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Thanks for the ride.By Reginald SpanFrank was a consultant with a big firm living alone in his high rise apartment. Just an averageguy paying his bills, has a good number of friends and even a girlfriend. Well that was before hestarted hearing the voices. One night after a long day, he decided to sleep with the window open because of maintenance on the heating and air system. It was a fairly nice area of high rise apartments,with a park conveniently located right next to the building. The park actually went out into somewoods, where not much civilization has treaded. It was an interesting place for a high rise to say theleast.The next morning Frank got up, and did his morning duties before it was time to get off towork. While he was in the shower he could swear he heard something outside, so he would turn thewater off and stick his head out. “Anyone out there”, he said. He realized how silly it seemed, but hethought it almost sounded like really close footsteps, about 7 or 8 of them. On the way to his office building Frank started to get a terrible headache, and decided to grab some aspirin from a pharmacynearby.When Frank walked into the pharmacy he started glancing the isles for the medication hewanted, when he heard it. “Hey, you don't need that” a voice whispered. “Well what do yourecommend?” Frank said turning, only to see no one there. Frank glanced up and down both sides of the isle, kind of shaken he grabbed the aspirin and made his way to the counter. “That won't helpyou”, the voice said again. “Excuse me”, Frank said to the guy at the register. The guy just looked atFrank with a blank expression. “$3.98 is your total”, he said looking towards him. Frank paid his

money and headed out of the door. He was certain now that either he was going crazy, or his headachewas more than what it seemed.The voice didn't say anything for the first few hours of work. It wasn't until Frank's headachestarted to worsen. “You won't miss it”, the voice said. Frank closed his eyes really tight, ran to the bathroom and popped 2 more of the aspirin. “This isn't real!”, Frank said looking towards the bathroom mirror. He thought to himself that maybe it was some kind of work related stress getting the best of him. Using some of his sick time, he decided to take the rest of the day off to rest. On his wayhome his headache came back. “Home, home would you like to see my home?” the voice said again.Frank couldn't take much more of this, so he did what any person on the brink of pain and insanitywould do. He started talking to the voice.Frank: Where is your home?Voice: Home is HomeFrank: But where is your home?Voice: This way, this way.The pain in Franks brain started to shift to the front of his head, then the left. Each time itshifted Frank decided to walk into that direction. It wasn't as if he had much of a choice. He did this painfully, until he reached the park. Walking through the park he stopped right before the section of the park where the dark woods were. It was around 2 o'clock, but still barely visible into the thick of treesand bush. Frank looked into the dark trees and could feel something watching him, thousands of eyessitting there. “Say Hello”, the voice said. Frank stumbled a bit, then frantically made his way back tohis apartment. Not knowing what to do Frank decided to lay down.

He dreamed of being caught in some kind of cocoon, he struggled and struggled to get out of it but he could not. Out of nowhere he was being pulled, and spun around very fast. He heard the voicearound him, laughing. He awoke to his phone ringing, it was his girl friend.Vanessa: Frank, I heard you went home early from work today is everything okay?Frank: I....I....don't....Voice: She won't believe you.Vanessa: Talk to me Frank... whats the matter are you sick?Frank: I have a really bad headache, it has been getting worse all day.Vanessa: Maybe we should get you to a doctor Voice: It won't help you, its too lateFrank: I don't know Vanessa......Frank starts to feel light headed now.Voice: No....Frank: No?.Vanessa: What do you mean no, you don't sound like yourself Frank Voice: GoodbyeFrank: Goodbye?.Vanessa: Fra-...She was cut off abruptly, something Frank has never done. She decided she would just payFrank a visit. Frank snapped out of it and grabbed his phone, but it was too late. “Why did you dothat?”, said Frank. “She doesn't need to be here.” the voice said. Frank really couldn't take muchmore of this, so he made his way over to the fridge. The pain in his head seemed to be unbearable, hecould hardly see straight. His thoughts were starting to not make sense, but his last option, his lasthope lay in the fridge. He opened it and reached for a bottle of wine, then looked towards the pain