The Voices

Alone

I walk home from work, tired, and ready to go to bed. All I've wanted to do is sleep for the past week. I walk up to the doorstep, getting ready to grab my keys from my pocket when the door opens. Drew is standing there, looking down at me. "Oh, hey Drew. Thanks." I walk past him, setting my bag down, and take off my coat, hanging it up. I quickly head to my room when I am stopped by Drew. He turns me around and looks at me dead in my eyes. **What is he doing** He's going to kick you out. He will hurt you. He hates you.  Don't forget that! You should die! HURT HIM! I look at him, confused. "Aaron. I am worried about you. You've been asleep for most of the day, you don't eat as much as you use to. You rarely come out of the room. I need to know what's wrong. Please, Aaron. You have got to tell me." I look down and away from him, feeling the fresh tears starting to form. "I can't." "Why not? I am he-" I stop him mid-sentence. "Because! They say that you don't like me! They say that you hate me! That you pretend to be my friend!" Tears are now running down my face, the look of shock is clearly seen from Drew. "Aaron... That's not true. And you know that. And what do you mean by they?" I fall to my knees as I cry more, hugging myself. "They *I pause* are in my head. They tell me all these things and I just can't take it, I feel like I am suffocating! I have these dreams that I am running in complete darkness as I hear them echo around me! They say that you hate me! And that I should die!" Drew kneels down next to me and hugs me tightly. "Aaron, whatever they say to you will NEVER be true, I do not hate you, and I do not pretend to be your friend, I am here for you, and I always will be." I slowly stop crying, as I nuzzle my face into Drew's neck, slowly calming down, I feel myself slowly dozing off into deep sleep.