The voice

"What would you say if I told them all your secrets? What would you do? Would you run away?" The voice whispered into Sky's ear, chilling her. She got up out of her bed, and leaned her head down between her knees. She hated the voice. Life would be so much better without the voice.

"How would life be better?" It teased her, refusing to depart. "Because you wouldn't have anyone watching you. Looking over your shoulder?"

"Go away!" Sky said softly, not wanting to wake her mother. In her head the voice laughed.It was a cruel laugh, a laugh that brought back every bad memory she knew. She heard it so often from so many people.

"But if I go away, who will you talk to?" It teased, and Sky didn't have an answer for that. "You need me." it said. And Sky could not refuse it because she did need it.

"But I don't want you." Sky whispered. It wasn't a happy thought, but it silenced the voice for a while. The voice could be contained, if she wanted it to be enough. The problem, of course, was wanting to contain the voice. To hide it from the world. In revenge for being silenced it made images past across her vision. Yes, it was still there, still trying to destroy her. Containing its voice did not stop its evil.

She remembered...... and fell into the memory. She was with Danny. He'd jumped the fence of his complex and come over to hers. This time he'd brought some smokes, and a couple beers. Sky didn't want to smoke, or drink, but she didn't want to seem uncool either, so she did. The smokes weren't so bad, but the drink burned her throat and made her want to vomit. Danny thought that was funny. Then she'd gone home. When she came back the next day she'd wanted more smokes, and asked Danny about them in front of some other kids. The kids asked Danny if he really smoked. He said he didn't, but he'd seen Sky smoking. She denied that he was telling the truth, but things got confused. The next thing she knew Danny and the other kids were throwing rocks at her, chasing her away.

And now the voice spoke again, in its wheedling way. "They will always disappoint you." Sky knew it was the truth. "They will always turn on you. You will never be safe." Sky got up and moved to where her sister was sleeping. That didn't make the voice happy at all, but she ignored it. Poking her sister Sky flipped the blanket over herself.

"Whats wrong Chicka, bad dream?" Sky's sister asked, turning sleepily toward her. Sky nodded and her sister wrapped her arms around Sky, protecting her and making the voice fade away, as Sky fell back asleep.