This Thing A Quiet Madness Made Novels & Stories

"Peaceful and quiet." "That's not supposed to happen!" Dame exclaimed. "The words peace and quiet have never been part of your vocabulary." "I know," Derrick whispered. "Is it too bad if I like it?" "I mean, it's fine," Zin responded. "But I don't think it's usual that you can't hear any evil thoughts at all." "I can hear them," Derrick tried to explain. "But it's quiet, almost silent. The whispers that were once clouding up my mind now sound like insects buzzing near me."

When I open them, Luke is still watching me, waiting. "I need to get my bags," I whisper into the phone. "Luke will take care of everything. Just come to me." This man has always been able to turn my rational mind into chaos. He makes me forget who I am, forget what I want, forget every promise I've made to myself. I hand the phone back to Luke without another word and follow him toward the Range Rover. My legs feel like they're made of water, but I keep walking. I'm such an idiot.

“ Meara!” The whispers started again, soft but notable. I tensed, my eyes snapping open. I scanned the field, but there was no one in sight. The sound seemed to come from the tree itself, from the rustling of its leaves. I pressed my palms against the rough bark and closed my eyes, focusing on the whispers. " Come... find... me..." The words were faint but distinct. My heart raced. Was I losing my mind, or was there something more to these whispers? I stood up, brushing the dirt off my jeans, and took a few steps back. The whispers grew louder, more insistent.

While clinging to the last bit of my strength, I stood up, grabbed the divorce agreement from my handbag, and threw it at Jake’s face. “I’m divorcing you, Jake!” Then, right before Jake’s disbelieving gaze, I stumbled toward the door, but soon after I started walking, my vision turned black entirely, and I fell forward again. Right before I lost consciousness, I heard shouting. “Mrs. Green is bleeding!” “Call the ambulance!” “Luna!”

It keeps my wolf calm and my mind sharper than my mouth, which, frankly, says a lot. Afterwards, I shower, hit the kitchen and make breakfast. Scrambled eggs, toast, and a coffee strong enough to raise the dead. I cook myself. Always have. I like eating alone. No noise, no conversation, just me and the silence. That’s my routine—quiet, clean, and predictable. Then I go see Kieran.

VENUS There’s a special kind of madness that grows in captivity. It doesn’t happen all at once. It builds. Quietly and patiently. Like moss creeping up a stone wall, covering everything until you can’t remember what the bare surface even looked like. That’s what I was now. Covered in it. Wrapped tight in Gerald’s madness, in the stink of stale fear and the thick silence of this cabin that had become my purgatory. Every day was the same. Every breath felt borrowed.

“Are you satisfied yet?” The voice was so familiar that my mind went blank, and I felt like I had just been struck by lightning. I froze. Trembling, I reached out and slowly removed the mask. A pair of triumphant eyes locked onto mine, and I felt a wave of dizziness. “Well, well! Running off to have fun with my mom, huh? Have you had your fill yet, Naomi?”

Laughing too loud at something someone said. Smiling with too much teeth. Too much effort. Trying too hard. She hadn’t seen him yet. But everyone else had. Old Hank gave him a slow nod. Jake stiffened like trouble just walked in. And then Mads nudged her. “Alli,” she said under her breath. And when Alli turned— Their eyes met. Everything else went quiet. Not literally—the jukebox still played, some drunken guy laughed in the corner, and someone hollered for another pitcher—but in his world?

THE SOUND OF HIS RETURN When I get home, everything feels too quiet. The house is calm, but not in a peaceful way , it’s quiet . The door clicks shut behind me, echoing through the apartment like a reminder that I’m alone again. The faint smell of Daniel’s cologne still lingers somewhere in the air, mixed with coffee and dust. The curtains are half-drawn, letting thin bands of sunlight cut across the living room floor. My shoes come off with a dull thud, My heels scrape softly against the tiled floor as I step inside. I stand there for a second, just breathing, trying to make the world stop spinning. The guilt in my chest hasn’t left , it’s grown, swelling, pressing against my ribs until I c

|Ever| A hallucination of Aida's high-pitched voice claws its way out of my subconscious. "You chose your doom. I told you so." A mocking laughter follows. I shake my head, clearing it away as it echoes away into space. Sighing, I ease into my bed. It's not a big deal. Might be about the few classes I missed this month. I squeeze my eyes shut, parting my lips slightly before closing them. I can't be in much trouble than I already am anyway.