Angel's Demon

12. Voices-3

I reckon the odds are pretty good, one of the voices thought back, given who we were healed by.

Gina, Andy thought at them. He hadn’t thought of Gina since her death. He’d blocked out most of what had happened, trying to get on with his life, like any other normal kid his age.

“Andy,” Sarah said, and clapped her hands in front of his face. “You’re meant to be talking to us now.”

“Sorry,” Andy said, “it’s bit hard following two conversations at once.”

“I asked you where Sarah knew you from,” Sarah replied.

“I can answer that,” young Sarah said. “Doug and I both know an Andy Wright. When you said his name was Andy, I knew it was him straight away.”

“That’s not the right name,” Andy giggled. “Get it? Not the right name?”

You took a bit of a risk, Sarah, Doug thought at them. How did you know his name wasn’t Wright?

Because Alice had a crush on him, Sarah thought at them. “She wanted to be the Delilah to his Samson. I didn’t get it at the time, but I saw this movie, Samson and Delilah about six months ago. I figured out she must have had a crush on him. I know she knew his surname.

Who are Samson and Delilah? Andy thought back.

You’ll have to look it up, Sarah thought impatiently.

“You’re not Andy Wright?” young Sarah asked.

“Nope,” Andy replied.

“Oh, so we don’t know you?” young Sarah said over the phone, sounding rather disappointed.

“Nope,” Andy replied again.

This really is hard, having two conversations, Andy thought. I’m going to ignore any thought-talk for a while, before the psychologist calls me out over it.

“Perhaps there is something else that connects the two, sorry three, of you together,” Sarah suggested. “We’ll just have to work on that another time. Unfortunately, our time is up. Andy, I expect to see you here next week. Sarah, if you don’t mind, I’ll call you when Andy comes in next. We can continue with the flash cards and do some brainstorming about possible connections.”

Thank God that’s over, one of the voices said.

“Okay, bye,” young Sarah replied over the phone before hanging up.

“I would have spent some extra time with you and Sarah today, if I didn’t have another appointment,” Sarah told Andy.

“Oh well,” Andy said, shrugging his shoulders. “Same time next week?”

Sarah laughed, “Same time or thereabouts.”

It had been a bizarre afternoon, but at least now Andy knew he wasn’t crazy.

Lilly and Sarah rolled out of the beanbags. Andy laughed and followed suit. Maybe he could talk his mum into buying him one for his room. He liked the way the beanbag had hugged him. It felt safe and reassuring.

Are you still there? Andy thought at his friends.

Yeah and Yep came the responses.

Andy projected an image of himself with his next thought. Can we maybe send a thought-picture when we talk, so we know who’s talking?

Good idea, Doug replied, sending his likeness with the message.

I’d forgotten what you guys looked like, Sarah responded.

Aw, c’mon Sarah, send us a pic, Doug said.

Sarah cringed inwardly. She knew some of the older kids at her school were into sexting, and that’s what being asked to send a picture of yourself was going to lead to.

If you guys get any weird ideas about what we can think to each other, I’m cutting you off permanently, Sarah said, in a tone that suggested she was serious.

Hello, another voice said. Am I imagining things or are there really other voices in my head?

Andy knew instinctively that it wasn’t Sarah or Doug. There was something different about this voice, even though in his head it sounded just like him. He had a theory and decided to project two images of himself — one as he was now, and one as he was three years ago, not that he’d changed that much.

Do you recognise this face? Andy asked.

Is that you, Andy? the voice replied.

Yep. Show us who you are.

An image came through, and the voice asked, How many of us are there?

Another girl, Sarah squealed in delight. As an afterthought she sent an image of herself. Sorry, this is what I look like, Felicitia.

Oh, so now you show what you look like, Doug snorted, sending his likeness with the words.

Oh … my … God, Felicitia said. How many of you are there?

Four now, Doug replied.

You guys, Andy said excitedly. He was having an epiphany. I think our numbers are going to grow. I think, by the time we’ve finished reconnecting, there will be twenty-four of us.