of the call but only got static or horrible darkness. It ate at her, the scream just as much as the laughter. It was like she had listened in on the spirit of someone battling for their soul. The laughter, that awful black sound like a dog coughing, seemed to be winning.
"Martha?"
She pulled her head off her desk and sat up. Jeff looked down at her from the entrance to her office, eyes crinkled and his mouth pressed into a hard line.
She had never seen such a severe look on his face. "Is everything okay?"
"Yes," he said, his expression unchanged. "You have an appointment."
Martha racked her brain but found only the static and the deep dark where evil laughed.
"It's Ms. Thorton. She's been hearing strange things."
"Ah yes," Martha said, though she did not recall setting up an appointment with anyone, "send her in." She neatened papers on her desk and saw Jeff still stood in the doorway. "Is there something else?"
Jeff sucked in a large breath. "What's wrong with you? Did something happen?"
Martha scoffed but an ache in her gut grew. She tried not to acknowledge it. "Just a little tired is all. Now send her in. No need to make her wait any longer."
Jeff disappeared and seconds later a large round belly came through the doorway, followed by the most petite woman Martha had ever set eyes on. She looked as if she were in her early twenties, but haggard. Thin and sunken and so pale she was grey.
Martha's first instinct was to send her to bed and force some soup into her. "Sit sit," she said, the urgency apparent in her voice.
The young woman waddled to the chair and lowered herself into it; her face reddened some by the exertion.
Martha waited for her to catch her breath. "Now, what is it exactly that you have been experiencing?"
Miss Thorton rubbed her hands over her massive belly. "I feel so stupid about this."
"There's no reason to feel stupid. Experiences are experiences." The same old spiel she had to tell most clients. Those who came in confident about their assumptions were usually victims of bad wiring and an inflated sense of self.
The woman chewed her lip. "I've heard noises. Like footsteps. And it-" She shook her head.
"Go on," Martha said.
Miss Thorton's gaze dropped. "It feels like someone is there. Watching me. Like they're waiting for something." She clutched her round belly. "Just waiting to pounce."
Cold shot up Martha's spine.
The woman looked up, eyes wild. "I've no where to go. Nowhere. I'm alone. I can't get away." She sucked in a hitchy breath. "I don't know what I am going to do. Where I'm going to go? I can't stay there with those things!" She reached out and grabbed the desk. "They're going to take him. I know they will." Tears welled in her eyes.
"Okay just-"
"No. I won't let them. I'll kill us both first."
Martha reached across the table and took her hand. "Look at me."
Miss Thorton's eyes settled on her.
It nearly broke Martha's heart. "What's your name?"
"Angie Thorton."
"Nothing is going to hurt you, Angie Thorton, or that baby you're carrying. You hear me? I won't allow it."
Angie squeezed Martha's hand. "So you'll help us? You'll help get rid of whatever it is?"
Martha's stomach sank, like she spiralled down into darkness. She forced a smile on her face and hoped it was less ghastly than it felt. "We'll help you. You'll be perfectly fine. You and the baby."
Angie exhaled loud and hard like she'd been holding in the breath for months. "Thank you."
"We'll take care of this. Don't you worry." The words rang false to Martha's ears. She worried. Angie should worry. Everyone should. Something was loose here. Something old and terrible. "Jeff."
He popped his head through the door.
"Jeff will make sure we have all the information we need."
Angie struggled to her feet and Jeff rushed to her side to assist. As they walked out together Angie turned back to Martha and smiled. Waves of nausea splashed over her. That smile. It was the stress of this situation and the laughter on
"Martha?"
She pulled her head off her desk and sat up. Jeff looked down at her from the entrance to her office, eyes crinkled and his mouth pressed into a hard line.
She had never seen such a severe look on his face. "Is everything okay?"
"Yes," he said, his expression unchanged. "You have an appointment."
Martha racked her brain but found only the static and the deep dark where evil laughed.
"It's Ms. Thorton. She's been hearing strange things."
"Ah yes," Martha said, though she did not recall setting up an appointment with anyone, "send her in." She neatened papers on her desk and saw Jeff still stood in the doorway. "Is there something else?"
Jeff sucked in a large breath. "What's wrong with you? Did something happen?"
Martha scoffed but an ache in her gut grew. She tried not to acknowledge it. "Just a little tired is all. Now send her in. No need to make her wait any longer."
Jeff disappeared and seconds later a large round belly came through the doorway, followed by the most petite woman Martha had ever set eyes on. She looked as if she were in her early twenties, but haggard. Thin and sunken and so pale she was grey.
Martha's first instinct was to send her to bed and force some soup into her. "Sit sit," she said, the urgency apparent in her voice.
The young woman waddled to the chair and lowered herself into it; her face reddened some by the exertion.
Martha waited for her to catch her breath. "Now, what is it exactly that you have been experiencing?"
Miss Thorton rubbed her hands over her massive belly. "I feel so stupid about this."
"There's no reason to feel stupid. Experiences are experiences." The same old spiel she had to tell most clients. Those who came in confident about their assumptions were usually victims of bad wiring and an inflated sense of self.
The woman chewed her lip. "I've heard noises. Like footsteps. And it-" She shook her head.
"Go on," Martha said.
Miss Thorton's gaze dropped. "It feels like someone is there. Watching me. Like they're waiting for something." She clutched her round belly. "Just waiting to pounce."
Cold shot up Martha's spine.
The woman looked up, eyes wild. "I've no where to go. Nowhere. I'm alone. I can't get away." She sucked in a hitchy breath. "I don't know what I am going to do. Where I'm going to go? I can't stay there with those things!" She reached out and grabbed the desk. "They're going to take him. I know they will." Tears welled in her eyes.
"Okay just-"
"No. I won't let them. I'll kill us both first."
Martha reached across the table and took her hand. "Look at me."
Miss Thorton's eyes settled on her.
It nearly broke Martha's heart. "What's your name?"
"Angie Thorton."
"Nothing is going to hurt you, Angie Thorton, or that baby you're carrying. You hear me? I won't allow it."
Angie squeezed Martha's hand. "So you'll help us? You'll help get rid of whatever it is?"
Martha's stomach sank, like she spiralled down into darkness. She forced a smile on her face and hoped it was less ghastly than it felt. "We'll help you. You'll be perfectly fine. You and the baby."
Angie exhaled loud and hard like she'd been holding in the breath for months. "Thank you."
"We'll take care of this. Don't you worry." The words rang false to Martha's ears. She worried. Angie should worry. Everyone should. Something was loose here. Something old and terrible. "Jeff."
He popped his head through the door.
"Jeff will make sure we have all the information we need."
Angie struggled to her feet and Jeff rushed to her side to assist. As they walked out together Angie turned back to Martha and smiled. Waves of nausea splashed over her. That smile. It was the stress of this situation and the laughter on
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