Write an Internal Monologue - The Voice

My hands are dirty. I can feel the grime on them without needing to look. I duck into the bathroom and turn on the sink. Wash your hands. I listen to the voice in my head. How did my hands get dirty? I have no idea. I haven’t done much, aside from listen to my professors drone on and on about whatever they’re supposed to be teaching. The door to the bathroom opens, and three of the school security officers enter. The metallic squeak of the door hinges makes my hands fly to my ears. I hate that noise. It’s terrible. The school should get a new door. How expensive are doors? I hope they don’t cost too much. I don’t have a lot of money saved up, and I want doors when I eventually move out of my parents house. One of the security officers is looking at me, his mouth moving. What’s he saying? I can’t hear him. Tell him to speak up. Okay. Can you hear him now? No, I can’t. But thanks for looking out for me. Leave the bathroom. I had nothing else I needed to do. I’d washed my hands, so I brushed past the security officers into the hallway. I felt a hand on my wrist. The hand was rough and slick with sweat. Now I need to wash my wrist. The hand didn’t let go. Tell the person attached to the hand to let go. Of course. It wasn’t just a hand; how silly of me. The hand released, but then someone grabbed onto my shoulders. Please don’t touch me. I don’t want to be touched right now. You are invading my personal space. Let go! My eyes were roaming over the scene wildly, and I ran. Until I was tired. Then I stopped, got a drink of water, and looked around. I was outside, on the track field. Huh. How did I get here? You walked here after your classes. Really? I don’t remember that. What happened after I ran away from the bathroom? You finished your classes for the day, then came here. Oh. I didn’t remember that either. Someone helped you finish your classes. Everything is okay now. I’m here. At least I had someone. I trotted back over onto the track and started running again. I heard someone calling my name, Theo. I barely recognized my name. It had been so long since I heard it. I didn’t like my name. It didn’t always fit. I stopped running again and sat down on a bench. I had a stitch in my side. It was painful. I scrolled through my phone. There was a news headline written in bold red text. I didn’t like that. Why didn’t they use a light blue or something? That was much better to look at than red. The red hurt my eyes. Adjust your phone brightness. I did, and it helped. Not a lot, but enough so I could look at the screen. The headline read: THREE STUDENTS FOUND DEAD BEHIND LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL. 185Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgh4VLwHm7l

Oh no. That wasn’t good. What school? Who killed the students? Was it a murder? What happened? Did whoever did it get caught? Not yet. How do you know that? Because. That’s not an answer. I want an answer. Tell me the answers. You don’t want to know. It’s none of your concern. Let me deal with it. But you ARE me! And I am you! You are my mind, the voice that talks inside my head. Whatever you know, I know too. Not now. Not about this. Yes, about this! Just tell me! What school, who killed the students, if it was a murder or not, and did whoever did it get caught? Tell me! You can’t control me. Yes I can. I have for years, and I will continue to control you until the day we die. Fine. I’m sorry for getting upset. Will you tell me the answers now? You have to promise not to tell anyone. Okay, I promise. Number one, it happened at this school. So people got killed here? Yes. Will you let me finish? Sorry, go on. It was a murder. The murderer hasn’t gotten caught. But how do you know that? Because I can see the killer right now. Really? Who is it? I needed to know. Not because I was scared of being next, no. Because curiosity always got the better of me. Are you sure? Once I tell you this, there is no going back. Yes, I’m sure. Just tell me already. It was you. After a moment, I slowly nodded. I know. And you, voice inside my head, are next.