The Voice

Chapter 3

My fingers rubbed the sleep out of my eyes as I stretched my limbs. Turning on my side, I saw a piece of paper sitting on the bedside table next to a bottle of water that seemed to be sitting out for not too long.

Lyla,

I went out with a few friends. I'll be home later. Don't wait up for me. We'll talk when I come home about a few things. I love you.

Luke

I sat the paper back down and grabbed the water, chugging it to make the dryness of my throat fade away with every swallow I took. I grabbed the remote that I always kept on the table and switched on the television. I tried to focus my mind on the show that happened to be on, but felt my mind drifting off, clearly uninterested.

"Give me back my toy!" I shouted at the little girl in a pretty sundress in front of me.

I stomped my foot and crossed my arms over my chest, thinking it'd might intimidate her.

"It isn't yours. It's everyone's," the little girl yelled back as I now used my small six year old fingers to pry the Barbie doll from her hands.

" I was playing with it first! It's mine."

"I'm telling! Mrs. Long, Lyla just took a toy from me! I was playing with it," she shouted, the rest of my classmates now watching us as my teacher headed our way.

She's telling on you. Hit her. She's not nice. She doesn't like you. She stole your toy.

Without even questioning it, I threw the doll at the girl in front of me, causing it to hit her eye by my luck.

Good girl. Nice job.

I smiled smugly as I watched her cry, holding on to her eye.

"Lyla! Principle's office now! Your mom is already on her way here," my teacher called out.

I pouted but walked to the principle office, my heart racing and tears threatening my eyes. I've never been in the office before for being in trouble. I've always been a good girl. Minutes passed until my mother showed up and I stared at my shoes, not wanting to face her. We went back to the office and I told the principle and my mom what happened.

"Why would you throw a toy at Samantha?! That's your best friend and I raised you better than that, Lyla."

"The voice told me to," I whimpered, looking up at my mother who stood with her arms crossed over her chest. My mom never sits down when she's mad.

"No. No excuses. I've been letting you use your imaginary friend as an excuse at home for being in trouble but not in school. This cuts the line. You are too old for this."

"But she's real. She always tells me to do bad things, even when I don't want to," my little voiced wavered as I rubbed my eyes as tears fell.

My mother took a deep breath and apologized to my principle before signing me out and taking me with her, leaving the school premises.

I buckled myself in the backseat, my mom checked me still though just in case before she pulled out of the parking lot.

"Mom I promise the voice told me. She does tell me to do bad things. She's-"

"I'm tired of hearing this," my mother said in a tired tone.

"But-"

"I don't want to hear another word about your imaginary friend."