Dark Side Darker

by Lucas T. Harmond

  Rufus and Karen were now both looking at him. They sat awkwardly together on the smaller of the sofas. They said nothing, but the look in their eyes spoke volumes. The wave of their mixed emotions swept up on his opened mind like an infection and he was left reeling.

  “Man, you okay?” Rufus asked him.

  Josh blinked dumbly. “How’d we get here?”

  “You passed out, we carried you,” Carthy told him blankly. He smiled then added. “Go anywhere nice?”

  Josh frowned. He could still feel his mind expanded and then paused on Carthy. There his outward field of sensation stopped as abruptly as if it hit a barrier.

  Strange thoughts were running through his mind. They seemed to drop in from nowhere and their sudden reappearance bothered him greatly. It was as it had been before, only now it was more intense and it was coupled with the knowledge that this time it was definitely for real.

  “It is,” Carthy said. Karen and Rufus both suddenly looked at him.

  “Don’t come in to my mind!” Josh told him.

  Carthy laughed. “Oh come on, it’s not like I’ve got a choice. It’s leaking out everywhere! I’m gonna’ have to teach you how to control that ol’ brain of yours. It’s too powerful a weapon to leave unchecked. We’re gonna’ have to put a few filters and safety catches into it or fuck knows what’s gonna’ happen!”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Just that!” Carthy told him. “That Blue stuff has woken up parts of your mind which you have no idea how to control at the moment. As you are, you’re just as likely to destroy yourself as you are someone else and you probably wouldn’t even know you were doing it.”

  Karen looked anxious. “What’s it done to him??”

  Carthy turned to look at her intensely. “ESP, telepathy, manipulation of kinetic energy... can’t you feel it?”

  Karen shook her head.

  Carthy looked at Rufus. “You?”

  “Nah’, not a thing!”

  Carthy shrugged. “Never underestimate the power of denial,” he said to Josh, then continued. “Certain barriers have been removed from Josh’s perception. His power isn’t new as such, no it’s simply that now he can see what before his psyche would not allow him to. The program they got set-up is relatively simple. you simply don’t acknowledge the true state of your reality because it never occurs to you to do so. After all why consider something you have never been told? Unfortunately some people are so, shall we say, gifted, that they have no choice but to acknowledge what your society deems as being insanity as in fact being truth. It is this paradox which eventually actually does send them insane, leaving them both fully aware and totally insane, which of course leads to further infection of your mass consciousness. Leading you all closer to your final destruction. As I say, never underestimate the power of denial.”

  “I have no idea what the hell you’re talking about!” Karen told him.

  “Yeah and that’s the problem isn’t it? ” Carthy said cynically. “Still, fuck it! I’m not here to preach.”

  Josh was sitting, feeling deeply troubled. There was weird shit coming into his mind, and as much as he tried he couldn’t block it out. He realised Carthy was fixing him with a dark smile. He turned his eyes on him and tried to speak to him telepathically.

  In his mind Carthy laughed. ‘That’s not how you do it kid! Don’t think about how to do it, just do it!’

  ‘Like how? It’s that easy!?’

  In the real world Carthy nodded. Josh sensed his friends’ unease and realised they were both watching his silent conversation.

  ‘They, they can’t see this? Why?’

  Carthy’s eyes flashed quickly over his two companions and Josh felt them shiver. ‘Scares them so much they can’t acknowledge it. you could speak to them but it would only get all tangled up in their subconscious mind. Not that the subconscious truly exists.’

  ‘Then how...’

  Rufus’ voice seemed suddenly very loud. “Hey, are you guys talking to each other?”

  Carthy looked at him, smiled and inevitably added, “Yes!”

  Rufus jumped visibly. “Shit!” He recovered slightly. “Fuck me! Does that mean you can see into my mind?”

  “If I wanted to,” Carthy said using his real tongue again.

  “Cool,” Karen beamed and then seemed to re-think the notion and looked troubled. “All the time?” she asked.

  Carthy smiled something wicked. “Yeah, any time I choose honey!” Then he stood up. “I’m getting another beer, anyone else want one?”

  For the first time Josh noticed the collection of empty beer bottles on the table. He found himself questioning how long he’d been out cold for.

  “Er yeah,” said Rufus.

  “I’m alright for now, thanks,” Karen answered, even now not letting her good breeding slip.

  Carthy nodded and left the room.

  Karen watched him leave and then quickly rushed over to Josh, clinging to him with a frantic energy which had not been apparent before. “Josh,” she hissed. “We’ve got to get the hell out of here!”

  Rufus was watching the kitchen door. “Careful hon’, he can read your mind!”

  Josh’s head was beginning to swim again, the rush of Karen’s panic making him almost black out. He snapped back to reality and flinched. “Don’t touch me. Not right now!”

  Karen stood back startled. “Why Josh? What’s wrong?”

  Josh laughed low and dark. There were strange things whispering into his mind’s eyes. Things ancient and carried on only as psychic echoes. He looked back up at Karen and his eyes were barely his own, gleamed with some dark inner-light. “If he can read your mind, don’t you think this is all rather pointless?”

  “It is,” Carthy’s voice came casually out from within the kitchen followed by the pop and hiss of a bottle being opened.

  “Oh shit!” Rufus said standing up. “What’s he gonna’ do now?”

  “Nothing,” Josh said calmly. “He needs us.”

  Karen said nothing. She was terrified by what she could see behind Josh’s eyes and when he spoke, his voice—Karen’s thoughts trailed off as his eyes fell back on her. Her hand fell to her mouth and she stepped back.

  “What’s wrong?” Josh asked.

  “Oh god your eyes! Jesus they’re like Sarah’s!!”

  “What I’m gonna’ do,” said Carthy, re-entering the room with three beer bottles, apparently unaware of the current situation, “is give you guys a beer and then find out exactly what it is you know about these drug dealers of yours.” He looked at Josh, blinked and then as casual as always said, “Oh, you’ve entered Deep I see.”

  “What the fuck does that mean?” Rufus asked, panicked now that he too had seen Josh’s eyes.

  Carthy looked at him like a wayward child. “Deep trance Rufus, a deep trance. Josh is looking out from the other side.”

  Rufus’ voice rose in hysteria. “Yo and what the fuck is that? Is he gonna’ turn into some kind of freak like Cally? Ah shit man this is so far fucked up! Man this is so far past being fucked up!!! I mean it’s FUBAR!!!” Karen tried to soothe him. “Rufus, it’s alright.”

  “Nah’ honey, it isn’t. I can’t cope with any more of this shit! i mean you didn’t see what it did to her! Oh fuck, aah’ shit man!!!”

  Carthy suddenly barked. “Rufus, shut the fuck up and sit the fuck down!”

  Rufus did so instantly and looked up at Carthy with a mixture of absolute awe and barely hidden terror. He knew that Carthy could have instructed him to do anything and he would have obeyed, willing or not.

  “Jesus,” he said to himself quietly.

  Carthy looked frustrated. “God damn it, okay look, here’s your beers.” “What’s wrong with my eyes?” Josh asked Karen. “They’re all fucking black man!” Rufus yelped. Carthy turned on him with sudden rage. “Look Rufus, shut the fuck up! He’s okay I swear. His psyche’s too strong for anything to take root.” He paused. “Besides...” Carthy shook his head and whatev
er he had been about to say was replaced with silence instead.

  He slumped down into his chair and sighed. “Jesus!” he said. “Humans!” and took a long swig from his beer bottle. Carthy wiped froth from his lips and fixed Josh with a hard glare. “So man, these dealers, what did they look like?” Josh was having trouble focusing on the present situation. He was smiling and he could feel his mind filling with ancient knowledge. What he felt was raw power.

  Carthy looked amused. “Josh?”

  “Yes!” answered Josh, again becoming aware of his voice.

  “Tell me about the people you bought the drug from.”

  Josh nodded silently, saw the faces of the drug dealers flash through his mind, got a sense of them briefly and then spoke. “Their names were Mindy, Baz’ and Gary. There was a fourth one but his name was never mentioned. I believe it was Gary who was in charge. There was also...”

  Carthy interrupted. “No, Josh you don’t have to data stream. Just visualise the people for a second, see them in your mind. visualise the place they lived in, the street, as much as you can. Can you do that?”

  Josh sat silent.

  “Josh?”

  “I’m doing it now.”

  “Okay, good.” Carthy’s brow was creased up into deep concentration.

  Josh again saw the same faces, flashes of violence, someone being beaten down an alley. A face of a troubled woman, Gary’s mother. Saw a multitude of different visions and emotions all within the same second. Gary was staring directly at him. His words slurred out in slow motion in the back of his consciousness, some futile threat.

  Carthy nodded as if he’d confirmed something he’d already guessed. “Meat puppets,” he said to himself and Rufus shot him a concerned glance. He hadn’t liked the way that sounded.

  “Okay,” Carthy said. “Josh, now I want you to try and see where they get the Blue from. I want you to look through their eyes. Can...”

  Josh spoke automatically. “Yes!”

  “What are you seeing?”

  “I’m not sure. It’s dark, I’m under something large. Noise—no— cars! Cars moving overhead. I’m not one of the people who we bought Blue from. No this is someone else.”

  Carthy nodded. “No, that’s okay, stick with it. What are you doing?”

  “Cold, very cold. I’m waiting for someone—a strange name, Malok I think, yes Malok.”

  Carthy shook his head. “It means nothing to me. What else do you see?”

  Both Karen and Rufus were watching intently.

  “Cages,” Josh said suddenly. “A dark space full of cages. There’s something in the cages but I can’t see what they are.”

  Carthy interrupted again. “That’s alright Josh, don’t try to. What else? Try to move back to the drug dealers. The Asians.”

  Rufus looked over at Carthy and forced himself to speak. “Hey man, is he okay? I’ve seen what this shit does.”

  “Yeah, he’s fine,” Carthy said absently, then continued speaking to Josh. “Yeah that’s right. Good. Okay I need to see how they met the, er others.”

  “Hmmm’, that’s confusing,” Josh said and his voice was becoming more distant by the second. More dream-like and vague. His eyes were closed now and Karen at very least was glad. “Conflict of some sort. I can—I can feel someone coming closer.”

  Carthy looked startled. “Okay, okay Josh move back from wherever you are. Re-focus yourself in the room, you doing that?”

  “Is he okay?” Karen asked.

  Carthy waved her away. “Are you doing that Josh?”

  “Is he...”

  “Not now!” Carthy snapped. “Josh?”

  “Yes, I’m back in the room.”

  “Okay, and I need you to do this quickly. I want you to visualise the drug dealers and I want you to find the next time a meeting between them and the suppliers takes place.”

  “Hmmm... that’s not easy, it’s vague.”

  “Try Josh, try!”

  “I’m seeing a black van.”

  “When Josh, when?”

  “Night time.”

  “Okay I’m gonna’ ask you for a time.”

  “I can’t, I can’t focus. Something’s here again.”

  “Shit! Okay, the day, Josh! Quickly!”

  “I can’t—wait—tomorrow, it happens tomorrow. Someone’s looking at me, reaching out.”

  “Okay Josh, quickly come back and blank your mind—do it now!!!”

  “Shit, what the hell’s happening?” Karen blurted.

  Josh had fallen silent, his blank eyes staring through the television set. Rufus followed his gaze and saw the picture was flickering madly.

  “Whoa!” he said and looked back to Josh.

  Still Josh sat silently.

  “Josh can you hear me?” Carthy asked urgently.

  “Yes,” said Josh.

  “Are you back in the room now?”

  There was a slight pause. “Yes.”

  “And the others, are they gone now?”

  Another pause and then. “Yes.”

  Carthy sighed, obviously relieved. “Okay, you did good kid. Rest now.”

  REALITY CHECK

  “LONG TIME NO SEE, MAN.”

  Josh slumped down onto one of the raised bar stools. The long chrome stem was rusted and the fake leather cushion was badly slashed. The bar had the same thick musty smell he remembered and dust motes danced in the muddy light.

  Josh shrugged. “Yeah, well, you know how it is.”

  The creature smiled. It was grotesquely fat, folds of the stuff gathered under its large jaw. It shuffled about behind the bar cleaning dirty glasses with stubby, baby sized hands.

  Josh looked up. “So how long has it been?”

  The bartender laughed. “Shit baby, you know better than to ask that! How long has it been! Huh.” He laughed and Josh smiled.

  “What can I say, I’m a tourist.”

  “So what brings you here J?”

  Josh frowned, couldn’t remember at all and suddenly he was questioning where he actually was.

  Josh opened his eyes and was staring up at a yellowing ceiling.

  “Hmmm—where... the?” His words were clouded between sleep and being awake. Half conceived thoughts. Slowly his senses sharpened.

  Josh realised his head was throbbing and he was experiencing a weird sensation which was not unlike an acid comedown. Nothing felt particularly real and he felt a certain detachment from his own body and room. The room, he realised, was not his own.

  “This is beginning to be a habit,” he murmured and slowly sat up.

  One look at the ceramic donkey in a yellow straw hat on the windowsill told him he was still at Carthy’s rented place.

  “Ahh Jesus!”

  Josh rubbed his aching temples and, realising that he was still dressed, decided to make his way to the living room.

  On the way, he tried to recall what it was he had dreamed about. He remembered sitting at a bar somewhere, talking to... Who? As always he felt concerned. Something didn’t sit right with his dream. It had felt too real but the details were muddled now. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get to who he had been talking to. “A friend,” he felt certain of that and he could almost remember who. Almost. Every time he was on the verge of remembering, the thought danced away elusively and deeper into his mind.

  Something opened up in his head, bang, and Josh, stunned, fell and braced himself against the wall with a heavy thud.

  “What the hell was that?” he asked himself. What ever the vision was had been so extreme that his senses had all but blocked it out. All he had seen clearly was fire and... and something burning. “Jesus,” he said again, “what a nightmare.”

  The door to the living room opened up and Rufus stood staring at Josh. He saw that Josh was crumpled up against the wall. “Hey man, you okay?”

  Josh eased himself back up. “Yeah,” he said, “a vision or something.” He paused. “Carthy’s not here is he?”

  “No,” said
Rufus and then he frowned. “Hey, how’d you know? Actually you don’t have to answer that. you’ve got that whole mind-meld thing goin’ on.”

  Josh wasn’t really listening. “I think we should get the hell out of here,” he told him.

  Rufus shook his head. “No good, he locked us in!”

  Josh nodded. “Windows?”

  “No, we thought of that. Too high, nothing to jump onto. Besides, you were still asleep.”

  “Well I’m not now,” Josh looked at the door at the end of the hallway. “Looks pretty flimsy, reckon we could get it off its hinges.”

  “Yeah, but I just don’t think it’s a very good idea, what then?”

  “I’m not following.”

  “Well we still don’t know shit and this Carthy guy seems to be pretty clued in.”

  Josh eyed him for a second. “You trust him?”

  Rufus shrugged. “I don’t know, doesn’t seem too bad for a demonic cop or whatever he is. Hey do you buy his story?”

  Now Josh shrugged. “Don’t know. I’m pretty sure he’s hiding something but I can’t see what it is.”

  He was silent for a second. “How is she by the way?”

  Rufus smiled. “Which bitch?”

  “Well both I guess but, no, I meant Sarah.”

  Rufus looked mildly troubled and then looked away to a doorway behind him. “Well Josh man, it’s hard to tell. I mean I don’t know what to say cuz’ I don’t exactly know what’s wrong with her. Half an hour ago she started talking some weird creepy type shit in her sleep, but she seems alright now.” He turned back to face Josh. “I guess,” he said solemnly, “she’s exactly as she was.”

  Josh felt anxious. “I’ve got to see her.”

  “Well if you’ve got to, but I don’t think it’ll make any difference.”

  Neither of them had noticed Karen move to lean in the opened doorway and they jumped when she spoke. “Have you told him?”

  “Shit hon’, scared the shit out of me!” Rufus said, hand on his heart.

  “Told me what?” Josh asked.

  Again Rufus looked solemn. “We’re in deep shit. There was a fire at the flat we found Sarah at.”

  “What?”

  “A fire,” Karen said. “There was a fire and some poor kid died. Smoke inhalation.”