MYSTERY: Distance Hours - Becoming One Read online

  Mystery:

  Distance Hours:

  BECOMING ONE

  Jason Wood

  4

  Copyright © 2016 Jason Wood

  All rights reserved.

  Table Of Content

  Copyright

  Summary

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter3

  Free Book

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  Copyright 2016

  All Right Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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  Summary

  Becoming one

  Michaela Rhodes had the life that she wanted and the man that was letting her find out what love was without the sex. She has rid herself of tendencies that have haunted her from the very moment that she realized that she liked to kill. The maestro took advantage of her need and turned it into a lucrative venture. Her therapist Emily and boyfriend Neil are helping her in their own way. There are those that don’t want her to hang up her skills and one in particular has decided to draw her back into the game. What will happen when she has to face her demons? Can anybody save her from herself?

  Chapter one

  “I don’t know why you are talking like this, Michaela. I can’t believe that you would throw everything away and want to return to the way that you were. We’ve done some really good work. I hope this doesn’t have to do with Neil and his manly need for physical satisfaction. It might be time that both of you come in together and air some of this dirty laundry.” Emily had no idea why I had decided to put the brakes on our therapy sessions. I didn’t mind talking to her, but I had no choice but to refrain from the electroshock therapy.

  “I want the chance to do this and I hope that you can stand with me on this. I don’t like it any more than you do, but it’s not like I can’t come back to the therapy. We already know it works and maybe a bit of abstinence from electroshock will help me to find myself. You were the one that said if I continued with this therapy that I would become immune to it over time. I’m just going to test a theory and see if I can deal without it.” It was a bunch of bull shit, but it was the only way that I could explain to her the reason why I would want to do this.

  “As a therapist, I have to remind you of the person that you used to be. If you insist on doing this, then I’m going to have to make a few conditions. If whatever reason I feel that you are a danger to yourself or others, I will have to call the authorities to inform them that you are to be immediately taken in for questioning. You’re to call me anytime that you feel that you’re slipping. We are to beef up our sessions to twice weekly and even more if required.” She was a hard taskmaster, but I understood the worry on her face. I felt that deep down inside, but whoever was killing my friends and colleagues were not easily dissuaded.

  It had been 24 hours and I hadn’t heard anything about Rebecca. I could only assume that they were leaving me on the hook and making me sweat a little because of the fact that I didn’t kill that woman with the red streaks and purple hair. I did do some research with a facial recognition software that I had come across on the Internet. I’d taken her photo with my phone and I found out that her name was Michelle Storm. There didn’t seem to be any reason anybody would want to target her, but maybe this was just a matter of convenience. It could’ve been personal, but I saw no connection to her or any of my past dealings.

  “You drive a hard bargain, Emily, but I guess I will see you in the next couple of days. I hope this experiment goes well and I really didn’t like the way that I felt before all this began.” I saw that she was about to open her mouth and tell me that I didn’t have to do this and I was gonna have to cut her off at the pass. “This has been good for me and I hope that the hard work that we have done doesn’t get unraveled. I want you to know that your friendship and your professionalism has been a godsend to me. I even began to read the bible. I never had much use for religion in the past.” I had read several passages, but none of it really made any sense. I think the eye for an eye was the only thing that had a ring of truth.

  “You might find that going to church will give you some peace of mind. I’ve heard of the murders of your friends and I’m wondering if that might have a connection to why you want to shy away from the electrodes.” I was way too open with her and I was going to have to keep things to myself. I would love to have somebody to talk to about this, but these people seemed to have ears and eyes everywhere. They knew that I didn’t kill that woman and they made me pay for it by killing two teachers from the local college that I was teaching in.

  “I will give that some serious thought. I’m glad that we will continue to talk and maybe you can help me deal with some obstacles that are going to stand in my way. If I start to feel like my emotional well being is at stake, then I will certainly rethink my situation. I want to give myself a chance to live free of the electrodes. I want to live for the moment and not have to worry that my other self is going to take over. I saw the body of my friend Wilson and I felt that sharp tug back into a life that I had walked away from.” I didn’t believe in the quick fix, but this electroshock therapy had done wonders.

  “I am your friend, but I will sick the police on your door if I feel that there’s any kind of impropriety. You have a lot to make up for. I’m sure that your soul has been scarred from those things and you have done in the past. I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt, when everything in my being wanted to put you behind bars where you most likely belonged. I see some real progress and I’m not just saying that.” She was wearing a tasteful black leather skirt almost a carbon copy of the one that I was wearing. Hers was a little longer and mine was a little more provocatively shorter.

  “I understand that you were put into a tough situation. I know that other therapists might have thought otherwise about dealing with the likes of me. I’ve never really considered myself to be normal, but these last few months have proven to me that I can change. I just want to make sure that it’s not just the electrodes. It’s possible that that’s just a placebo effect and I guess there’s only one way to find out.” She was sitting there in her customary chair with her long leg over her other one and tapping that pen and slowly getting on my nerves.

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m going to have a lot of sleepless nights worrying about you. I don’t even want to think about what you’re going to do to help yourself to stay metaphorically sober. I may be your lifeline. Any time that you need me, I am only a phone call away. I will say that I admire your strength to try something like this, but I also think that you might be foolish into thinking that you are cured.” She didn’t know the half of it. I was terrified in more ways than one that things were going to come unglued in my mind. This person had no feelings and wanted me to shed that new layer of skin that I had built over the last one.

  “I’m not going to try to trick you into thinking that I am perfectly fine with all of this. I’ve given this a lot of thought and I think that it’s time that I try this cold Turkey. I don’t want to be on any medication or have to subject myself to inhumane experiments to curb my appetite. I haven’t even told Neil and I think that is one thing that has been weighing heavily on my mind. There’s something about him that makes me think that I’m not worthy of a man like him.” She was scribbling madly in that notebook and one day I was going to snatch it out of her grip and see what exactly she thought about me.

  “I hope that we are still on for la
dies night tonight. Georgia and Ginger are itching to try out a new club in town. I think I mentioned this the other day. They’re having a ladies night and there’ll be a lot of skin with men shaking what their mom gave them. I hate to be crass, but I have been a bit lonely and I think that having this time with my friends will do both of us more good than we can admit to ourselves. It doesn’t hurt that the men are all oiled up and the ladies will be screaming their heads off. I know that I will bring some money to make them put on a show that is worthy of the price of admission.” I had no interest in seeing any man naked other than Neil.

  I wondered if maybe that would change and how long it would take for the effect of going cold Turkey to hit me. I wanted to believe that I could fight my way through anything, but this was like a boulder that I had to roll up a large incline of hill. I didn’t like it and I would rather take those electrodes and do what was needed to be done to help me to walk a different path.

  “Neil is going to be out for the evening. He’s been working very hard and the boss is riding him something fierce. I have to wonder what is going to be his breaking point, because everybody has one. I think his time with you has softened him and made him more docile when it comes to a frustrating situation. He doesn’t want to lash out and I haven’t seen him bunch his fist in a while. You really are a testament to your profession, Emily. I’ll pick you up and then we’ll swing by and pick up Georgia and Ginger. From there, I’m sure that Sandra and Christina will be ready to get away from their husbands and crying babies.” I was never much for making friends, but these girls were starting to make me realize that I had been missing something. The easy way that we talked with each other had me thinking that it was just the beginning.

  I walked out of there and I thought of those girls that I would see tonight and I was hoping that my friendship with them wouldn’t put them in danger.

  Chapter two

  I had that sense that something was going to go wrong, but all there was no sign from my tormentor. Whoever was doing this was having too much fun at my expense and was allowing me this do, until they were ready to make their next demand. I got back home around six. That would give me just enough time to get dressed.

  I reached into my mailbox and I found the customary bills and junk mail, but there was also one package. It was small and something that you would find when you are about to open up an engagement ring. I was almost giddy with anticipation, but there was also this dull ache like something was coming back even stronger. The part of myself that had been extinguished with the electrodes was now creeping into my consciousness. I felt it grabbing hold and there were moments during the day that I looked at various people and wondered what they would look like hanging upside down with their wrists slit and dripping blood onto the ground in the town square.

  There were times that I saw normal mothers walking their children in their eyes would start to bleed and the stain of blood would spread along their clothing like it was a natural occurrence. I was seeing these visions and that blood lust for killing was right there for me to take a hold of and run with again. I prevented myself from feeling that way by sharp jabs into my thigh with the small pin inside my pocket. The pain helped me to hold back, but it was doing very little to keep those visions from flashing into my mind over and over again.

  “I thought that was you and I decided to come over and see if you’re looking forward to tonight.” Ginger was the redheaded vixen of our little group. She was known to be a little promiscuous. I was worried that Neil might succumb to her otherwise curvy charm, but so far he didn’t even seem to give her a second glance. That wasn’t true for most of the men in the neighborhood. You could bounce a quarter off her ass and those that were weak found themselves inside her bedroom or house of horrors as it had become known as. Men walked in and came out differently like they’d seen something or done something that they were ashamed of.

  “I don’t even know why you need to join us. You have a steady supply of men coming in and out of your house at every hour of the day. Don’t worry, I’m not one to judge and I’ve already told you that what you do is between you and god. I’m just curious. Do you even want something normal, or are you completely satisfied with the way that your life is going? I have Neil and I don’t think that I would want to be with anybody else.” What I didn’t say was that I had already tried every color of the rainbow. There were those that were better than others, but that was true of any partner that you got involved with.

  “What can I tell you, Michaela. I like sex… No… I love sex and I can’t get enough of it. I don’t know how you and Neil have been able to stand not touching each other and doing those things that are considered normal. You’ve been living with each other for the last few days and every time I see you, you seem relatively calm. Today is the first time that I see a change in your armor. You lip is quivering and I’m thinking that maybe Neil is not going to be able to hold you back for very much longer. You’re right, I don’t need this thing that we have tonight, but it’s the only time that I get to spend with my girls.”

  “Doesn’t it get a little boring after a while or maybe a little lonely having different guys all the time?” I wanted to know the answer but this smirk on her face told me that she was perfectly content. “Maybe it’s not necessary for you to answer that. There are some things that should be left unsaid.” I couldn’t get the sound of that little kids voice out of my head. The way that he taunted me and played with my mind was unconscionable.

  “I think that once you and Neil start to do something together you’ll realize what I’m trying to say. Life is about living and you better do something while you are here, because you never know when your time is up. I learned that the hard way from my mother and my sister dying of breast cancer. I’ve been very diligent about having myself checked regularly, but that kind of ticking time bomb in my gene pool is enough to make me want to sample everything that there is out there I am particular about my lover’s and they have to fit into a certain category that makes my knees week.” It was nice to know that she had standards. It didn’t appear that way, but I guess I was under the mistaken impression that she would do anything with two legs.

  “I think I understand and living on borrowed time, or that perception can be a little taxing on the body and mind. You’re right, we don’t know how long we have on this earth. We could be taken from it today and I think that I would have a couple regrets. It could be time to take him by the hand and drag him into the bedroom. I have been kind of curious to see his face when it happens.” I couldn’t say the words, but the intention of what I was getting at was not lost on Ginger.

  “I have an interesting blue leather dress that is going to have those guys onstage saluting in more ways than one and I’m sure that there are other girls that are going to be vying for their affection, but we have front row seats. We will literally feel their sweat coming off their bodies and we will be the first ones that they see when they come onstage.” This was a bit frivolity and harmless fun. It wasn’t like any one of us was going to take one of them home, but then again Ginger was that question mark on that statement. She lived for the moment and if something caught her fancy, then that guy didn’t stand a chance. Married men and single, it really didn’t matter and her main concern was her pleasure.

  “I have a little black dress that is pretty common in every woman’s closet. It’s quite something and very sheer. Let’s just say that it doesn’t leave much to the imagination.” I still had my hand on that package and it was almost like it was teasing me to open it. It was mocking me and I wanted to get rid of Ginger and go in and act surprised by the contents.

  “I hope that you are ready to get a little crazy tonight. The drinks will be flowing and the girls will be going crazy and all of us are going to be right there with them. It’s time that we let down our hair and do something that we wouldn’t normally do. I’m actually looking forward to taking Sandra’s hand and placing it on some young man’s slick and oiled chest.
She is very repressed and needs to break free of the chain of being a housewife with no time to herself. This will hopefully give her that recharge and send her back to her husband to put a smile on his face.” I had to smile and then I watched as she went back to her house. It wasn’t exactly her house, but she was a frequent visitor to the young man that was considered catnip to the girls in the neighborhood.

  They had a standing arrangement and a booty call in the middle of the night was not unheard of. I don’t think that I could’ve done something like that, but it didn’t mean that I couldn’t be happy for her.

  I carried the mail into the house and I sat down with that box in my hand. It didn’t have a name or return address and I had to assume that it was what I thought it was. Neil was being very secretive and I had a feeling that this might have been the crowning achievement to our relationship. I wanted to get down and dirty, but he was being a good boy. He wanted us to be pure and to get to know each other without having to take our clothes off. We were comfortable around each other and living together was a little difficult with that kind of temptation dangling in front of our faces, but we managed to make it work.

  Being the curious sort, I pulled the red ribbon on that orange box. It was a strange color combination. When I opened it, I was not stunned like most people would be. I stared at the bloody appendage. I would say from the cut that it was freshly made no more than a few hours ago. I didn’t want to believe that it was Rebecca’s little finger. I didn’t want to believe that, but the accompanying ring was something that she only wore.

  “This was their way of telling me that Rebecca was still alive, but I had hurt her by not doing what I was told. I wasn’t sure if even going off the unusual therapy was going to be enough to make me revert back to old habits.