Voices (Novella - Psychological Thriller/Horror)

14

We sat side-by-side on my bed. I fidgeted my hands in my lap and occasionally chanced a glance up at him. He sat with his eyes closed and his lips moving as if he was talking to someone.

We're coming for you!

There's nowhere you can hide!

The portal has been broken, your soul is ours.

The voices barged into my mind, louder than ever before. I'd gotten sloppy in thinking Thomas could keep them away permanently. They would never leave me alone.

Suddenly Thomas laid his hand over mine and turned to me, his silver eyes swirling in their sockets.

"You have to block them," he said like I hadn't thought to try that.

"Yeah, that doesn't work so well, I can only throw up a temporary wall and it's never lasted longer than ten minutes," I explained. "Not to mention the fact that it causes me so much pain, the good Doctor usually sedates me. I hate being sedated."

"And the demons are allowed free range while you're out. You can't guard them like you normally do. We should avoid that."

"Then what do you suggest I do?"

Thomas merely shrugged his large shoulders and shook his head. "I'll have to get back to you on that one."

From the corner of my eye, I watched the other residents milling around in the hall. There would be a line soon, if I wanted any breakfast I needed to get into gear. I'd yet to glean the reason for Thomas' surprise visit to my room. I was mildly shocked that I'd missed the door opening. Had I slept that hard? I never missed the morning opening.

"Why are you here?" I asked Thomas.

"I came to talk to you, to warn you, and to let you know that you aren't alone anymore, that I'm here with you every step of the way."

"That's fine and good, but what are you going to help me with? They're in my head, not yours. They torment me, not you. So, tell me, what can you do?"

He shrugged again, then turned with a small smile on his face. "I can be here when you need me, I can lend you my strength. I'm much stronger out here than in your mind."

"Yeah, that brings up another question, how did you get free? How did you cross over? And how on earth are you inhabiting a human body, isn't that wrong?" I asked, my mind kicking into overdrive with the questions. I'd heard his voice for a long time, it would be an adjustment to see it come from a face before me.

"All in due time, Penny," he said. "But I can answer this, should they manifest in the corporeal form again, I can hurt them, I can make them bleed, and I can protect you from them then." With that, he rose from the mattress and sauntered out of my room.

He walks like a seraphim.

He walks like a girl.

Crusty lemon drops bets he bleeds purple.

"Great," I mumbled and rose to go get some breakfast. I crossed the threshold of my room, and entered the hall, only to stop short. Every eye was on me, everyone was staring at me. I blinked and stepped backward and saw that everyone's eyes had turned coal black like Liz's had the night before she died. What did it mean? Was I going to kill everyone?

Not yet, but soon, My Love. The world will be yours, just like I promised. Soon as you set me free. I need you, Love, don't send me away again.

The deep purr in his voice made me want to do anything he asked of me. Warmth enveloped my body, from head to toe and I had to admit that it was an addictive feeling.

I tucked my head and pushed through the crowd, heading into the dining room where I snagged a plate and then a seat. I took my plastic silverware and dug into the reconstituted eggs and cardboard bacon.

I hadn't been done five minutes when Thomas walked in and headed straight to Dr. Miller's table. He leaned down and whispered something in her ear and her gaze shot to me and I flinched. What was he telling her? Had he made all of it up just so he could spy on me for Dr. Miller?

I tossed my fork down and shoved my empty plate across the table away from me. I'd had enough of being controlled. It was about time I take control of myself. I stood and walked over to the whispering duo. They looked afraid of me as I approached, and a deep part of me loved the feeling of being feared. It was freeing, it was intoxicating.

"Penny, darling, did you eat a good breakfast?" Dr. Miller asked and took a sip of her orange juice.

"Why are you two talking about me?" I blurted and straightened my shoulders. I refused to cower any longer. If Dr. Miller wanted to sedate me, she was welcome to try. I would fight tooth and nail, instead of taking it lying down.

Dr. Miller laughed. "Darling, we weren't talking about you, Thomas was just asking permission to approach you and sit with you," she explained. "Remember what I told you yesterday?" she hinted, and my face heated with embarrassment.

"Right," I said and nodded my head once before turning back to my table. But instead of sitting down, I scooped my plate off as walked past and dumped it all in the trash on my way out. I wasn't in the mood to speak to anyone at that moment.

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