WARNING!

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Tuesday 18 February 2014

The voice

This happened when I was in high school. I was reading a book at the heated table in the living room when I got tired and fell asleep. Usually when I sleep under the table, I don’t wake up until morning. It’s so warm and cozy that I sleep really well. This night, however, my eyes flew open all of the sudden. I don’t know what time it was, but it was very late and everyone else was asleep.
Despite having just woken up, I was wide awake. I could barely tell I had been sleeping just seconds before. I wondered why I woke up at such an odd hour when I heard something.
“Igarashi!” Somebody was calling my name from outside. It took me a few seconds to realize whose voice it was, and I was surprised when it hit me; it was one of the members of the club I was in—an upperclassman. His house was only a few minutes away from mine, but something was off about his visit. Unlike usual, his voice was kind and gentle. It was almost as if he were talking to his girlfriend. We were about as good of friends as anyone else in the club was, but we weren’t dating and neither of us had any feelings like that for the other.
I started to worry. If he came to my house at a time like this, there must be some sort of emergency. I hurried over to my window and opened it to look outside. I was on the second floor, but I could easily tell that nobody was there. I didn’t want to call out to him because the neighbors might get mad, so I continued searching around the outside for a few moments before giving up and closing the window. I curled up under the table again and fell back asleep.
The next day, I confronted my friend and asked him why he came over so late.
“What are you talking about? Why would I go over to your place that late?” He brushed off the accusation immediately. “Are you sure you weren’t dreaming or something?”
But I know it was his voice. I didn’t doubt him because he didn’t seem like he was joking, but something was going on. My friend Ishida, who can sense ghosts, came over to my place after club and I brought it up with her. We had been joking around until then, but when I brought up the voice she suddenly got very serious.
“You didn’t reply to it, did you?” When I told her that I didn’t say anything because it was dark out, she relaxed, but only slightly. “Good. If anything like that happens again, don’t talk to it.”
“Why not?” I felt a shiver go up my spine when she looked at me.
“It’s best if you don’t know. It will only scare you more.”
Nothing like that ever happened again, but I still get goosebumps when I think of it. Not the voice, but what Ishida said and, even more so, what she knew. What was she hiding from me? And what would have happened if I had replied to whatever was calling me that night?
Maybe it really is better that I don’t know…

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