The next day starts as usual. Nothing out of the ordinary. I wash my face in my bathroom and prepare myself for the day. Voices did not appear yet, and I am glad for that. I feel like it will eventually happen, it must, sooner or later.

I glance at my reflection in the mirror. My long blonde hair keeps its place on my shoulders, my emerald eyes are looking back at me sadly. I have always had a dark look in my eyes. Matias tells me this when I stare at him. Apart from my eyes that maintain depressive aura, my face is not bringing anything happier. Small wrinkles around my eyes, tiny, pointed nose, full lips that are bloody because I bit them out of stress. My face is representing my inside nature very well. I feel as I look — depressed.

Mornings always look the same in my home. Small talk, breakfast and watching television in the living room. As we, as a family, maintain our routine then everything is all right. When something breaks, we break.

After breakfast, I walk up to the turned on television. I instantly spot the informative advertisement that is played before every program. I always look at it as if I see it for the first time. When I look at it, I try to place myself in someone else's shoes. Just like I am the kid, perhaps fifteen-years-old, seeing this spot that explains what is supposed to happen in three years. I imagine the shock, the calmness in the child's parents voice when they talk him through on what he is seeing. The way the mind of the child twists around the idea of having voices that may bring him to death one day. That is why I look at the informative spot differently every time because it is easier. If I saw the same information in television over and over again I would go insane even without having voices. This terrifying image of the spot presents is driving me frightened.

This time I look at this spot like it is real. I study every scene carefully. Camera, set, action. The first image appears. Young woman, perhaps eighteen, is walking down the road with a delighted expression on her face, that sweet that it seems fake. She wears a pink dress. Smile tugs at my lips because it is such stereotypical of them, portraying a young woman in a pink dress. I do not examine her outfit any further. Suddenly, her expression changes. She drops to the ground and caught her head with her hands. She screams in agony: "What is this!? Stop! Please, make them stop!". A few people walk next to her but keep their pace without looking at her as if this was ordinary. Her face twists in agony as she screams continuously. After such a frightening scene, the heading finally appears. The title "The Voice" is visible on the screen. The scene ends, and we see the same woman appear in the next one. She is in her home now. The camera zooms in to her so that her face is visible. Her eyes are filled with tears and the delighted look on her face from before is long gone. She holds her phone to her ear and speaks in a hushed voice. "What am I supposed to do?" There is someone on the other side of the call. We can only imagine that it is someone from the government. The person tells the woman to breathe. She takes a trembling breath as she listens further. The next title appears on the screen "Mindfulness". Suddenly, the speaker speaks up and the voices of the woman speaking through her phone are snuffled. He says confidently "Mindfulness is the key to a healthy life. Together we can overcome the voices. Rules are simple. DO NOT trust the voices, DO NOT listen to them. They are evil and will make you lose your sanity. Consider this a warning from the state. What else you need to know is that the voices will appear when you turn eighteen. There is no exception. When they do, you must remain calm and have a fresh, peaceful mind. We are in this together and that is why we are teaching you mindfulness techniques to help you cope with them. Stay strong for us." The screen turns black. The spot ends and the movie from the television programme appears on the screen as it was stated in the paper. My thoughts are racing, even though I saw this spot countless times now. Right this moment I feel fear, fear of what is about to come.

All of a sudden, my mother appears by my side and lightly taps on my shoulder to bring me back to Earth.

"This spot is the scariest thing, right? I am thankful to God that I will never experience what you are about to," my mother says, "However, there is something unmentioned in all of what you have seen."

I turn my face to her questioningly. Raising my brow I suggest her to continue her thought. She swallows. So, this might be something important.

"What is left unanswered is what they are doing to people who are doing differently from what is expected to them. I wondered that for a long time and I found the answer. Once I came upon the newspaper article, but do not get me wrong, it was never intended for the government to see. It was written in code. From the wartimes, I learned the way to break the code and what I discovered is horrifying. They are killing the people that do not listen. The article mentions a theory that the government is not telling the truth to their citizens. Vecca, you are in danger so it is better not to stand out of the crowd. Listen to what the forces are saying or you will end as countless innocent children that wanted to break the pattern. This is my advice to you," my mother whispered.

I open my eyes wide as I listen to what she is saying. This scared me to bits. I never wondered there is another way. What if all of it is part of their play? I guess this is the question I will ask myself every day. Am I living in a lie?

I leave her without an answer. I decide to fresh out my mind by walking outside. It might not be the best time to walk alone as it is completely dark but I still do it. The weather is chilly and the moon is shining bright at the sky's surface.

I lose myself to my thoughts while I walk. Each time I pass a home I do what I like to do to keep me away from thinking about my problematic life. Glancing at each house I imagine what it would feel like to be in another family for a day or two. Just by looking at the wooden fence of an unknown home, I try to place myself inside. Every home is a different story. Sometimes it is better to live inside my head than in reality. Escaping to my head brings me peace often.

As I walk down the path to the park, I suddenly stop to an unknown sound. I hear thunder, but I do not see anything in the sky. I glance around anxiously but everything around me seems normal. The next sound appears as I stand. It is the sound of birds singing. The sound intensifies as I start to quicken my pace. Starting to get more anxious by each second, I began to feel tears in my eyes.

Seconds later I hear the "Voice". It is melodic, just like the birds singing. However, what it is speaking is frightening.

"You are a monster, did you know that?" the voice laughs devilishly.

My eyes open wide as I place the pieces together. Time has come and I witness what it feels like to be haunted. The next thing I recall is a constant whisper of the woman in my head. She is taunting me, calling me badly and it gets to me. I cannot escape this. I try to do what was on the television and suddenly the breathing exercises do not feel weird to me. I began breathing deeper and deeper. The voice gets lower but it is still there. I reach my home and shout to my mother:

"Mom, it came. The voice speaks to me..."