18.98: An ONC 2023 Thriller

Chapter 10

FOUR YEARS AGO (MAY)

In the weeks before graduation, Liv's life could be divided into two categories: things she controlled and things she did not. Her academic drive, which path to pursue in her life--all within her control. Helina's reaction to her choices—uncontrollable. Her sister's own life choices—totally out of control.

That last one acted as an alarm bell, waking her up in pools of sweat at two AM.

Penelope spoke to windmills—the Windmill Whisperer as she was deemed by followers on social media. Never mind that it was a wind turbine, not a mill, and that it was not the turbine itself trying to communicate. Everyone had seen the video clip Richie had taken but only the two sisters understood, even remotely, what was really happening in it. Their fans believed there was something to it, of course. No one thought Penelope mad, but several vocal critics accused her of faking it for clicks and likes. Many others, however, were already predisposed to believe in the supernatural even with no proof and little evidence.

They swarmed to her.

Penelope became the star Helina and Liv had been on the cusp of becoming. "That's fine then," Liv said. "Pen can take my place. Let her sign the contract. They want her more than me anyways."

"We want you," Helina insisted. "We'll make them include all three of us."

"I don't want me," she replied. "Not for this."

Her reticence earned more scowls and more reassurance that Liv could still be a part of their dream, but they couldn't have guessed how badly that would go for them. Liv's dreams were nightmares. Monsters starred in them, creatures with a thousand arms a piece, and clawed fingers reaching for Liv, striving to pull her in, to keep her as a pet, a servant, a puppet.

Those nightmares came whenever they pleased. She couldn't escape what had become a part of her, what she best described to herself as an internal switch that channeled creatures from another world. She'd thought for hours, weeks, years about this. The ghost frequency had activated a switch, offering a space in her mind for a horror show to take up residence and wreak havoc upon her life and the lives of those close to her.

It would have been better if she parted ways with her loved ones now, but she couldn't quite do it. Helina had been her confidant throughout college, her business partner and best friend. And Penelope... they'd pulled each other through a troubled childhood. How could abandoning her now be what was best for either of them?

"I'll think about it," she told them two weeks before final exams. She wouldn't. She'd done enough thinking, but she needed them to stop, to leave her alone.

Helina and Penelope heard "yes" in those words and spent the next five minutes squealing, before Helina changed course to drop another bomb. "Remember Allan Chen from the wind farm?"

A pit formed in Liv's stomach. Mr. Chen who could see what she could see. Mr. Chen who felt haunted, who had perhaps the same internal switch as Liv did. Helina didn't have to say what she was about to say for Liv to know the news would not be good.

"He's disappeared. No sign of him."

Her peripheral vision darkened, as though she'd put a vignette filter onto her sight.

Shadow specters. Monsters with many hands dragging her in and away and away...

"That's awful," she said, keeping her tone neutral. She was a mildly concerned spectator of another family's tragedy. Nothing more.

"It is. I heard from him only last week."

"Last week?" This was news to Liv. Helina had sworn to her that they were no longer investigating the wind farm.