Night Whispers — Charles Veley

It was past midnight when Jill opened her eyes and heard the voice. She was on a cot in her office. Her door was closed. She had left the little reading light on when she had gone to bed, she was sure of that, but now the room was dark. And she had heard it. Down into her sleep it had come.

The whisper.
I'm back, dearie. You know I'm back.
And you know how I can cause you pain.
Behind her. Somewhere behind her.
Behind her and to the left. The voice was back there in the darkness. In her mind's eye she saw him, the man with the dead brown eyes, playing with his knife as he sat there on her desk and whispered --
Go to them. To the Gathering. They will give you new life. The Leader can keep ME away.

The light switch was to the right of the door. She stared at where it had to be. If I'm wrong, she thought. I'll be at the door anyway, and I'll scream and run like hell.

Breathe.
Off with the blanket. Lean over. Feet out.
And she was moving, two quick silent steps, three, and the wall. The switch, right where she knew it would be.
The room flooded with light.
The desk. The papers as she had left them. No one else…