Horror, Short Story

In The Shadows

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

Written for Today’s Writing Practice #22.
Mark has given us the prompt for this week.
Thanks, Mark! Here’s where the prompt took me.

The Prompt: In a small town, a local therapist begins recording sessions with a new patient who claims to be haunted by multiple voices. The tapes reveal the voices are of missing town residents, and soon, the therapist begins to hear his own voice on the tapes.

Image by Me & Copilot

Already overloaded with his number of cases, psychologist Dr. Terrence Harper took on a new patient named Louise who claimed to be haunted by multiple voices. Intrigued, Dr. Harper decided to record their sessions to save any voices that might materialize, but the truth was he strongly doubted Louise’s story. She was clearly a troubled woman but hearing voices was a bit of a stretch. He was a psychologist, not an exorcist! Still, Halloween was the next day …. a time when people’s imaginations visit the dark side. As he listened to the tapes, he had a deeply unsettling realization; he didn’t know what to make of it but there really did seem to be other voices. After re-setting the filters on his tape recorder, Dr. Harper listened again; this time he felt a tingle running down his spine. He recognized the voices as those of three missing town residents.

Dr. Harper was compelled to continue treating Louise; he needed to know which people were talking and exactly what they were saying. As their sessions progressed, he noticed a disturbing pattern. While still not perfectly distinct, the voices seemed to be warning Louise of a dark presence, something evil lurking in the shadows. Dr. Harper needed to know more. Once again he adjusted the filters on his recorder and played back his sessions with Louise. This time he was startled. Not only could he distinctly hear the voices, he was able to distinguish who was talking.

Among the voices, Dr. Harper heard Cora Lynne Baxter – a waitress at the West Street Diner, Marjorie Chamberlain – the widowed town librarian who lived across the street from Louise, and Zeke Leonard from the local gas station. Louise had a connection to all three of them and they were all warning her of mortal danger and an evil calling to her in the dark shadows. As he listened closely, Dr. Harper suddenly felt an icy chill deep in his chest. With shaking hands, he pushed the replay button; he needed to be sure. He froze as he heard a voice on the tapes whispering ominous messages. It was his own voice saying things he had no recollection of saying.

Night after night, Dr. Terrence Harper found himself consumed by fear as he delved deeper into Louise’s haunted past. The line between reality and fantasy blurred as he began to question his own sanity. Was he truly hearing the voices of Cora Lynne, Marjorie, and Zeke or was something more sinister at play? As the voices grew louder and more insistent, he realized he was not just a bystander in this twisted tale of horror. He was a part of it.

Afraid of losing his soul as well as his mind, Dr. Harper decided his only course of action was to leave town and try to make a new start elsewhere, someplace very far away. He packed his things, locked his office and walked out into the night. As he turned the corner on his way to the train station, Dr. Harper was surprised to see how dark the night had become in just a few minutes. He continued on, leaves dancing in the wind around his feet. Pulling up his collar against the chill of the wind, he felt a whoosh in his ear. Unconsciously, he brushed at his ear but the whooshing became louder, more insistent, more distinct. “Terrence” it called. Then more plaintive, “Terrence. This way, Terrence. Come to me.” It was the voice of his dead wife, Beverly. With tears in his eyes, Dr. Terrence Harper whispered her name, walked into the shadows and disappeared.

NAR©2025

This is “After Dark” by Blue Öyster Cult

Writing Practice #22

All text and graphics are copyright for Nancy Richy and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.

31 thoughts on “In The Shadows”

    1. But how do you know it’s not just a ruse to get you into the shadows where your soul will be sucked out of your body along with all your blood before you’re cast into Gehenna to suffer the indescribable pain of the fires of hell for all eternity? Could happen. 😂

      Thanks, Jodi.

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  9. Oooo Nancy, …scary, but so, so compelling, to find out what the ending will be, …but, …as in the best tradition of suspense, …I’m left suspended, …where/what and why? …lovely writing, as always, …💙

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