PSYCHOLOGICAL TERROR

CHAPTER 1

THE VOICES INSIDE

Muffled whispers had always been present in her life; Sarah just told herself it was stress. Long hours at the law firm, impossible clients, and the perfect veneer she had to keep up on her personal life-together it all wore her down. Whispers at first were no more than soft murmurs, easily buried in the background noise of the city that was her home. But lately, they had grown louder, more insistent. It was as if they were trying to say something, something just beyond her understanding.

One evening, Sarah sat in her apartment staring at the blank television screen. She hadn't bothered to turn it on; it was just another distraction she no longer craved. The voices had become more frequent, louder. She could no longer ignore them. At first, it was a mild annoyance-like hearing snippets of a conversation through a thin wall-but now they seemed to be inside her own head.

"Sarah., " they whispered. "Sarah, are you listening?"

Her heart raced as she looked around the room at every corner, every shadow, but nobody was there. She was alone. Wasn't she? Whispers seemed to ring in her head calling her name, demanding an answer, demanding acknowledgment of their existence. She put her hands to her temples as if that would block them, but it only made it worse.

The voices continued, this time more distinct. "We know what you did, Sarah. You can't hide from us."

Her breath choked in her throat. What had she done? She was thinking hard to put together any wrong that could possibly haunt her so much. The whispers, indistinct in the beginning, were now raising in intensity, loud, clear. Full sentences were heard now.

"You can't run forever. We know everything."

Suddenly, the phone on the table began to buzz loudly, jolting her out of her trance. It was from Nina, her best friend. Are you okay? Haven't heard from you in a while.

Sarah glared at the message. She hadn't spoken to Nina in days, weeks even. She had avoided them all, terrified that if she spoke, the voices would overtake and spill the secret she didn't even know she was keeping. She tried to compose herself, but her hands shook as she typed in a quick response. I'm fine. Just busy.

The voices roared with laughter. "Liar."

She dropped the phone, and her pulse raced. Suddenly, she could feel their presence more strongly, as if they were right behind her, watching, waiting. The room felt smaller; the walls seemed to close in on her. She ran into the bathroom, splashing cold water on her face. Her reflection stared back at her but wasn't quite her own: Her eyes looked different, darker, nearly hollow. Her hands shook as she gripped the sink.

"Sarah..."

This time the voice was clear, right behind her. She spun around, but the bathroom was empty. The air was heavy with anticipation, and her brain was in tangles. Terror leapt into her chest. Stumbling backward into the living room, her legs were weak, as her mind whirled with thoughts. Now, the voices were more raised, deafening.

She picked up the phone and dialed Nina's number, fumbling over the keys. Nina answered almost immediately.

"Sarah? What's going on?"

"Nina... I think I'm losing my mind," Sarah gasped. The words just tumbled out-desperate, frantic. "I keep hearing things... voices... they won't stop."

A long silence stretched over the other end. "Sarah... what voices? You never mentioned this to me.

"I didn't want to-" Sarah's voice broke. "I didn't want to worry anyone. But they're everywhere, Nina. They're in my head, and I can't-" Her voice tailed off as she caught sight of something. A shadow was creeping across the hall floor. Slowly. Intentionally.