Future Tormentor

9

Leo Marshall's heart raced as he paced the cold, sterile room of the hospital, his mind a torrent of unanswered questions and deep-seated fears.

Leo's world sank into a heavy silence, broken only by the shrill ring of his phone. The caller? Kyle, a rookie from the sales department back at the book store—a kid straight out of the Midwest, green yet earnest, much like Leo remembered himself years ago.

"Mr. Marshall, I really hate to bother you, especially now, but...," Kyle's voice trembled, the nervousness of speaking to a superior palpable. "Jeff hasn't been in all afternoon. Said he was visiting you at the hospital. We were expecting clients, and..."

Kyle trailed off, the implication clear. Jeff's unexplained absence had thrown a wrench into the day's plans, likely earning a harsh reprimand for the team.

Leo's concern for his friend's wellbeing momentarily overshadowed his own predicaments. "What's going on with Jeff?" he pressed, sensing something amiss.

Kyle shared his worries, recounting Jeff's recent health scares and uncharacteristic behavior. "I'm just really worried about him. Tried his place, but no one knows where he lives, you know?"

Determined to check on Jeff, Leo dismissed Kyle's offer to help and made a hasty decision to leave the hospital. Calls to Jeff went unanswered, increasing Leo's anxiety as he rushed to his friend's apartment.

Arriving at Jeff's, Leo found the door ajar, an ominous sign. The disorder within hinted at a struggle, or worse, a hasty departure. As he pushed the door open, a bizarre electrical hum filled the air, eerily familiar yet out of place.

The sight that greeted Leo was one he'd never expected—Jeff, standing still as a statue, clutching an object eerily similar to Leo's own archaic phone. Before Leo could process the scene, Jeff vanished, as if swallowed by the shadows.

Leo stood frozen for a moment before springing into action, rushing into the house only to find his target had vanished. He crashed to the ground, the shock and confusion not fading from his eyes. The house was eerily silent, the clock's hands unmoving. Panicked, Leo ran to the window, and the sight confirmed his fears: outside, time seemed to have stopped, cars were frozen mid-motion, and the streets were devoid of life.

"How can this be happening?" Leo muttered to himself, realization dawning on him as he began to tear through Jeff's home. He searched desperately, his movements bordering on violent, but Jeff had been more cautious than Leo anticipated. It wasn't until Leo tore down wallpaper in front of a glass wall that he stood still, stunned by the sight before him.

The glass wall was covered in notes, chaotic and intense, resembling a digital puzzle of brilliant design. Each note was accompanied by a photograph, each more gruesome than the last. The photographs displayed victims in a macabre display, their owner seemingly reveling in the carnage. The oldest photo dated back thirty years, but it was the most recent that caused Leo's breath to catch, his hands trembling at his sides.

A sudden thud from behind made Leo stiffen and slowly turn around, just as the clock ticked forward and the sound of cars resumed outside. Jeff stood before him, drenched as if pulled from water, his face pale and clothes clinging to his body, blood streaming down from a gash on his forehead.

Jeff, too, was taken aback by Leo's presence, but before he could speak, Leo, eyes red with fury, lunged at him, shouting, "I'll kill you, you monster! You killed Mia, you killed my family!"

Leo's punch sent Jeff's teeth flying, and after a struggle, Jeff spat out blood and teeth, locking eyes with the enraged Leo in his chaotic, turned-upside-down home.

As Jeff's initial shock faded, he wiped his mouth, bloodied smile widening, and said with a heavy breath, "No wonder I couldn't take you down..."

In this moment, Jeff realized why his attempts had failed; deep down, they were cut from the same cloth.