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Whispers in the Head

Chapter 1: Whiskey Partner

Hans is an alcoholic. He wakes up every morning with memories of his ex-girlfriend, Sarah. Like many men after a love failure, he becomes addicted to alcohol. His daily routine consists of waking up at noon and eating brunch, which is usually toasted bread with a glass of whiskey.

“Sarah is in New York, studying there. I’m here waiting for her, missing her, and trying to make my life better so we can be happy,” Hans tells his friend. Suddenly, he feels a hand hug his stomach. He turns around, and it’s Sarah, surprising him by traveling a long way to see him. Hans suddenly snaps back to the present, realizing he was daydreaming.

After finishing his brunch, he starts scrolling through his phone until one reel stops his fingers: “I’ve moved on from this relationship.”

It’s 3 pm, time for Hans to visit his therapist, whom his friend introduced him to after his breakup. Hans takes a deep shower, and while showering, he hears Sarah’s voice, “I’m back, honey.” Realizing it’s not real, he comes out of the shower, dresses, and heads to the clinic.

While driving, he sees romantic colors of red everywhere because it’s Valentine’s week: roses, balloons, couples. It agitates his feelings about Sarah’s absence, and he imagines Sarah standing in front of his car. He stops abruptly but realizes she’s not there. He parks the car and tries to text Sarah.

“Hi Sarah, how have you been? I miss you. Just give me one more chance …”

He deletes the message, thinking how stupid he is, and goes straight to the clinic.

Dr Miller in his fifties and wearing glasses, welcomes Hans with a hug. “My dear Hans, how are you feeling today?”

“The same as yesterday, Doctor. I feel like I’m stuck in a loop, waking up late, drinking, and haunted by her memories. I can’t get over it. Doctor, is there something wrong with me? I feel like I’m not the person I was.”

“Hans, calm down. I’m telling you again, Sarah didn’t break up with you. She died. Try to understand that.”

Hans is shocked and starts crying. “No way. She broke up with me; she didn’t die. I won’t believe you. No, it can’t be.” Hans starts to feel dizzy, and Dr Miller offers him sedation with medication.

Seeing this, Dr Miller’s assistant asks what happened. Dr Miller explains the story.

Hans was a famous cop, brave enough to tackle every problem. He had a girlfriend named Sarah, who died recently in a police gang war. He couldn’t accept it because he loved her so much. He started drinking heavily and then came the deadly disease: schizophrenia. Commonly, people start hallucinating imaginary creatures, but Hans, while grieving, starts seeing his girlfriend, Sarah. I can’t tell him about his disease, so I’m trying to cure him without his knowledge, but it’s getting worse.

Dr Miller gave Hans some advice and left. It was around 6 pm when Hans reached his house. He realized he was lying in his bed. When he woke up, it was 6 am. He didn’t remember anything since 6 pm the previous evening. His last memory was coming home. Suddenly, he felt something was not right. His house was different, lit up and happy. He heard a voice, “Daddy, it's getting late for school. Come down.” He was shocked. “Who is that kid in my house calling someone daddy?”

He went downstairs and saw a little girl and Sarah cooking. His eyes couldn’t believe it. He went closer. “Honey, you woke up? It’s getting late for Linnet. Take her to school.”

He heard Dr Miller’s voice, “It’s an illusion, Hans. Don’t believe it. She’s gone.”

He hears, “Daddy, it’s getting late.”

When he opens his eyes, he sees a police officer. “Sir, we found another body. It’s Lara's. Take a look—no physical harm, but she’s dead. We need to send the details to forensics. I need your signature,” says the officer.

Hans is totally confused about what is real and what is an illusion. He signs the form and now finds himself walking alone on the road. He has his whiskey bottle in his hand. It’s around 12 am but it’s not his favorite brand. It’s weird because he never buys this brand.

Suddenly, a hand touches his shoulder from behind. He turns around, and it’s Dr Miller.

“I told you to quit whiskey. It’s no longer your partner; it’s an addiction, Hans.”

To be continued.

Stay tuned….

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By

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