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Chapter One: The Accident
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2022-07-20 18:03:12Related chapters
Before He Wakes Chapter Two: It’s a Boy
CHAPTER TWO:It’s a BoyPatrick Young wanderedthrough a dark tunnel, lost and cold and blind. Every so often a brief flash of light would reveal images that he recognized but could not connect in any way that made sense to him. A dirty cement floor, a rusted metal bucket, a water-stained ceiling, a single dim bulb behind a wire cage. He didn’t have time to adequately ponder these images because the light flares lasted only seconds and then he was plunged back into utter blackness. Not just an absence of light, but a treatise against the very concept of light. A declaration that light had only ever been a myth, something imagined but not anything real. The darkness was so total, in fact, that he began to doubt he had an actual body, believing that he merely floated in an abyss that had swallowed the world.And there had once been a world, hadn’t there? And he had been a part of it? Yes, he’d been a young man with a rich life, a sophomore in college with a boyfriend he thought h
Last Updated : 2022-07-20Before He Wakes Chapter Three: Waiting
CHAPTER THREE:WaitingOfficer Sanchez steppedthrough the automatic doors into the lobby of the Pelham Medical Center Emergency Department. A bored-looking nurse sat behind a desk straight ahead, alternately reading a paperback and scrolling on her cell. She didn’t even glance up at the sound of the doors whooshing open. Sanchez scanned the chairs in the waiting area. He saw an Asian couple, the woman cradling a crying toddler; an elderly black man holding a bloody towel to his forearm; a young woman with stringy hair hugging herself and rocking back and forth in one of the plastic seats; and a middle-aged man with a receding hairline and a large nose chewing on his nails. Sanchez walked over to the nail-chewer.“Mr. Neil Baker?” Sanchez said.At first, the man continued to stare down at his feet, gnawing at his fingers like a dog with a rawhide bone. He seemed to notice Sanchez’s shoes first then let his eyes trail up the officer’s legs and torso before landing on his face.
Last Updated : 2022-07-20Before He Wakes Chapter Four: Patrick’s Abduction
CHAPTER FOUR:Patrick’s AbductionThe sun had only begun to peek up over the horizon, manifesting as little more than a pink line shading to an arch of deep purple, when Patrick Young stepped out of the back exit of Geer Hall. He did a few hamstring stretches in front of the building before jogging off toward the back end of campus.He saw no one else as he made his way past the other dorms toward the library, which was precisely why he liked to run so early in the morning, before the campus had truly come to life. He felt that he moved through an empty world, a post-apocalyptic landscape, but instead of leaving him with a sense of loneliness and desolation, there was only tranquility.Of course, he mused as he ran around the left side of the library, passing the bronze statue of the father with his child propped on his shoulder, there was at least one person Patrick wouldn’t mind surviving and sharing this solitude with him. Adam to his Steve.Patrick had been trying for the last
Last Updated : 2022-07-20Before He Wakes Chapter Five: Exploring the Environment
CHAPTER FIVE:Exploring the EnvironmentPatrick sat inthe far corner with his head against the plaster wall. Halfway along the back wall sat the bucket filled with dog food, just to the left of the spigot. The empty bucket he’d placed all the way in the opposite corner.Only it wasn’t empty any longer.He’d held out as long as he could, but eventually it had been go in the bucket or in his pants. Both options were humiliating, but he went with the one that would allow him to keep at least a tattered shred of dignity. Clare must have heard, just as he’d been able to hear her when she went earlier, but she had the tact not to say anything. In fact, they hadn’t spoken since, as if perhaps she was sensitive to his discomfort and embarrassment. Or maybe she’d simply fallen asleep.Now that he had eliminated, his body told him it was time to fill it back up again. His stomach cramped and gurgled, the hunger pains starting out as mere twinges but gradually building to sharp jabs. H
Last Updated : 2022-07-20Before He Wakes Chapter Six: Missing Person
CHAPTER SIX:Missing PersonRobert McAfee sat up in bed, on top of the covers still wearing his clothes from the day before, as the window across from him lightened with the dawn of a new morning. His cell phone was nearby, and every few minutes he picked it up and checked Patrick’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, hoping for some new post, anything to indicate Patrick still existed in the world and hadn’t simply evaporated into the atmosphere.Nothing. The last appearance from Patrick on social media was a Tweet from two days ago that simply read, “Enlightenment comes not from denying your emotions but from understanding them.” He’d concluded with the hashtag #BuddhaKnowsBest.Robert smiled as he read the Tweet for the zillionth time. It was exactly the kind of philosophical-sounding nonsense his boyfriend loved to post online. Robert often teased him about it, calling him Dali Lama. Not with any spite, but with good-natured affection. The way Patrick sometimes called Robert Mr. Slot
Last Updated : 2022-07-20Before He Wakes Chapter Seven: Breaking Through
CHAPTER SEVEN:Breaking ThroughClare crouched inthe far corner and clasped her hands over her ears as the pounding started on the wall.“Please stop!” she screamed.The pounding ceased, and Patrick’s soft voice drifted to her ears. “Clare, honey, just calm down.”“You’re going to get us into so much trouble when Big Daddy gets back.”“He may never come back, for all we know.”Clare pushed herself up and crossed to the plaster wall, putting her hands against it as if to form a connection with the young man she only knew as a disembodied voice. “Just hear me out, okay? Let me make my case.”“What, were you on the debate team or something?” Patrick asked with a laugh.Clare ignored the question, though truth was that she had been on the debate team in school. Albeit very briefly. She found she wasn’t cut out for it. She loved the idea of debate, a point-counterpoint exchange of opposing ideas with the intent of enlightening and informing. Unfortunately, what she’d discover
Last Updated : 2022-07-20Before He Wakes Chapter Eight: The Hand Off
CHAPTER EIGHT:The Hand OffGreg arrived atthe hospital for his shift at 6:40 p.m. After stopping by the nurse’s station to clock in and say hello to Janice, the Charge Nurse on duty, he headed to the break room to stow his lunch in the fridge and pour himself a cup of coffee from the pot in the corner. Lukewarm, but better than nothing. At least it was free for the nursing staff. He had a seat at the round table and settled for a moment, mentally preparing for another twelve hour shift, his fourth in a row. All he had to do was make it through one more night then he’d have the next three off.Shelia, the dayshift RN that Greg would be relieving, stuck her head in the door. “Hey Greg-arious,” she said, using the nickname she’d given him on his first day because he was so friendly. “Ready for Report?”Greg nodded then finished off the coffee before tossing the cup in the wastebasket. Report was what all the nurses called the shift hand-off, where the outgoing nurse gave the in
Last Updated : 2022-07-20Before He Wakes Chapter Nine: Clare’s Abduction
CHAPTER NINE:Clare’s AbductionClare paused at the open window, one leg thrown over the sill. She held her breath for thirty seconds, listening intensely for any sound, however small, that her parents might be up. The house silent, the only sounds the whirring whisper of the heat pump and the trip-hammering of Clare’s own heart. She’d waited until nearly midnight to head out, and her parents were always in bed by ten. Surely they’d be fast asleep by now, dreaming of a life in which they had a perfect daughter that never disappointed them. Much as she sometimes dreamed of a life in which she had parents who didn’t treat her like a total idiot.Once she was satisfied her father hadn’t gotten up for a midnight snack or her mother to use the restroom, Clare ducked through the window and dropped the foot to the ground below. Reaching up, she slid the window shut most of the way, leaving a tiny gap at the bottom to ensure she wouldn’t have any trouble reopening it when she returned home.
Last Updated : 2022-07-20
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Before He Wakes Chapter Two
CHAPTER TWOThe Runaway NectarinesAs Brad made his way back across Crenshaw Square, he silently berated himself for not taking his car. He hadn’t thought he’d need it since everything in the Historic District—scratch that, downtown—was within easy walking distance, but what seemed like a few short blocks when you were unburdened suddenly felt a lot longer when you hauled six plastic bags full of household supplies.Weary as he was, he still paused across the street and surveyed his new home. He remembered standing in this exact spot ten years ago, fantasizing about owning the house. At the time, it had seemed nothing more than an impossible dream, but here he was, literally living the dream.The house was no longer the dilapidated beauty it had been before. No more mold creeping down the masonry like a rash, no more broken glass, brand new shutters and roof. The restoration hadn’t been cheap, but 324 Abercorn was once again the grand manor Brad had known all those years ago. He co
Before He Wakes Chapter One
CHAPTER ONEThe Boy in the Book LadyBrad was browsingthe Mystery section in Book Lady on Liberty Street when he noticed the boy staring at him. Well, not a boy exactly. He was probably in his early twenties, more of a young man. The older Brad got, though, the younger everyone else looked to him.Jesus, you’re only thirty-six, stop casting yourself in the role of a geriatric. Although you are closer to forty than twenty. Hell, you’re closer to forty than thirty ... Blocking out his own inner voice, Brad glanced back toward the staircase lined with stacks of books. The young man still stood there, practically in the children’s section, still staring at him. He wore a pair of capri pants and a gray hooded sweatshirt, his black hair done up in meticulous bed-head, ample time spent to make it appear he spent no time on his appearance. Mild amusement marked his face. Instinctively, Brad reached up and brushed at his chin, wondering if a bit of his lunch had gotten st
Before He Wakes Chapter Twenty-Five: It’s a Girl
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE:It’s a GirlPatrick sat inthe dark, back against the rough stone wall. The lack of light was part of his punishment, as was the fact that he only had the food bucket in the cell with him. Big Daddy would bring the other bucket once a day and watch while Patrick used it. He’d resisted as long as he could, but eventually it had been a choice between using the bucket or fouling his pants and having to sit in his own filth. Humiliating and dehumanizing.Speaking of which, he reached into the bucket next to him and pulled out a handful of dog food and tossed it into his mouth like popcorn, crunching down on the kibble. The taste was chalky and sour, but he swallowed the mess down with a grimace. He turned the handle of the spigot and gulped several swallows of water.He had no idea exactly how much time had passed since his escape attempt with Clare. Weeks? Months? It was hard to keep track of time when he was submerged here in total darkness. Long enough for
Before He Wakes Chapter Twenty-Four: Putting Sis to Bed
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR:Putting Sis to BedPatrick awoke tothe roar of the ocean crashing on a rocky shore, thunder booming in the tumultuous heavens, nuclear missiles detonating right next to his ear. The sounds of apocalypse, of annihilation, of volcanos erupting fire into the sky and worlds imploding. He tried to raise his arms to cover his ears with his hands, but he found his arms would not move. As he listened to the cataclysmic roar ebb and flow, he realized it would do no good anyway. The sound was not without but within, inside his own throbbing head.He opened his eyes and winced at the glare of light that stabbed into his corneas. His throat was scratchy, his tongue a dried-out sponge lying abandoned in his mouth. Something covered his mouth, something sticky that sealed his lips together. His face was on the ground, turned to the side, and he felt some kind of grid digging into his cheek. He tried again to move his arms, which were pulled behind his back. He glanced
Before He Wakes Chapter Twenty-Three: Daddy’s Home
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE:Daddy’s Home“You two havebeen naughty children,” the man said, his voice calm, even a bit chipper as if he and Patrick were engaged in a pleasant chat. “Where’s your mother?”At first, Patrick couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. He stared at the gun as if hypnotized by it. The opening at the end of the barrel seemed so small yet so large at the same time. It was hard to believe that a projectile propelled out of that hole could cause so much destruction. Patrick had gotten into a few scrapes and physical altercations in his life, but until this moment he’d never had a gun pointed at him. Not even a cap gun when he was a child, as far as he could remember. He found the experience utterly debilitating.Big Daddy smiled, not a menacing smile, but again one that looked almost congenial. “I could tell you were going to be a feisty one from the first time I saw you running. So much energy and stamina. A boy a father could be proud of, if only you turned that energ
Before He Wakes Chapter Twenty-Two: Through the Woods
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO:Through the WoodsPatrick and Clarestarted down the dirt road toward the wooded area, he with the rod in his hands and her with the beam. They didn’t really discuss it, but Patrick certainly wasn’t ready to get rid of his weapon and even wished he’d thought to bring along the knife from the kitchen as well. He wouldn’t feel safe until they were sitting in a police station, telling their story to a room full of officers.Only that wasn’t the truth. He would possibly never feel safe again. He may always want a weapon handy wherever he went, even in his own home.Just as they reached the tree line, the path stretching under the overhanging branches to give the impression of entering a tunnel, Clare said, “Maybe we should get off the road. You know, in case Big Daddy comes back.”“Good idea, but let’s stay close enough that we can sort of see the road. I’d hate for us to get turned around and lost in the woods.”They walked a few feet into the trees then sta
Before He Wakes Chapter Twenty-One: Going Down
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE:Going DownClare tried toturn her focus away from the pain, but the truth was her leg hurt like a sonofabitch. She could see that the cuts weren’t deep and the bleeding was sluggish, the wounds already scabbing over, yet they throbbed and pulsed with living fire. She wondered about infection, but surely it would take longer than a few minutes for that to set in.Patrick was taking more than a few minutes himself. He’d gone to search for a hammer and screwdriver at least fifteen minutes ago, she’d guess. She heard the sounds of rummaging from time to time. She also listened for the sounds of a car approaching outside.They were so close to getting out. In a suspense film this would be the exact moment that Big Daddy would return. The fear, like the pain, burned inside her, but she tried to ignore it, to push past it. She needed to stay strong. Later, after they were through this and were safe, she could break down, but not now.A small gasp escaped her lip
Before He Wakes Chapter Twenty: Rise and Shine
CHAPTER TWENTY:Rise and ShineSheila Ramsey wasthe nurse on duty when Bernie Wilson woke up.She wasn’t supposed to be. Teddi Gibbs was on the schedule, but she claimed to have come down with some kind of stomach bug and said she couldn’t possibly come to work. Janice had pulled Sheila in because technically it was one of her on-call days.When the phone rang at six this morning and Sheila had squinted at the caller ID to see the hospital’s number, she’d been tempted to ignore the call and let it go to voicemail. In fact, the first time she didn’t answer, but then thirty seconds later the phone started to ring again and with a groan and a curse, she’d snatched up the phone and barked a bristling, “Yeah?”And now here she was, working a twelve hour shift when she’d stayed out at the Gaslight Bar near the airport until they closed at 2 a.m. She was exhausted, hung over, and plotting a million different ways to torture Teddi. At thirty-nine, she simply didn’t bounce back from
Before He Wakes Chapter Nineteen: The Attic
CHAPTER NINETEEN:The Attic“I killed her,”Patrick said again, dropping to his knees. Distantly, he heard Clare saying his name, but it was small and tinny, as if coming through a radio with a bad connection. Or as if he were at the bottom of a deep well and she were calling down to him from the top.All he could think about at the moment was the fact that in a matter of a few hours, he had killed first a dog then graduated to killing another human being. Acts of which he would have thought himself incapable of a mere week ago.While Patrick didn’t go so far as to actually call himself a practicing Buddhist, he did have great respect for their philosophies and had spent some time visiting with a Buddhist monk at the Cambodian wat in Wellford. One of the things that resonated the most with Patrick was the Buddhist belief that all life was precious. Not just human life, but all life. Buddhists tended to be vegetarians and didn’t wear leather, but it went even deeper than that.
