Fade to Grey

“They’ll believe whatever I tell them.”

Dominic walked through the door to the hotel and paused short of the mirror to check his hair. He smiled as he ran a hand through his dark, slicked-back hair. His brown eyes held a cunning few noticed, and few did. A deep sigh from the phone reached his ear.

He shook his head. “Jack, don’t sigh at me. I’m only giving them what they want.”

You are, but one of them will figure you out at some point.

“It happens to all the best psychics out there. You don’t need to worry about me.”

Dominic, I’m your agent, and I’m supposed to worry. To be honest, I can’t believe anyone actually believes your shit. I thought you were crazy when you proposed this idea.

“Yeah. Now I’m a bestseller and giving the others out there a run for their money. Shit, there’s a sucker born every minute.”

A bit cliché, but I get it. Since most of my paycheck comes from you, I won’t complain. You should be careful, though.

Dominic snickered and pressed the button for the elevator. “Don’t be giving me any of that karma stuff. I’ll be fine.”

So you say. I’m looking after my investment. I’ve known you for a long time. Don’t let this all get to your head. Fame is fickle, Dom.

“So are some of these fans. Not to mention the IRS. Speaking of which, I hope you got that taken care of?”

I did. Now go have a few drinks as you have a crazy day tomorrow. Your convention won’t run itself.

“That’s true.”

Dominic ended the call and furiously pressed the button as the elevator took its time to get to the lobby floor. “Come on, what’s taking so long? I should’ve taken the stairs.”

The elevator chimed, and the doors slid open. Dominic stepped back as a dirty and disheveled woman stood staring at him from inside the elevator. Her matted hair lay against her scalp and dirt-smeared her face. A few small grasshoppers sat in her hair, and one stood on her right cheek.

Dominic sneered in disgust at the sight and her smell. Covering his mouth, he tried to clear his throat without gagging. “Excuse me.”

She grinned, exposing yellow teeth, and a gleam of madness shone like a spark in her eyes. “We finally meet Dominic Grey.”

Dominic glanced up, his brow furrowed. “Do I know you?”

She tilted her head as if listening to more than him and nodded. He wasn’t sure if it was an answer to his question or not. “No, Mr. Grey, we haven’t met. I know you. You could say I’m your biggest fan.”

He tried to scoot past her into the elevator as she walked out. “Well, my convention is tomorrow, and that’ll be a great time to come. There are extra tickets, not that you could probably afford him.”

She paused in front of him and poked him in the chest with a calloused and crooked finger. “Be careful, Mr. Grey. You’ve wronged many people, and they won’t forgive as easily as the rest of us.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Is that a threat? What the hell is your problem?”

She poked him harder, forcing him into the elevator. “They’re coming for you, Mr. Grey.”

Dominic panicked and pressed the button to his floor for his room. As the door closed, he watched as the old lady flicked her tongue out and drew a grasshopper into her mouth. She chewed loudly, a smile on her face.

“Fuck, what is wrong with people?”

After a moment, the door to the elevator opened on his floor. He hurried to his hotel room and slid the keycard into the slot. His heart raced from his encounter with the madwoman, and he shook off the event once he entered the room.

He poured himself a glass of whiskey from the minibar and took a gulp to calm his nerves. The burn gave him a small amount of pleasure as the alcohol hit the spot deep in his soul. Now that’s what I needed. Fucking crazy woman. Who let her in? Finishing the drink, he stripped and slid into bed. He clicked on the TV, and within moments, he fell asleep.

He woke with the bed shaking wildly. His pulse quickened as he scanned his dark room. Dominic got one leg out from under the covers when the movement stopped. Rubbing his temples, he got up and took a couple aspirin, chased with another shot of whiskey.

“I probably shouldn’t have drunk earlier. Damn, that old hag got me riled up. She had me dreaming my bed was shaking. I need to relax more.”

Cautiously, he slid back into bed. After waiting a few minutes, he laughed off his fear and slight paranoia and drifted off to sleep, hearing the woman’s voice in his head. More voices filled his ears, and he tossed and turned, thinking it was a bad dream.

He opened his eyes and sat up, his body covered in a cold sweat. That was one hell of a nightmare. He stretched out his arms and heard a loud pop as he popped his back. With a sigh of satisfaction, he strolled into the shower and cranked the hot water on. Yeah, this is what a guy needs.

Dominic soaped up and let the water run across his skin. He stood under the water and willed all the drama from the night before to go away. I wonder if Jack hired this lady to do this. Yeah, it sounds like a prank he would do. I may have to have a few words with him over this.

He reached for the shampoo and squirted some in his hand. Lathering it in, he massaged his head. He sighed before stepping back under the water to rinse his hair out. Before he could run his hands through his hair, another set of hands massaged his temple.

Dominic!

Dominic jumped and almost slipped in the shower. Slowly, he stepped out of the shower and glanced around. He was alone in the bathroom, naked and dripping wet. He sniffed to clear his nose and shut the water offer. The towel he wanted to use to dry off lay on the floor. It must’ve fallen when I freaked out over nothing. Fuck, it had better be nothing. Once I’m done today, I’m going to take a vacation. Maybe a trip to Ibiza.

Dominic rubbed his face while staring in the mirror. “What the hell is wrong with me. I’m hearing real shit.”

He left the bathroom and started getting dressed. After one look in the mirror, he frowned at the dark patches under his eyes. “It’s a good thing I have a great makeup artist.” He shook his head and sat on the bed.

Grabbing his socks, he glimpsed the movement that came from the mirror. Slowly, he took a glance and stared wide-eyed at the strange ghostly figures looking back at him. He shook in fear as he turned slowly behind him. Dominic slid off the bed, gasping in terror as spirits were real.

Their lips moved, their voices echoing inside his head. Some called his name while the others shouted profanities and revenge in his head. He closed his eyes and prayed they weren’t real. Fuck me, this can’t be real. What the hell is going on? Dominic squeezed his eyes shut.

 He clutched his head and trembled. “This can’t be real. This shit ain’t real.”

The voices grew louder. More entered the din that threatened to drive him mad within seconds. Dominic rolled onto his side and covered his ears. The noise was deafening. Dear God, what is happening? Am I going crazy?

“Go away! You aren’t real. I drank too much, and now I’m hallucinating.”

Dominic grabbed his keys and ran for the door. Dashing through, he stopped as he hit the wall on the other side of the hallway. Staring both ways in horror, more apparitions gathered. They pointed and leered at him as their mouths shouted in hatred. Moans of anger and pain filled his mind as he staggered along the wall, trying to shut out the surrounding horrors.

Dominic! You betrayed my daughter by telling her I was at peace.

Another clawed at Dominic and hissed, its hands barely missing him. He moved faster, and he clutched at his chest because of the pain. The noise refused to stop as more spirits came to terrorize him.

You shouldn’t have lied about us. Our families will find out!

You’re a fake and need to pay for your sins.

Why did you deceive our families? They only wanted the truth. Why did you do this to us?

Dominic screamed as he made it to the elevator. This time, it opened quickly and rushed inside. Frantically, he hit the lobby button, and he breathed a sense of release as it closed. They’re coming for you, Mr. Grey. He saw the crazed woman from the night before, and he would’ve sworn the elevator was empty.

“What did you do to me?”

What makes you think I did anything?

More bugs crawled in her hair, making it seem alive. She shot him a sneer of pleasure as he cowered in the elevator’s corner. You became the psychic you pretended to be, and now you have to live with your actions. However long that will be.

He trembled violently, his body covered in sweat. “Make it stop! Please, I beg you to make it end. There’s no way I can live with this.”

Imagine how all those spirits feel. They now spend the rest of their afterlife knowing you lied to their loved ones, and they aren’t so forgiving.

The old woman sneered more and poked him in the chest. You dabbled in things you shouldn’t have. Some things are best left dead, but you brought us back. We’re giving you the payment you deserve for these actions.

He sobbed. “I’m sorry. My God, I’m so sorry.”

The elevator door opened. Are you Dominic? Even if you were, it wouldn’t matter. These people aren’t here to offer forgiveness. For that, you’re going to have to ask God.

She faded away, and Dominic stood cautiously. The elevator showed a relatively empty lobby, and a few guests either stood or sat in the main room. He crept out and glanced around. His eyes darted back and forth as paranoia squeezed at his mind.

He made it to the center of the lobby as ghosts came through the walls surrounding him. Dominic scratched at his face and screamed, startling everyone in the hall. It brought a smile to the faces of the spirits as they closed around him.

His heart hammered in his chest, and his breaths came in gasps. Covered in a cold sweat, he clutched at his chest, knowing he probably had a heart attack. He rushed through the people and out the door, hoping they wouldn’t follow him.

He stopped and stood, his right hand squeezing his arm. “Oh, my God. Please go away. Leave me alone.”

He screamed again as spirits roamed the parking lot. All of them coming toward him. He ran as fast as he could for the highway. Dominic made it to the road and tried waving people down in hopes they’d stop and offer him a ride to safety.

Voices from the other filled his head as they condemned him to hell and wished for his death. Some demanded payment for what he did, while others cried in torment over their pain. Dominic stumbled out onto the highway. A loud horn blared in his ear as a car swerved to miss him.

The spirits followed, whispering their needs for his death. The old lady stood on the side of the road, smiling wickedly, with bugs stuck in her teeth. Dominic screamed at her sight. “Make it stop.”

It’ll last forever. Not even death can save you.

Another horn roared in his ears. He turned to see a semi barreling down upon him. I’m going to hell, and no one can save me. He let out a scream of terror and tried to hide his face as the truck crashed into his body.

Dominic opened his eyes and stood. The semi that hit him was off to the side, and ambulances and patrol cars littered the hotel’s parking lot. He glanced around and saw his body on the ground. There wasn’t much left because of the impact.

He shook and looked for a light. “There’s supposed to be a light, and it’s what I read about and told everyone. Where’s the goddamn light?”

The light is for those going to heaven, Dominic.

He turned to see a large host of spirits standing close to him. Their arms outstretched in their need to grab him. He screamed in horror as they descended upon him, tearing at him.