20 january 2005

A moment of madness

by Anita Dapperens

Documents in her suitcase, wallet and diary in her handbag; everything was there. Why then couldn’t she shake the feeling that she had forgotten something?

With a sigh, she locked her car and walked across the dusky garage to the lift, relieved to find one waiting for her.

The moment she got out of the lift on the tenth floor, a thousand different voices echoed through her head, and Anna gasped at the intensity of the thoughts forcing their way into her consciousness.

She had forgotten to shield herself!

Her breaths came in short bursts as she tried to push them out, her eyes unfocussed, her trembling hands rubbing her temples to ease the tension.

“Breathe, Anna, breathe,” she chided herself, “Just breathe.”

The voices were too loud; too loud and intrusive. If she didn’t get somewhere quiet soon, she would pass out. But where to?

Turning around, Anna cursed as she saw the lift door close again. One option down.

Then she remembered the ladies room just around the corner, and stumbling Anna made her way through the crowded hall.

Her head was pounding by the time she reached for the door, but when she closed it behind her, the amount of voices decreased immediately.

Sitting down, she closed her eyes and focussed on her breathing, visualising a thick see-through stone wall around her, while at the same time pushing the remaining voices out.

It felt like a long time before her shield was raised and she was once again surrounded by her treasured silence, yet barely two minutes had passed. Anna sagged against the wall, fingers rubbing her temples once more to ease her pounding head.

No matter how precious her mother thought her gift was, at times like this Anna was truly thankful for being born deaf.

The End

published in Carillon Magazine issue 12, July 2005

Original fiction