Bitter Almonds

Ghosts hide in Layers. Shot on film. by me.

Tuesday, January 7, 2025

4:58pm

‘Hard Times’ by Cro-Mags blasts through the speakers.

He sat in his gaming chair and the ceiling closed in and the walls shrank and the air was cold and past those walls the sky lay wide and empty and indifferent to all the lives below. Neon blue LED lights lent their glow to the gloom golem inside. Crime novels and bottles and candy wrappers and clothes both clean and dirty, buried the floor. A short day in a long week is still a long day in the end all the same.

raises volume

More medical aid supplies alongside hundreds of pounds of expired canned food were found today at a site disclosed by an anonymous source.

changes channel

It’s disgraceful, is what it is. We have a whole generation of entitled runts adding little to no value demand with the force of a falling rock while they themselves built a glass fort to guard their ever shifting values.

Loud knocks bang on the door

changes channel

Will you lower the damned volume?

raises volume

And that’s how we know you want change. Listen. We get it. You work all day. Sometimes you barely have time for a meal. We got you. Our meal plan—

The knocking escalates, the door rattles

mutes

What did I do now?

Lower the damn tv before I get in there and take it from you. I’ve been working all day, in and outside the house. The least you can do is have some consideration, damn it!

Ok.

An exhausted, angry, frustrated mother dragged her bare feet back to her cave. She tried to give him everything. For a while. No breast feeding—she heard it would sag her breasts. But she gave him life. She loved saying that. He had a roof over his head, and food. Don’t forget the food. Ungrateful piece of shit, just like his father.

raises volume to the max

Hello and welcome, everyone, live from Studio 6 at the SNN Center.

I’m Stacy Coll.

And I’m Paul Tathe.

Coming here tonight, Michigan Manhunt: State officials reveal the latest details on the ongoing search of who police are calling…

doorknob rattles

LOUD BANG ON DOOR

What the hell have I said about locking doors in this house?

The kid had an interest in serial killers and unsolved crimes. It gave him butterflies. A visceral need to dive into the darkest corners of the web, following crumbs that mimic a yellow brick road with no Oz at the end. While others of his age would jack off, and search mat6tube for their most uber-niche porn clip, he spent time as a sleuth.

Unlocking the door, he confronts his life bearer upfront.

What are you doing in there with the door locked? What have I told you about locking doors? You dont pay rent here, or anything else for that matter. I’ve been on my feet all day, running errands, then cleaning here, and on top of that cooking for your ungrateful ass. I want to get some rest before my fucking shift. Because some of us are adults and have jobs to pay for all the shit you use. You’re a slow one aren’t you? Ugh.

—a sharp pain in his head

Cro-Mags played—as the smell of chicken and carrots cooked in beer rushed the room. Its walls covered with posters of films like Süskind’s Perfume, directed by Kubrick, served as windows to worlds he didn’t necessarily want to live in but rather create them. Sleuthing was just a hobby. It just so happened that the results of such informed his creativity. Something else lurked beneath all this. An ancient presence that weighs on those conflicted. A daemon of the sorts, a devil.

He walked over to the stove. Took the lid of the pot, the stew could drown a whale in it. Rice next to it. Why don’t you call it a soup then, he thought. Took a ladle, and served himself a bowl with some rice.

Dont forget to clean after yourself you little pig. Dont let me find a single plate in that sink before I go to work. I’m going to try and get a nap in before my shift. And dont make any noise. Pretend you’re dead.

Oh, nice. Sure, mom. I’ll just go ahead and kill myself. Or maybe I’ll just die by natural causes, the headache I have right now might just take me with it.

The woman walks away but her energy lingers. A bottle of Taminophen Xtra Strength 500gm catches his attention. He takes three in his hand, grabs his plate and goes back to his lair.

7:33pm

Incoming FaceTime call

Accept

‘Waiting for Darkness’ by Ozzy Osbourne plays.

Yo’! What the fuck. What ‘cha doing?

I wanted to check the news. Came home. I wasn’t feeling well. Took something for the headache.

Not what I asked but ok. Anyways. Listen, Pango’s throwing a party at his stepdad’s fucking cabin or something. I been talking to Nao and she says Catrichi said you were weird, but cute.

The boy came in and out of himself. His being vibrated at different speeds, each ripple created a silhouette copy, a lethargic tingling, like dull needles poking through a thick mattress that wont give out. The thought failed to come out at the speed that the mouth moved, and resulted in babbling.

What? Ha-ha. You high? Jk, just messing with ya’. Look, let’s go to Oliver’s and grab some of his dad’s booze and take it to the party. My cousin can drive us. Just tell your mom you’re staying over.

She’s going to be working. It doesn’t even matter. I dont know, I’m not feeling like going out.

Buzzkill. Well. If you change your mind—

Talk to ya later.

Ends call

9:30pm

‘Drown so I Can Watch’ by The Twilight Sad played.

The screen’s glow and the neon LED’s, and the speaker, and the ac were all that was on in the room. His fingers running the keys by memory. The screen read:

Search: Michigan Lakeshore Killer

Results: 23

SNN

http://www.snn.com/news-lakeshore-murders/-Michigan Manhunt in LP- 01/07/25 Officials> crime> infam…

The Strange Corner

http://www.thestrangecorner.blog> origin> midwest> murders…

God’s Rejected Sons

http://www.grs.net/embrace_the_grey…

clicks

Welcome to The Strange Corner

Sponsored

AD. Don’t let pain get in the way, shoo it away! Get Taminophen Xtra Strength NOW!

http://www.maxwellpharma.com

A hub where we shed light on the strange. To understand it as opposed to ignore it.

Trending topics

MICHIGAN LAKESHORE KILLER{updated}

The boy clicks on the link, fat drops of sweat racing down his back and forehead. Drenched. The ac was set at the lowest—fifty-eight degrees. Moonlight graced a sliver of its silver light, but neither that or neon or the monitor glow could crack the darkness the room was engulfed in.

clicks

MICHIGAN LAKESHORE KILLER{updated} started by user: 6overthorizon6 | Posted: 2 years ago | 10,566 replies | Updated: 3 hours ago

I’ve put together a map of known dump sites based on news reports, interviews, articles and local missing persons last seen locations. From a bird’s eye view there’s not much of a pattern, aside from all victims being found, partially, in different parts of Lake Michigan. The first instances recorded come from around Michigan’s LP. Frank Barkley’s—from Walkerville—left arm was found in Silver Lake. Some locals say a strange cult is rumored to convene at the dunes every other full moon. Hinting at the possibility of it being involved in a grander scheme, something occult. After that, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to widen the scope, so I searched for similar cases on the other side of the lake. Cana Island, Wi. Chicago, IL. Waukegan, Wi. Gary, In. A pattern emerged.

A sensation of an infinite amount of ants running around inside his head. The boy’s vision dimmed, and lit up in intervals. He started to heave. Left hand cramping, his face went numb for some seconds, his eyes still glued to the screen.

The head was found with its eyes gauged, semen deep inside the ear canal. Molars plucked, nose sliced off. Nails ripped from the fingers. Disjointed limbs. Twisted. Burned. Flayed. Blood. Viscera. Tongues. Eyes. Here. There. Close. Far.

It was then that a fountain of stew erupted from deep inside his stomach, burning his esophagus as it spluttered out all over the setup, pieces of chicken and kernels of corn still whole stuck in between the ridges of the keys.

The mother walked past the room. Violent rolling vomit sounds cutting through the music, and the door, and the mother’s ears.

She walked.

And out the door she went.

‘One Hundred Years’ by The Cure starts to play.

His whole body sends electric shivers in a way that makes him feel every pore in his body close up, hair standing, waves from back to the front of his head, and they pulsated inside but outside his face remains still, and distant were his eyes as they wandered and wallowed in sadness. The music and his body were one. It all wobbled. The room bent as in a mirror house reflection. It was, the room, the boy’s current reality. Shifted.

Push! I can see the head! Keep pushing!

Shadow figures clouded by a veil, a substance. The baby screamed at the top of its lungs, the stimulus overwhelmed it. The lights, and the noise, and the screaming, and the limited space, and all the shadows. It cried. Eyes closed, it felt.

It’s a boy. Here—

No. I don’t want to look at it.

He got up from the chair. Legs turned to noodles, the boy fell.

scroll

She’s going to be working. It doesn’t even matter.

Buzzkill.

scroll

Pretend you’re dead.

The head was found

with its eyes gauged,

semen deep inside the ear canal.

Nails ripped, twisted disjointed limbs.

Viscera.

Victims range in age, sex, and race. Nobody is off limits.

scroll

Your father died the moment he found out I was having you.

scroll

Aw, honey. Your mom is just young, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t love you. She’s been through a lot. I’d take you with me but what good would that do? I’d be a terrible mother if I didn’t let my daughter figure it out by herself.

‘Love Like Blood’ by The Killing Joke fills the room.

Something wanted to crawl out of his stomach. It stabbed him from within. His heartbeat mimicked the song’s drum-line. Everything he saw was covered in a yellow hue. As if he had enabled the sepia filter in real time.

Mom? Are you there? Mom, I don’t feel well. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I ruined your life. My body really hurts, mom. Please. Help me.

She had gone out the door already, on her way to work. The figure stayed back to stare and smile. The absence of the father’s space now filled with the calm of sorrow.

10:59pm

All lights in and outside and around the house went out. Silence covered it all in its blanket. And then—it all whirred back to life. The hum of electricity powering it all once again.

the tv powers on

Breaking news: The Chicago Police Department received an anonymous tip earlier this week that led to the investigation of Maxwell Pharmaceuticals.

It was during said investigation that a heinous crime was discovered. So far, six victims, four of those females, have been found dead by means of poisoning after allegedly ingesting Taminophen laced with traces of digitalis and potassium cyanide.

Authorities are left with no clear suspects or motives behind the atrocious act.

The Forbes multimillion wealth-through-health empire’s chairman—Dominic Towers—said they have no idea how this incident could have occurred. Nonetheless, Towers assured he would form a team to assess what the company’s next steps would be going forward.

Eleven-year-old Brian Moore, child of parents Linda and Alexis Moore, woke up around midnight with what his guardians said were cold symptoms. They proceeded to give the child one Xtra Strength Taminophen and laid him on his bed. Hours later, they woke up to find their son dying on their bathroom floor.

Symptoms to be on the lookout for are: hallucinations, abdominal pain, convulsions, unusual color visions, delirium, xanthopsia, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Depending on the severity, the victim may experience irregular and slow pulse, severe headache, collapse, seizures, and even death.

Gurgling sounds of air and blood make noise.

‘I Know That Much’(Single Version) by The Lanthums serenades the soul goodbye.