Intercepts

by T.J. Payne

It is easier to forget. It hurts less.

To Joe Gerhard. The master of my Hell.

because duct tape and twine were cheaper and easier than dealing with the crippling bureaucracy.

The Company wasn’t all-powerful. If they were, then they would have purchased more maneuverable “diaper-pail” carts for their employees by now.

Idk if this is ignorance or innocence

“I know you know him. His name is Joe. Joe Gerhard,”

That was the power of parenthood; the protective instincts overrode everything else. That’s why Joe was certain that HQ had purposefully designed this poster for him specifically.

At that moment, she felt that something was out there in the woods. Something that she couldn’t see. But it could see her. And it was watching her.

She hated the way he casually twisted conversations into interrogations, as if Riley were incapable of discerning events for herself.

It was the same strategy as being a good parent. Be warm, but firm. Set sensible rules then communicate and enforce them clearly.

he felt a sense of pride at being the “father” of this special place. His “children” had grown up responsible and hard-working.

He knew that when he crossed his legs for too long, his foot would “fall asleep.” It was a normal thing. The twisted nerves just couldn’t send signals to the brain. While the nerves stayed disconnected, they kept transmitting messages. When they finally reconnected, the flood of signals would burst forward and overwhelm the brain, causing the painful, tingling sensation of a sleeping foot.

“While they’re still functioning humans.”

“They’re always human, Joe. That’s what makes them special.”

The gas disables the brain’s ability to process sensory stimulations. They see nothing. They hear nothing. They feel nothing. Nothing grounds their brain to the physical world. Their minds are in total darkness.”

In regular intelligence gathering, when you listen in on someone’s phone call or read their telegram, it’s called an ‘intercept.’

she could find anyone. Just as Joe trained her to do.

They didn’t just kill him. They wanted to hurt him. It was a fury and viciousness that didn’t exist in nature. That is what we have created, Hannah thought. Something outside the bounds of nature.

“Bishop saw your love for your daughter. It reminded Bishop of a daughter that perhaps she had also had. One that she couldn’t remember but still loved. Riley was a bridge to you. You are the one who controls this place. You are the one who could set us free.”

“Physical pain is fleeting. The mind closes it off, as best it can. But some pain runs deeper. Some pain lingers. It sticks to you in the darkness, and the mind cannot push it away. Pain such as the pain of watching your family suffer. And the pain of knowing they suffered because of you. That pain will never leave,” the voices said in unison. “Consider it not a punishment, but a gift. The pain will be your foundation as you swim in the black. It will be your light. Use it to find your way, Joe Gerhard.”

But she didn’t want to admit that out loud. Not even to her dead parents.