On the Verge

Jackson Stafford Series, Book 1

By: Dan R. Fowler

Narrated by: Hyde Hensley

Jackson is setting in a hospital treatment room. His life is comprised of hopeless memories and whispers full of shadows, until death comes to visit. His wife has been pushed to her limit trying to understand what is wrong with her husband. This story is based on some truth about personality disorders, personal experience, attempted suicide, and dysfunctional demons living within Jackson Stafford. Ben, Carl, Denny, Darrell, Johnny, and Randy—the “others"—share the same body, but each has a different life. Things are out of control. Having decided that there wasn’t any hope for him, Jackson Stafford opted to try to end his life and attempted an overdose, prompting his wife to call the military police to come to the house to rescue him from himself.

Even though the attempt was unsuccessful, it brought to the forefront the personalities living within the host. Jackson, only aware of Ben at first, realized that there was another personality named Carl. Carl is diabolical and evil. He committed a murder many years earlier, sneaking out by using the Energy Square created by Jackson when he was a child to allow Ben to come out to play with him. The Square is the center force in the inner room within Jackson Stafford’s mind. The Square transports the personalities out into the real world, where they possess the physical body of the host.

Once the military is advised that Jackson has attempted suicide, he is brought into the base where he is sent to a mental hospital for evaluation. When he is at the hospital, Ben, the protector of the host, talks to Jackson to calm him and help him through the mental analysis. Having determined that Jackson is not completely crazy, he is assigned to a transactional analysis psychiatric who attempts to guide Jackson and his wife, Mary, through the maze within the mind of Jackson Stafford.

While undergoing the year-long treatment, the doctor discovers all of the personalities living within Jackson. As each one tells their side of the murder story, they are revealed to Jackson’s wife. The murderer, Carl, blames Ben, and vice versa. The small community where the murder took place is Jackson’s childhood town. The body of the murdered girl is found, and a burial is completed despite the body being dismembered.

Dr. Fine and Januari’s Winters are hoping to help Jackson rid himself of the indwelling spirits, but they also want the fame associated with the cure. That doesn’t happen. Dr. Alfred Fine tries to help Jackson come to terms with his friends. A traumatic climax ensues with the introduction of Januari Winters. When all of the personalities are extracted out into their own protective energy construct by Januari Winters, all control is lost. There seems to be nowhere to turn, but the answer comes very unexpectedly.

©2017 Dan R. Fowler (P)2023 Dan R. Fowler