The Voices (standard:other, 1054 words)
Author: Jacob Edwards	Added: Dec 24 2006	Views/Reads: 3022/2092	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
A girl with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder makes an important life decision. Deals with tradition, sanity, and the nature of human purpose.

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

rattling a container and sliding a red pill in hand. "nothing serious, 
I assure you." 

"Mental... disorder?" 

Maman held her excitement back. Timing was everything. "Oh, it really
isn't befitting for me say," she sighed, uncapping another medicine 
bottle. Just a little more. 

Adèle swooned. "This cheese is very good, Maman. How aged is it? I've
always like aged che—" 

"No, I want to know. Please." 

Maman swooped in. "I know you'll understand... Stan, was it? My daughter
hears voices in her mind. It's schizophrenia. We use several 
prescriptions to dull the hallucinations. Don't worry though, I assure 
you she's perfectly normal." 

Half-digested bread hung from Save's mouth. "What do the voices say?" 

Silence. Maman folded her hands and waited for it. Adèle, stuttering,
spoke. "It's been, a l-long time. I don't remember..." Her voice 
petered off. 

Save reached for another slice of brie and licked his fingers. "Funny.
If I had voices, I'd want to know what they were telling me. Maybe you 
should stop taking medicine." 

Maman burst out of her seat. "Take that back right now!" 

His eyebrows lifted in confusion. "Why should I?" 

Maman slapped the brie from his hand. "She will not stop taking her
medicine." 

"Why?" 

"Be quiet!" Maman snapped. "Who are you to question me, her mother, who
has only her good interests at heart? What do you know about us?" 

Save rubbed his cheek and turned to Adèle, who was still blushing
furiously. "Adèle... don't you want to know what they're saying... 
too?" 

Maman grabbed Save by the cuff and knocked away his chair. "You're not
welcome in my house." Outside, he was banging at the windows when Maman 
narrowed the shades. 

She called out in a sweet voice. "Adèle, are you ready for your
medicine?" Adèle was in the kitchen, weeping, her eyes lined with red, 
trembling all over. "Miel, the voices are making you irrational. It's 
time for your medicine." 

"I want to know what they're saying," she whispered. "I really what to
know." 

"Don't be fooled, my daughter. It is nothing. Don't let that nasty boy
make you think—" 

"He's not nasty!" 

"Yes, he is," Maman said, feathers ruffled. "That boy is trash. Garbage.
Part of the new generation of disrespectable fools who think they can 
live in this world without a standard method of conduct. Without 
manners." 

"Why does everything have to be standard?" Adèle sobbed. "He understands
me. Why push him away just because he's different?" 

"You'll feel better after your medicine. Enough of this." Maman took
Adèle by the neck and forced the Haldol in her mouth. 

Adèle bit her. 

Maman screamed. Blood was streaming down her fingers. Blood on Adèle's
mouth. Blood on the floor. Bloody pill on the table. She cursed. 
"You're irrational, Adèle! You're not acting normally! Take your 
medicine right now!" 

"I'm going to hear them!" 

"You can't! You'll be mad!" 

There was blood on Adèle's blouse, and her eyes throbbed. "I'm going to
hear them!" Her voice broke. "I don't care if it's wrong. I need to 
hear them. I'm going to hear them!" She broke from Maman's arms. 

"No!" 

Maman cursed her. She cursed herself. She cursed that boy delinquent.
She howled. "Now you'll be just like you were! Disgusting! So strange, 
embarrassing! Who do you think you are, to defile this household with 
those voices of yours, your selfish behavior? Who do you think you are 
to sink me so low?! 

Adèle fled out the doorway and went to God. 


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