Voices

• Siobhan O'connor, Grade 11
• Short Story
• 2015

She needed an escape. It took all of a few days for her life to turn upside down, all she asked for was a moment’s peace to think things through. But she couldn’t think without the Voice being there.

At the moor, the breeze which had been blowing her hair in a frenzy, had settled. The rabbits looked up as she approached. They weren’t scared of her. Absentmindedly, Alina gently picked up a rabbit and placed it on her lap. She held some grass out for it so it could continue eating.

“Squeeze it.”

“What? No!” The rabbit flinched. In her outburst her hands clenched. She looked down, shocked.

“Now wrap your hands around its neck, and twist.”

“No! I won’t.”

“Wrap you hands around its neck, and twist.”

“Are you crazy. What are you saying?”

“What are you saying? I am You. Now twist.”

“I refu…”

snap!

Alina looked down at what laid before her. Horrified. She stared at the lifeless rabbit that had been happily eating only moments ago. How could this happen? This wasn’t her.

She was scared.

“And you scare yourself.”

“I… I didn’t.”

“But you did.”

“Why? Why are you doing this?”

“I got bored.”

“Bored?! Bored doesn’t do this! This, this is crazy!”

“You never did anything new. The most exciting thing you ever did was explore the cove. And that didn’t last. I got bored.”

“What does that even mean? Who are you?”

“I am not human. We lost our homes and have taken refuge inside the human species. We act as their voice, and have given rise to many of the modern ideologies of today.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Get up, and walk.”

Tired of fighting, and not knowing what else to do, Alina slowly stood up and began to walk.

The sky went dark instantly, and the wind picked up again - bending the trees in half. Her hair covered her face and made it hard to see. The crash of the waves was almost deafening, and her clothes were already getting damp. She must be close to the cliff.

“Go to the edge.”

Alina stopped. It was no longer possible to reach the edge of the cliff without being half drowned. To approach the edge would mean fighting with the waves that could pull you into its grasp at its will.

“No, I won’t. You can’t make me.”

“I don’t have to. Now go to the edge.”

Alina forced herself to stay still, but her body was not hers to control. It moved against her will. Closer to the edge of the cliff. All too soon, the waves were surrounding her. Soaking her to the skin. She willed her heels to dig into the ground and she reached for something to grab. There was nothing.

“Stop fighting. Let yourself be free. Jump.”

“NO!”

“Jump!”

“I will not.”

“You are right at the edge. Now jump!”

The waves stopped. The sea calmed. The wind ceased.

All was silent.