Voices

Is Anyone Listening?

The little child falls down the hill, and he seems so scared that he faints in the process.

"I hope he doesn't become another voice. He's only started his life..." Voice 1 says, and their words are barely heard in the crowd of other voices speaking to themselves.

It's odd, being trapped within the void. It's not nearly as bad as one may think. It's almost like a waiting room, a very noisy waiting room.

"I doubt he will." Says Voice 2, and Voice 1 ignores them.

A seagull proceeds to take a crap on a car.

"--And he just washed it, too. His boyfriend's not going to be pleased."

"Yeah, he's really hot tempered..."

A mother makes waffles for her always hungry daughter. Voice 1 watches, wondering if they ever had a daughter of their own. A child seems nice.

"Hey, can you hear me?"

Voice 1 ignores Voice 2 again.

"Look, I don't know how I can do it, but... I can hear your voice. It's really nice sounding, did anyone tell you that when you were alive?"

Voice 1 would be frowning, if they had a face.

A cat stretches lazily as it basks in the sun, and their owner looks over and takes a picture of it, posting it on the Internet.

"Hey, don't be like that. Please? Don't be like everyone else, because... Because I can hear you, and... I... Please talk to me."

Voice 1 toys with the idea of telling Voice 2 to shut up and fade away. It doesn't happen.

Voice 1 wonders how long they've been there, or is it here? This area full of swelling voices, but none can be picked out. None are standing out at all. They may be of varying pitches, but they simply sound like mumbling, with several shouts in between. Maybe this is what hell is like. Maybe this is hell.

In any case, no voice can clearly hear the other. It's all... Gibberish.

Except for this one, who sounds uncomfortably close.

"Look, if you could just say something to me, acknowledge me, I'd love that. You can hear me, right?" Voice 2 asks, and they sound... Sad, almost.

Although, Voice 1 has heard much more depressing things than a desperate, cracking voice.

"Please... Please say something."

"I can hear you as well."

Voice 2 actually shouts with joy.

"You can hear me!"

"You are loud."

Why did Voice 1 even acknowlege them? Great, now they're going to get bothered.

Voice 2 doesn't appear to hear Voice 1, ironically.

"Oh yes, you can hear me! I... I love you!"

Voice 1 does not know how to feel about this. "I probably don't love you. Stop speaking, I can't observe.."

"That's okay, because you can hear me! What's your name?"

Voice 1 regrets saying anything to Voice 2.

Voice 1 would be rolling their eyes, if they had eyes to roll. "Do we really have time to do this?"

Voice 2 speaks again, and Voice 1 notices that they have a rather interesting speaking voice. It lowers and increases as they get excited. Voice 1 wishes they would do that.