“She's not available at the moment. Can I take a message?”
Her attempt at humor is not lost on me. It is obvious that she is more than a little accustomed with the barrage of voices at all hours so hearing mine is no surprise. She had conditioned her mind for the inevitability of it. So what did I do? I played along with her.
“Yes I would. Can you tell her that I would very much like to speak with her? That it is of grave importance that I do.”
I watched as she moved around on her bed, pulling herself into a sitting position. Raking her hands through her hair as she made herself comfortable, I heard the sound of a sigh escape her lips.
“You're kidding me right? I thought this was the one time I could escape you guys. Isn't there a rule somewhere not to harass during hours designated for sleep?”
“I'm afraid there is no such rule. Though not everyone can speak to you this way. That is something only a select few of us are able to accomplish.”
“That's just great. So I'm available for chat twenty four seven. What do you want?”
“I wanted to check in on you. I want to make sure you're alright.”
“Well genius, up until about five minutes ago I was perfect. Things couldn't be better. I was having THE BEST dream and was actually sleeping soundly for the first time in weeks. Then this irritating guy had to come and rip it all away from me.”
I could not help it. I laughed at her contempt for what I had done. It seemed that humans reacted much the same as angels when they were unhappy. They reverted to sarcasm as a form of defense.
“Tell me; now that you are awake, do you hear any other voices?”
Judging by the look on her face as I asked the question, it was obvious I had given her something to think on. I was aware with the time I spent observing her, listening in to her body's frequency that there wasn't much time in the waking hours that she is left without them. Sitting where she is now though, it seems she is experiencing her first moment of absolute peace since her time in the center.
“Actually, now that you mention it, I don't hear anyone but you.”
“Then my mission has been tested and is complete.”
“What the heck does that mean? How are you doing this? Better yet, who are you and what do you want with me?”
“All your questions will be answered in time. All will become apparent. For now, just think of me as someone that wants to help you.”
“Yeah, because waking a person up from a dead sleep is totally helpful.”
“Given that you can no longer hear the voices while I am here speaking with you, I would say that it was most helpful in comparison with what you have been dealing with thus far.”
“Fine, you win. Can I go back to sleep now?”
“Yes, pretty girl, you may go back to sleep. Thank you for speaking with me. I hope to speak with you again soon.”
I pulled myself out of her mind, but not before hearing her speak again.