Jacob's Mind is a horror short story written by Ty Schwamberger (http://tyschwamberger.wordpress.com/) and is copyrighted by Ty Schwamberger. The ending of Jacob's Mind is reproduced with explicit permission from the author.

Jacob’s Mind



A cool burst of sea-drenched air flowed over his face while Chaabi played on a transistor radio sitting close by in the sand.  It was a typical day on the shores of Tarfaya in mid-January.  It was around 67 degrees, which was perfect weather as far as he was concerned and nothing like the weather it would be in his native city in the United States - Cleveland, Ohio.



Tarfaya, Morocco, is where Jacob recently had started working, but in his free time did little more than sit for endless hours on the gold encrusted sands of the beach, drink cheap beer and try to play his interpretation of the local music on his guitar.  Jacob almost always bought his beer on the beach from a local, who would push a rusty metal cart, stocked with a ‘string of doughnuts‘ and cheap ale.  The only beer this particular vendor had in his inventory was Flag Special, which Jacob thought tasted more like a homeless guy’s piss more than anything.  But, he drank it - a lot of it - especially during the past few months. 



Jacob was naturally dark skinned but always seemed to apply more sunscreen than was needed during this particular season.  The sun wasn’t hot, as you might think it would be this close to the equator, but more like the sun on a fall day on the shores of Lake Erie, near Cleveland - warm and inviting.  He loved the beach and would do almost anything to be close to his passion of parasailing.  He longed for the time each year for The Dash, which was a spectacular and challenging endurance event racing from the Canary Islands to Tarfaya, Shara Morocco, 72 nautical miles.  He spent many hours a day just dreaming about how it would be like to parasail around the world, only if that were possible in this day and age.



As Jacob stretched his legs and stuck his feet in the sand contemplating on whether to go back in the ocean, he heard a strange popping sound.  He looked north up the sands on beach and then south - nothing.  He proceeded to turn his head around to look behind him, his long locks of braided and beaded hair whipping against the side of his sunscreen pasted cheeks.  Again, he saw nothing.  He thought maybe it was the ocean liner he saw in the distance dumping medical sewage into the water again, but upon closer inspection with his telescope, he saw nothing.  Nothing.  Perplexed by this, he stood up, his lean muscular 6′2″ frame casting a formidable shadow on the sands beside him.  He had his shirt off, which made him look even more ripped, especially since he had been darkened by the Moroccan sun over the past few months.  He looked around once more, seeing nothing, picked up his radio, blanket and guitar and decided it was time to get something to eat.  The beer was starting to give him a little buzz this morning and after last night, he wasn’t going to fall back into the drunken stooper that got him into trouble only a few hours ago.



*  *  *



Jumping up the front steps and opening the front door, Jacob entered his ocean view condo.  He was starting to get a headache again and since he wasn’t sure whether it was from the beer he had drank on the beach or last night, he walked into the bathroom, opened up he medicine cabinet and took out a bottle of aspirin.  Popping three pills in his mouth and taking a hand full of water from the faucet, Jacob swallowed, dried this mouth and walked out into the living room.  He plopped onto the couch and flicked on the television.



Only black and white lines buzzed on the screen.



He pressed down the channel button on the remote with his thumb, but still came up with nothing.



Damnit.



He turned off the television and walked over to the kitchen which was adjacent to the living room.  He pulled open the refrigerator and took out a cold brew and some left over egg salad.  He then made himself a sandwich on rye bread. Twisting the metal cap off his beer, he took a few small gulps, sighed and shut the fridge door.



A popping sound went off again in his ears, hoping it was his headache trying to get worse; he shook it off and went out on the balcony overlooking the ocean.  It was beautiful.  But it also reminded him how even beautiful things can turn ugly in only a small amount of time, especially when alcohol is involved.



He took a bite of his sandwich and another gulp of cold beer into his mouth and swallowed.  He could feel it slide down the inside of his throat, esophagus and into his stomach.  He thought it was strange that he could feel the inside of his body and couldn’t remember a time that it had happened before.  Hoping last night had nothing to do with it; he took another sip of beer and sat down on his white wicker recliner.  He put his feet up on the balcony railing, took a pack of Horn Cigarettes out of his pocket, struck a match on his teeth, put the cigarette in his mouth and inhaled deeply.  Sweet, warm smoke filled his mouth and lungs.  He held it in for a few moments and let it out through his nose.



*  *  *



As his eyes fluttered open, Jacob realized he wasn’t on the cozy confines of his condo balcony.  Not that it surprised him any, he just hoped it wouldn’t happen again so soon.  Not after it just happened last night.



Pushing himself off the forest floor, he brushed a few leaves and sticks off his naked body and began walking.  He knew the area well and knew how to get back home.  The only unfortunate part of this time was that is was daytime and he was naked.  Hell, he was always naked, especially after the change but it normally happened in the early morning hours, when the sun was just beginning to rise and not many people were out and about.  Jacob knew that during the afternoon hours there would be plenty of people walking the streets and they would be sure to notice a naked man strolling along, even if he looked to be a normal person.



Jacob knew he wasn’t a normal person, not after meeting a Dr. Jim Stevenson six months ago.  Something was wrong with him; he just couldn’t put a finger on what it was.  To many, Jacob was a normal guy.  He held a desk job during the work week and was the type of hunky guy that ladies see on the beach and want to go up and talk to.  He knew he was a good looking guy and often used it to his advantage to get the women he wanted.



He just had to remember to put makeup on his face in the mornings and he was good to go.  He wished he had some makeup on him now, but that would be hard to do being naked and all.



After a half hour of walking, Jacob came to the edge of the forest and looked out onto the main street that ran past it.  Hiding behind a large tree he looked both ways, saw no one and casually strolled out from behind it.



Stepping up on the sidewalk he quickened his pace.  He was naked in the middle of the day, walking down the street and would be sure to attract a lot of unneeded attention if he didn’t get a move on.



When he was halfway home, that is when he heard it.  Not a popping sound, but the distant rumble of an automobile engine closing fast behind him.  At first he wanted to take off running and try to find something to hide behind, but he knew that might draw more attention to him rather then continuing to walk down the street.  Maybe the person in the auto that was coming up behind him wouldn’t notice.  Maybe the person would be so busy talking on their cellular phone or listening to the radio that they wouldn’t see a tall, naked guy just walking down the street in broad daylight.  He hoped.



A few moments later the car whizzed by him.  It was a green two door hatchback and looked rather good for how old the car seemed to be.  Jacob figured it was probably a chick’s car but couldn’t be for sure and he sure as hell wasn’t going to flag her down to find out.



Then the car hit the breaks.  Hard.  A plum of white and grey smoke erupted from the tires.  The drive shifted into reverse and was coming back towards him and fast.



Jacob thought about running off back into the woods, but instead continued walking towards the backing up car.  He would just think of some excuse of why he was naked in the middle of the day.  A woman.  Yeah, that might work, Jacob thought to himself.



I’ll just tell the person that my girlfriend stole my clothes and kicked me out of the house…yeah, that’s a great idea.  If it is a guy, he’ll be sure to believe it…but what if it is a woman driver…shit…I’ll have to think of something else.



The car pulled to a stop at the curb a few yards in front of Jacob.  He took a deep breath and walked over to the passenger window.



It was a woman in the driver’s seat.



Damn.



“Excuse me,” said the young blond behind the stirring wheel, “do you need help of some kind.”



“Ahhh, actually a ride would be great…my girlfriend, ya know…she kicked me out this morning after we had a fight and wouldn’t give me my clothes, so I have to walk all the way across town wearing nothing but my birthday suit,” chuckled Jacob.



“Sorry to hear about your luck…some woman can be a pain in the aaarsh, ya know.”



“Yeah, I am beginning to realize that.”



The woman popped the lock to the passenger door.  Jacob reached down and pulled the door open.  He slid onto the hot vinyl seat.  It burnt his buttocks and legs like hell, but he didn’t say anything.



“Thanks…I really appreciate it.”



“No worries…where to,” asked the blond.



“526 Ocean Drive.”



“Ah, ok…I know right where that’s at…my uncle use to live down that way when I was a kid…by the way…my name is Julie.”



“Yeah, it is a nice part of town…nice to meet you Julie, my name is Jacob.”



Jacob gave an embarrassed smile as he closed the door with his right hand and covered himself with his left.



Julie pulled away from the curb and started driving towards Jacob’s condo.



*  *  *



“There it is,” said Jacob, pointing towards his tan colored condo up ahead.



“Ok.”



Julie pulled the car to the curb and shut off the engine.



“Thanks again for the ride, Julie.”



“Hey, it’s no problem, really.”



“Well, thanks again, have a good one,” Jacob said as he pushed the car door open and started to get out.



“Hey, do you mind if I come in real quick and use your bathroom…I normally wouldn’t ask such a thing, but I really have to go.”



“Nah, that’s fine…follow me.”



Jacob led Julie to the front of his building, unlocked the door and showed her in.  He pointed down the hallway to where the bathroom was located.



On her way to the bathroom, Jacob called out to her and asked if she wanted something to drink, she replied, “Yes…a vodka and tonic would be great.”



“Coming right up,” replied Jacob, watching her skirt flutter against her buttocks as she walked down the hall.



Jacob hurried into his laundry room, threw on a pair of kaki shorts and a Bermuda shirt and then went into the kitchen to fix the drinks.  Julie came out of the bathroom and was walking into the kitchen as Jacob was pouring the liquid concoction from a silver shaker into two chilled tumblers.  He handed one to Julie, took the other himself and they walked out on the balcony.



“Wow, this is a great view.”



“Why, thank you.  I do enjoy it very much here.”



“Have you been living here very long,” asked Julie



“Only about six months is all…I was transferred from the states to here with the company I work for.”



“Ah, I see…had any time to enjoy the night life yet,” asked Julie.



“Not too much, yet…I’m pretty busy during the work week and usually have paperwork to bring home on the weekends.”



“You should really spend some time getting to know the area…I’ve been here for about seven years and I love the place…the night life is to die for.”



“I bet…especially if someone has a person like you to show them around,” replied Jacob, taking a sip from his glass.



*  *  *



Jacob squinted against the morning light filtering into the shaded windows of his bedroom.  Turning his head to one side, he noticed that the side of the bed where Julie had slept was empty.  He was glad that he had met her and even if he didn’t know her very well, expect for the time they had spent together the previous day, he could tell he liked her.  She was someone that he could actually see himself with.  He hoped she felt the same.



Rolling out of bed, Jacob stretched his arms and legs and walked to the bathroom door.  It was closed.  He fumbled with the knob but the door was locked.  Feeling a little embarrassed that he might have just disturbed Julie used his toilet, he said, “Sorry about that…take your time” and headed down the hall and into the kitchen.



A hot pot of coffee was waiting for him.  The coffee maker was always set on a timer to brew his favorite roast first thing in the morning.



Smiling, he took two mugs out of the cabinet, filled them both and sat down at the breakfast bar.



He sipped the hot, black fluid, looking out the window at the ocean and how the morning light reflected off the waves.  It was going to be a good day.  He could feel it.  If nothing else, Jacob knew it was going to be a good day because he had met a beautiful woman, that seemed to like him and he hadn’t done anything crazy the previous night.  At least he hoped he didn’t.  He didn’t think he did anyway.



How could I have done anything…I woke up at home, with my boxers on…no body or blood around me…nah, nothing happened last night that I should be worried about.



That is when he heard the popping sound, again.



He twisted around and looked down the hallway towards the bathroom, but didn’t see anyone.  No Julie.  Nothing.



He turned back around, took another sip of his coffee and waited for the popping sound again.  It didn’t come back.



After about ten minutes of sitting on the stool, looking out the window and sipping coffee, Jacob started to get concerned with what was taking Julie so long in the bathroom.  Sure, he knew that sometimes women had female issues that they needed to take care of, but he never heard of them taking this long.



He swiveled around in his chair and started walking towards the bathroom.



As he approached the door, he leaned his ear against it to find out if he would hear any movement, running water, something.  He didn’t hear anything.



He lightly knocked on the door.



There was no response.



“Julie…are you ok…can I get you anything?”



Nothing.



He knocked again.





At first he thought it was Julie, trying to talk to him, but after another few moments he realized it wasn’t her.  For one, the voice sounded too masculine and another it was too close to be coming from anyone on the other side of the bathroom door.



Rearing back he flung his shoulder into the door.



The wooden door jam exploded into a hundred splinters and the door shot open.



 *  *  *



A few weeks passed since cleaning up and throwing what was left of Julie’s body in the dumpster behind his condo.



During that time, Jacob spent endless hours researching his condition.  It bothered him that he could only remember some things that happened after meeting a beautiful woman.  Six months ago, he would have just figured it was the alcohol messing with his memory, but now he sensed it was more than that.  A lot more.



Looking through the local library, Jacob found a wide variety of magazine articles, movies and documents on the myth of what he had become.  He guessed he always knew what he was, what Dr. Stevenson had turned him into, but he didn’t want to admit it until now.  Hell, even after reading and watching all the movies, he still couldn’t and didn’t want to believe it.  But he knew that what he found out had to be the reason for his late night adventures.



Ever since Jacob had first been experimented on, he had just found it normal to be searching for hot women in the middle of the night and then forgetting what happened after that.  He could always remember meeting the random woman, drinking together and then waking up.  He could ever remember the stuff in the middle.  Hell, at the time he saw nothing wrong with it.  He was just enjoying the company of women and living his life.  He didn’t know what he was really doing.  All he really knew was that he did things at night; woke up in relatively the same place, walked back home, put on makeup to cover the scars across his forehead and neck and went on about his daily life.



But now something was different, something was wrong.  He was beginning to remember small details of the night with Julie and it wasn’t just the good parts, either.



Jacob knew he had to find out where Dr. Stevenson had taken him after they left the bar together on Jacob’s first night in Tarfaya.



He had to find out what happened to him the night Dr. Stevenson told him to have a drink with him and follow him back to his laboratory.



*  *  *



The only person Jacob could find that resembled the doctors name was, James Stevens, M.D.  He figured it was close enough to Jim Stevenson, so he gave it a shot.



He arrived at the doctor’s office a little after five o’clock on a Monday afternoon.  There was a chance that the doctor had already left the office before Jacob got there, but he had to give it a shot anyway.  He figured if the doctor’s office was already closed, he would just break in and take a look around, though Jacob doubted that a mad scientist would keep records of strange experiments at a secret laboratory in the same office that he helped the local town folk.  But he had to try, something.  Hell, he didn’t have anything to lose, not anymore.



After pulling his small car into the parking lot, Jacob shut off the engine and walked to the front office door.  It was unlocked and he was able to enter without having to break a window to get inside.  He then walked up to the receptionist desk and asked if Dr. Stevens was available.  The women behind the desk asked if something was wrong.  Jacob said he was having some stomach problems that he needed to speak with someone about.



A few minutes after disappearing down a hallway, the receptionist returned and asked Jacob to follow her to the consultation room.  Jacob said, “Thank you” and followed her down the white washed hallway, entered the room and had a seat on a bench covered with thin white paper.  The woman closed the door on her way out.



“Good afternoon, Mr…”said the doctor as he entered the room.



“You…” shouted Jacob.  He couldn’t seem to remember much of anything lately, but sure as hell recognized the tall, thin and grey haired man standing in front of him in a white lab coat.



“Ah, yes…Mr. Satchel…so good to see you again…are your headaches any better these days.”



“Shit, no,” shouted Jacob, “they aren’t better at all…I still get them all the time…but now I am having trouble remembering things.”



“Well, that could be because of the tumor, you know.”



“Huh, what tumor…what the hell are you talking about.”



“Oh, my dear…you don’t remember do you…the tumor that I had to remove from your brain…why do you think you had those stitches across your forehead, Mr. Satchel.”



“What…I don’t understand…I don’t remember any tumor or even being in the hospital for that matter.”



“Of course you don’t remember…that is one of the side effects of brain cancer…patients often forget about certain events in their lives, whether it is in the past or present…there are even instances where a patient will make up a certain memory with events that never took place to begin with.”



“But…what about…”



“What about, what,” asked Dr. Stevens.



“What about…all the weird stuff that has been happening to me.”



“What would that be, Mr. Satchel.”



“You know…”



Jacob didn’t want to say too much at this point.  He couldn’t be sure any of his memories were correct any more.  He didn’t want to admit to killing people if the doctor didn’t have anything to do with it.  He sure as hell wasn’t going to give himself up to the authorities when he didn’t have to.



Maybe the doctor is right…maybe I did have a tumor and my mind just made up all the stuff about meeting him in a bar, him asking me to have a drink with him, following him back to his laboratory for a side job…all that stuff…it might be all made up…oh shit, I might not only have cancer, but I might have had brain surgery, killed people and now I am going crazy to boot…what the hell am I gonna do?



The doctor was smiling at him, but looking annoyed and waiting for an answer.



Jacob didn’t have one to give him so he just shrugged and said, “Dr. Stevens…maybe you are right…I think I am just having some trouble right now…you don’t happen to know of any medication I can take to help with my memory, do you.”



“Oh, Mr. Satchel…I am sure I can give you something to help you out,” smiled the doctor, pulling a white prescription pad out of his shirt pocket.



*  *  *



Jacob woke up alone the next morning in his own bed.  There were no dead bodies around him, no blood, no torn clothes, just him, lying on his side.  Rolling out of bed, Jacob walked to the bathroom, used the toilet, flushed and the brushed his teeth.  He then cupped some cold running water in both his hands, took it into his mouth and swished it around a few moments.  He then spit the water out of his mouth into the sink and reached behind him for a hand towel.  Drying his face and mouth, he looked up in the mirror above the sink and noticed that the wide scar lines that were just there the day before were gone nor were the round scar holes on each side of his neck.  His skin was smooth, just as it was when he first moved to Tarfaya.  He glided his hands over his dry skin and felt no indication that he had had an operation to remove any brain tumor.



Smiling that the good doctor had helped him in some way by giving him the medication, he walked out of the bathroom and into the kitchen.  As always, a steaming pot of coffee was waiting for him.  The bitter smell of roasted beans filled Jacob’s nostrils as he walked over, took a mug from the cabinet and poured.  He took a sip of the hot coffee and let it slide down his throat.  It burnt but tasted wonderful.  He wanted to enjoy his coffee on his balcony as he did every morning, so he walked from the kitchen, through the living room and pulled aside the blinds that were covering the sliding door.



Sitting in his chair, he saw the back of a woman’s head.



Confused, he pulled the door to one side.  It slid open and stopped with a thud.



“Excuse me…”



Sitting in his white wicker chair, was Julie, naked.  Her arms, legs and head had obviously been sown back on with great care.



There were also extra marks on her body.



One was a jagged stitching across her forehead and the other was two metal knobs sticking out each side of her neck.



He also noticed she was wearing a rock the size of a small house on her left ring finger.



Instinctively he looked down at his left hand and saw he was wearing a wedding ring as well.



“What the…”



“Why, good morning, hubby,” said Julie, “you were right when you thought about me liking you…”



“How…what…when…” slurred Jacob.



“Oh, honey, it’s ok…now we’ll get to be together forever…after all…I’m your bride.”