Torment by Jeremy Seals Page B

the study didn’t
reveal the source, Eric was probably going to end up being admitted to the
hospital.
    While waiting for the bus, despite being alone at the
stop, he felt anxiety overtake him. Eric felt like he was going to be mugged
any second. His eyes darted about, trying to find the source of his paranoia.
He shook uncontrollably as adrenaline dumped into his system.
    The bus squeaked to a stop. Eric quickly rushed
onboard and found an empty seat. His uneasiness lingered, though the intensity
was significantly dialed down. He stared out the window at the passing city,
blinking sleepily as the rumbling warmth of the large vehicle made him nod off.
    A deep pothole jolted him awake. He opened his eyes to
a smooth faced, slit mouthed man in a black Australian campaign hat. Tiny
nostrils sat under a skinny, triangular nose. The fellow had irises so light a
shade of blue that they nearly blended into the sclera.
    Eric screamed out loud, recoiling from his window and
nearly tumbling into the isle. A quick supporting hand from the passenger
sitting opposite prevented it.
    “Whoa! You okay?” Called the driver.
    “Yeah!” Eric said too loudly. He looked at the fellow
rider who’d prevented a potential injury; a sturdy Latino man in a leather Cubs
jacket and matching hat. “Thanks for your help. Saved me from a nasty bump.”
    “No problem. You sure you’re all right?” The Cubs fan
asked. His friendly face showed clear concern. “You need a doctor?”
    “I’m okay,” Eric tried to smile. “I fell asleep and
had a nightmare or something. I feel like a dummy, but that’s all it was,
honest.”
    The Hispanic man looked doubtful. “I really don’t
think that’s all it was, but I won’t bug you about it. There’s a good clinic at
the next stop. I’m an accountant there. I know, I know, you don’t need a doc,
but….”
    He withdrew a business card with Hector Cortez, CPA printed neatly on it. “If you change your mind, call me. I’ll get you in
quick.”
    Touched almost to the point of tears, Eric took the
card. “Thank you, Mr. Cortez. I’ll come in if I need to. I just want to get
home and try to sleep at the moment.”
    Still looking concerned, Hector shook his head. “Fine.
At least you know where we are.”
    The bus came to a stop. Eric shook Hector’s hand.
“Thank you again.”
    Fondly, he watched the kindhearted fellow exit the
bus, joining the throng on the sidewalk. A small line was waiting to board. At
the end of the queue, a tall figure stood, hunched into a billowing black
overcoat. Curly white hair billowed from under his matching hat. The man’s face
was pointed down, additionally obscured by the upturned collar of his coat.
    An internal steel wire clenched around Eric’s guts.
The man raised his face slightly, exposing it just enough to show those
unsettling eyes. One hand raised in a wave.
    “Oh no,” Eric whispered. “Please don’t let him on.
Please, please, please! ”
    In a blink, the strange man vanished. Eric gawped in
surprise. He couldn’t believe that the being was gone. In a way, it was more
unsettling than actually seeing him. Hallucinating provided further evidence
that his condition was driving him steadily towards insanity.
    The remainder of his ride was thankfully uneventful.
Eric trudged home from the stop, now too tired to think even muddled thoughts.
He didn’t even bother getting his mail from the box in the lobby. All he wanted
to do was crash. Eric’s limbs felt heavy. His vision was blurry. Just punching
the elevator button to go up became a chore. It took an eternity for the car to
arrive.
    Finally, the doors slid open. He stumbled into it like
a zombie, studying the toes of his sneakers once inside. There was vague
awareness of another passenger, but he dismissed it. Lots of people lived in
the building. Eric punched his floor and leaned against the wall.
    “Tired?” A dragging, rusty voice rasped. “Poor Eric.”
    He spun, coming face to face with the