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Darkness Sets In
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Whispers of the Devil Imperfections
TannerJose and the rest of the crew have been sitting around kicking rocks for days. That’s just how things go, but this house has been the bane of my existence all summer. Once we clear this inspection, work can start up again, but it’s taken weeks to even get to this point. I scan the behemoth of a house, finally able to see the shape taking form. It’ll be beautiful when it’s done, sure. I’ll make certain of that. While I’m not a fan of modern homes, I’ll leave my mark on this one as best I can. It’ll be the best damn modern home in all of Hahnville. Storm clouds funnel overhead as I walk around the house, checking the work we’ve done. It’s fully framed now, thank god. I’ve replaced every single fucking tool since we started building the foundation in the spring. Jake is finally off my ass about the schedule. It sounds like his wife is changing her tune about living here, which means he’s more involved in making this a home rather than a shell made of white and gray walls to sel
Whispers of the Devil What Happened There?
BaileyI sip a cocktail in a quiet restaurant a few blocks away from Bourbon Street. It’s a quiet Friday night because of the rain, but I don’t mind. Tanner leans back in his seat with an empty plate in front of him. That man can eat, that’s for sure. No one has ever complimented my cooking like he does, and tonight he’s already spoken to the chef of this little establishment twice, showering him with praise. I smile at the thought and slide my leg against his under the table. He opens one eye and smiles softly at me. “You look like you had a long day,” I tell him. He shrugs. “Yeah, well. It’s been a long week. You’ve been gone, I’ve been splitting time between the job site and my shift at the firehouse.”“Well, we’re home all weekend.” I grin. “I think staying in bed until Monday is just what the doctor ordered.”“That sounds like heaven,” he says, but his voice is wistful and withdrawn, like his mind is elsewhere. I’ve known Tanner for a year. I’ve known him to be steadfast, st
Whispers of the Devil Let Her Die
TannerI barely slept last night or the night before. Bailey and I spent our weekend holed up in my house navigating a sudden rift that has formed in our relationship. She barely looked in my direction all weekend. Even now, I can barely put into words what happened. One moment, we’d been having sex, and the next moment things got… hazy. Like I was standing outside of my body, watching, unable to stop the series of events unfolding in front of me as Bailey’s eyes rolled back in her head and she was just… out. Out, for several seconds, them came to, screaming and pointing a knife at me. I can’t put my guilt into words, so I’m not going to even try. What’s worse is the fact she spent the last two days trying to apologize to me. It’s safe to say my head isn’t screwed on right today. I step down off the foundation and onto the wide driveway at the old Gregory property and run my fingers through my hair before putting my cap back on. Jose walks into view with his toolbox hoisted over
Whispers of the Devil Nightmare
BaileyI’ve been distracted all night, and it’s no wonder. It was actually Helen who told me about the fire. I hadn’t heard from Tanner all day, and suddenly Helen was dragging me into her living room where a video of Tanner bursting out of a burning building carrying an unconscious little girl was playing on a loop. When I called him, he sounded distracted. I get it, of course. It takes a certain kind of person to run into danger and save a life. But still…. He sounded off, withdrawn, and so I’ve felt a little off kilter all night. It’s 4:00 A.M., and I’m sitting in the cramped office downstairs preparing my notes for Helen to take to Robert’s doctor appointment later today. It’s been a quiet night. Robert hasn’t woken up a single time, and I’ve honestly just been twiddling my thumbs and trying to find something to do. He starts physical therapy this week, and once he’s back up on his feet enough to move around with the help of a walker, Helen wants me to switch to a day shift for
Whispers of the Devil Something’s Not Right
TannerThere’s something wrong with this place.The surety of the thought reverberates through my bones as I stand beneath the glare of the mid-morning sun, my eyes sweeping the hazy scene as though I’m seeing it all for the very first time.“You okay, boss?” Jose’s voice jolts me from the stupor I hadn’t realized I’d fallen into. His tone is laced with concern and makes me wonder just how long I’d been staring off into the distance.“I’m fine,” I snap before wincing at my own gruffness. “Sorry,” I add quickly. “Rough night.”Jose nods at my apology. “I figured as much. You’re usually the first one here. It was weird being the only guy on site this morning. Honestly, this place gives me the fucking creeps.”“Tell me about it,” I mutter.My thoughts turn to yesterday’s conversation with Bailey. It was a relief. I had let everything spill out, from the vandalism to the thoughts that didn’t quite feel like my own. In turn, she told me about the figure she’d seen in the marsh and her risi
Whispers of the Devil Can’t Get Away
BaileyHahnville is in the rearview mirror, literally.I blow out a sigh of relief as the last exit sign for the town fades into the distance behind us. The bustle and lights of NOLA beckon, and I let myself relax more with every mile we cover. A shadow has plagued us the last few weeks. I can’t deny that any longer, just as I can’t deny that I can feel its noxious grip on me loosen as we put more distance between us and the marsh.“I can’t wait to show you the club,” I gush. “The DJ tonight is supposed to be great. I plan on dancing the night away!”My enthusiasm is contagious, and Tanner stands no chance against it. “Oh?” he asks, smirking playfully. “What kind of dancing can I expect tonight? Grinding? Twerking?” He waggles his eyebrows suggestively and I giggle.“The funky chicken,” I reply in the driest tone I can muster.Tanner lets out a booming laugh, and I quickly join him. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I realize that I haven’t heard him let loose like that in quite some
Whispers of the Devil Hunted
TannerBailey is crying.My hands tighten on the steering wheel as I try to tamp down my anger at whoever touched my girl. She had been borderline hysterical in the club and had insisted that I take her home. All plans of a romantic night at a NOLA hotel have vanished, and now we’re retracing our steps back to Hahnville.I glance over at Bailey, who’s curled up in the passenger seat. “You okay?” I ask for probably the hundredth time.“I’m fine,” she responds faintly. We both know that’s a lie, but I don’t call her on it. “I’m sorry I ruined our night.”“You didn’t ruin anything,” I tell her firmly. “That guy should never have fucking touched you. You didn’t do anything wrong. He did.”She doesn’t reply. She simply turns her head to the window, her eyes straying to the glass and the darkness beyond.Mirroring her, I fix my gaze on the road ahead. There aren’t many cars out on the highway this late, so we’re making good time. My mind drifts to earlier, when we first left Hahnville. Ever
Whispers of the Devil Swamp
BaileySomething sinister is watching me from across the swamp.I stand in the window of Robert’s bedroom, squinting out into the oppressive darkness, but there’s nothing much for me to see. The emergent structure of the nearly finished house juts out over the tops of the cypress trees like the horns of some monstrous beast. Beyond, the swamp lies swathed in humid shadow, as still and silent as the graves that sink ever deeper into the putrid muck.Whatever waits for me in the marsh, it doesn’t show itself. Not tonight, at least.I shiver and draw the blinds, blotting out the night beyond the window.Beside me, Robert doesn’t stir. He’s been asleep for about half an hour now after receiving another dose of pain medication. Hopefully, he’ll slumber through the night. I’ve already cleaned and bandaged his wound, so there’s not much for me to do now other than check in on him periodically. I decide to head downstairs to the kitchen and make a cup of coffee to help keep me awake throughou
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Whispers of the Devil Taking What's His
JuliaAs a great woman once said, diamonds are a girl’s best friend.I stand in front of the mirror in the trendy boutique in New Orleans, examining the new strand of precious stones adorning my throat. I’d paid for the mind-blowingly expensive necklace using Jake’s platinum card, which had given me a small sliver of satisfaction.He’d called in the early hours of the morning, begging for me to forgive him. At first, I’d told him that there was no way in hell I’d let him come crawling back to me, but all the while, my heart ached until the burn was almost unbearable.One chance. That’s all I’ll give him.In the meantime, I’ll shamelessly spend down his accounts in preparation for the worst.Because it would be terrible if we divorced, wouldn’t it? I think wistfully of the lifestyle I’ve enjoyed over the last several years, excluding the months spent in solitude on the edge of a fetid swamp. I’d be losing much more than him if I left.Doubt continues to gnaw at me as I gather my bags a
Whispers of the Devil The Man in the Garage
JuliaI can’t stay here.Jake’s been gone all day. In fact, I hadn’t even heard him leave in the first place, and God only knows where he went. But I’m absolutely sure that I don’t want to be here when he gets back.If he comes back.Would that really be so bad, I wonder? It’s true that I hate it out here at the edge of the festering swamp, locked away in this big empty house with only ghosts for company. But without Jake tying me down, I could go anywhere, do anything.I could even find another man, one who would treat me better than the bastard I’d married.A fine blush rises in my cheeks as the memory of Zeke’s passion whispers across my lips. Guilt trickles through me in its wake. I can’t believe we’d kissed. As terrible as Jake’s actions have been, I’ve never once felt the need to seek out another man.But there is something about Zeke that beckons me, drawing me closer like a lighthouse in the dark. It isn’t just that he’shandsome, or even that he’snice to me. I have the uncanny
Whispers of the Devil Stolen Kiss
ZekeSomething dreadful happened last night.I’d been out in the swamp, enjoying the sound of the rain pattering off the soft fronds of the ferns in the underbrush when I’d noticed Jake stumbling drunkenly to the garage.Even worse, I watched from the shadows as he spoke to that thing as though he was just making another shady business deal. Though I wasn’t able to hear what Amos demanded, I think I have a pretty good idea what it is.Who it is.I watched Jake stagger around the property for a while before he got into his car and drove off. Good riddance, in my opinion.But I’m concerned for Julia. I don’t trust Jake for a second, and she doesn’t deserve to be used as a pawn in this sick game.And now I’m lingering at her front door, my hand raised and poised to press the doorbell. For a moment, I don’t think I can go through with it, but then the memory of Jake speaking with Amos flashes through my mind, and I know I have no other option. I have to make sure she’s all right.Thinking
Whispers of the Devil Repercussions
JakeOh God, what have I done?Panic and desperation crash over me in unrelenting tidal waves, dragging me under until I’m drowning in them. I’m sitting on the bed in the guest room, holding my head in my hands and rocking back and forth.I don’t know how long I’ve been here. Hours, probably. At some point, I’d stumbled down to the kitchen to grab a bottle of whiskey. It sits on the floor by my feet, the amber liquid significantly drained.The alcohol hadn’t helped. I’m unable to numb the tumult that roils inside of me.I hit my wife.She deserved it.The cold, foreign voice slithers through my mind, and I groan, trying to drown it out.I’ve done a lot of questionable things over the years, some more legal than others. And maybe, just maybe, I’d said things to intentionally hurt Julia in the past, but I’d never physically harmed her.Until tonight.She was asking for it.“Shut up!” I whimper, clawing at my temples. “Shut up!”I stand and start pacing in the small space between the bed
Whispers of the Devil A Slap in the Face
JuliaTears well in my eyes, threatening to spill over. But I know that if I start crying, I won’t be able to stop.“Get a fucking grip,” I mutter to myself.I’m lying on the couch in the living room, attempting to watch my favorite reality TV show. After I confronted Jake earlier, I haven’t been able to focus. Racing thoughts flutter through my brain like paper in the wind. I’d optimistically heated up a frozen dinner, but I’d only been able to pick at it before my nausea had overpowered my desire to eat. Now the meal sits, cold and congealed, on the coffee table, all but forgotten.I know I could call Nina for support, but I don’t want to go there until I have all of the facts. And the truth is, I don’t really have many of those at all right now.Yes, Jake’s reaction to my questions all but confirmed my suspicions that he’s nothing more than a cheating bastard. I have no doubt that he’s up to his old tricks, but this time, I’m not going to let him off so easily. I need cold, hard pr
Whispers of the Devil Something's in the Shadows
JakeI’m not a coward.It’s not like I was scared and ran away because a fucking light bulb broke, or because the ensuing darkness seemed bigger somehow, alive. No, it was because I simply had business to attend to. At least, that’s what I tell myself as I pull up in front of the house at the edge of the swamp.Julia probably hadn’t even cared that I’d gone. After all, I’d texted her that I had to go out, and she hadn’t ever responded. Did she even notice I left? God, she sure knows how to make a guy feel wanted in his marriage.A streak of lightning skitters across the leaden sky, followed quickly by a peal of thunder so loud that the car practically rattles around me. It’s not raining yet, though the clouds that loom overhead are the color of a fresh bruise and promise an imminent downpour. Not wanting to ruin my vehicle, I decide to park in the garage instead of the driveway.The rain starts just as I pull inside. Water roars against the roof, and once closed, the automatic door do
Whispers of the Devil Help from Beyond the Grave
ZekeGod, I feel so alive.I close my eyes and let the relentless eye of the sun beat down on me. What does it see when it looks at me? A man? Something more? Something less?And what does Julia see, I wonder?I know it’s dangerous to let my thoughts wander down this path, but it’s as though my mind has become untethered with possibilities. My hand curls around a phantom mug, remembering the feeling of the smooth porcelain against my palm and the heat radiating through my hand as Julia had questioned me with increasing interest.I’d just had coffee with Julia Carter.She wore no makeup, and her hair was mussed from sleep, but that had somehow only made her more beautiful. Her eyes, as green as moss, shone in the fresh morning light. I had the overwhelming urge to reach out and touch her, to brush my fingertips over the soft curve of her lips, but propriety stopped me in my tracks.I wouldn’t disrespect Julia like that. She is too good for me to be thinking about her in such a way.To
Whispers of the Devil Someone's in the House
JuliaI’m not sure what wakes me.It’s not the sun, that’s for sure. For some reason, the blinds are firmly shut, blocking the early morning light from filtering in through the glass.I blink the sleep from my eyes as I peer into the surrounding dimness. I’m lying in bed, the covers tangled around my legs as though I’d thrashed in my slumber. A dull soreness at the juncture of my thighs reminds me of exactly what Jake and I had been doing last night.But where is Jake now?His side of the bed is empty, the sheets cold and untouched.“Jake?” I call. My voice sounds muted in the still morning air.There’s no response.Sighing, I extract myself from the blankets. Goosebumps rise on my arms as the cool, conditioned air kisses my skin. I grab my robe and shrug it on against the chill before padding over to the bathroom.Like the bedroom, there’s no sign of Jake. I frown. This isn’t like him. Sure, he’s usually an early riser, but he’s not exactly quiet in the mornings. He runs the shower a
Whispers of the Devil Welcome Home?
JakeThe closer I get to the house, the worse I feel.I notice it the moment I turn onto the winding drive that marks the entrance of the property. The car’s tires slide on the muddy, rutted road, and the frame of the vehicle is so low that I swear I can feel my fillings rattle as I maneuver down the potholed path. For once in my life, I actually regret owning such a fancy ride. This wouldn’t be happening in a truck or an SUV.Cypress branches close in overhead, blotting out the sun with feathery leaves and twisted, mottled wood. The trunks churn on either side of me, grotesque in their stature. Thick underbrush creeps into the road. For a moment, it feels like I’m all alone in this wild place.Dread mounts in my gut as I navigate the familiar turns of the drive. I have a terrible thought that the path will go on forever, that each twist in the road will simply guide me farther away from civilization.But then the trees part, and the mud shifts to patchy gravel that crunches satisfyi
