Read Online Year's End: 14 Tales of Holiday Horror by J. Alan Hartman - Free Book Online
Authors: J. Alan Hartman
Tags: Horror
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puny hundred dollars? I couldn’t believe I had that kind of vengeance inside me.
I zigzagged through side streets to the restaurant so I could meet Angela. But somehow, I ended up at 22 Balmour Avenue. I didn’t understand. I didn’t know anyone who lived here.
Or did I?
A tall women with short red hair answered the door. My mouth worked by itself again. “Hello, is Tom Leeman here?” I heard the name come out of my mouth and then remembered it. He had bullied me when I attended high school.
An aged Tom came to the door, still with the same pudgy cheeks, big ears.
“Yes.”
“I don’t know if you remember me, but you used to beat me up.”
I saw a flicker of recognition in his eyes. “You’re John Lambert.”
I nodded.
He seemed sad for a moment, then spread his hands. “I’m very sorry about that. I treated a lot of people badly in those days. Spent years in therapy to figure everything out. I’ve since turned my life around. Became a minister. However, I can understand if you still harbour ill will toward me.”
“It’s okay,” I said. “I forgive you.”
He smiled. I turned around to go. But, then my legs began to move on their own, turning back toward the door. My hands grabbed hold of them, trying to force them to move elsewhere, but they kept moving forward.
I stood in front of Leeman again.
“Forget something?”
“Yes.” I banged his head against the door hard, ten times. Just like he had done to me so many years back. He gasped, fell to the ground, blood pouring from his head. His wife came to the door and screamed.
I ran into the car, my whole body trembling, breathing hard.
I had turned into a monster.
Walters had told me there were three resolutions. I had to stop the third from happening. But my hand already held the keys and was about to insert them into the ignition. I seized the keys with my other hand and threw them to the ground. Then I reached for my cell phone and dialled Walters’ number.
“What have you done?” I screamed into the phone. “I’ve killed two people. I have to stop this.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Lambert. Once the process is begun, it cannot be halted.”
“There must be a way.”
“Afraid not.”
“Can you at least tell me what I’m going to do next? Maybe I can prevent it.”
I didn’t hear anything for a moment, then he spoke in a low tone. “Okay, because it’s your first time with us, Mr. Lambert, I’ll make an exception. I will decipher your files from the audio-graph.”
While I had been talking on the phone, my left hand had reached down, clutched the keys and started the car. My right hand latched onto the steering wheel and began turning it.
I slammed my foot on the brake to stop the car from moving.
I heard Walters’ voice. “Okay, the third resolution is that you’re going to kill your boss.”
“That can’t be. He’s generous, a good man.”
“Obviously you don’t truly think that.”
“This can’t be happening.”
“Mr. Lambert. We didn’t put these resolutions into your mind. It’s the nature of man to seek revenge for past hurts. Apparently, at your core, you have a lot of unresolved issues. Just the way it is. We merely free your unconscious to deal with things as it sees fit.”
He hung up and my foot lifted from the brake. My hands held tight onto the steering wheel and the car began moving.
Another murder would not happen. I would not allow it. Using all my strength, I forced the car down Denison Avenue rather than the boss’s street.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
A few minutes later, I arrived at the restaurant to meet Angela. My mind fired a thousand thoughts at me, but I refused to think about the dreadful acts I’d committed till I was in a safe place. I searched through the restaurant but couldn’t find Angela. I looked at my watch—ten thirty. Crap, she must be at the hotel.
I sped down to the Triumph Towers, my hands and feet seeming to do my bidding now. I raced up to the room.
I
I zigzagged through side streets to the restaurant so I could meet Angela. But somehow, I ended up at 22 Balmour Avenue. I didn’t understand. I didn’t know anyone who lived here.
Or did I?
A tall women with short red hair answered the door. My mouth worked by itself again. “Hello, is Tom Leeman here?” I heard the name come out of my mouth and then remembered it. He had bullied me when I attended high school.
An aged Tom came to the door, still with the same pudgy cheeks, big ears.
“Yes.”
“I don’t know if you remember me, but you used to beat me up.”
I saw a flicker of recognition in his eyes. “You’re John Lambert.”
I nodded.
He seemed sad for a moment, then spread his hands. “I’m very sorry about that. I treated a lot of people badly in those days. Spent years in therapy to figure everything out. I’ve since turned my life around. Became a minister. However, I can understand if you still harbour ill will toward me.”
“It’s okay,” I said. “I forgive you.”
He smiled. I turned around to go. But, then my legs began to move on their own, turning back toward the door. My hands grabbed hold of them, trying to force them to move elsewhere, but they kept moving forward.
I stood in front of Leeman again.
“Forget something?”
“Yes.” I banged his head against the door hard, ten times. Just like he had done to me so many years back. He gasped, fell to the ground, blood pouring from his head. His wife came to the door and screamed.
I ran into the car, my whole body trembling, breathing hard.
I had turned into a monster.
Walters had told me there were three resolutions. I had to stop the third from happening. But my hand already held the keys and was about to insert them into the ignition. I seized the keys with my other hand and threw them to the ground. Then I reached for my cell phone and dialled Walters’ number.
“What have you done?” I screamed into the phone. “I’ve killed two people. I have to stop this.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Lambert. Once the process is begun, it cannot be halted.”
“There must be a way.”
“Afraid not.”
“Can you at least tell me what I’m going to do next? Maybe I can prevent it.”
I didn’t hear anything for a moment, then he spoke in a low tone. “Okay, because it’s your first time with us, Mr. Lambert, I’ll make an exception. I will decipher your files from the audio-graph.”
While I had been talking on the phone, my left hand had reached down, clutched the keys and started the car. My right hand latched onto the steering wheel and began turning it.
I slammed my foot on the brake to stop the car from moving.
I heard Walters’ voice. “Okay, the third resolution is that you’re going to kill your boss.”
“That can’t be. He’s generous, a good man.”
“Obviously you don’t truly think that.”
“This can’t be happening.”
“Mr. Lambert. We didn’t put these resolutions into your mind. It’s the nature of man to seek revenge for past hurts. Apparently, at your core, you have a lot of unresolved issues. Just the way it is. We merely free your unconscious to deal with things as it sees fit.”
He hung up and my foot lifted from the brake. My hands held tight onto the steering wheel and the car began moving.
Another murder would not happen. I would not allow it. Using all my strength, I forced the car down Denison Avenue rather than the boss’s street.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
A few minutes later, I arrived at the restaurant to meet Angela. My mind fired a thousand thoughts at me, but I refused to think about the dreadful acts I’d committed till I was in a safe place. I searched through the restaurant but couldn’t find Angela. I looked at my watch—ten thirty. Crap, she must be at the hotel.
I sped down to the Triumph Towers, my hands and feet seeming to do my bidding now. I raced up to the room.
I
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