The Curse of 1977 (Book 2)

Lethargically climbing out of his Camaro as if he had been driving non-stop for days, Jeremiah, clothed in a pair of blue plaid slacks and a white, short-sleeved button down shirt, dragged his body towards his place of employment.He had totally forgotten his briefcase back inside the car, but just managing to stuff the bottom half of his shirt into his pants was more of an important task than remembering some briefcase.

As he carried on Jeremiah couldn't help but to glance to his right to see Gloria Cohen's orange Datsun parked just three spaces down from the entrance. The man kept on walking, trying in earnest not to become too enthralled with the vehicle that wasn't bothering him in the first place.

Jeremiah stepped into the building, past the receptionist and towards the elevator. Right before he could even press the up button, the whiff of Old Spice cologne whistled into his nostrils.

In a flash, the man finished stuffing his shirt into his pants and buttoned the very top button before wiping his moist hair to the side.Out the door behind the receptionist's desk came a physically imposing, older white gentleman dressed in a dapper grey suit. His full white beard and balding head made him appear, at least in Jeremiah's eyes, like a nineteenth century philosopher directly out of one of the historical books that he once read back in his youth.

"Well, good morning, Doctor Levin." The man warmly greeted as he placed a pile of papers onto the receptionist's desk before approaching the young man face to face.

Clearing his milky throat, Jeremiah replied with a smile, "Good morning, Doctor Hircshbaum."

Examining his watch, Hirschbaum gave Jeremiah a scrupulous glare. "I see you're thirty-three minutes late this morning. Maybe you should invest in a watch these days."

Hanging onto his ingratiating smile, Jeremiah said, "I actually have one at home, but it sorta had a malfunction yesterday."

Heading for the elevator, Hirschbaum said, "I'm awfully glad I was able to catch you out of the blue like this. I'd like to have a talk with you in my office."

"That would be great, sir." Jeremiah rubbed his sweaty palms before following in behind Hirschbaum inside the elevator.

Jeremiah watched as Hirschbaum pushed the button labeled five before saying, "I didn't see your car out in the parking lot. I honestly didn't expect you today."

Hirschbaum replied, "Mrs. Hirschbaum is giving a mathematics lecture down at Ohio State. Speaking of wives, how is Mrs. Levin?"

Swallowing, Jeremiah said, "Well, she's still having strong stomach cramps, but the doctor told her to just get a lot of rest."

"I see." Hirschbaum grinned back in a dignified manner. "My wife and I knew right off the bat that we would never make good parents. Vasectomy's are a life saver, my friend."

Jeremiah just stuffed his hands into his pants pockets and pressed his lips together as hard as he could.

The elevator door opened, Hirschbaum was the first to exit with Jeremiah taking a lackluster rear. The closer they reached Hirschbaum's office the more Jeremiah's forehead felt like a sponge. He couldn't stop sweating or fumbling over his own feet. Just running into the doctor on a morning when his attention was already near the moon wasn't exactly what Levin had in mind for a good day.

Hirschbaum unlocked his office door and went straight for his chair that sat behind his large, oak desk. Jeremiah shut the door behind him and sat down in the seat on the other side of the desk.

"Anne, hold all my calls for the next hour, please." Hirschbaum said into the speaker of his phone that was placed beside him on the desk.

Right then and there Jeremiah's stomach began to grumble before his entire body broke out into a boiling sweat. If he had moved in his chair it would have possibly sounded as if he were soaking wet.

"Jeremiah, I want to get right down to the point." Hirschbaum sat forward and folded his hands. "Over the course of these past few months, I've noticed a considerable change in you."

"I can explain, Doctor, you see—

"No, no, let me finish. You're a good psychiatrist. I realize that one of your patients having a psychotic breakdown back in February unsettled you. These things happen unfortunately." Hirschbaum simply shrugged his shoulders. "But looking forward, I want you to be at the top of your profession."

At the beginning of the conversation Jeremiah figured he knew exactly what Hirschbaum was going to say, but after a while, the man's train of thought became completely derailed to the point where he nearly slid out of his own seat.

"Now, I understand that you have roots here at this practice, and that you and Julie have just moved into your house, but I was wondering what you thought of Boston."

It was as if he had just been slapped right across the face. All Jeremiah could do just then was bat his eyelashes repeatedly while trying to conjure something as simple as a word up in his head.

"I...uh...I don't quite understand." Jeremiah caught his breath. "I'm talking about you starting a practice out in Boston, Massachusetts, young man."

Still, Jeremiah could not fully comprehend what was taking place. He could hear the words coming from Hirschbaum's mouth, but deciphering their meaning was draining him off all energy.

"You want me to move all the way out to Boston?"

Sitting back, Hirschbaum asked, "Why not? You graduated at the top of your class. You've been such a success here. Why not spread your wings and take off? Do it while you're still young."

Listening to the man speak so fondly of him gave Jeremiah such a sinking feeling that he actually wanted to get up and walk away.

Trying to smile, Jeremiah said, "I honestly don't know what to say."

"Say yes!" Hirschbaum said out loud in a joyful manner. "This is a chance of a lifetime! Hell, if I got this opportunity when I was your age I would've jumped at it."

"It almost sounds as if you're trying to get rid of me." Jeremiah blushed.

Hirschbaum stood to his feet at that moment. Jeremiah did the same. He watched as the doctor came around his desk and placed a considerate hand on his shoulder.

thing they want is for their prized son to throw an opportunity like this away. Don't look at it as a dismissal; see it as a brand new start for you and your family. Have some hutzpah,

Thank you, Doctor." He shook the man's

you begin your day, could I ask you to stop by the record room and pull Doctor Sanyupta's files from

him a strong force immediately seized his body. There alone in the hallway the man began to shudder. Every word, sentence and smile from Hirschbaum felt putrid inside of him, so much

towards the record room. As he ventured on

he could hear was Paul's voice laughing out loud, but soon after his joviality died down Gloria began speaking. Jeremiah listened hard at every word she was saying, even if sounded

to the record room.Jeremiah walked in and cut on the light switch. Within the room were seven file cabinets

July 1976 printed on it. Jeremiah rooted around inside the cabinet

Jeremiah looked and looked before his already frazzled attention became distracted. His eyes couldn't help but to glance over to his immediate right. There was a cabinet labeled Recordings. Soon, Jeremiah found himself, just as he had any other time he was in the room,

important at that point. The force that he felt back in the hallway was compelling him more so than it had ever before. Leaving his cabinet wide open, Jeremiah stepped over, opened the other cabinet and searched through Paul's files until he came upon the tapes.Jeremiah's eyes caught sight of minutes from the

before going back to his original cabinet and resuming his previous, pretend search.Not once during his seeking did he feel even the slightest hint of regret or shame. He just listened as both Paul and Gloria conversed back and forth while he himself carelessly rifled through one folder

weeks since you and I last talked.

sounded meek. "I did

really," Paul sounded surprised. "How did it

bad. I went to see that 'Star Wars'

"Really? I heard it was out of

have been. And I'm not even a science- fiction fan. But I think

you do? Have

find taking long jogs

helps to put things

"It really

a few moments and discuss what we talked about

came a stifling silence in the recording at that moment. Jeremiah could hear Gloria sighing

"Do we really have to?" She whined. "I mean,

for you to truly come up out

you except me to vocalize what I experienced when I can't even remember any of

truly want to live with this, you have to be willing to speak it

the recording. Jeremiah's hands had all but stopped rifling through the folders at that point. He held his

"Okay." Gloria moaned. "I remember hearing Leroy open the basement door. I heard something

"What was that

"It was his

"Mercer,

just started to

"But

began to speak. I tried to tell him to keep his voice down,

this. You always stop right here. Its right here that I think you can turn a corner. Now, tell

in the noisy leather couch that made sounds

onto his back...and he opened

"Keep going."

"That's when it

"Don't stop, Gloria. You can do this." Paul

"No, I can't!"

"Yes you can. You went to Ashlandview for a reason, and I believe that reason wasn't solely for

"It's silly."

silly if you allow it

longest time. Jeremiah felt like he

"You saw Mercer change? Change into

yet, my

play tricks on us sometimes.

him change into that thing! At first I thought it was going to kill me, but

a mere whisper. Without a second's more hesitation the man bolted out of the record room and down the hallway until he came to Paul's

Jeremiah saw only Gloria who was seated on the couch. "Are you sure that's what

the hell is this?"

the mouth, asked, "Are you sure that

hell outta here!" Paul furiously pointed at the

if Jeremiah hadn't heard a single word the man was

desperately said into Gloria's face. "Did you really see him

to answer that