Fear Your Last Breath

FEAR YOUR LAST BREATHDAMIEN WOLFFDark Stable Copyright © 2023 Damien WolffAll rights reservedThe characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.ISBN-978-0-9950773-5-5 Dedicated to Kevin, who supported me and pestered me in equal measure to do what I love. Your feedback and encouragement have helped shape this story into what it is today. Thank you for being a part of this journey.This novel is also dedicated to Norm, who has been a constant source of support and insight. Thank you for your direction, perception, and being a sounding board to my madness. Contents Title PageCopyrightDedicationPART ONEThe World is a Stage.Chapter 1STEP LEFTChapter 2COFFEE AND HISTORYChapter 3NICHOLEChapter 4THE RED COATChapter 5WALKING THE DEADChapter 6THE RED SHIRTChapter 7HOME SWEET HOMEChapter 8JUST THANKSChapter 9TASTING THE RED BERRYChapter 10BLUE PONY BOOTSChapter 11THE PATCHWORK CHILDChapter 12IN THE NEWSPART TWOWe All Fall DownChapter 13COFFEE AND REDChapter 14INTO THE UNDERChapter 15THREE SIDES OF A STORYChapter 16HORSE AND THE OXChapter 17A PAPER BOXChapter 18THE UNWANTED CHILDChapter 19SOAP AND THE SLABChapter 20RED LETTER DAYChapter 21NO SMALL PARTSChapter 22WALKING IN THE PASTChapter 23THE LOSS OF MANChapter 24THE UNICORNChapter 25A RANDOM HELLOPART THREEBLUE SHOESChapter 26ONCE UPON A TIMEChapter 27Kaleidoscopes and PieChapter 28IN THE WORLD OF ROSESChapter 29BLOOD AND STRAWChapter 30UNDER THE GLASSChapter 31BURNT APPLE PIEChapter 32A GOD IN HEAVENChapter 33THE HUNGERChapter 34A MOMENTChapter 35INTO THE GROUNDChapter 36IN FOR A PENNYChapter 37DESPERATE MEASURESChapter 38PANICChapter 39ONLY A WHISPERChapter 40FEAR YOUR LAST BREATHChapter 41IN THE WORLD OF DEATHEPILOGUE PART ONEThe World is a Stage. Chapter 1STEP LEFT-1-“He’s trying to encourage you not to give up. I sense a struggle—a dark fog is approaching. Time is eternal. Joshua is waiting on the other side of the hidden veil to spend eternity with you. When you lay your head upon the pillow you once shared for so long, he’s beside you. He still loves you. You, Barbra, have been and continue to be the most significant person in his life. He wants you to take comfort in knowing that he’s not lonely. He is surrounded by those who love him, just as he was surrounded by you in life.“Joshua is asking you to continue living your life and find happiness where you can. He’ll be watching over you always. And there is something else. His voice is growing weaker, and it’s taking a lot out of me to maintain the connection. But I’ll endure it as long as I can, as long as I am able.“I can barely hear his message now … it’s a message full of feeling and significance. Joshua is telling you to let go of your worries. I sense that you may have had trivial fights in the weeks before he passed onto the world beyond this one. All the harsh words were meaningless, only words of anger spoken to be erased by forgiveness. They were baseless, said solely to be forgotten after anger.“Joshua! No, please don’t leave just yet! This must be significant. What is it you need me to express to her? Joshua! Please remain for another moment! I beg you!”The camera operator’s hand was steady as he zoomed in on the silent faces of the audience, frozen in anticipation. Bryant felt Barbra’s presence like a warm breath on his neck. With his eyes closed he heard the chair creak under her weight and imagined her leaning forward.I have you, Bryant thought, then said: “Okay. I understand.”Bryant’s eyes fluttered open, meeting Barbra’s intense gaze. She was perched on the edge of her seat, her cheeks damp with tears. The tracks left by her weeping were clearly visible on her made-up skin.In her hand, she clutched a white handkerchief embroidered with a bold red “J,” which she used to dab at her eyes with a shaking, liver-spotted hand.Without breaking eye contact, Bryant reached out and clasped her hand. The audience faded away, leaving only the three of them: Barbra, the spirit of Joshua, and he—the man who speaks for the dead.Allow her a moment, Bryant told himself. Let her consider everything I said. Stare into my eyes. That’s right. Connect with me. Let me connect to your bank account. Think back to the last argument you might have had with Joshua. Even if there hadn’t been one, you will wonder if there had been. Of course, there must have been. I can see you assuming as much. Let your emotions surge. I will absolve you of your suffering and regret.As he took a deep breath, Bryant squeezed her hand, firmly and gently, before he continued: “You were the only person he ever truly loved. You know, don’t you? I see it in your eyes. I see it in your soul. He is still with you, in your heart and in your memories. And he’ll always be there, watching over you. You were his everything, and he would not want you to be sad. He’d want you to remember the good times, the happy moments you shared. That’s what he would want for you.”The elderly woman’s grip on Bryant’s hand became firmer as she nodded, more tears welling up in her eyes and streaming down her cheeks.Bryant could feel her frail bones through the leather parchment skin that held them in place.It took immense effort not to let his gaze stray. This was an influential moment. This was when people who paid him graciously would feel their worst, resting in the emotional storm he’d created. Within a moment, he would be their savior. His words would lift their spirits. He would make them feel like they had all the world’s knowledge at their fingertips. This woman would find herself simultaneously sad and joyful when he walked away from her.Before the show, Bryant had instructed his assistant, Christine, to research the woman