Good afternoon, House of Madness mediums:
If you were offered the gift of clairvoyance, would you accept it, or would you worry about the possible negative aspects of having such an ability? If you were a medium, would you use your powers for good, or would you maybe check what Becky Lawrence thinks of your butt as you waddle by, stopping to drop some nickels? Seeing things others aren't capable of seeing sounds like a hoot, but as with everything else in this world, every action had a consequence, yet not everyone is prepared for one. As for Tom Wallace, whatever gift that's been activated within him was unexpected, and downright terrifying.
Tom and his wife Anne lead a normal life by society's standards, living the American dream with their son Ethan and the little bundle of joy that will be arriving soon. When Tom isn't busy at work, him and Anne like to spend evenings with neighbours Elsie and Elizabeth, along with their husbands, talking and laughing while enjoying a few drinks. One evening, Anne's brother is in town and decides it would be fun to hypnotize a lucky volunteer for a few laughs. When he receives no volunteers, it is decided that Tom will be the one taking part, and after over an hour of making smart-ass remarks and giggling his way through, Tom is finally put under. Upon awaking, he's made to do a humiliating ritual or two, and then he's let off the hook, seemingly returned to normal. Seemingly.
Tom awakes later that night and swears he sees a strange girl standing in his living room, yet she's more of an apparition than an actual person. Tom keeps it to himself in fear of his wife thinking he's gone mad, but once it happens again and again, he's forced to own up to what's been going on. Tom is convinced Anne's brother Phil is responsible for what's been going on, but Phil laughs at the accusation explaining that he's done it several times before with zero issues. Not only does Tom have these crazy visions, but he also seems capable of hearing people's thoughts and seeing things before they happen. Tom is convinced the woman he's been seeing in his living room is the former tenant and sister in law of his landlord, but is confused as to why that is; she's not dead or anything, she simply moved upstate to start a new life. Oddly enough though, no one has heard from her since she left, but Tom isn't here to play detective, he just wants the clairvoyance and visions to stop.
As the visions intensify and everyone's thoughts race through Tom's mind, Anne has had quite enough and suggests a psychiatrist. Is everything Tom is seeing and hearing actually happening and can't be fixed by a doctor, or is he simply so deep inside his own mind that he just needs to snap out of it? One thing is certain; there's a mystery buried somewhere in Tom's head, and if he doesn't solve it soon, he might actually go mad after all, which will put an end to his suffering, and also his marriage.
If you're unfamiliar with Richard Matheson's works, you're missing out on one of the masters of short horror stories. "I Am Legend" being the most notable of his works, several others have been adapted to the screen via "The Twilight Zone", and his worldwide influence can't be ignored. Check out a list of his works here.
Madness Meter: 9.3/10
NB
