r/Ceslystories

I dropped Marissa off at her daycare and tried to go to work on zero sleep. Three hours into my shift I knew I had to go home. I was exhausted and my nerves had given me a stress headache like crazy.

I suffered through my day of work with a lot of caffeine and went to get Marissa. We both started ourlong drive home. It only took 10 minutes but it was the longest 10 minutes ever. I was terrified to go home, but I didn’t want to be at work and separate from Marissa.

When I pulled onto my street I saw her. The hunched form of Letty Monreaux. She was standing in her front yard like she was waiting for me. No dog this time. As I drove by her I could see a smirk on her face. 

I parked the car and planned my rush to my front door. I did not want to talk with my neighbor at that time. Certainly, I didn't want to talk after the crap from last night and her whole belief that I owed her money for “protection”. I didn't like the fact that she reappeared like a thin and scheming scarecrow that had come to collect on her debt. I just wanted to shut everything out for a while, and maybe get some sleep.

I scooped up Marissa and walked quickly to my door. It was still locked, and none of my cameras had picked up motion while I was gone to work. Even though I was trying to get away from my neighbor, I still paused before rushing inside. 

I stopped at the threshold like I hit an invisible wall. Everything appeared normal but there was a sudden twist in the vibe that hit like a train. I swung the front door all the way open and peered within.

 I tried to turn on the entryway light, but nothing greeted me but a subdued click of the light switch not working and even more darkness. My power was out.

 I watched for any sudden or hidden movement from something hidden in the dark. I weighed my options about the dark house before me. I listened for any usual sounds as I considered just turning around and getting a hotel room.

Screw it! Hotel tonight.

I begrudgingly realized I still needed to enter my home in order to get some things for Marissa. I just needed to run to her room to grab a few things. The best time to do it was now while I still had daylight from the outside illuminating some of the inside of the house.

Once more into the breach! Once more into the mad house! I hugged Marissa tight and braced myself for whatever was to come.

I slowly stepped in with Marissa. The feeling felt like I had walked into a wake. The dark shadows seemed darker, and I could feel my neck muscles tense. The worst thing was that the sickly sweet smell was back. It made my mouth salivate like you do before you throw up.

My eyes adjusted to the darkness of my house and I saw one of my kitchen table’s chairs sitting in the middle of the hallway.

Who moved it there?!

 I took tentative steps further in without shutting the front door behind me. I needed the door to remain wide open so the Sun could shine its last rays inside.

Soon my eyes adjusted to the surrounding shadows. As I moved closer to the chair I could see a white box sitting in the chair. A green light appeared on it with a muffled click and fizz of static.

It was my baby monitor. The other half of the one not taken during the tornado of chaos around Marissa’s bed. The last time I had seen the monitor was in my bed this morning. It was the audio receiver end and it was made irrelevant when the other half (the transmitter) flew out the window.

Why would anybody or anything set this useless gadget on a chair in the hallway? Was it supposed to scare me? Was there an obvious reference I didn't get?

I bent down to turn off the monitor and realized its volume control button was all the way down. Curious, I turned it up some. What I heard made me jump back from the chair in surprise.

A scream came out of the monitor. It was a deep man's scream. I could hear the tears in the scream as his yells of pain always ended in sobbing. Again came the horrible scream. And again,and again, and again..

“Please, let me go!” a shaky voice said. When I heard his voice I knew it was Tobbie. I had feared hearing that voice behind me in the dark, on the other side of a strange call, yelling at me in a public space. That voice let out another yell of pain.

“What do you want? Please please!” he begged. As if to answer, there was a solid thump and a loud grunt of pain from Tobbie. Robbie started letting out a gagging and choking sound. I could hear banging and the sound of rocks or gravel being disturbed. 

Finally, the choking and frantic movement stopped with Tobbie coughing loudly. There was another sound of a thumping impact, causing Tobbie to start throwing up.

I realized I had moved much closer to the baby monitor and was now on my knees, holding Marissa over my shoulder, and completely locked-in to the sounds coming from the small machine. The Sun waned behind me, causing my dark home to be highlighted by the rays of twilight orange. Wind rushed through the open door, wrapping a cool wave around my body. 

I just kneeled there. I had found myself stuck in sleep paralysis. Except I was still in control of my body. Nobody in heaven or hell could pull me away from what the baby monitor was saying.

“Let me go! Please, please! I can pay, I can pay you! I wasn’t going to hurt her! I wasn’t!” There was a noticeable pause, and Tobbie didn’t immediately respond with screaming. I could just hear Tobbie’s sniffling and lightly sobbing.

“I was going to kill my bitch, for sure,” he said weakly. This too was followed with a pause, and it seemed to embolden Tobbie.

“T-the woman, my wife,” Tobbie weakly mumbled, “I was gonna snatch her with my daughter and kill her off site! I figured Chip and the boys would have fun and then help I’d with disposal,” his statement was followed by more silence. The monitor buzzed with deafening.

“I was gonna keep the girl,” Tobbie continued. His voice transmitted clearly. “I know the Crows have a thing about killing kids. But I would never! She’s my daughter regardless of the rules. I was taking my child back!

There was more silence. The monitor on his end must have been close, because I could hear his fearful breathing and snotty sniffling.

 “So if you are with the organization, just let them know I wasn’t going to hurt my daughter. She’s fine! She’s my world!” Tobbie unleashed with a passion that made me believe in his toxic love for Marissa. I absolutely believed he loved her. Or he thought he understood the concept of love well enough to direct the emotion towards our daughter.

“Are you with the cops?” I heard Tobbie ask meekly, like a kindergartener asking to go before he pissed his pants. After a moment Tobbbie scoff at his own idea. “N-no, not cops.”

There was a commotion on the other end of the line. The sound of loud banging and rocks and dirt being kicked around pushed out from the monitor’s volume. ”Where the hell am I? Where?” I can’t see! I can’t breathe!”

Thump! Thump! He was banging on something hollow and wooden.BANGBANGBANGBANG! More rustling sounds as I heard Tobbie’s breathing become more frantic. His nervousness was so much that I started to freak out on my end. It seemed like he was on the verge of hyperventilating.

“Not cops!” He gasped and stopped his banging momentarily, “It’s her! She p-paid you! I-it was her!” The banging returned harder and louder. Tobbie was furious.

“Forget whatever that bitch told you! Don’t listen to a word from her!” Tobbie said with anger. He sniffed furiously in an attempt to clear his sinuses. Tobbie was still crying, but his hatred for me brought out a stronger emotion, if only for a moment.

“I’ll pay you anything! I can work up whatever amount for you! I'm good for it! My friends will help me,” he said, and then listened for a reply to his propositions. The silence drove on and Tobbie’s breathing became erratic and impatient. 

“I could even get you work. You're good. Tell me you don't like doing this! Please, just let me go! It’s whatever you want!”

I notice none of the suggested options my beloved husband had were for him to leave me alone and not kill me. Even being tortured wherever he was, he never let go of his bloodlust.

“Hello?” He said, and then started banging again. “Where are we? How are you touching me? Let me out and we can talk”

“ He brought a knife,” whispered a raspy voice right behind me. The heat of somebody’s breath on the back of my right ear. I spun quickly to see nobody. I only saw the open door with the quickly fading Sun outside.

Silence as I looked around the dark for the voice. Tobbie yelled. His piercing voice almost made me jump out of my skin. I screamed in return. My scream caused Marissa to jolt awake with her own crying scream. Tobbie kept screaming and was the loudest of us. 

“Stop! S-stop! Tobbie’s voice would call out between the cries. He was full-on crying and begging. “I swear I’ll do it! I’ll do whatever you say-GHAAAAAH!”

I began to tremble in fear. I didn't know exactly what was happening to my ex, but I knew something was hurting him. I was 99 percent sure it was with a knife. Tobbie had always liked knives.

Stahp! Please! Pleeease!” Another ear-ripping round of screams. He began to lose his voice, but he screamed anyway. It was a gurgling and pathetic sound. I rocked Marissa and wanted her to drown out the noises that came from the man who had frightened me for so long

Tears began to roll from my eyes, much like the tears Tobbie no doubt had. Mine was a mixture of fear and catharsis. The things happening to Tobbie sounded terrible, but they were being enacted on him. The phrase, “I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy” did not apply to me in regards to Tobbie.

For some reason, I felt obligated to listen to the torture. I had to witness the grunt, screams, and curses. I just lowered my head, cried, and rocked Marissa with her father dying in the background. The soothing rocking was for me as much as her.

I knew the baby monitors had about a 1000-foot radius on them, so Tobbie had to be stashed up somewhere in one of the surrounding houses. He was locked somewhere dark and cramped. I pictured him stuffed in a wardrobe or under the floorboards of any of the houses. He could even be in the walls. The way Tobbie was yanked out the window meant whatever had him was capable of moving him anywhere.

After what seemed like forever, Marissa did quiet down and slept. Somewhere Tobbie quieted too. He had ended to the sound of rattling breath and a wet thumping sound. He let out one last pitiful moan and then exhaled. Then there was quiet.

I felt Tobbie die. I just knew he was dead at that moment. My emotions were in a fury. I almost stood up and turned off the baby monitor receiver, but I thought I heard something elses coming from it.

It sounded like quiet mumbling or whispering. Whoever was saying it was speaking extremely fast. The inaudible speech kept going and I leaned in closer, but I still couldn't make anything out. I made sure to crank the volume all the way up. The only thing I could make of the language was that it sounded frantic and hateful. 

I put my ear closer to the tiny machine. It’s green “on” light reflecting off the side of my face. The gibberish had little laughs in it now. It spilled on for a few moments before cutting off completely.

“You’re welcome” said the voice. It was the same voice from the wicked thing that stood in the hallway of my dream. It was the same voice that spoke the words in my ear just minutes before.

I jumped back from the monitor as my front door slammed shut behind me on its own. Both Marissa and I screamed as the power also returned. The lights, fans, and air conditioner all thrummed to life instantlu. We screamed again, but this time Tobbie couldn’t join us.

 Later, I fed and put Marissa in her pen to play. My nerves were tied in knots and I would cry on and off. I was relieved and in mourning at the death of Tobbie. I was also terrified of the thing that killed him.  

But the spell was to protect me, right? I couldn't believe it was real. The magic spell was real!  I shuddered at the thought that the terrifying old lady had the power to do these things.

Was she evil or just doing business? She did protect me. That was something nobody else had done. I tried to remember the amount of money she wanted.

My phone began to ring. I saw it was a number I didn’t recognize, but I knew I needed to answer it.

“Hello.”

“I see my services have been rendered,” said the smoker's voice of Letty.

“Yes, um-I was just thinking about”

“I know. That’s why I called.”

“Oh, oh. Right. W-we talked earlier about some sort of payment.”

“You’re right. 2000 dollars for a protection spell for you and your kid. The kid should have cost you extra, but I made it work for both of you. Call it a neighborly discount,”Letty said matter-of -factly.

“I-i don’t have that on me,” I said, a little afraid of getting her upset.

“We can do payments. They will be high. I needed that 2000 yesterday when you sabotaged my other client from paying. He had 20 bands in cash, ready to go.”

“I’m sorry. I truly am. I didn’t know he was on the street for you! You see I was right to be paranoid. My crazy ex came in the back window to kill me,” I blurted out with honesty.

“Yes, child,” Letty cackled, “you were right. But don’t worry about making me mad, worry about Cerebus.”

“Who is Cerebus?” I asked.

“You have already met him,” said Letty, and I knew she had a smile on the other end. “ He is my familiar. He watched over you.”

Fear ran through me like a lightning bolt strike. Cerebus was the tall hat man, the hater of Bibles, and the torturing murderer of Tobbie, and her freaking dog!

“Don’t fret, child. He helps me with the business. He’s very protective and particular about things. I can control him most of the time. He tends to get offended on my behalf. If he feels I’m being cheated he may do terrible things.”

I tensed in fear and felt like she could tell through the phone. The thought of this Cerebus thing returning terrified me to no end. The traumatic image of Tobbie being snatched out the window like a Raggedy Ann doll, and the memory of terrible screaming coming from the baby monitor, and its raspy fried voice just inches behind me.

“I’ll- I’ll pay anything. Just please keep it away from my daughter and me,” I said with a quiver in my voice. She laughed on the other end. Her smoker's voice created a cracking sound.

“You’ll be fine, honey. Just don’t mess with my business and we will be great neighbors.”