The Writer's Twist, John Pallister [top novels to read .TXT] 📗

we running from?”
“Mad Rockvielers.”
He saw in the distance 3 huge dogs growling. No time for questions he leapt over the fence. The woman wasn’t so lucky, the dogs grabbed her leg. She screamed as the teeth sunk in.
“Help me!!” She screamed
Frank could do nothing as the third dog joined in. She was dead in a few minutes. Frank waited and then saw the dogs run off. He climbed over the fence and saw the mangled body. He tried to save her but it was too late.
Suddenly a voice whispered.
“Quick over here.”
It was Oliver.
“What you gonna do?” he said.
“She’s dead.”
“Yes and you did nothing to help her.”
“I couldn’t.”
“You’re not feeling the free radicals.”
“What do you mean?”
“You can’t die.”
“What do you mean” He repeated again.
“Your wrists were bleeding you lost lots of blood the other day, yet there were no scars. That’s because they weren’t bleeding it’s your perception of the real world.”
“That woman doesn’t exist so she can’t be dead.”
Suddenly the woman got up and walked over to the grave with Margret on and disappeared into the soil.
Frank stood there.
“Who the hell are you, are you a ghost?”
“Far from it, you do not believe it because it’s not possible. But your mind can create things, how do you possibly expect to write a novel.”
“Am I dreaming?”
Suddenly he woke up and he was in bed.
“Must be a dream.” He thought.
The phone rang, it was Gill.
“Hi Gill, how are you?”
“I had a weird dream.”
“And I did I dreamt some dogs were after me and they mangled me to death.”
The phone went silent.
“Frank?”
“It’s ok I had a similar dream.”
That was that he couldn’t be bothered to go into it.
“What you doing tomorrow?” Gill asked
“Nothing”
“My place at 12:00 I’m cooking dinner.”
“OK”
Frank had lost track of time it was 3:00 pm when he was in the symmetry now it was 10:00 pm. What had happened in that space of time?

**********************************************************************************

Dom woke up with a blinding head ache so he turned off Coal Chamber his favourite band and put the kettle on. It was Sunday and his favourite day. He was supposed to go to the church with his parents.
“I don’t think I’ll come” He told his Dad.
“Why not?”
“I’ve got a head ache.”
“Don’t be stupid your coming.”
“OK”
“There’s a letter for you.”
“Oh cool.”
Dom opened it, it was from the college.
“What’s it say?”
“It says I passed the first year and am invited for the second.”
“That’s good.” His Dad said.
“Yeah.”
Dom put his shoes on and waited for his Mum.
All three left the house and got in the car.
They arrived and it was busy lots of Dad’s friends were there. He spotted his Dad talking to a man in a suit.
“Who’s that?” he asked.
That was Oliver he’s new here said he wanted to find God. Strange bloke said God was in front of me.”
“He looks weird” Dom said.
They all congressed into the church and the sermon looked withered. He looked ill.
Suddenly he shouted.
“Oy, you are not wanted.”
The shocked crowd turned round and noticed the sermon pointing at Oliver.”
“Why not?” He asked him
“You are evil, you are not a man of the cloth.”
“I’m not a man of the cloth, fine I’ll leave.”
He left shouting
“You’ll be sorry, you’re staring death in the face.”
The shocked crowd looked at him nervously. He carried on with service.
**********************************************************************************
“Ahh that’s nice” Frank said.
Gill was giving him a back massage.
“Nearly ready.”
“Suddenly there was a phone call.”
“It’s your vicar friend Mark he’s been taken ill from the service, he’s asked to see you.”
“Damn it, anything to ruin a meal.”
“Never mind we’ll have it for tea bung it in the microwave.”
They left quickly and soon got to the hospital.
“How are you?”
“He won’t be able to speak he’s suffered a stroke it’s unlikely he’s got long to live.”
He did speak though.
“Beware Oliver.”
“What Mark?”
“Bew-ah argh”
Silence. He’s dead.
“What’s he mean?” Gill asked “Whose Oliver?”
“I don’t know never heard of him?” He lied.
They both left and then went back to Gill’s.
Gill put the kettle on, Frank just stared into space.
“What’s going on?”
“For the hundredth time I don’t know” Frank shouted
“OK”
The couple just sat silently.

**********************************************************************************

“So you know Oliver, Dad who is he?”
“I don’t know him.”
“You were speaking to him.”
“I’d only just met him.”
“Anyhow the vicar’s dead.”
“Yeah such a waste he had good faith.”
“Faith gets you nowhere” Dom said.
“Listen I don’t want to hear such talk we have faith in God don’t we?”
“I don’t” Dom said as he went to his room.
He began to search on the Internet on Frank’s site, there he checked the guest book.
Suddenly he saw a message from Oliver it read.

Dear Frank,
I know you didn’t write this book but it’s your imagination which makes this possible. Check out your own brain it’s cleverer than you think. Who am I? Well I’m you and you are me. I’m your alternative ego without you I don’t exist.
Take care.
Oliver.

Who was Oliver, he decided to type in Oliver’s name in MSM and noticed he was online.
“Hi Dom, I know it’s you.”
“How do you know?”
“Irrelevant.”
“Who are you?”
“I’m the life and soul of everybody; you could say I’m the scales of justice.”
“Why did you kill Mark?”
“I didn’t.”
“Yeah but you knew he was going to die.”
“Let me ask you one question.”
“What’s that?” Dom asked.
“Do you still have the faith?”
“Faith in what?”
“I want you to carry out a job.”
“What makes you think I’ll do anything for you?”
“I’ll pay you £1000.”
“What is it?”
“Pick up a woman from Wellington Street and drive her to Southward road.”
“Why can’t you do it?”
“Don’t ask questions.”
“When?”
“Now.”
“Okay how do I get my £1000?”
“She’ll give it to you.”
Dom left.
“Just going out.”
“Where to?”
“Just out.”
He slammed the door.
Dom waited at the end of the street until Laura came walking past and got in.
“Thanks Dom for giving me a lift Southward Road”
“Did Oliver put you up to this and where’s my £1000?”
“Oh yeah here you go, how did you know? I won £2000 at bookies we said we always share half.”
“So you don’t know who Oliver is?”
“No your freaking me out.”
“The monster eating maniac in Frank’s book.”
“He doesn’t exist.”
“Yeah he does I was talking to him on the Internet.”
“What?”
“Oh never mind.”
CHAPTER 5

Next week…
“I’m going back to work tomorrow Gill.”
“Okay, pity I was enjoying your company.”
Frank got into bed he was much happier this weird going on with Oliver had got to him, but he was determined to get over it.
No sooner had he closed his eyes the alarm went off. Frank was a financial advisor a good one at that. He put on his suit and got in his car.
“Welcome back Frank, how are you feeling?”
“Fine.”
“Good to have you back, your first job is to catch up on some emails then you’ve got a meeting with the chief executive.”
“Okay.”
Frank checked his emails there were loads. He replied to a few of them then went to see the chief executive.
“Hi Frank take a seat.”
“What’s this all about?”
“Nothing bad I assure you.”
“I want to praise you on all your hard work.”
“Thanks.”
“Shares in the metal companies are rising, but cheaper imports from Japan mean that they’ll drop, but when is the question? I want you to find out information about this so we know when to advice in sales.”
“Where do I start?”
“This is your project use what you can.”
“It’s a bit difficult.”
“A man of your capabilities should be able to do it. Oh yeah by the way good book.”
“You read it?”
“Yeah liked the suspense.”
“Thanks.”
Frank left the office and signed onto the internet looking for information. He typed in steel industries in Japan.
“Frank, phone call.”
“Who is it?”
“Don’t know.”
“I’ll take it in my office.”
“Hello.”
“Hello.”
“Who is it?”
“Me.”
“Who?”
“You.”
“Oliver?”
“Could be.”
“Don’t mess with me who are you and why are trying to mess up my life?”
“Excuse me it’s Jim.” The line hung up.
“What the blazes you talking to Jim like that for?”
“I thought it was somebody else.”
“Whose messing up your life Frank you can tell me.”
“Oliver.”
“Whose he?”
“He doesn’t say who he is but he wears a suit and periodically he appears telling me mumbo jumbo.”
“I know an Oliver.” Some random college said
“You do?”
“Yes my wife had an affair with him probably not the same guy.”
“Look if it’s too soon…” The boss sternly said
“No I’m not letting him win.”
Frank carried on with his project until it was home time.
**********************************************************************************

Laura made Dom a cup of tea.
“Stop worrying about Oliver.”
“I can’t who or what is he?”
“Maybe you should ask Frank?”
“Could do, but I’ll do some detective work of my own.”
“What you going to do?”
“I’m going to the church and speak to the caretaker.”
Dom packed his bag and left Laura’s house, walking briskly smoking a roll up which looked more like a dirty spliff than a cigarette, although the smell wasn’t as sweet. Liquorish tobacco was his favourite. Arriving at the church altar he saw the caretaker.
“Hi, how may I help you?”
“Hi are you the caretaker?”
“James Spader, yes nice to meet you how can I help?”
“Do you know a man named Oliver?” Dom asked.
“Oh yeah strange chap freaks me out a bit. Come to think about it he said you’d come talk to me, weird.”
“When did he say that, it’s important?”
“Oh a month ago, friend of yours is he?”
“No I don’t know who he is.”
“Oh right how can I help?”
“Do you know who he really is?” Dom said sternly.
“Well some people say he’s the devil in disguise, others say he’s death or a sorcerer, but that’s mumble jumble I think he’s just an odd ball.”
“And nothing strange has ever happened around you when he’s present?”
The man went quiet.
Dom asked again.
Still he didn’t speak then he signalled with his hands to his mouth.
“What’s the matter?” Dom started shaking him.
James took out a pen and wrote.
“I’m scared I can’t speak what’s going on, I’ve lost my voice.”
Suddenly the man’s neck made a cracking noise.
“That’s better.” He said
Dom was shocked that was his voice.
Dom spoke and he had James’ voice.


“Where are you Dom?”
“This is me Dom, my voice is different something weird is going on.”
“What the hell.”
“Meet me at the church.”
Laura rushed to the church and to her surprise saw Dom and James unconscious.
“Dom wake up.”
Dom came around.
**********************************************************************************

Frank was on his way home from work glad to be out the office he turned down Wellington Street and got to the end of the road, however as soon as he turned left he was at the beginning of the road.
“What the hell” he thought.
He drove again to the end but it happened again. This happened for several attempts until Frank stopped the car and broke down in tears. He noticed a car in the background it was a cavalier. The man in the suit got out.
“Hello Frank”
“Hello Oliver, what is going on please