Voices

• Luca Henry, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2021

The lonely sky was filled with grey clouds, the buildings were crying with peeled paint, the wind lifted the leaves and sent a shiver down my spine. I looked behind to the path where there were no cracks or lines, it was fresh clean concrete. It was as if no one had been there before.

“I have” another gust of wind brushed past me. I looked around but there was no shadow. “Help me” another voice whispered. I stopped walking, but there was only the howling wind. I started to worry so I ran whilst not noticing the wind lifting my hair. “Goodbye,” the voice spoke for the last time. This voice, it was scary, yet familiar. I kept running and looked back one more time. I had made it to the next town. “I’m still here,” a shiver slithered down my spine as I ran around the city looking for something, anything, a sign of someone, but there was nothing. I started walking around and found a small corner where I heard a soft voice say “You have the gift, I can feel it”. I looked around and a small old lady appeared from out of the shadows. “What?” I questioned.
“The gift, you can hear voices” she replied sharply.
“How do- what gift?”
“You need to find your inner voice.The people, they’re calling you”, the lady replied.
"What people?" I was very confused. How did she know? Well she's old she could just be making this up, “How do-?”
“You'll figure it out” like that she disappeared back into the shadows. I looked around and decided that I should go to sleep. “We need to find her she's got the gift” a tall dark man said sharply
“What gift?”another man called.
“Be quiet, Simon.”
“Sorry.”
“Cold, cold find me that gold” a sparkly potion bubbled a photo of the gifted one appeared and she lay asleep.
“Where is she?”
“The streets of Calms Hill.” The men walked out into a rusty van that they all squished into….

I woke up in an unfamiliar place. It was cold and dark. I saw a piece of broken glass and picked it up. I thought it might be useful. I looked around the room.
“Hello.”
“Who are you?” I asked this thinking of what could happen next. He walked me out to a new room and tied me to a chair with very itchy ropes. I looked around and remembered the glass in my pocket. I freed myself and ran to the exit door, it had been 2 days since I saw the sunlight it glowed on my skin and I smiled, but then I started to run. I got on my plane and went home. I still hear the voices, but they’re not scary anymore. They’re my friends and I’m happy with that.