prequel part 2 Is there a Killer Gene? (House of Bachuss (Baghck-oooze) excerpt (C) 2018

Down on his luck. By way of a phone call, Henry Howard Helms gets a job interview at an addictions rehabilitation center named THE HOUES OF BACHUSS.
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‘Yea I guess.’

‘Great. Meet me tomorrow. Go to the gate in an alley by the yellow house with a bricked driveway on Illuminated Drive.’-dial tone.

Next morning, “‘Love you, honey,” his girl kissed him on the cheek and walked out the door.

He thought it would take a while to find the street near Bourbon. Yet it was too easy. As if something guided him there. That made him scared.”‘People are always scared of change,” he told himself for reassurance.

.

The house looked like two neon boxes that were stacked. Plywood covered the windows and front door.

He walked into the alley to a large pale green gate with a huge chain with a padlock. ‘Damn,’ he didn’t see any button to alert someone. Then he walked away. “Hey! Wait!” He turned around to the early twenties male with a shaved head, wearing scrubs.

“Come on. We’re expecting you.”

Helms entered into the alley the young man relocked the gate. Helms followed him down a driveway that went underneath a building. He followed him into the church service area. His whole body got cold as walked through a sunray beaming down. He looked up and noticed the omniscient sun rays going through the dome stained glass ceiling of saint and angels. The image of Archangel Zadkiel projected on the floor.

The job interview was like nothing he had experienced before. It became painfully obvious that they had already done a background check on him. They knew intimate details of his personal life, things he thought he had hidden. They even knew about his medical history as well as the medications he took, including the psych meds. Helms wondered why this employer had gone through so much trouble to dredge up his past. It wasn’t like he needed a top secret clearance to work here, right? He found himself getting angry at the interviewer as the questions went on and on, but he kept it inside. The fact was that he needed this job.He had to prove to his girl and his girl’s family that he could support her. He began to have doubts whether he would get the job after all. Was this some kind of sick joke? Did these people enjoy toying with people for hours?  This interrogation had already consumed two hours of his afternoon. He wanted to get up and leave but felt powerless to escape. He felt like a spell had been cast on him, nailing him to the office chair that he sat in.

At the end of the interview, he told himself that there was no way that he would get this job. He wanted to go to the liquor store and buy a gallon of Old Crow whiskey and make reality go away for as long as possible. His girl would be furious. It would be one more time. After all, he was starting this job at a alcohol and drug rehab. It had been a while since he got drunk.

“You’ve got the job Mr. Helms. There will be a five thousand dollar sign on bonus! Can you start tomorrow?” The interviewer asked.

“I’ll be here bright and early!” Helms said, going from despair to euphoria within the space of a heartbeat.

“Then sign right here young man, I’m depositing the money in your checking account as soon as we have your signature.” He was told. Wait, how did they know his checking account number? He hadn’t given them that. Helms brushed that thought aside and signed his name to the contract. A button was pushed and money was electronically transferred to Helms bank account, which had been in a very bad state.

   

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