We continue our 5th classic collection of horror and ghost stories from Libriviox. This week it's "Staley Fleming's Hallucination" by Ambrose Bierce!
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Horror Story Collection 5- Staley Fleming's Hallucination(010725)
Tretchley, backstabbing, murder. Emmy winning the Tretters is back for an all-new season. Here we go again. Join me for the ultimate game of survival. We're making it to the end. There's a matter of life and death. This game is torch on us. I can feel my blood pressure rise. If you carry on with that cocky attitude, you might get yourself in trouble. Oh, I've missed this. The Tretters, steaming January the 9th, only on Peacock. It's time for Tales of Terror, only on the mutual audio network. The following audio drama is rated PG-13, suggesting that children under the age of 13 should listen accompanied with an adult. This is a LibraVox recording. All LibraVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information and to find out how you can volunteer, please visit LibraVox.org. "Staley Fleming's Hallucination" by Ambrose Beers. "Of two men who were talking, one was a physician. 'I sent for you, doctor,' said the other. 'But I don't think you can do me any good. 'Maybe you can recommend a specialist in psychopathy. 'I fancy I'm a bit loony.' 'You look all right,' the physician said. 'You shall judge. 'I have hallucinations. 'I wake up every night and see in my room, 'intently watching me, 'a big black Newfoundland dog with a white forefoot. 'You say you wake, are you sure about that? 'Hallucinations are sometimes only dreams. 'Oh, I wake all right. 'Sometimes I lie still a long time, 'looking at the dog as earnestly as the dog looks at me. 'I always leave the light going. 'When I can't endure it any longer, 'I sit up in bed and nothing is there. 'Hmm, what is the beast's expression? 'It seems to me sinister. 'Of course I know that, except in art, 'an animal's face in repose has always the same expression. 'But this is not a real animal. 'Newfoundland dogs are pretty mild looking, you know. 'What's the matter with this one?' 'Really, my diagnosis would have no value. 'I'm not going to treat the dog.' The physician laughed at his own pleasantry, 'but narrowly watched his patient from the corner of his eye. 'Presently,' he said. 'Flemming, your description of the beast 'fits the dog of the late Atwell Barton. 'Flemming half rose from his chair, 'sad again and made a visible attempt at indifference. 'I remember Barton,' he said. 'I believe he was.' It was reported that, 'Wasn't there something suspicious in his death?' Looking squarely now into the eyes of his patient, the physician said, 'Three years ago, 'the body of your old enemy, Atwell Barton, 'was found in the woods near his house and yours. 'He had been stabbed to death. 'There have been no arrests, there was no clue. 'Some of us had theories. 'I had one, have you? 'I, why bless your soul, what could I know about it? 'You remember that I left for Europe 'almost immediately afterward, 'a considerable time afterward. 'In the few weeks since my return, 'you could not expect me to construct a theory. 'In fact, I have not given the matter a thought. 'What about his dog?' 'It was the first to find the body. 'It died of starvation on his grave. 'We do not know the inexorable law underlying coincidences. 'Staley Fleming did not, 'or he would perhaps not have sprung to his feet 'as the night wind brought in through the open window, 'the long wailing how of a distant dog. 'He stirred several times across the room 'in the steadfast gaze of the physician. 'Then abruptly confronting him, almost shouted, 'What has all this to do with my trouble, Dr. Halderman? 'You forget why you were sent for.' 'Rising, the physician laid his hand upon his patient's arm 'so gently, pardon me, 'I cannot diagnose your disorder offhand. 'Tomorrow, perhaps. 'Please go to bed, leaving your door unlocked. 'I will pass the night here with your books. 'Can you call me without rising? 'Yes, there is an electric bell. 'Good, if anything disturbs you, 'push the button without sitting up. 'Good night.' 'Comfortably installed in an armchair, 'the man of medicine stared into the glowing coals 'and thought deeply and long, 'but apparently to little purpose, 'for he frequently rose and opening a door 'leading to the staircase, listened intently, 'then resumed his seat. 'Presently, however, he fell asleep 'and when he woke it was past midnight. 'He stirred the failing fire, lifted a book 'from the table at his side and looked at the title. 'It was then occurs meditations. 'He opened it at random and began to read. 'For as much as it is ordained of God 'that all flesh bath spirit and thereby takeeth 'on spiritual powers, 'so also the spirit bath powers of the flesh, 'even when it is gone out of the flesh 'and liveth as a thing apart, 'as many of violence performed by wraith 'and lemur showeth. 'And there be who say that man is not single in this, 'but the beasts have the like evil inducement end. 'The reading was interrupted by a shaking of the house, 'as by the fall of a heavy object. 'The reader flung down the book, rushed from the room 'and mounted the stairs to Fleming's bed chamber. 'He tried the door, but contrary to his instructions, 'it was locked. 'He set his shoulder against it with such force 'that it gave way. 'On the floor near the disordered bed, 'in his nightclothes lay Fleming gasping away his life. 'The physician raised the dying man's head from the floor 'and observed a wound in the throat. 'I should have thought of this,' he said, 'believing it so aside. 'When the man was dead, an examination disclosed 'the unmistakable marks of an animal's fangs 'deeply sunken into the jugular vein. 'But there was no animal.' End of 'Staley Fleming's Hallucination' by Ambrose Beers. Thanks for listening to Tuesday Terror, right here on the Mutual Audio Network. Please consider subscribing to other days of the Mutual Feeds, including Monday, matinee for classic live and theatrical audio plays. 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We continue our 5th classic collection of horror and ghost stories from Libriviox. This week it's "Staley Fleming's Hallucination" by Ambrose Bierce!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices