All Chapters of Whispers of the Devil: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

Tanner​​What the fuck happened last night?I’m lying in bed–alone. There’s a terrible taste in my mouth, like I’ve been sucking up swamp water through a straw. My head is pounding, and when I try to open my eyes, my left lid won’t budge. Every muscle in my body aches as though I went toe-to-toe with a semi-truck and lost.Groaning, I roll out of bed in spite of my body’s protests. I’m so thirsty. All I can think of is downing a nice, cool glass of water.I stumble into the bathroom, half-blind, and after one glance in the mirror, it’s immediately apparent why I can’t see properly. One of my eyes is bruised and blackened, the lid entirely swollen shut. When I press my fingertips to my cheekbone, I wince in pain.“What the fuck?” I mutter, squinting at my reflection. The shiner isn’t the only injury I have. There’s blood caked around my mouth and down my chin, and my lip is split. Below that, mottled purple bruises creep over the skin of my neck and collarbone.I feel like I’ve been in

TannerNever in my life have I felt so wretched.I’m slumped down in a chair at Hahnville’s only café, nursing a cup of coffee. I’ve been here for an hour. Bailey is set to arrive any minute, but I wanted the time to prepare myself before she shows up. Just the fact that she’s agreed to meet me here sends my heart racing.What am I supposed to tell her? The truth is unbelievable, but I don’t have any other explanation. My memories of the past few days are spotty and fractured. The pieces I do recall are cloudy and dream-like. The only thing I’m sure of is that I hurt Bailey, and that is unforgivable.Leaning my head back and closing my eyes, I try desperately to clear my foggy mind. My whole body aches. The blackened flesh around my left eye is still swollen and has now curdled toward a greenish tinge. The angry bruises that ring my neck aren’t faring much better. I know I look like shit. People have been shooting me curious glances all weekend, and I wonder if they suspect that I mig

Tanner“Tanner?”I stare at the hole in the drywall. It gapes open like the maw of some unknowable beast, just waiting to devour anybody unwitting enough to step into its jaws.What would it feel like to watch this house consume somebody?Hungry desire washes through me at the thought. My hands clench into tight fists at my sides, my nails digging into the calloused skin of my palms.“Tanner!”Fingers close on my shoulder, and I whip around, my heart beating wildly.“Take it easy, boss,” Jose placates, taking a step back from me and holding his hands up as if to show me that he means me no harm.I blink. Of course, it’s just my foreman. Who else would it be?“What?” I growl, hoping my aggressiveness will hide my embarrassment at being caught spacing out like that.Jose raises an eyebrow but ignores my antagonistic tone. Instead, he asks, “Do you want an extra pair of hands in here?” He nods to the gap in the drywall.“I’ve got it,” I snap.“Whatever you say, boss,” Jose sighs with a s

TannerEverything is fragmented, like I’m skipping through a movie and picking frames at random.I’m not in the swamp anymore. Instead, I’m standing at the back of the house where the fuse boxes are.How did I get here? The last thing I remember is Amos’ hand against my forehead, pushing, forcing. My eyes trail out toward the cemetery, but there’s no movement out there, no telltale shadows amidst the cypress trees.Why am I here? At this point, I notice a weight in my hand and look down. To my confusion, I realize that I’m holding a hammer, gripping the handle so tightly that my knuckles have gone white.I turn back to the fuse box, which is hanging open on one mangled hinge. The whole thing is destroyed. Bits of metal and plastic litter the dead grass underneath. A tang of burning electronics lingers in the air.Did I do this? I have a vague impression of swinging the hammer, but no memory of an impact.“What the fuck?” I groan as the tools slips from my grasp. My throat feels raw, a

TannerMy eyelids close for what I’m sure is the last time as the swamp swallows me whole.I blink, and I wake up from the nightmare of mud and mire to see an angel.Bailey is smiling down at me, her eyes shining with relief and love. Muck from the swamp covers every inch of her, and brackish water drips from her hair.She’s the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen.“Tanner?” she asks, her voice hushed and quiet as though she’s by a patient’s bedside. “Baby? Can you hear me?”“Yeah,” I sputter. My lungs are on fire, and my mouth tastes like I’ve been licking a sewage pipe. What the fuck happened? The last thing I remember is Amos trying to take me over again.Amos.Fear rushes through me, and I grip Bailey’s hands desperately. “Where’s Amos?” I wheeze as my eyes dart around, trying to catch a glimpse of the demon in the shadows.“Gone,” she replies firmly, her face grim. “I kicked his fucking ass.”“Good,” I sigh, settling back against the mossy soil. My whole body aches. All I want