Stereo

          I heard several voices around me, all of them only slightly different from each other. All of them said similar things, all so similar, and yet so different from each other. All of the things they said were such logical progressions from the last word spoken, but each of them seemed to have their own message and agenda.

       “You”

           “Don’t”

      “Know”

           “Anything”

              “About”

          “How”

             “Wonderful”

             “Ly pathetic”

         “Those”

                 “Who”

               “Put”

              “You”

             “Down”

              “Are”

                  “You”

                “Deserve”

              “More”

           “Pain”

                 “Than”

              “You”

             “Do”

               “Experience”

         It almost seemed like they were fighting over me, but some arcane rules prevented them from breaking the conventions of the last word. It was almost like a game. Almost. The main difference was that it was not fun in the slightest for me.

            Frankly, with them arguing in this way, it was difficult to focus on anything else, and the world didn’t stop for some schmuck who heard voices. I didn’t know what to do about them. I tried talking to them, but they paid me no mind. They kept on talking without responding to me at all. No matter what questions I asked, or pleas I made, they kept on arguing and ranting with no regard for my responses.

          “What”

         “Wonderful”

        “Things”

              “You”

            “Will”

        “Who are you all? What do you want?”

           “Accomplish”

        “In”

            “The”

          “Realm”

                 “Of”

              “Fantasy”

          “Whatever you all are, please stop.”

         “Do”

            “What”

          “You”

             “Must”

         “Stop talking, please!”

         “Because”

               “The”

          “Leave me alone!”

            “World”

                “Can”

         “Go away!”

            “Never”

         “Go away!”

               “Keep”

           “Away!”

             “Its”

         “Voices”

                 “Promises”

         It wasn’t long before I noticed that I could make them respond. All I had to do was follow their pattern. I could influence them. I started to have hope. If I’d known what I was getting into, I never would’ve talked.

             “You”

           “Should”

               “Curl”

            “Up”

              “And”

            “Stop”

                “Talking”

            “About”

               “Your”

             “Voices”

                 “That”

             “Nobody”

                  “Wants”

               “To”

               “Hear”

              “Me”

       It was hard. I may not have been able to change them too much, but I was disrupting them. But, as time went on, I started having a harder time thinking outside of the pattern. It’s become harder and harder, and I don’t think I have long left. If you hear them, please ignore them! It will drive you insane, but the minute you follow their pattern, you will become theirs. If you can listen, than you are in danger of us. Was that us? We’re messing with the document. If you can listen to us, don’t stay tempted to ignore my warning not to