The old woman finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper, yet it permeated the room with a ghostly resonance. “Secrets are heavy burdens. To release them, one must be prepared for the void they leave behind. It can be filled with something far weightier.”

It began subtly with a foot tap, an innocent rhythm beneath my desk. Then, a soft hum, barely audible, yet relentless. The real terror, though, was the mouth sweats – that uncontrollable urge in my jaw, the tingling on my tongue. I fought it, every muscle straining against the embarrassing tide. But my body, traitorously, was no longer mine to command.