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“What does he say?” I inquired.
Vahl looked up at me and chuckled.
“He isn’t talking right now,” she said, still fiddling with the fletching on her arrows.
“Well I know, but when he does talk, what does he say?”
I had grown curious about this voice in her head. What I had perceived to only be her imagination in the beginning had become something with the potential to be real. Serana had always said that Vahl was crazy . There was once a time when I would have agreed with her. But as time went on, this supposed voice seemed to be more helpful than anything. Well, most of the time.
“What does he say?” I repeated.
“Well…” she sighed, “It depends really. Sometimes he says rather smart mouth things. Like he is shouting for me to do something.”
“Do you listen?”
“Most of the time. But sometimes he says things that will get us into trouble for sure. I kind of have to push him aside. Sometimes he tries to be funny-”
“TRIES to be funny?”
“Yes. He does his best. But I am not sure if anyone else but me can hear him try. Thank goodness.”
“Is he mean?”
She looked up and frowned slightly, but still maintained her grin, as if she were amused at the thought.
“Oh no. He is very kind. He will stress and panic often, but he is never mean.” She looked up and thought for a moment. “It’s rather interesting really. He is inside my mind, but I sometimes think that he has a mind all of his own.”

______________________________________

I read the words over and over again, trying to make sense of them.

“I wonder what it must be like to have a voice other than your own in you mind. Especially one like the one inside Vahls mind. How peculiar that he would be kind and amused all at once as if he were another person entirely.”

I sat the ancient book down on the foot of my bed. It suddenly weighed far too much for my perfectly capable hands. I leaned back until my head touched the heavy steel wall behind me. All I could do was look up at the ceiling. How could this be? A voice that existed so very long ago suddenly coming into my conscience? This Vahl, whoever she was, wasn’t even in my bloodline. It couldn’t have been some sort of hereditary defect. Could it? I reached up and rubbed my temple. The voice wasn’t there now, and I didn’t know when it would be back.
“I…” I heard myself whisper, “I don’t understand…”
It was true. I didn’t understand. And that simple truth terrified me.

Description
“What does he say?” I inquired.
Vahl looked up at me and chuckled.
“He isn’t talking right now,” she said, still fiddling with the fletching on her arrows.
“Well I know, but when he does talk, what does he say?”
I had grown curious about this voice in her head. What I had perceived to only be her imagination in the beginning had become something with the potential to be real. Serana had always said that Vahl was crazy . There was once a time when I would have agreed with her. But as time went on, this supposed voice seemed to be more helpful than anything. Well, most of the time.
“What does he say?” I repeated.
“Well…” she sighed, “It depends really. Sometimes he says rather smart mouth things. Like he is shouting for me to do something.”
“Do you listen?”
“Most of the time. But sometimes he says things that will get us into trouble for sure. I kind of have to push him aside. Sometimes he tries to be funny-”
“TRIES to be funny?”
“Yes. He does his best. But I am not sure if anyone else but me can hear him try. Thank goodness.”
“Is he mean?”
She looked up and frowned slightly, but still maintained her grin, as if she were amused at the thought.
“Oh no. He is very kind. He will stress and panic often, but he is never mean.” She looked up and thought for a moment. “It’s rather interesting really. He is inside my mind, but I sometimes think that he has a mind all of his own.”

______________________________________

I read the words over and over again, trying to make sense of them.

“I wonder what it must be like to have a voice other than your own in you mind. Especially one like the one inside Vahls mind. How peculiar that he would be kind and amused all at once as if he were another person entirely.”

I sat the ancient book down on the foot of my bed. It suddenly weighed far too much for my perfectly capable hands. I leaned back until my head touched the heavy steel wall behind me. All I could do was look up at the ceiling. How could this be? A voice that existed so very long ago suddenly coming into my conscience? This Vahl, whoever she was, wasn’t even in my bloodline. It couldn’t have been some sort of hereditary defect. Could it? I reached up and rubbed my temple. The voice wasn’t there now, and I didn’t know when it would be back.
“I…” I heard myself whisper, “I don’t understand…”
It was true. I didn’t understand. And that simple truth terrified me.