focus in order to get there.” She sat up tall and put her car back in drive and pulled on. She cut through the New Hampshire night as she listened to Roy Orbison and tried to forget what she heard on the radio.
***
Jeff, in a desperate attempt to distract his mind, ran his finger across his record collection. Although he loved all his records, among his favorites were those from the 1950’s; the golden age of rock. He read the titles. The Mad Lads, The Platters, Buddy Holly, The Spaniels, The Duprees, Dion and the Belmonts; each record was like a time machine to an era he wished he could live.
He picked up a record by The Duprees and placed it on the player. He dropped the needle as the song Have you Heard dreamingly slipped out his speakers. He lay down on the couch and closed his eyes.
He lost himself in the song as he placed himself in the 1950’s. Here he wasn’t some insecure shut in, nope. He even owned a Chevy Fleetline. The color was black with red interior, no blue! The glow from the dash lit up the cab as she stared into the eyes of a high school sweetheart. They were at a secluded area, lost beneath the endless stars and intoxicating moonlight. The girl had beautiful green eyes and her black hair was all done up, she was…
“Virginia.” Jeff whispered as he let Virginia’s face enter the blank canvas of his fantasy girl. He ran his hand through her hair as he intoxicated himself in her perfume. As the gentle breeze creeps into the vehicle Jeff runs his hand down her shirt and cups one of her ample breasts. As he kisses her neck he hears her moan. When he lifts his head he catches a glimpse in the rearview mirror out the corner of his eye.
In the back seat is a little girl. She’s no older than nine. The long haired girl is wearing winter clothing which certainly were from a more modern era. The girl’s soaking wet and her skin is blue. Her dead, glassy eyes stare up at the ceiling of the car.
Virginia turns to see what’s distracting her lover. She sees the dead girl in the back and laughs. “Oh come on Jeff, she is dead and that was a long time ago. Don’t let her spoil our evening.”
Jeff’s eyes shot open. Standing over him and only an inch from his face is the girl from his dream. Jeff froze, unable to move a muscle in his body.
“Who the hell are you?” He asked in a small, broken little voice. This had to be a hallucination, a side effect of the medication. What was it his doctor had told him once?
These pills, they might make the world a little funny. You may see, from time to time, things that simply aren’t there. You may even hear things that aren’t there. Keep telling yourself it’s just side effects from the drug. If need be, just go with it. Sometimes it’s ok to trick the brain.
This certainly seemed like one of those moments. He tried to tell himself it wasn’t real but still she remained, staring at him with those dead eyes. He will just go with it and play the game.
“Will you play with me Jeffery?” the little girl asked. Her voice was distorted and sounded almost like a cassette tape in a player, one in which the batteries were running low. Her breath stunk like mold.
“How do you know my name? How did you get in here?”
The needle pulled across the record as the music stopped. His living room began to melt away all around him. The windows, the furniture, the walls, the ceiling; it all melted like the Salvador Dali painting with the clocks. When it was done a new world emerged like a mist. As it came to existence Jeff saw that he now stood in a playground during winter. Snow was everywhere and the cold icy New England wind tore through him.
“Ok Lydia, I’m coming!” the voice of a little boy called out. Jeff stepped back, barefoot in the snow, as a child in a thick New England Patriots winter jacket ran past him toward the little girl. The girl no longer looked dead, but full of life as she ran as the boy who playfully chased her.
“My god, that that’s me.” Jeff shook his head laughing. “I’ve truly gone insane; fucking insane. I’ve finally gone off the deep end.”
He knew this park from his youth. It was in Middleboro, near the town pool. Of course the pool was closed for the winter, but the park was open. He played here plenty but didn’t know the little girl.
A headache tore through his brain as he clawed at his skull in a desperate attempt to release the pressure. He closed his eyes but his brain suddenly flooded with images, memories of birthday parties and recess with the unknown girl; the girl th
e boy-he called Lydia. Lydia. He saw his mother picking her up in their 1988 Honda Accord. She laughs. She’s at school with him. They are in the same class. They play at recess. They swim in the pool during summer. She hands him a note in class. He reads. It says Best Friends.
“I don’t know this girl!”
He heard his record playing again. He opened his eyes to see that he was now back inside his living room again. There was the couches, the television, the table; it was all here. He sighed with relief but his relief was short lived. Standing in the corner of the room was a figure.
The figure defied all logic and reason. It combated science simply by existing. It was an ash or granite colored, hulking figure; a towering six feet of sinew. It had not features, just a silhouette like a three dimensional shadow. Upon the face of the figure was not a nose, not a set of eyes nor a mouth. All that existed was nothing but a dark, black void. The creature was surrounded by a red aura that intensified and dulled. This aura seemed to be feeding the creature as it siphoned from the aura which came from Jeff’s own body.
Gooseflesh covered Jeff’s body as his jaw quivered. He swallowed as he tried in desperation to control his breathing. As his fear increased the aura grew a deeper red. Jeff closed his eyes tight.
This isn’t real. Get your shit together.
When Jeff opened his eyes the figure was now in front of his face and he saw himself staring directly into the dark void. He saw himself staring at endless, eternal emptiness that sent a chill throughout his bones. Jeff screamed out but all audio went mute. He collapsed to the floor as the aura turned to the deepest shade of red he ever saw. The shadow creature didn’t move, just fed off Jeff’s fear.
Get the fuck out of here. Get upstairs!
Jeff scrambled to his feet and fell backwards as he knocked into a table. The vase which sat upon it fell onto the floor. It shattered in silence; no sound as the vase smashed into a million pieces. Jeff clawed up the wall to get back on his feet. He turned and ran up the stairs. He looked back once and saw that the shadow figure didn’t move. As soon as he reached the top of the stairs he took an immediate left into his bedroom and slammed the door shut. As the door slammed he could hear again and screamed out.
“Help me! Fucking Christ I am losing it! Help me Virginia!”
***
She checked into the hotel around nine and immediately crashed onto her bed. Her mind was anxious, swimming with worries but she was also burnt out. Within minutes she was asleep. She dreamed of a little girl from her childhood. It was Lydia Hull. She was standing on a hill holding in one hand a red balloon. She giggled as she brushed her long brown hair behind her ear.
“Hey Virginia.” She called out to her waving. Virginia waved back, shocked to see her hand had shrunk and fit into a small Barbie winter glove. She looked down and saw a Barbie shirt beneath a pink winter jacket. She was a child again.
“Hey Lydia” a child’s voice escaped Virginia’s mouth. She approached Lydia. “I thought you were dead.”
“That’s not funny at all.” Lydia let go of the balloon as she placed both hands on her hips and crunched her face in disapproval. The balloon climbed higher and higher until it was lost in the vast sky. “You don’t joke about death Virginia.”
“Your balloon!” Virginia pointed. Lydia looked up and laughed.
“Don’t worry Virginia, it will come back down. They always come back down eventually.” Virginia looked around. All around them were endless grassy hills. There was not a tree, not a house; nothing as far as she could see.
“Why are we here?”
“Jeff.”
“What about Jeff?”
“He is in peril Virginia. If you are a friend you’ll help him, but disappointment is the only ending regardless.” Lydia spoke but now her voice was distorted and watery. Her skin began to change and took on a wet, blue look. The wind began to pick up. It was gentle at first but soon took on a hurricane force. She began to shake as water leaked out of her pores. Crying she collapsed to the ground.
“Lydia what’s wrong?”
“Mommy, he put me in the barrel. I was alive. I’m dead now. Jeff, please help me!” From the sky fell thousands of black balloons. They fell all around them. Lydia’s eyes sunk into her head. “I told you they all come back down eventually.”
Virginia shot awake and sat up so fast she almost gave herself whiplash. She was back in her hotel room. On the television screen was an infomercial about some state of the art new vacuum. The man was a fat guy with a bad comb over stuffed into a cheap suit. He bounced around with energy a man of his girth rarely exerted.
“This vacuum will suck up water, oil, dirt, grime and it doesn’t even require the use of a bag. Simply rinse in your sink and use again and again.”
Virginia pulled herself from the bed and walked over to the little desk where she had her laptop. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she sat in the chair, lost in the glow from the screen.
Lydia Hull. What does she have to do with Jeff?
Virginia pulled up a search engine and typed in Lydia Hull Middleboro MA 1986. She pressed enter and suddenly the screen filled with websites discussing the young girl. Virginia clicked on a link and pulled up an old news article.
Young Girl found Dead in Barrel
The body of nine year old Lydia Hull was discovered inside a metal drum full of water. The drum was located in the back yard of a house belonging to a factory worker named Daniel Phillips. Phillips claims he has no idea how the girl got in the drum.
Evidence from the medical examiner report states that Lydia was hit in the head with a rock or other similar object and lost consciousness. She was placed into the barrel of water and the top was put on. The top had fasteners which locked it shut. It was in this water which Lydia drowned.
David Phillips has been arrested and charged with murder. A young boy said he witnessed Mr. Phillips walking off with Lydia. The boy said he never saw her after that.
“A boy?” Virginia shook her head. “Who was the boy? I don’t remember.”
“This will be the last vacuum you will ever need. Just three easy payments of 29.99; but wait! Call in the next fifteen minutes and receive this Big Toms Carpet Odor Eliminator absolutely free as our gift to you.” The man with the bad comb over continued to holler as he bounced around the screen.
Virginia scrolled down the page until she saw another article.
Boy’s Testimony Delivered, Dan Phillips Convicted of Murder
A young Middleboro boy’s testimony was all the evidence the jury needed to convict Daniel Phillips of First Degree murder in the death of nine year old Lydia Hull. The boy, ten year old Jeffery Peterson, told jurors how he watched Daniel Phillips lure the girl, Lydia, with promise of candy. Jeffery states she went with him to his house just across the street from the park.
The infomercial guy continued to yell about how amazing his vacuum was as Virginia stared at the computer screen in disbelief. She put the pieces together and laughed a little.
It makes sense. That is why he’s suffering. He watched Lydia walk off to be murdered. He must have suppressed the memories of that day and years later it came back.
She began to cry as she imagined how horrible Jeff must have felt after Lydia’s death. She figured this was it; this is what she needed to pull him out of his fears. Once she forces him to face the suppressed memory he would slowly get better. In time the possibility of romance would now be within her grasp. Her happy ending was now within reach.
Or maybe it will make him worse. He suppressed the memory for a reason. Don’t you think to bring it up might send him over the edge?
“This vacuum will not let you down!”
“No I need to see him now. This is it, the key to help him. I can help him now. I’ve been looking for a way to help him and I may finally have it.”
Don’t be silly, you got the workshop in the morning.
“It even comes with an extendable hose for those hard to reach areas.”
“There’s no point; he’s already gone over the deep end you stupid cunt.” The voice was that of the fat infomercial salesman. Virginia turned to the television and saw the fat little man continue to jump around. “I’m so excited to show you this amazing deal, available only on TV.”.
Virginia pulled open the drawers of the bureau and threw clothes into her suitcase. She packed everything into her Nissan, got behind the wheel and drove into the night.
***
The house was unnaturally silent. The normal noises, the sound one expects from a house, were absent. He strained his ears in a desperate effort to find evidence of the world outside, a world he feared yet yearned to hear. There was nothing; no sounds of automobiles, no sounds of barking dogs. There wasn’t even the sound of the wind.
It’s the meds. The meds are fucking you man. This isn’t real, this makes no sense.It’s all in your mind.
He didn’t believe it though. Sure he experienced side effects from time to time but this was different. There was something real, supernatural, but real about all this. He ran his fingers through his hair as he yanked on it. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he battled with conflicting thoughts in his mind.
This is not real.
This is real.
This is not real.
This is real.
Not real.
Real.
Not real.
Real.
I’m losing it. Here comes that deep end and I’m falling over. I’m finally breaking. I was slightly damaged but now I’m fucked, my mind is fucked and there is no turning back.
Deep end, here I come.
“Virginia! I need you!” He hollered and then stopped.
Virginia. Of course! She’s been here every day and that’s what changed today. My mind is lost without her. It is true, I’m insane. None of this is real I am insane. Give me pills and lock me away. I am insane but safe!
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