The Voices

“Malicious.” “Unforgivable.” “Repugnant.”

I dropped the knife and covered my ears with my hands in a poor attempt to drown out the crowd of voices around me. The warm blood on my fingers were little comfort as I kept staring at the cold body on the floor.

Tears fell from my eyes, and I looked up to see my reflection in the dirty mirror. I screamed as I saw the sea of red eyes behind me. Turning, I saw nothing but darkness and cried harder.

“Dirty.” “Envious.” “Ruined.”

The voices were not always so jarring. Normally, they were benign. They would talk in my ear of good things, good thoughts, good words. They crept in through whispers and stayed as gentle murmurs in my heart.

But today, they changed their tune. They cried in anger and sang in discord. They screeched in a harmony that rattled my nerves and hurt my brain, hurt my heart.

“Egregious.” “Regretful.”

The voices were getting louder, unbearable. I looked around for a solution, any solution, when I saw a dull pair of scissors on the table. I grabbed it hurriedly, and angled it by my right ear. With a quick movement, I jabbed it in.

The pain was immediate, and I fell to the floor, screaming. I felt my blood pool to the floor, but smiled deliriously at hearing the silence I’ve missed after all these years.

But then, the voices started up again. They whispered in hushed tones that got louder and louder until they seemed to be shouting at me from all sides.

“Murderer! Murderer! Murderer!”

I curled up and sobbed loudly. Make them stop. Make them stop. Please, make them stop.

–
Image source: deviantart.com/shi562/art/evil-red-eyes-126519852
First written November 9, 2017.
#43