Available Darkness Season 2

for a fat handful of flickers, as he was forced to sort through Melora’s worst memories, fears, and pain, like when she lost her child three hours after his birth.
    Duncan quickly found himself riding through her currents of thought until he found himself swimming in calmer seas, basking in the pleasures of her life as if by instinct. He had even relived her more erotic moments, which left him surprised in both the depths of her kink, and that such a plain-looking woman had so many sexual escapades with men and women of every shape and size. Melora was one book Duncan could never have judged by its cover.
    He wanted out of the basement, and to experience the rush again. Yet, Duncan was also shrouded by guilt. He hadn’t wanted to kill Melora. It was the parasite’s instinct and his own sense of self-preservation compelling him to feed from Melora’s screaming body. As he sat, imagining feasting on others, Duncan felt disgusted.
    I can’t just go kill people.
    I am not them.
    I am above them.
    He could almost feel Jacob’s laughter as the monster descended the stairs, looking down at Melora’s charred remains, which Duncan couldn’t bring himself to move from the bottom.
    “So, how is superiority treating you?” Jacob smiled. “Is that whole ‘I’m not a monster’ thing going well?” He tutted. “For so long your people have treated ours like monsters, as if we’d chosen our paths. Chosen to be infected with the parasites. As if we chose a life of murder. People love to feel smug, but when it comes right down to it, they’re all just pigs wallowing in the filth, eating whatever they must to survive.”
    Duncan said nothing since Jacob was right. He was now no better than the monsters he’d hunted for so long, but that didn’t mean he had to admit it.
    Jacob circled the body. “So, are you ready for your next meal?” he asked.
    “No,” Duncan lied.
    Jacob smiled, “You say no, but you forget, I can feel what you feel. I feel that hunger within you, Mr. Alderman. Why deny what you can embrace? I’ve elevated you past the rest of your species, and above the humans! You should be thanking me. I’m setting you front and center for the next evolution of our kind. We will be Gods among beasts, and the world our buffet.”
    Duncan still said nothing, staring down at the concrete floor.
    Jacob said, “It’s OK, you’ll come around. In the meantime, I’ve a small favor to ask. It seems I’ve come into possession of some numbers, Social Security numbers, to be precise. I need to find the people attached to the numbers.”
    Duncan asked, “Are these your so-called ‘vessels?’”
    “Why, yes they are. See? You and I make a good team, Mr. Alderman.”
    “Why should I help you?”
    “Well, let’s just pretend for a moment that you have a choice, and that I can’t bring you to your knees in crippling pain by merely thinking it. In that case, you would help me because you’re helping yourself. Now that you’re with us, our goals are as one.”
    “I want out of the basement,” Duncan said. “I’m tired of being cooped up down here. Plus, I’ll need access to my computers if you expect any answers.”
    “Fair enough, consider it done.” Jacob said. He stepped closer to Duncan, locking eyes with the old man as sharp force suddenly pressed into his skull from all sides. “But just so you know, I can see your every action and hear your every thought. If you even think about doing anything to interfere with me, I will know, and make you wish I had killed you.” Jacob snarled, still sounding almost pleasant. “You think killing the hired fucking help was difficult? I’ll lock you in a room with a newborn infant if you cross me. See how that weighs on your conscience.”
    Duncan nodded, “You don’t have to threaten me.”
    “That’s excellent news,” Jacob said, losing his snarl. “I’ve taken the liberty of blacking out the windows on the second floor, so I’ll have a room prepared for you.”
    “Can’t I have my bedroom?”
    “No,” he said, “I’ve grown quite accustomed to your bed. It really is quite the luxury.”

    **

    An hour later, Jacob released Duncan from the basement. The old man ascended the stairs to find that his entire house was now commandeered by Harbinger, as he had suspected. There were armed men in black crowding the bottom floor, and a few others wearing civilian clothes. Duncan figured they were Otherworlders or Halfworlders sympathetic to