Hitting every lock on the door as I made it home, I felt the last of my energy flag as I slumped against the secured door. This had been one hell of a day and I knew I hadn’t seen the last of either of those two I met today. At least Lynda didn’t make me want to pack up and hide in the farthest wildernesses of Siberia. She had still wanted something of me even if I couldn’t quite make sense of it. I still had one more day before I had to work again. I stood giving me a good view of Mari sitting on the couch. Her phone seemed forgotten and she had an eyebrow raised waiting for me to stand and see her. I snorted a bit at the owl-like antics.

I sprawled out on the chair in front of her, it’s soft cushion welcomed me into its depths. It was just me and her in the shared spartan living room. I put my feet up before I let myself vent the days events. She stayed stayed mostly quiet during the retelling, not needing much clarification. It was her response that caught me off guard, “So you turned her down despite her practically throwing herself at you?”

I let out a short, somewhat bitter, laugh. “That’s the unbelievable part? Not the guy who can appear and disappear at random or the fact that some woman tracked me down and I never caught any hint she was ever there until she literally had her hands on me? Well, I suppose I can’t fault you too bad, too much is beyond belief as it is.”

A smile touched her lips. “As crazy as the rest of it sounds it does seem unlikely you’d just leave like that without pushing back.”

I frowned at that. “Alright yea I suppose it does seem out of character but I’ve got to chalk it up to that guy Temple. I’ve never looked at someone and felt an instant, bone deep terror take hold. What instincts weren’t screaming run made it seem like I was as good as dead already.” The thought of that memory was enough to get my heart racing. “It’s too bad I have to go back tomorrow.”

She had a puzzled look on her face as if questioning my sanity, “So someone scares you half crazy and your first thought is I must be onto something let me go back and hope he doesn’t show up again?”

I winced a bit at that, “Yea expecting something different would be textbook insanity, but after months of searching I have something to show for it. I can’t live like this. I can’t let this thing beat me. No one has the exact same nightmare every night, I will stop this.” I filled my declaration with all the confidence I wish I had.

———————-

It took several minutes after waking to really get control of myself, it always did. It had been months since I had let the nightmares make me scream openly. The sun was just barely beginning to crest the horizon and I groaned internally for waking up at this ungodly hour. On the plus side he could sneak out before any of my roommates were up if I hurried.

I managed to make it out of the apartment unnoticed but not quite out of the building. Leaning against a red convertible sports car was Lynda. I shouldn’t be surprised after our first meeting that she would find me. She wore a white blouse that exposed her shoulders with barely the slightest hint towards her breasts that she had flaunted to entice me just last night. Her dark pants clung to her legs stopping just above her ankles. She had gold in her ears and on her wrists, if I had to guess her outfit would make my rent look like change by comparison.

I couldn’t help but take in the sight of her as she was “casually” looking at her phone. The whole image spoiled a bit by the fact she was obviously waiting on me to come out. As her golden eyes came up to meet mine I turned and continued walking down the sidewalk. I paid her no mind right up until she matched pace with me in her car.

It didn’t take long before a frustrated voice reached me. “Are you going to keep ignoring me all the way to wherever you’re going?”

“No. I plan to ignore you on my way back too.” I stated matter of factly.

I could hear a frustrated growl but I refused to look at her. “I am not going to stop so you might as well let me take you there to save time.”

“No.” I said calmly. “I don’t need to get there faster, I’ll just get there precisely when I get there.”

I imagined she was beginning to turn red as I continued to deny her. I could practically hear the gears turning in her head as the relative silence stretched on. She sounded a bit defeated as she spoke next, like she was reaching for her last possible options, “I swear I will take you there by the most direct route and back to your home while affording you all the protections of any Guest in my care.”

My eyebrows began to climb into my hairline as she spoke her Oath. By the end, I couldn’t help break my resolve and turn to look at her. Gone was the proud arrogance of someone that always got what she wanted. Her posture showed resignation and the flushing of her face told me of, embarrassment? What? It didn’t make any sense. What could she be after that I was in a better position to make demands? Even more odd I knew she meant what she said. I could feel it’s truth deep in my bones. I took a moment before I realized I had stopped to gawk dumbfounded by her declaration. She looked up at me with those golden eyes that seemed to be getting bigger by the second. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding and opened the car door. “Alright, I accept your offer.” I told her where we were going and she was off.

She was determined to use the time she had me as her guest to it fullest, “So why are you going to this library? Are you working on something or?”

It wouldn’t be too much to indulge her curiosity so I told her of my dreams. She let out a low whistle at the end of my tale. She took a moment to think on my tale as she found a parking spot close to the front door of the library. Walking to the front door of the library I told her, “I think I found something relevant to what I’m experiencing yesterday. So I just need to find some more on this Franklin guy. There should be more about him with the years he spent in the asylums.” The little bit of hope I held was a bit muted considering the source of where I hoped to find. I opened the door and held it for her when she did something that surprised me, she seemed to hesitate for a moment as she looked at me in the doorway.

“Could I see that card for a moment?” She asked.

I found it a bit odd but remembering the odd way the door behaved I handed it over. She looked it over for a moment as she stepped inside. She handed it back as the door swung shut on the quiet library. No one was at the front desk as we moved towards the section I needed. It was a few old journals that I found quickly. Franklin seemed an odd one given the records.

According to the recollections no amount of counseling, medications, or “alternative therapy” seemed to affect the visions he suffered in the slightest. He clearly saw the same things on morphine and under electroshock as he had when first admitted. It didn’t make sense any of these “treatments” wouldn’t change anything. Drugs of the level and shocks would shift and perception of reality in some way but it was like he was forced to perceive something regardless of his mental state. Some of the writings copied from his wall mirrored the same things he had me rambling about from years past before he was ever committed.

He speaks to me at all hours of the night

Every time he has a new face

Sometimes human sometimes not

The sound of his voice on my soul is beyond mere pain

He forces his voice on me for the fun of watching me squirm

The overbearing sense of him paralyzes me in terror.

I’ve tried to die many times but as I leave he laughs and pushes me back to my body

He enjoys my suffering

He broke me the ways he wants

The way he would find most interesting

That bastard that introduced himself as Norman Talos

“I can’t say I have ever heard of someone screwed in the head as Franklin. I sighed as I pushed the book to Lynda. “The man seemed to be experiencing something that couldn’t have been affected no matter the state of his body or the drugs in his system. It almost seems like someone made him experience whatever all of that was. Even stranger he suffered continuously worse for the eight years he was there and died of unknown causes. They performed and autopsy and only his brain showed any sign of damage and even that was mostly from stress and sleep deprivation, nowhere near enough to kill him.”

“Well,”. Lynda spoke up. “I’ve been looking at more general records and his admittance did come with an increase in night terrors for patients that ceased entirely on his death. There is also the note here that he body when missing soon after his death.”

“That’s not ominous in the slightest, nope. And then there’s a similar name to the one I was given yesterday. It really feels like I’m just screwed anyway I look at it.”

I turned a few more blank pages at the end to see more handwriting. I started to sweat when I saw my name on the page.

Dear Fynn,

It looks as though my generous warning is going unheeded. I told you to prepare, yet you have the time to sit and squander the precious last few days you have left. I have informed them of your insult.

Struggle well,

N

He had known I would be back. I had to get out of here. I slid the journal over to Lynda. She grew visibly angry on each word. It looked like she was working up quite a fury so I spoke first. “Let’s just go, I’m not going to find anything more here.” My words seemed to take her by surprise but she calmed and we left.

We were both silent on the trip back. There wasn’t much to say. He was ahead of me at every turn. I really was just a play thing to him, wasn’t I?

She pulled in front or my building and shut off the car. It took me a moment to realize I was back. I reached for the handle but her words stopped me. “Here, take this.” She commanded, some of that fire I remember returning to her voice. It was a small slip of paper with a phone number. “I still want you regardless of whatever target is on you back. Come to me and I will help.”

I looked at her determined eyes and quickly averted my gaze. I got out of the car without saying a word. It was going to be another rough night.