Voices in my head

I scurried outside the house to see my friends waiting for me outside the porche, it appeared that they had been waiting for a while.

Stacy arched a brow when she saw me, “ Tell me Ava, what were you doing in professor Sebastian House for that long? “

I recalled the unexplainable event in the library, “ Nothing… I just got lost reading books. “

Stacy didn't buy my lies, I knew it.

“ About the voices I heard_

“ Still stealing your stepmother's vodka? “ Stacy asked before I could conclude my statement, “ You better stop drinking for now. “ She told me as she stepped into her car.

“ Just take a lot of water and rest. And yeah, stop drinking for now. “ jojo also replied.

Stacy glanced at professor Sebastian's House, “ If i were you, I would wear a wig and pay that hottie a visit tonight. “ She smiled driving away.

My parents would be back the following day, whatever was happening to me had to disappear before then.

“ The voices in my head aren't real, the voices in my head aren't real. “ I recited to myself as I drank some headache painkillers.

Lucky me there was no voices after, I was very relieved. Maybe I needed to stay away from alcohol for a while. I bathed that night and prepped to sleep, but as I laid cold on my bed, it started again.

“ Hey my one. “

Calm yet eerie, the voice rang in my head, it was the same as the intruder, the same as professor Sebastian. My heartbeat shot with a loud thud as I jumped from my bed.

“ You smell good tonight. “

I froze by the side of my bed, my hands and legs were shaking as instant cry hit me.

“ You will soon get used to this communication pattern my one. What is it that you are telling your friends about hearing a voice in your head? Do you want them to think you're mad? “

I was cumbered with terror, with my voice fidgeting, I asked, “ Who is this? “

“ The one who loves you the most. “

“ How i’m I hearing your voice and no one else can? “

“ Stay calm, it is better that you do my one. Now, let me give you some advice, stop telling your friends all those impossible things, do you want to return back to Shalom? “

At the mention of Shalom, my heart dropped with sheer shock. How on earth did he know about Shalom? Last year, I joined a cast of friends and started doing hard drugs. It had a bad influence in my mental health that I was sent to Shalom psychiatric institute, those six months were the worse days of my life.

“ Who are you and how are you talking to me in my head! “ I screamed.

“ So stubborn, I said calm it! “

The voice screamed back, manly and possessive.

I bursted into uncontrollable crying. Then a thought struck me, I walked to my window and glanced at the professor's house, through the window i saw him seated in front of the same desk I got sucked in earlier. He sat calm, fingers jammed, without an expression. His eyes met with mine, they were red and filled with anger.

I was afraid, but I stared at him long enough to verify if he was behind the voice.

“ Is it you professor? “ My crooked voice asked.

“ You will find out soon enough, I am not leaving soon. Instead of telling the world that you are getting crazy, you better understand why I am here. If you don't obey me Ava, you will regret it. “

The way he called my name sent an unfamiliar feeling of coveted control down my spine, I didn't want to entertain any feeling of pleasure. I hurried for my phone and began sending my father a voice recording,

“ Dad, dad, I'm hearing voices, someone is talking to me and I think its the new neighbour! I promise I'm not doing drugs or anything, this is real! “

Under the bed was where I slept that night.

*************

I appeared tattered to school the following day. I didn't bath or brush, my hair was unkempt, my clothing were the wrong colors. Immediately I stepped into the hallways everyone looked at me, their eyes had details of surprise and mockery in them. I felt as though the ground should open and swallow me.

“ What the fuck Ava, did you escape a hurricane? “ Jojo asked me.

“ You look horrible! “ Stacy replied.

As though my dilemma wasn't bad enough, the speakers blared on and a recording of my voice began to play.

“ Help! I'm hearing voices that no one else can hear, I think my neighbour is talking to me in my head. “

My day went from bad to worse, how did that recording get there? I laced a look of fury at Stacy.

“ Next time get your facts straight, you can't accuse the professor like that. “ Stacy replied rudely.

“ Stacy how could you do that to me! “ I screamed at her, even grabbing her by the hair before jojo came in between us. By this time the other students had started to video record me, some were laughing too.

The speakers blared on again, “ Ava luke, please report to the principal's office. “

With fear imprinted in my every footsteps, I walked into the principal's office and met my father and stepmother seated there.

My father had a look of disappointment mixed with frustration, my stepmother on the other hand always looked happy when I was in trouble.

“ Ava sit. “ The principal told me, I obeyed.

“ What is this about you hearing voices and accusing professor Sebastian? “

I was lost for words.

“ She is probably doing drugs again, always up to no good. “ My stepmother, Charice said.

“ I don't even have the stomach to get the professor involved in this. Ava this is not even normal, you are implying that the professor is talking to you inside your head, you do realise how unrealistic that sounds. “

“ I told you Rowland, keep her in that hospital for a while longer, that is where she belongs. “ Charice replied.

My father sighed, “ I'm sorry sir, we will handle it, I'm sending her back to Shalom. “

That was it, I was a goner. I couldn't return back to shalom, all my dreams of becoming a producer and director would be gone.

“ Did I not tell you no? “

The voice came in again, this time I was silent, shaking but silent.

“ I told you that you will regret it, but you didn't listen to me. “

Amidst the voices in my head, Charice gave me a sharp slap across my face.

“ That is for your unpleasant embarrassment today. “

My dad was silent, like always.

The sound slap silenced the voice for a while, until it started again.

“ Now do you want to go back to shalom and loose out on your dreams of being a director and a producer? “

I was silent, ignoring the voice until it magically goes away.

“ Ava! “

I shook grabbing my ears.

“ Don't talk loud, just speak to me like I'm in your mind. “ The voice cautioned.

“ I don't wanna go back. “ I stammered inside my head, replying the voice.

“ My one, what do you want me to do for you? Say it and it will be done. “

I paused for a while, thinking about the capability of whoever was in my head.

“ Make my father change his mind about Shalom. “ I finally said.

“ It is done, watch. “

Less than a minute later, my father stopped the car.

“ This is your final chance Ava, I don't want to send you back to that place, you just got into Varsity, fulfill your dreams like you promised. “

I didn't believe it, my father had changed his mind!

“ Do you promise? “ My father asked.

“ Yes dad. “ I muttered.

The voice came again, “ From now on will you do as I say? “

I felt the heat of the command, “ I will. “ I gave a reply inside my head.