The Harley Case



Just a few days ago, my friends and I came across an old insane asylum. We sat outside for a while, drinking a few beers as we sat against the fence. A friend of mine, Chris, was telling us a story about a man who brutally murdered his wife and claimed that a demonic being named Hassan had done it and framed him for the murder. The man's name was Gregory Stone and he was put into the asylum back in 1978.

Despite the rumors of it being haunted and the No Trespassing sign that sat against the fence, we went inside anyway. We were all wandering through the building together, until I separated myself from the other guys. I know I probably should have stayed with them, but I didn't believe in ghosts or anything, so I figured I'd be fine exploring by myself. I found a room that had a bunch of old things. There was a desk with the chair still in place. There were cabinets, each with a single letter stuck to them. It must have been somebody's office or something. There was an envelope on the old desk and it was labeled "The Harley Case." The whole purpose of us wandering through the asylum was to find something interesting enough to take back home and prove to everybody that we were man enough to enter the asylum.

I opened the envelope and pulled out a cassette tape and a stack of papers; one of them being a drawing. The drawing was of some creepy man like thing, dated July 12, 1978. I noticed an old tape/recorder that sat near the edge of the desk. I picked it up, surprised that it still worked. I dusted it off and I put in the tape, which was labeled "Stone session." The sound wasn't great, but I was able to make out the words without many problems. I typed the first part of the session into my computer.

(Side A)
Dr. Norman: How are you today?

Patient: I'm miraculous, Dr. Norman.

Dr. Norman: That's great, now let's get started.

Dr. Norman: Do you recall who Harley Stone is?

Patient: Why yes, Dr. Norman. She's Greg's wife.

Dr. Norman: Do you know what happened to Harley?

Patient: She was murdered, Dr.

Dr. Norman: Do you know who murdered her?

Patient: Sure I do. It was Hassan.

Dr. Norman: Are you sure it was Hassan? Why would Hassan want to hurt Harley?

Patient: Hassan didn't like Harley, Dr. Norman. He always talked about either ripping her head off or blowing her brains out.

Dr. Norman: Well, why didn't you tell anybody?

Patient: Because he said he'd kill me if I did. He said he'd kill everybody.

(There was like 8 minutes of complete silence here for some reason.)

Dr. Norman: Do you know your name?

Patient: Of course, I do.

Dr. Norman: Can you tell me your name?

Patient: Marie(or Mary, I couldn't really tell.)

Dr. Norman: Can you tell me about Hassan?

Patient: I don't like talking about Hassan.

Dr. Norman: Please? It would really help me out.

Patient: Well only since you're cute.(She laughed)

Patient: He's a very bad man, Dr. Norman. He's not human, he's a demon.

Dr. Norman: What does he look like?

Patient: He's really creepy, Dr. Norman.(She whispered)He has long dark hair, he has scars on his face and his eyes are black. If you stare into them, you'd see your worse fears and they'll all come true. That's what scares me the most about him.

Dr. Norman: Is he here now?

Patient: He's always here, Dr. Norman. He's always watching.

Dr. Norman: Where is he? Why can't I see him?

Patient: He's right over there. He's watching you, Dr. Norman. Not everybody sees him, but he's always there. Always watching.

Dr. Norman: Can you talk to him?

Dr. Norman: Well, can you ask him why he's so angry? Why he killed Harley?

Patient: That's a bad word, Hassan. You should never ever say that.

Dr. Norman: What did he say?

Patient: He said that Harley was a bitch and that she had it coming for an awful long time.

(There was a few minutes of silence here.)

Patient: What are you drawing, Dr. Norman?

Dr. Norman: I'm writing some important information down.

Patient: What kind of important information?

Dr. Norman: It's confidential.

Patient: Well, can I draw?

Dr. Norman: Only if you tell me everything I want to know.

Patient: It's a deal, Dr. Norman!

Dr. Norman: Did you murder Harley?

Patient: Of course not! She was my best friend!

Dr. Norman: Well, Victor told me yesterday that you and Gregory were having an affair. Is that true?

Patient: Excuse my language, doctor, but Victor is a piece of shit. He's nothing but a wanna be Al Capone or Bugsy Siegel.

Dr. Norman: So it isn't true then?

Patient: Maybe there was one time, but that doesn't mean anything.

Dr. Norman: So, you didn't murder Harley out of pure jealousy?

Patient: I would never! It was Hassan. I saw him.(She started sobbing.)

Dr. Norman: There's no need to cry, I believe you. Now, do you know where you are?

Patient: I'm at home, I'm always at home.

Dr. Norman: You're not at home anymore. You haven't been home in weeks.

Patient: If I'm not at home, then where am I?

Dr. Norman: You're in a psychiatric institution.

Patient: Why am I here? I don't belong here.

Dr. Norman: You're here because you have problems that you(She cut him off)

Patient: Done! Do you want to see my drawing?

Dr. Norman: I'd love to.

Patient: Do you like it?

Dr. Norman: It's wonderful...what is it?

Patient: It's Hassan, what he really, really looks like.

Dr. Norman: Well I guess you weren't lying when you said he was creepy.

Patient: I'm gonna put his name on it so that now everybody knows what he looks like and that I'm not crazy. I'm not crazy, am I, Dr. Norman?

Dr. Norman: I think it's time to speak to Victor. Is that okay with you?

Patient: I guess so.

(The tape cut to the conversation with Dr. Norman and Victor.)

Dr. Norman: How are you today, Victor?

Victor: What's it to you, Doc?

Dr. Norman: Is something bothering you?

Victor: What ain't bothering me? This place is a living hell. It smells like piss, the people here are fucking strange and I just want to go home, ya know?

Dr. Norman: Do you know why you're here?

Victor: We're all here because of that piece of shit, Hassan. Ya know, he came to me and asked me to whack that chick?

Dr. Norman: What did you tell him?

Victor: I told him I was done with that type of work. I've been out of that business for a long time.

Dr. Norman: Answer me this question and I want an honest answer. Do you think you belong here?

Victor: Hell no! Listen, I ain't no crazy person, Doc. I may have a few bodies myself, but that came with the business. I did everything Boss told me to do.

Dr. Norman: What business do you speak of?

Victor: You know, I was part of a certain family. I was a mobster, a gangster. A damn good one too.

Dr. Norman: No you weren't.

Victor: Pardon me?

Dr. Norman: You were never part of any gang or mob in your life. You haven't killed a single person. You were a car salesman and you belong here, Victor. Just as much as everybody else here.

Victor: Let me tell ya a story, Doc, and this is how I know you're bull shitting me. There was this friend of mine back in 1922. He was a chatterbox, never would shut up about anything. Ya know what I did to him? Ya know how I got him to shut up?

Dr. Norman: What did you do?

Victor: Buon' anima(It took me a while to figure it out but I'm sure this is what he said.)

Dr. Norman: I'm sorry, but I'm not familiar with that word.

Victor: It means I fucking killed him. I put a bullet in his head and I threw him in a ditch. I picked up his fucking brains and I fed them to my dog. That's how I know you're fucking bull shitting me, Doc. If you want proof I can show you to his rotten corpse because I'm sure it's still down there.

Dr. Norman: Do you want to know why you belong here, Victor?

Victor: I would love to know, Doc and this better be good because I don't like my time being wasted.

Dr. Norman: You were born in 1941. May 22nd, 1941.

Unknown man: Did you need something, Dr?

Victor: I ain't no crazy person, ya hear? I know when I was born. You can't bull shit me!

Dr. Norman: Show Mr. Stone to his cell. We'll continue the session in an hour or two.

Victor: I'll rip your fucking head off! I ain't no crazy person! I worked with Al Capone!

You could hear Victor screaming all the way down to his cell as it echoed through the recorder. The tape stopped as that was the end of side A. It lasted over thirty minutes and I was so hooked on listening to the tape that I guess I didn't even hear my friends calling out for me. I got a text from one of them and they had already left the building, thinking I was back at home. I text back that I was fine and flipped the tape around to side B, pressing the play button afterwards.

(Side B)
Dr. Norman: How are you feeling, Mr. Stone?

Greg: I'm stuck in a mental institution and everybody thinks that I killed my wife. How do you think I feel?

Dr. Norman: Well if you didn't do it, who did?

Greg: I already told you who did it! It was Hassan!

Dr. Norman: Tell me more about Hassan.

Greg: I've already told you enough.

Dr. Norman: What is your relationship with Hassan?

Greg: We were friends up until he killed my wife.

Dr. Norman: Do you know why he killed your wife?

Greg: He felt that she was getting in the way of our friendship.

Dr. Norman: Can you be honest with me? Is Hassan really real? Did you make him up?

Greg: Why the fuck will I make him up? I'm a 37 year old man.

Dr. Norman: Why can't anyone else see him?

Greg: I am not the only one. Steven sees him too, as do Victor.

Dr. Norman: Who is Steven? I've never met Steven before.

Greg: He's a friend of mine.

Dr. Norman: Can I speak to him?

Greg: What the fuck for?

Dr. Norman: Never mind then. Let's talk about your mother, do you know where she is right now?

Greg: She's in the hospital.

Dr. Norman: Do you know why she is in the hospital?

Greg: Because somebody tried to kill her.

Dr. Norman: Do you know who tried to kill her?

Greg: If I had to guess, it was Hassan.

Dr. Norman: Why would Hassan want to kill your mother?

Greg: The same reason he killed my wife, if I had to guess.

Dr. Norman: Are you sure he killed your wife?

Greg: I'm done talking about my wife.

Dr. Norman: Are you sure he killed your wife? Think about it, Mr. Stone.

Greg: I said I'm done talking about my wife! Dr. Norman: Do you want some more time in the white room?

Greg: Fuck you.

Dr. Norman: You can make this easier for yourself, Greg. All you have to do is remember.

Greg: Remember what?

Dr. Norman: You have a problem, Greg. I just want to help you with it. Now, I've been playing along with you for too long. It's time for you to remember.

Greg: What the hell are you talking about?

Dr. Norman: Sit back in your chair, close your eyes and just take a deep breath. Try to remember.

Greg: What am I supposed to remember? What the hell is going on here?

Dr. Norman: Just keep your eyes closed, Greg.

Greg: I don't feel right. What the hell is going on?

Dr. Norman: It's just a simple pill to help you gain control of your mind. You've been losing yourself, Greg. You're slipping away and everybody who loves you is worried about you.

Greg: Everybody like who? Harley? Where the hell is my wife?

Dr. Norman: Calm down, Greg. Your wife is dead, remember?

Greg: She isn't dead. She's talking to me right now. She's always talking to me. She never shuts up!

Dr. Norman: What is she saying?

Greg: She says that you're trying to kill her. If you touch my wife, I swear on the holy God, I will fucking kill you.

Dr. Norman: Just keep quiet, Greg and close your eyes. Let your mind relax.

(There was about five minutes of silence)

Dr. Norman: Greg? Open your eyes, Mr. Stone. Now, who killed your wife?

Greg: My wife ain't dead, Doc.(His voice suddenly got deeper with an Italian accent.)

Dr. Norman: Victor? Am I speaking to Victor?

Greg: Ain't nobody else in the room, Doc. Except for Hassan but, oh that's right. You can't see him.

Dr. Norman: I wasn't done speaking to Greg. May I speak to him please?

Greg: Greg is asleep, Doc. It's only me now.

Dr. Norman: Do you remember our last conversation, Victor?

Greg: Ya mean when you tried convincing me that I'm a crazy person? How could I forget?

Dr. Norman: You told me that Hassan killed Greg's wife. Are you sure about that?

Greg: What the fuck do ya mean am I sure? I saw him kill her, I saw him chop her up into pieces. I saw the blood pour out of her head as he chopped it off. We all saw him do it, Doc.

Dr. Norman: Who is we?

Greg: The people I live with, Doc. That annoying bitch Marie, Greg, and Steven.  Dr. Norman: What if I told you Hassan isn't real?

Greg: (He laughed)You're always trying to bull shit me, Doc. It ain't gonna happen. I see Hassan, he's looking right at you and he doesn't like what you are saying.

Dr. Norman: What exactly is he doing?

Greg: He has a knife, Doc! And he's itching closer! He's gonna rip ya fucking head off, Doc!

Dr. Norman: Calm down now, Victor. You don't want time in the white room, do you?

Greg: Ya know something, Doc. You're a real piece of shit. You go around and ya tell people that they crazy when really, you're the only one who can't see him. Now let that sink in, Doc.

Dr. Norman: Tell me this, Greg. Why won't you remember?

Greg: You just called me Greg, my name isn't Greg.

Dr. Norman: I'm sorry, Victor. Can you tell me about Steven?

Greg: Steven is a bit on the weird side. He doesn't talk much.

Dr. Norman: Can I speak to him?

Greg: He isn't here right now. He's never here. He's probably out walking the streets like the crazy fucking drunk he is. If anybody belongs here, Doc, it's him. Even if he was here, he wouldn't speak to you. He don't peak to anybody.

Dr. Norman: How's your wife, Victor?

Greg: She's great. Hey, you wanna hear the story of how we met?

Dr. Norman: I would love to.

Greg: It was back in 1922, after I threw that fuck in that ditch. She was a friend of a friend and he introduced me to her. I'm telling ya, Doc. She couldn't keep her eyes off of me. I met her again the next day, and again after that. Eventually we were inseparable. If that I ain't love, Doc, then I don't know what is.

Dr. Norman: That's a beautiful story, Victor.

Greg: Ya damn right it is. She's the reason why I got out of that business. She was so scared that one day I'd end up in a ditch with bullet holes all in my body. I wasn't having that, Doc. I got outta that business real quick.

Dr. Norman: Well, it's getting late and the session is almost over. Can you do something for me, Victor?

Greg: It depends.

Dr. Norman: Can you sit back in your chair and close your eyes?

Greg: What the hell for?

Dr. Norman: Just an experiment. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Try to remember.

Greg: Remember what? I ain't no lab rat, Doc.

Dr. Norman: All you have to do is lay back, close your eyes and relax. I promise nothing will happen to you.

(Five minutes of silence)

Dr. Norman: Victor? Greg? You can open your eyes now. Mr. Stone, who killed your wife?

Greg: What?(His voice returned to normal here)

Dr. Norman: Your wife, Greg. Who killed her?

Greg: I don't have a wife. I never did.

Dr. Norman: That's great, Greg. You're showing some progress. Now, tell me why you are here.

Greg: Because, I suffer from a personality disorder and I almost killed my mother.

Dr. Norman: Do you know the names of your other personalities?

Greg: Well, there's Marie, Steven, Victor, and Harley.

Dr. Norman: That's good, now who is Hassan?

Greg: He's that creepy fucking guy over there.

Dr. Norman: Okay, I think we're done with today's session. Jonny here will show you to your room. That concludes session 4 of mental patient Gregory Stone who suffers from a rare personality disorder. The next session will occur on another date, which is to be determined.

The tape then stopped.

I was confused afterwards because I recalled my friend, Chris, telling me that he was put into the asylum for murdering his wife and blaming it on a demon named Hassan. But apparently, his wife never existed. I don't know about Hassan though, maybe Gregory Stone was really dealing with evil spirits. Or maybe he was just another person, losing control of his mind. I don't know what really happened in that asylum, but I do know that I would never walk in there again. I grabbed the tape and the drawing and I left the room. As I walked out, I had this creepy, unsettling feeling that something was just behind me, something was watching me.