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.

"Jeremiah, I've known your parents for thirty-seven years now, the last 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

head. "I'll give it consideration. Thank you, Doctor." He shook the man's hand before

that." Hirschbaum remarked. "And before you begin your day, could I ask you to stop by the record room and pull Doctor Sanyupta's files from July of last year for me,

door behind 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

inside his own shoes, Jeremiah turned and began down the hallway towards the record room. As he ventured on he passed by numerous doors, one of the doors just happened

voice laughing out loud, but soon after his joviality died down Gloria began speaking. Jeremiah listened hard at every word she was

the floor until he came to the record room.Jeremiah walked in and cut on the light switch.

around inside the cabinet in search of the file. There were so many folders within, all with strange names, that finding the right one

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, wanting

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

Jeremiah stood and waited for a second or two 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

weeks since you and I last talked. How have

Gloria sounded meek. "I

really," Paul sounded

"Not too bad. I went to see that 'Star Wars'

"Really? I heard

as nauseating as I thought it would have been. And I'm not even a science- fiction fan.

else did you do? Have you had anymore truck

"Off and on, but I find taking long jogs in the park seem

put

"It

us to take a few moments and discuss what we talked about on our

that moment. Jeremiah

have to?" She whined. "I mean, I thought

you to truly come up out of this pit,

except me to vocalize what I experienced when

with this, you have to be willing to speak

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

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

"What

"It was

"Mercer,

the floor. Then he just started to move. I remember

"But

"But he began to speak. I tried to tell him to keep his

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

hear Gloria sniff while trying to get comfortable in the noisy

onto his back...and he

"Keep going."

"That's when

You can do this." Paul

"No, I can't!" Gloria

wasn't solely for Leroy Cummins. You need to keep moving forward with this. You're almost

"It's silly."

silly if you

Gloria paused for the longest time. Jeremiah felt like he was right there beside her rather than inside the record

"I saw

saw Mercer change? Change into

"I saw...no, better yet, my eyes

play tricks on us sometimes. Now, tell me what

cried. "Fangs and fur, and all! My eyes saw him change into that thing! At first I thought it was going to kill me, but it ran back up the stairs and killed Leroy! God...I can't believe I'm

by a mere whisper. Without a second's more hesitation the man bolted out of the record room and

the couch. "Are you sure that's what you saw inside that man's house?"

"What the hell is this?" Paul sat up behind

a petrified Gloria, Jeremiah, practically frothing at the

outta here!" Paul furiously

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

said into Gloria's face. "Did you

have to answer that question!" Paul began to advance towards