...... and the door opened. There was a silhouette of a man, but the light was still too strong for the kid's (George's) eyes to handle. The kid shut his eyes and heard footsteps approach. The footsteps stopped, and the kid opened his eyes (so does George).
Then both of them screamed........
George awoke on the sofa, where he had fell asleep the night before. His body slumped, and he could feel his chest rising and falling the way a ventilator does when its at work. Hus head was also pounding. He struggled as he sat up straight, his arms supoorting his body. When he was sure that his position was stable, he focused on restabilizing his breathing. Moments later, he finally got things under control. He tried to remember what happened last night, and the horrors he encountered returned. He pushed them away and focused on what happened after. He remembered running home, grabbing a bottle of brandy, then pumping himself with its cintents until he fell asleep. But he knew that something else happened. He remembered the truth. That was it, but it was all lost now. Whatever he remembered last night was forgotten again. But one thing he couldn't forget was the nightmare. It had come for him again, but this time, it had been more vivid than how he visioned it yesterday while the humming voice sounded. George down on his pants and found them dry, then reached around his butt and found normal too. You done grew up, George.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbozt2UwN4Y
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He grabbed the brandy bottle, returned to the cabinet and went to the bathroom. He saw himself in the mirror and thought, Shit. I still got my uniform on. Luckily he had two spares. He checked his watch, 7:00, swore, then moved quickly. He needs to have the store opened by 8:00.
By 7:20, he had done everything he needed to do at home. He had taken a bath, brushed his teeth, changed his clothes, ate his breakfast (which consisted of crackers and three glasses of milk), and had put yesterday's clothes in the washer. He stood at his door and looked around him. No human being was in sight. Well, it's too damn early for town, I guess. George tried to smile or grin or whatever at his remark, but failed. He still had the shivers from last night, both from the strangeness the town had shown him and the nightmare he had had.
******
"---the weather forecast for today. Now we go to Freddy Deren for this noon's--"
George swore. Once again he failed to listen attentively to the radio and almost ended up listening to the piece of shit named Freddy Deren. George looked around the store and everything was as it was yesterday. And it seemed like business was slow. Again. This didn't put George at ease, since he wanted some company to keep the scary thoughts away, but Max would be arriving 2 hours or 3 hours later. Customers doesn't seem to be coming either. George decided to read some magazines.
He still hadn't found a mag he's interested in when Danny Bianchi entered the shop. Geoege stopped rummaging through the drawers and looked at Danny. His customer was rubbing the soles of his shies against the rough welcome mat. "What the fuck are you doing? You stepped on dogshit or something?", George finally asked. "Just so you know, I also clean that mat."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTlyxdLcc8
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"It ain't dogshit. Just some bubblegum an idiot spit on the street, " Danny replied, then cintinued to rub harder than earlier, a mocking grin on his lips. George didn't catch it yet though.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3tqQpKbyX
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"Good for you, bad shit for me. Stop-----" George was the one who stopped, his fingers frozen in midair as he pointed at Danny. He thought everything sounded familiar, and his mind spoke, This conversation was what you had yesterday, George. You still sleepin? George shut up and went back to fiddling with he magazines. He grabbed one without looking at the bunch of mags, then looked at what he got. A blonde woman wearing fatigue tops that opened at the middle,exposing her bare breast. Shit. I'm still asleep. He jammed the magazine back in the drawers and proceeded to watch Dannybrowse the shelves. He had already asked the question before he knew he was speaking, "So, how's Julia?" George winced. Danny glanced at him nervously, then his eyes seemed to look everywhere. This is the truth of what George saw now.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9D01wh0L1O
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"Juliaaaaaaa," Danny said, as if he wasn't into the conversation. His eyes though, were suddenly focused on the items. "yeahhhh, she's still breathing, at least.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMa1CcuAzME
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George continued staring at Danny, his eyes unblinking, and he felt goosebumps cover his entire body. His ball sac seemed to retreat unto itself, and he felt them glue themselves onto his testes. His hands fidgeted. His tongue repeatedly darted out, licking his lips. He looked at his feet and saw his right one tapping rhytmically to music he couldn't hear. Then he lifted his gaze and saw Danny approaching with items cradled in his arms. Shaving kit. Shaving cream, Alcohol. Energy bars. George swore under his breath, and luckily, Danny didn't seem to hear. Then Danny spoke, startling him a bit. "Actually, she's one of the reasons I came here." George looked at Danny and waited for more. "Well, punch these items first." George punched the items slowly, not aware that he was somehow reciting what they were as he put them in front of the sensor. When he was done, Danny was looking at him quizzically. He gestured to the machine, and Danny glanced at it. Danny paid for items, looked at George in the eyes, rubbed his own, then spoke. But George knew what he was going to say. He didn't interrupt though.
"She ain't really doing good, Georgie......"
George wanted to scream, he wanted to run, he wanted pound Danny, but instead, he stood unmoving, his eyes focused on the man before him and listened to his story even though he knew how it went. After the story, George pretended to think, then said, "Wait here." He went into the backroom and grabbed the Trazodone. He returned then gave the pills to Danny. "Trazodone. Works like a charm. Believe me." He watched Danny's face lighten up, exactly the same way it did yesterday, and he felt very, very afraid. Danny looked turned around, wiped his eyes and said, "I hope this works. I owe you big time, Georgie. You're a real life saver." George didn't reply immediately and just watched. 3 seconds later, Danny was constantly wiping his eyes, and George could bear no more. "Go. Take care of her." Danny turned his head halfway and grinned, then proceeded to leave the store. When Danny was two meters away from the door, George put his hands against his ears and made sure he had planted his feet onto the ground.
The humming sound boomed.
George's covering of his own ears didn't do a thing. The sound still boomed inside his head, and he waited for the sound to abate. He watched Danny lower his hands and kne that this time around, a vision would come. But no vision did. George craned his neck then looked around, as if looking around would bring him the vision. Or the daydream. Then Danny spoke, "You still hearing this shit? Damn thing seems to be inside my head."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3kVejDPCOw
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George decided to play along. He walked around the counter and did what he did yesterday. "There's probably a science behind this. Sound waves or some shit," George paused as the other man listened, then continued, "you go there, I check here. Check every single thing. But most importantly, listen against the walls." Danny seemed to wait for a more detailed instruction, but George gestured towards the east side of the store and Danny obeyed. He watched the young man do what he did the day before, and he himself walked the same way he had walked yesterday, minus the listening and the craning if the neck. Instead, he watched Danny. When Danny was done, George decided that he was done too. They met in the middle of the store and Danny babbled, or so it seemed to George. He wasnt listening anymore, he was impatient. He wanted the day to end quickly, just how, he had no fucking idea. He didn't know wjat Danny was talking about anymore, but he just butted in, "You know, your wife needs you in times like these. Go and be a good husband to your wife. I'll check around the store and look for whatever the fuck is making this sound." Danny stared at him, puzzled. George only stared back. After 5 seconds, Damny gave up, nodded, then proceeded to leave the store. "Please get to the bottom of this sound. This store's a mess with it." Then he left. George stayed where he was, knowing that things with Danny weren't done yet. The moment he saw Danny's mouth open, he stepped outside the store.
"You hearing this, sir?"
George's head turned to his right to look at Max.
Except, it wasn't Max. This guy was no blonde, and was definitely older than Max. Max also called this sound "shit", but this guy didn't. "Who're you?" Geirge said, his voice demanding an answer. The man flinched, then answered, "It's Max sir. Maximilian Wilson."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsms67r39aP
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George thought he heard wrong and demanded once again, his hands flicking three times, swirling quickly towards himself. "Say your name again." The man repeated his name, "Maximilian Wilson, sir. Been a trainee for----"
"MaxiMILian? Not MaxiMALian?" George's face was now contorted with irritation.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIe6CG1IXNY
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"Uh yes sir. Haven't heard of someone called MaxiMALian in my life. Sounds----"549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOGPS8qwLQ3
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"You fucking with me, asshole?" George was now mad. He was now advancing towards the man when Danny's hands gripped him, stopping him in his tracks. He shut his eyes briefly, took a deep breath and shrugged the arms off. He turned towards Danny whose mouth was starting to open. "Not a word, Danny." Danny's mouth shut. Then he said, "Get in the store, Max. I'm sorry. I woke up on the wrong side if the bed." Max obeyed and entered the store, but George felt him maintaining a distance.
George waited for the sound to end, but it didn't not yet. He looked around and saw people, people who were obviously hearing the same sound.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSC8edtDLcT
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Grace Mitchell was one, Ralph Mitchell's wife.
(his eyes were drawn to the windows........... Beside the window stood Mr Mitchell, staring at him.......... And he knew that this was not Ralph.)
Then another one was Michael Rogers, his head craning in exaggeration.
(he heard Michael Rogers' voice shouting........ "Fuck! Fuck! You shithead motherfucking, cuntlicking writer! Why can't you whore-devourer write anything! Just write a motherfucking sentence, you sonofadickk!"............ )
Then there was the mother-daughter tandem. Rebecca Walter held Honey Walter's hand as they walked warily, the mother's eyes searching for the Source, and the kid with her fingers poking through her ears.
(George saw Honey Walter by the gate if their compound....... She was talking to someone......... no one........ she was alone..........)
Then there was Walter Hanks (not a relative if the rich Walters) in his uniform, currently on the way back to the hospital from coming back from an errand, but has stopped momentarily to listen to the sound.
(........ I see them Mr. Rozier. I watched them die, but I see them again now......) 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCwTCeCijrS
****
The sound stopped and everyone else went their way, including Danny. George was frozen in place, afraid to move, but he somehow found the strength to force himself. He turned around and held the door handle. He paused, and spoke to himself
"It's them. They're all affected. Everyone was here, we all listened. And later they will all go crazy. Fuck me twice, we will all go crazy."
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But even then, George Rozier knew that he started the story of his own insanity. 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKf75RwumnC
