Chapter One

Six Months Later.

 

“It’s gone…”

 

“…nothing…again”

 

“ how do we stop it…”

 

“ I’m trying…I’m sick and tired of this”

 

“…we all are…”

 

I didn’t even flinch when I heard the voices in my head; I was so used to them by now. A lot of people would probably call my crazy, so it’s a good job I’ve managed to keep this part of my life a secret. Well, not a complete secret because two people other than myself know about it, my two friends Ryan & Erin.

 

The one main thing that confused my about the voices, was that I never heard them say complete sentences. I only ever heard part of their conversation, so nothing really made sense. Sometimes they’d argue with each other, and other times they’d be joking with each other. I had my own little soap opera playing in my head, and I couldn’t change the channel.

 

I was currently sitting in the living room of my parents’ house, listening to my mum drone on and on about the neighbours son who was studying medicine at Oxford, and that I was just wasting my life doing nothing worthy.

 

“Oh and do you remember the Jones’ girl, Hayley?”

 

I frowned but didn’t have the chance to say anything before my mum continued.

 

“Of course you do, you two used to play in the garden all the time when you were toddlers”

 

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes; did she think I had some super memory that allowed me to remember back to when I was 2 years old?

 

“She was killed in an accident a few months back… such a tragedy”

 

“That’s horrible” I agreed.

 

Mum was an eager gossip, so I knew I’d be filled in on everything about this girl’s death -whether I wanted to hear it or not.

 

“It really is. You must have heard about it, it was all over the news a few months ago”

 

“I don’t know Mum, lots of things happen”

 

My mum wasn’t listening though; she’d already got up and headed over to the cabinet in the corner, digging around for something.

“Here it is” she said placing a newspaper on the coffee table “I knew I’d kept it”

 

I couldn’t believe she had actually kept the newspaper clipping of this poor girl’s death, but then again she did keep anything in the papers with anyone she knew of --not including celebrities of course.

 

As I looked over the newspaper, I felt the strangest sense of déjà vu. Not that I’d seen this story before, but a much stronger sensation.

 

“red car…kept trying to overtake…”

 

“I crashed…”

 

“we’re fine…”

 

“…fatalities…people died?”

 

“…one of life’s mysteries…”

 

I shook my head, the voices were back. I blinked as I caught sight of something familiar in the photography.

“That’s my old car” I said shocked. What was my car doing in the middle of a traffic accident? And why didn’t I remember it?

 

“Good Heavens, you’re right” Mum exclaimed “Were you there sweetheart? Why didn’t you tell me you were in an accident, You could have died” she finished without even taking a breath.

 

“I…I…I don’t remember. I don’t think I was there. I got a new car around that time, maybe it’s the new owner” I said, I really had no idea. If I had been in that accident, I would have known wouldn’t I? Or at least been in the hospital?

 

“Oh” Mum said softly.

 

“I have to go; I’m meeting Ryan & Erin soon”

 

“Of course, don’t be a stranger darling”

 

She kissed me on the cheek and I gave her a hug goodbye as I left the house.

 

As I walked down the street my thoughts wandered back to this car accident, why did I feel like I knew something more about it? I was positive I wasn’t involved, but then again I could have hit my head and maybe I DID forget. I was blowing things way out of proportion, I had no proof that it was my car in that photograph.

 

“Alright Babe?” Ryan said, walking up behind me.

 

I groaned.

“Euh you know I hate when you call me that”

“Sorry, couldn’t help it” Ryan laughed.

 

“When can you ever?”

“True, So…how was seeing your mum?”

 

“Same old, Same old”

“That good huh?”

 

I only nodded in reply.

 

“Did you tell her?”

 

“About me losing my mind?” I asked sarcastically.

 

“Amber, for the billionth time, you are not losing your mind”

 

“No? I just hear voices in my head, and have weird dreams all the time that make no sense” I responded a bit angrily.

 

Nobody else knew what it felt like to have these voices constantly warring in my head, they tried to understand, and listened when I needed to talk about but the truth of the matter was that they couldn’t understand what I was going through.

 

“You want to see a shrink?” Ryan asked, losing his cool “I’ll take you right now”

 

He grabbed me by the arm, and started to drag me along the street, His grip was strong but I managed to wrench free.

 

“Get off me!”

 

I didn’t want to see a psychiatrist, because I knew they’d only lock me up in some mental home like I WAS crazy. I’m not crazy! I’m just an average 19 year old girl; everyone hears voices in their head from time to time. Weird dreams are no rare occasion either, so I’m perfectly normal. I am.

 

I sat down heavily on the side of the small road and put my head in my hands. Willing the tears that were threatening to fall to go away. I didn’t want Ryan to see me crying.

 

I felt an arm slip round my shoulder as Ryan whispered a small ‘Sorry’.

 

Looking up into his dark blue eyes, I felt a tear trace its way down my cheek.

 

“It’s getting worse” My eyes widened at Ryan’s words.

 

“How did you…?”

 

“I know you Amber. Tell me please” he asked me softly.

 

Wiping at my eyes, I thought about how to say it out loud.

 

“It’s always the same people that I dream about. Always the same 3 voices that I hear”

 

“What do they talk about?”

 

“Everything…and nothing. It never makes sense. The voices, the dreams --but I think they’re connected somehow”

 

I paused but Ryan didn’t say anything, he obviously knew that there was more to the story.

 

“The words are jumbled, what they’re saying is never finished,. Their names are always clear though. I remember them as clear as day”

 

Ryan’s brow was furrowed; I could imagine he was confused. I was.

 

“The voices or the dreams?”

 

“The names are in the dreams; the voices are still a mystery to me. But…but they seem familiar somehow”

 

“Wow don’t you two look serious” a teasing voice broke through our conversation.

 

“Like you would know Erin”

 

Erin only laughed and sat down next to me on the cold ground.

 

“What’s going on?” she asked intrigued.

 

“Nothing much” I shrugged.

 

“Don’t believe you” Erin looked up towards the sky before giving me a questioning look “You’re being weird again aren’t you?”

 

I scowled at her but nodded.

 

“I finally got some information out of her” Ryan interjected. “Recurring dream of some sort”

 

“It’s not a recurring dream! I haven’t had the same one twice, just the people are the same” I snapped.

 

“Sorry”

 

“Not to change the subject or anything..” Erin said biting her lower lip “Because I care I really do, but check these out!”

 

She pulled out a shoebox from one of the shopping bags she’d been carrying.

 

“What are they?” Ryan asked.

“Jimmy Choos” Erin squealed, she was a sucker for designer labels, and shoes --so the two together were a loving obsession of hers.

 

“Aren’t they really expensive?” I said.

Erin waved her hand dismissively “ and this hat… Gucci!”  Placing the hat on her head she turned her head and pouted towards Ryan and I.

 

“Nice…you’ve got the hair for it”

 

I spun around to look at Ryan.

 

“What?” I asked, gaping at him.

 

“For the hat…” Ryan said “It looks good with her hair”

 

“It does, doesn’t it?” Erin said, now admiring her reflection in a compact mirror.

 

“Yeah” I said, not able to shake the strange feeling of deja-vu that had just swept over me.

 

You’ve got the hair for it. I’d definitely heard that in my dream once, I closed my eyes as I tried to remember.  Henry! Henry had said that to Dorothy, something about a dress and pearls. Then just like that I remembered it all.

 

 

“Happy Birthday!”

 

“Rub it in that I’m old why don’t you…”

 

“Dot, Twenty is not old…”

“Easy for you guys to say, you’re both still 19”

 

“Oh dear Lord, she’s right…”

 

“What will I ever do when I turn, 20 --Heaven forbid”

 

“Ha-ha so funny Henry”

 

“I know…”

 

“So modest baby”

 

“…you still love me”

 

“ What sort of things did you get?”

“My mother bought me a flapper dress and some pearls”

 

“You’ve got the hair for it”

 

“…and now I’ve gots to go find me a Trouble Boy”

 

“The nerve of that guy…”

 

“thought you were a pro-skirt?”

 

“Lets scram…I’m already smoked”

 

“What was that…

“No…Chicago Lightning…”

 

“they’re shooting at us…why/?”

 

“Dorothy! You hooked up with a button man”

 

“I’m sorry Ruth…I didn’t know…”

 

“Don’t stop…keep running”

 

“Head for the clubhouse…they’ll help us”

“I really am sorry…”

 

“No! Dorothy watch out”

 

“What…”

 

“No!…”

 

“Ruth we have to keep running…”

 

“They killed her Henry!”

 

“I know… they’re still coming for us”

 

“I love you, you know”

 

“I Love you too… now lets go”

 

“No!…Ruthie don’t leave me…”

 

“Henry?…Henry it hurts…”

 

“I know baby… it’s going to be okay”

 

“Where’d they go…”

 

“They ran off…did what they had to”

 

“Henry! You’re hurt…”

 

“Just a scratch…we’ll both be fine…”

 

“Ruthie…keep talking…please…”

 

“I c-c-can’t… I’m sorry…”

 

I gasped without even realizing it.  The voices and the dreams WERE connected. I’d always thought it weird that my dreams ran like a silent movie. But now it made sense. The voices I was hearing belonged to the people in my dreams.

 

“Amber?” Erin asked peering at me curiously “You okay?”

 

“I’m fine” I answered, probably a little too quickly.

 

“Right, and the Pope isn’t Catholic” Ryan said sarcastically.

 

I rubbed at my eyes “ Just what you said…gave me deja-vu”

 

“From one of your dreams?” Ryan asked softly.

 

I smiled sheepishly at the two of them “No big deal.”

 

“No big ---no big deal? Are you kidding me?” Erin stammered.

 

“Obviously it’s a big deal if it’s got you spooked Amber.” Ryan said to me.

 

“I’m always spooked these days” I replied with a wave of my hand.

 

“That is true” Erin muttered under her breath, but loud enough for both Ryan and Me to hear her.

 

Ryan looked expectantly at me. “ So are you going to tell us or not?”

I bit my lip in thought. Debating whether to tell them the theory I’d just come up with. “Not right now.” I decided. “ But later, I just want to know if I’m on the right track here.”

“Whenever you’re ready.” Ryan squeezed my hand and as he did I felt a jolt of electricity surge through me. I snapped my hand back and looked at him, startled. Ryan’s own eyes were wide as he stared back at me.

Erin let out a loud cough and my attention was drawn away from Ryan.

“Welcome back. Where did you go just now?” Amber raised her eyebrows so high they disappeared behind her blonde fringe.

I felt my cheeks flame. Which was stupid because nothing even happened, it was probably static electricity. I shook my head and answered “Nowhere, and here I thought I was the crazy one.”

“Ryan?” Erin asked.

I turned and was surprised to see him still staring at me. Erin rolled her eyes at me as if to say ‘boys’.

“Hey Loser.” Erin clicked her fingers in front of his face.

“What?” he snapped, as he finally looked away from me.

“Where did you go just now?” Erin repeated the question she has just asked me, not offended in the slightest by Ryan’s snarky tone.

“I don’t know Linds.” Ryan replied almost absentmindedly.

“Who the hell is Linds”? Erin demanded, looking a cross between confused and insulted at being called the wrong name.

“What?” Ryan asked, also looking confused.

“You just said ‘I don’t know Linds.’ Are you getting me confused with one of your little girlfriends?”

“Did I really say that?” he glanced at me for confirmation.

“You really did.” I was equally confused.

“I don’t even know anyone by that name.” Ryan frowned.

“Well looks like we’re all a little crazy today.” I joked lamely. Trying to break the sudden tension between us all.

“Yeah looks that way.” Ryan looked miserable now.

“Chin up. It’s pizza and a movie night, tonight.” I tried to cheer him up a bit, while going out of my way not to touch him again. I didn’t know what the jolt of electricity was earlier but it freaked me out enough, that I wasn’t in any hurry for it to happen again.

My mind was still running crazy. I’d heard somebody die, three somebodies to be exact. I couldn’t figure out why my mind seemed to be intent on torturing me.

“Hate to break it to you guys, but I can’t make it tonight.” Erin’s voice broke though. “I’ve got a date.”

“Who’s the lucky guy that’s dragging you away from your two best friends?” I asked, genuinely interested.

“Jason Tate.” Erin sighed. “Ams he’s gorgeous! He’s got the most too die for eyes.”

“You better have fun then.” I smiled.

“Oh I will.” Erin grinned playfully. “You too.” With that said she practically floated down the street, leaving Ryan and I alone. I had a funny feeling that our movie night just got really awkward.

Reviews

[bluessadmood]

This is really nice so far ..the mind is really strange in its ways
i like how you try to mingle awkward things she hears and feels
with whats happened in that crash..yes if you disturb the mind a little
like knocking it hard ..or even exerting it to work hard like like reading
for example ..it will sing some pretty weird things in your ears
you will hear some things you never heard or excpected before
i would not go into that a lot..if you could go deep in what you started
you could get some amazing and thrilling events..its a great start
i really loved how you tackled this thing..lets see how you pull it through
lovely write ..