Read Online Fear the Abyss: 22 Terrifying Tales of Cosmic Horror by Jack Ketchum, Tim Waggoner, Harlan Ellison, Jeyn Roberts, Post Mortem Press, Gary Braunbeck, Michael Arnzen, Lawrence Connolly - Free Book Online
Authors: Jack Ketchum, Tim Waggoner, Harlan Ellison, Jeyn Roberts, Post Mortem Press, Gary Braunbeck, Michael Arnzen, Lawrence Connolly
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don’t." His laugh turned into a sob. "I don’t want you to be dead and I don’t want to be crazy."
" I’m dead. And you aren’t crazy. You have to help me ."
Frank considered this for a moment; his dead wife was talking to him through a radio on a cruise ship headed for what was originally a second honeymoon.
"Some second honeymoon, huh?" he said.
Radio Candy laughed.
Frank stood up and walked away from the desk to clear his head a little.
" Where are you going ?" the voice sounded worried.
"I’m here," he replied. "Just, walking around a little. Trying to let this sink in, you know?"
" Okay, thought I lost you. I’m so sorry ."
"Sorry for what?"
" I don’t know ," Candace said.
"It does put a damper on this trip, but it’s not like it’s your fault. I was thinking of suing that goddamn company."
" You won’t win " Candy said. " It’s not their fault. It was mine. I got stupid. Clumsy ."
Frank looked at the radio and frowned.
"You aren’t clumsy or stupid, Candy. You never were."
Candace on the radio sounded like she sighed.
" I was. More than you know ."
Frank walked back to the desk and sat down.
"How are you able to talk to me? You’re some kind of ghost, right?"
" Not exactly ," she said. " There was an explosion at work. They told you that much I’m sure ."
"They did,"
" Well, the explosion didn’t just kill me; it irradiated my body in some terrible way near as I can figure. It killed me, but it kept the molecules intact. Alive and aware somehow. Even when I was cremated. It must have been the new isotope generator we had started using. Experimental. My ashes are nearby the radio I guess ."
Frank looked at the box and put a hand on it.
"You’re right next to the radio."
" I can feel it, that makes sense ," the voice said. " Where have you kept the box? I’ve been hoping you’d put me near something electronic to test my theory ."
"Theory? You’ve been a pile of ash for three months."
" Yes, and I’ve been just hovering around. It’s been awful--hearing you and not being able to say anything. It’s like being in hell ."
Frank was still reeling from this, but it was starting to sink in a little bit more.
"God, I’ve missed you so much Candy," he said.
" Then you need to help me, Frankie. You have to free me ."
"Free you how?"
"I need you to dump the ashes. You need to separate the ashes and scatter me. I think I can move on if you do that ,"
"Is this another theory?" Frank asked. Although he was getting closer to believing what was happening, he wasn’t so sure he wanted it to be over; just hearing her voice made him feel better.
" It is, but if I was right about the radio, I should be right about this ,"
Frank felt his eyes well up again.
"I don’t know that I can do that, baby. I really don’t know-"
" I have to tell you something that may make you change your mind ," she said.
"What?"
" I didn’t accidentally blow myself up ."
"I know. Those bastards were careless..."
" No, Frank. I blew myself up ."
Frank stared at the radio in disbelief. That didn’t make sense.
"Honey, that--"
" I killed myself ."
"You’re lying," he said. "You were happy. We were happy. You didn’t kill yourself."
" You were happy ," Candace said. " You were always happy, Frank. I’m sorry to say that, but you have to know ."
"You’re just saying that to make me dump the ashes," Frank said, but he knew when she was lying. He always did and she wasn’t lying now. "Why didn’t you say anything?"
" I tried to, but I couldn’t. I knew you’d never divorce me. Not without a fight. I just couldn’t...face you after our argument ."
Frank sat there, looking at the clock. He didn’t say anything at all, he just looked. The digital display still read 9:43 and flickered to 44 every few seconds.
Candace had wanted out. And she got out, alright. But that number...what the hell was that all about?
" Frank ?" Candy asked. " Are you still walking around ?"
"No, I’m here."
" I’m dead. And you aren’t crazy. You have to help me ."
Frank considered this for a moment; his dead wife was talking to him through a radio on a cruise ship headed for what was originally a second honeymoon.
"Some second honeymoon, huh?" he said.
Radio Candy laughed.
Frank stood up and walked away from the desk to clear his head a little.
" Where are you going ?" the voice sounded worried.
"I’m here," he replied. "Just, walking around a little. Trying to let this sink in, you know?"
" Okay, thought I lost you. I’m so sorry ."
"Sorry for what?"
" I don’t know ," Candace said.
"It does put a damper on this trip, but it’s not like it’s your fault. I was thinking of suing that goddamn company."
" You won’t win " Candy said. " It’s not their fault. It was mine. I got stupid. Clumsy ."
Frank looked at the radio and frowned.
"You aren’t clumsy or stupid, Candy. You never were."
Candace on the radio sounded like she sighed.
" I was. More than you know ."
Frank walked back to the desk and sat down.
"How are you able to talk to me? You’re some kind of ghost, right?"
" Not exactly ," she said. " There was an explosion at work. They told you that much I’m sure ."
"They did,"
" Well, the explosion didn’t just kill me; it irradiated my body in some terrible way near as I can figure. It killed me, but it kept the molecules intact. Alive and aware somehow. Even when I was cremated. It must have been the new isotope generator we had started using. Experimental. My ashes are nearby the radio I guess ."
Frank looked at the box and put a hand on it.
"You’re right next to the radio."
" I can feel it, that makes sense ," the voice said. " Where have you kept the box? I’ve been hoping you’d put me near something electronic to test my theory ."
"Theory? You’ve been a pile of ash for three months."
" Yes, and I’ve been just hovering around. It’s been awful--hearing you and not being able to say anything. It’s like being in hell ."
Frank was still reeling from this, but it was starting to sink in a little bit more.
"God, I’ve missed you so much Candy," he said.
" Then you need to help me, Frankie. You have to free me ."
"Free you how?"
"I need you to dump the ashes. You need to separate the ashes and scatter me. I think I can move on if you do that ,"
"Is this another theory?" Frank asked. Although he was getting closer to believing what was happening, he wasn’t so sure he wanted it to be over; just hearing her voice made him feel better.
" It is, but if I was right about the radio, I should be right about this ,"
Frank felt his eyes well up again.
"I don’t know that I can do that, baby. I really don’t know-"
" I have to tell you something that may make you change your mind ," she said.
"What?"
" I didn’t accidentally blow myself up ."
"I know. Those bastards were careless..."
" No, Frank. I blew myself up ."
Frank stared at the radio in disbelief. That didn’t make sense.
"Honey, that--"
" I killed myself ."
"You’re lying," he said. "You were happy. We were happy. You didn’t kill yourself."
" You were happy ," Candace said. " You were always happy, Frank. I’m sorry to say that, but you have to know ."
"You’re just saying that to make me dump the ashes," Frank said, but he knew when she was lying. He always did and she wasn’t lying now. "Why didn’t you say anything?"
" I tried to, but I couldn’t. I knew you’d never divorce me. Not without a fight. I just couldn’t...face you after our argument ."
Frank sat there, looking at the clock. He didn’t say anything at all, he just looked. The digital display still read 9:43 and flickered to 44 every few seconds.
Candace had wanted out. And she got out, alright. But that number...what the hell was that all about?
" Frank ?" Candy asked. " Are you still walking around ?"
"No, I’m here."
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