Page 16 of The House of Whispers

A sense of curiosity drove me as I rose to my feet, the magik circle that once protected me now faded away. I cautiously made my way to the candle, watching as the small flame danced. An overbearing feeling of someone behind me sent a shiver up my spine—I wasn’t alone.

I prepared myself, inhaling deep before turning fast. I swung my arm, only to have it forcibly stopped. Jakkal stood directly in front of me, my arm firmly in his grasp. He was so close, our bodies inches apart. I tugged my arm from him, stumbling back, wobbling as he leered over me.

“What the hell are you doing here? Haven’t you caused enough trouble for one night?” I demanded, balancing myself.

Jakkal remained still.

“Why did you let him help you?” His question was unexpected. Was he referring to Nathair helping me? His mask tilted, the top hat following as if attached to his head—waiting for my reply.

My foot slowly stepped back, cautious of how close he was.

“Answer me, Casper.” He stepped closer, repeating his question. “Why did you let that man help you?”

His voice felt off. He sounded—hurt? Insulted?

“Why do you care?” Another step back.

“Because, little ghost,” he stepped closer, “you have now made this a three-player game.” He moved fast, roughly pinning me against the wall, “and I don’t like to share.” His voice had morphed into a growl.

His body pressed against mine as I struggled to breathe. Anger and other emotions churned as I clenched my teeth. Magik glowed from my hands as I tried to force him off of me.

“Oh, yes.” His own hands glowed, his magik fighting mine. “Show me the darkness you bury deep inside.” I could feel the smile beneath his mask grow as he enjoyed watching me struggle.

Jakkal leaned in, the nose of his mask lightly brushing my neck as he inhaled. Our magik continued to fight, slamming into one another as he moved. “I’m not sure what entices me more, your scent or the smell of that woman’s blood soaked into your clothing.”

“Let me go,” I gasped. Jakkal stood still, looking down at me as I continued to struggle. Our magik blended into one another, creating an almost black glow.

“Haven’t you learned anything, dear Casper?” He leaned in, whispering into my ear, his breath hot against my skin. “There is no escaping me. I’m never letting you go.”

As Jakkal leaned back, he moved one of his arms, pinning his forearm into my neck as he retrieved something from his tailored pocket.

“Time to get some sleep.” He opened his hand to reveal the red dust from before.

No, not again.I struggled, moving beneath his grasp, fighting his strength.

“Save your strength, Casper. You’re going to need it.” Jakkal blew the powder into my face as I tried to hold my breath, fighting the urge to pass out. “Don’t fight it, it’ll only make things worse.” My magik faded as my lungs ached in defiance. I needed to breathe, but I knew I couldn’t. “Breathe, Casper. You’re going to need your wits for what I have in store for you.” My lungs screamed as I continued trying to hold on. Jakkal punched me in the stomach, causing me to gasp, inhaling sharply. He pushed the handful of powder into my face, the red dust coating the inside of my mouth, choking me as it made its way deep into my lungs. My body instantly fell limp, my mind beginning to swirl as all feeling left me. I sank toward the floor, Jakkal quickly catching me as he cradled me. He carried my numb self into the empty hallway and entered my room. His magik shut the door as he gently placed me on top of my bed.

“One day, you will be free to play with no rules. No more hiding and no more suffocating your true self.” His gloves traced my face as my eyes rolled back. All strength left me as I faded off to sleep, Jakkal seated at my side.

“Dream of playful nightmares, little ghost.”

My consciousness faded, clouded by intense flashes of deep red that broke through the thick, muted darkness. I choked on the mysterious powder as it clung to the inner lining of my lungs, gagging me. My mind struggled, grappling with reality as I tried to force myself to stay awake, clawing at my awareness.

The sound of a blade scraping in the distance, followed by heaving breathing, echoed as the dizzy nightmare swirled through my brain, snaking freely through my thoughts. Another lightning strike of red flashed, the sounds of a blade tinging as I faintly recognized the distorted memory. It was the Scaley’s room next to mine. Before I could fully grasp the image, I was ripped away as a high-pitched ringing pierced my ears and everything faded. My body fell down a swirling void, landing into a new memory. I found myself standing in the dark, tunnel-like room from before—Jakkal’s room. My eyes struggled to remain focused, an impending migraine weighing heavily as I scanned the eerie room, trying to grasp at the foggy recollection of where I was. The same rounded-off walls, chains, and dim lighting as before. And yet, it wasn’t like before. It feltdifferent. It felt as though the image had been placed into water, the edges running off into the darkness around as it rippled into my memory.

Cautiously stepping around the room, I tried to figure out what was off and piece together the fuzzy flashback. The memory flickered. Suddenly, his fox mask appeared on the simple wooden table that stood in the center of the room. My head tilted as I approached the table, hesitant but curious. My fingertips ran along the rough material, noticing numerous old bloodstains. They glided across the curve of the eye cutouts covered in a dark black mesh material. Something about the mask ignited a strange fire deep inside. Another red flash of lightning occurred. My head throbbed as the memory rippled, causing me to pull away from the mask and grab at my skull attempting to silence the sudden ringing.

This isn’t real. This memory isn’t mine.Another strike of lightning.Why is this happening?

“It’s because of the drugs.” My hand flinched at the sound of his voice, knocking the fox mask to the floor and I stumbled back. The mask rolled to the edge of the room and into the shadows, stopping abruptly as a gloved hand reached from the darkness, resting atop the mask. His eyes glowed in the black shadows as the hand drew the mask into the darkness. I strained, trying to focus on his presence, unable to do so as rippling darkness distorted all around me.

“It seems your brilliant mind can only handle so much of my special concoction.” The burning of his eyes disappeared as a tall figure rose, stepping from the shadows. The memory flickered again as he rested his black top hat on what seemed to be rust-colored hair—or was it brunette? I squinted, struggling to grasp the details as he stepped closer, his silhouette now in full view.

I swallowed hard. “What do you mean your ‘special concoction’?” My legs were frozen as he lured over me, his head looking down as my breathing increased.

“Why, my magik powder, of course.” Jakkal lightly brushed past me as he scaled the simple staircase and headed toward the single door. “Follow me. I think it’s time we strolled through the memories you have hidden from yourself.”

My body was pulled by an invisible thread, forcing me to follow close behind, remaining near as he dissolved through the doorway. Gasping, I walked through the doorway and entered, to my surprise, the Scaley’s room. On the floor, Jakkal was carving away at her lower abdomen. Red flashes distorted the memory as he then stood in front of me, her kidney in his blood-covered, gloved hand. The sight of the organ made me sick. Jakkal forcefully grabbed my hand, raising it as he placed the kidney in my open palm. Blood splattered across the sleeves of my blouse, casting specs of blood across my chest. I stared at the still-warm organ, my hand shaking as Jakkal held it atop his. I began to silently panic as more memories poured into my mind overlapping one another, creating a loud burst of static. The room had flooded with images and sounds. My lungs felt as though I was drowning, gasping for air as the pressure pushed against me. Lightning flashed, throwing us into a new nightmare.

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