The Calling | The House of Voices #1

Seventeen - Punch

Punch

“Come on Sid! Just a little more and you’re in!”

Hastily wiping away the tears from my eyes, I turned round the corner and into my bedroom, to find Sid trying to crawl into my largest suitcase while Kara watched.

“What the hell are you two doing?”

They froze.

“Um,” Sid stammered, peering at me sheepishly. “She dared me to do it!”

“She dared you to climb into my suitcase?” I asked, an eyebrow raised.

“Well, no.” Kara interjected with a grin. “I told him that he was thin enough to fit in there—”

“—And I told her I wasn’t.” Sid cried, uncurling himself and stepping slowly out of my open suitcase.

“So you climbed in there,” I started slowly, fixing Sid with a wry gaze “to prove that you couldn’t? Is that right?”

“Um…” He scratched his head. “That sounds about right.”

“Your genius is outstanding, Sid.” I replied, shaking my head as I walked over to my bed where I flopped down and buried my face in my pillows. “Don’t let me stop you, though. Please, continue.”

Sid’s chuckle was cut off by a loud scoff. “Condescending much, October?”

I lifted my head from my pillows to find Kara frowning at me, while Sid and I blinked at her in confusion. “Huh?”

“Just because you’re too uptight to let loose and have a little childish fun doesn’t give you the right to talk to Sid like that.”

“Talk to me like what, Kara? She didn’t say anything.” Sid questioned, pushing his glasses higher up his nose with the tip of his pinky.

“No, but didn’t you hear her tone?” Kara countered, pointing an accusing finger in my direction.

“She didn’t use any tone, Kara.” Sid said slowly, finally realizing the same thing I’d realized a few seconds ago. Kara was having an episode.

“Right.” She rolled her eyes.

“Seriously, Kara.” I rose off the bed and tried to reason with her, despite my urge to yell. I’d learned from experience that yelling at Kara while she was having an episode didn’t do anyone any good. Ever. “I wasn’t being condescending. I was honestly just joking around. I’m sorry if I offended you or Sid.”

I saw Kara’s eyes roll in contempt, but didn’t hear her reply. A cold chill had crept up my spine, right up to the nape of my neck where it made all the little hairs there stand up. It felt as if a snake was slithering up my spine underneath my sweater.

And as much as I hated to admit it, I was all too accustomed to that feeling.

Closing my eyes tightly, I tried to shut out the voice that I knew was coming.

“See?” The boy hissed in my ear. “Even your precious Kara hates you. Why do you even bother with your life? You can’t do anything right. You’re worthless and alone. You should have just slit your wrists and ended your life last night. It would have made so many people so happy.”

I could feel my nails digging into my palms. The pain that my sharp nails were causing was nowhere near compared to the pain that the boy’s words were causing.

I didn’t want to believe him. A little voice inside my head was practically screaming for me not to let his words get to my head. But, honestly, how could I not? Those were the exact same thoughts that kept me up at night; that haunted my nightmares and drove me to self-harm.