Forces

Prologue

Prologue

MATTHEW BATTLE HAD BEEN on edge all day. He couldn't stop itching all morning no matter how much he scratched. Something had nagged at him, hiding just on the tip of his tongue. When he had woken up that morning the air hadn't felt right. When he had kissed his wife, Olive, goodbye that morning raindrops had started to splatter outside. His daughter, Jackie, had looked at him with her bright green eyes as if she could feel it too.

      "I love you Daddy," she had said.

     Matthew rubbed her corse curls. "Always Sprout," he said.

     She had nodded solemnly.

     Even when he had gotten to the factory the feeling had stayed. It felt like spiders were crawling up his arms.

     "Hey Matt," said Joe now. "We're all gonna go on break, okay?"

     "Yeah." He was barely listening. "I'm just gonna stay here, get some more work done." He felt a sturdy hand hit his back.

     "See you."

     When they had gone the feeling only intensified. All he could do was scratch. He could feel his eyes widening as he remembered, finally. All he could say was a word: "Vaughn." He had to get to Olive and Jackie. He started to run toward the exit door. Footsteps followed him. Voices called out from nowhere and everywhere all at once. Why are you running Matthew? Where will you go? He was inside of his head now.

     "Get out of my head you bastard!" He screamed. All he could feel was terror. It coursed through his veins and pounded in his arms, weakening his legs.

Fear isn't a good look for you Matt.

     "I told you to get out of my fucking head!" When he looked down he found that spiders were crawling all over him, he was covered. He lashed out blindly. Legs covered him. He couldn't breathe from all of the legs. He fell to the floor and started to writhe.

     Footsteps stopped near his face. He looked up and saw white. "You."

     A blinding smile. A crinkle of silver eyes. "Hello old friend."