The Ladies of Horror
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The Voice From The Water 
by Kathleen McCluskey

Dr. Evelyn Clark was once a respected scientist, known for her pioneering research on water purification. Her dedication was unparalleled, often blurring the lines between passion and obsession. It was during one of her late night experiments that everything began to unravel.

It started with a strange discovery. One evening while analyzing samples of polluted water, Evelyn noticed an unusual movement under her microscope. The water seemed to ripple and swirl on its own. At first she dismissed it as a trick of the light, a symptom of her fatigue. But the movement persisted, almost as if the water had a life of its own.

Curiosity soon turned into a fixation. She began conducting more experiments, spending long hours observing the samples. The more she watched the more she was convinced that the water was trying to communicate with her. She began to hear faint whispers, just on the edge of perception, calling her name.

“Evelyn…come closer…”

She decided to test her theory in a more personal, private manner. She filled the bathtub in her home with the contaminated water, She sat on the edge and peered into the murky depths. The whispering grew louder, more insistent.

“Evelyn…we need you…”

She cocked her head to the side, and closed her eyes. She listened intently. She strained to hear the voice clearly, but could only make out a few disjointed words through the murky whispers: “Evelyn…save…us….come…with…”

Against her better judgment, she submerged herself, letting the water envelop her. For a moment she felt an eerie calm, as if the water was welcoming her. But then she heard it clearly: voices, multiple voices all speaking as one collective unit.

“You can save us, Evelyn. Stay with us…”

From that night forward, Evelyn refused to drain the tub. The water became her obsession. She stopped attending work, and stopped responding to her friends’ and colleagues’ concerns. Her once pristine bathroom turned into a fetid, stinking chamber. The water grew more and more rancid with each passing day.

Despite the stench and filth, Evelyn spent hours in the tub, listening to the voices. They told her secrets, showed her visions of a hidden world beneath the surface. They promised her understanding, power and companionship. Her mind, already fragile, began to fracture under the constant whispering.

One night the voices became frantic, almost desperate.

“Evelyn, we need you now!”

Driven by her overwhelming compulsion, she climbed into the tub and laid back, letting the foul water cover her completely. She opened her mouth, trying to speak to the voices, to understand them fully. As the water filled her lungs, she felt a strange sense of peace, convinced she was merging with the entity that inhabited the water.

Her lifeless body was found days later, submerged in the stagnant tub. The house reeked of decay, the water black and viscous. Her colleagues, horrified by the state of her home and her tragic end, couldn’t understand what drove her to such madness.

It wasn’t until a team of investigators drained the tub that the true horror was revealed. As the last of the water swirled down the drain, a strange residue was left behind. The slime pulsed and writhed as if alive. Microscopic examination revealed a bizarre, never before seen organism capable of influencing the mind and creating auditory hallucinations.

Evelyn had been right. The water was alive. It had called to her, driven her mad and ultimately claimed her life. The discovery sent shockwaves through the scientific community, a chilling reminder of the unknown horrors lurking in the natural world.

Evelyn Clark’s name would be remembered, not for her brilliance, but for the haunting tale of a woman driven to madness by the whispers in the water.

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Fiction © Copyright Kathleen McCluskey
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com 

More from Kathleen McCluskey:

The Long Fall: Book 1: The Inception of Horror

Lucifer always cunning and intelligent challenges father to a battle of wits. Being the angel of light he casts a judgemental eye upon mankind. He begins a war with his fellow archangels and God. Michael, along with his siblings defend their home and mankind from their deranged brother. Broad swords and hand to hand combat drench heaven in blood. The four apocalyptic steeds are released, each having their own destructive power. Betrayal and lust are at biblical levels. Understand the very creation of evil and the consequenses that transpire in the first of THE LONG FALL series.

Available on Amazon!