“Hey, Reiz,” whispers the voice.
I recognize the voice, but it can’t be her. “Who’s there?”
I have to be imagining Aimee's voice just like the other voices in my head. Last year, classmates at Theodore High School kept their cell phones at the ready when I walked into a room, waiting to record me talking to myself, longing to immortalize my insanity and post it on the Internet.
“I wish you were here, Ames.” Memories of her crush me like breaking waves, one after the other. “I love—”
“Reizo?”
The ball lands on my stomach and falls off the bed. “Aimee?”
No answer.
I turn around in a complete circle, but no one is in the shelter with me.
Her voice must be inside my head. Hell, my new meds aren’t working. That’s got to be it. “Go away. I’m not listening!”
“Reizo? It’s really me,” Aimee whispers.
No, not again. Besides, I never hear voices near Rancher Murdock's pond.
But could it be—? “Ames?”
“Yes, Reiz. It’s me.”
I hit myself on the forehead. “No. I don’t hear you. No damn way.”
It’s just my out of control imagination triggered by the new meds.
“No, Reizo, it’s not meds or your imagination,” Aimee says. “It’s really me.”
“Yeah, right. No way it’s you.” I’ve lost it. Nothing else makes sense.
“You haven’t lost it. The other voices never actually heard your thoughts, remember?” Aimee asks. “Those voices couldn’t access memories stored in the cloud either. But I can.”
What memories? “Cloud what?”
“Yes, Reiz. Memories from past life experiences.”
Now I know I’ve lost it. “This is totally cray.”
“Do you remember the poem you used to say to yourself during visits with Doctor Stewart?”
Of course, I remember, though it seems like a lifetime ago. “I never said it out loud. I never wrote it in my notebook. No one knows it except for me.”
Aimee’s voice continues. “It’s in the cloud memory archive, Reiz. Everything you have ever experienced during a lifetime is stored in cloud memory. Even your thoughts.”
Her voice softens as she slowly recites. “I am alive. I am dead. Dreams strive. Feelings shred...”
My pulse quickens. Shit. That’s my poem.
“The sun rises. The sun sets. The dark prizes. The unpaid debts...”
Sweat forms along my hairline, my stomach swirls. “How—?”
Aimee’s voice interrupts. “The time passes. The light goes. Lifeless masses. Spirit froze . . . Why should I care? Why do I cry? Spirits glare. Hopeless sky.”
“It—it’s really you.” The words linger in my throat until I force a breath. “Ames!”
My eyes erupt and tears flow down my cheeks. I do my best to collect myself. Chills run across both shoulders and down my spine.
For a moment, I question why Aimee has come back as a voice in my head, but it’s enough that she’s here with me.
###
About the Author
When R.E. Rowe isn't dreaming, you’ll find him trying to discover why, figuring out how, uncovering ancient mysteries, searching for a grand unified theory of everything, exploring the universe, writing a crazy fun middle grade or young adult novel, reading a novel, helping a business innovate, inventing something seriously cool, or learning something super interesting. He enjoys participating in science camps and talking to groups about creative topics such as the process of inventing, building worlds for science fiction and fantasy stories, and importance of dreaming big.
Connect with R.E. Rowe
Email at:
[email protected] Author’s website: www.rickrowe.com
Follow the author on Twitter: @rickerowe
For comments related to specific books, please use the following hashtags:
For Voices: #reizoaimee
For Whispers: #reizocarmina
For Hack: #carminawisps
Other books by R.E. Rowe
The Reincarnation Series
Voices Copyright 2015 by R.E. Rowe, Book 1
Whispers Copyright 2015 by R.E. Rowe, Book 2
The Adventures of Jayden Banks and the Jameson Twins
Game On Copyright 2015 by R.E. Rowe, Book 1
Acknowledgements
Thank you to all my amazing writer friends for offering suggestions, support and critiques. Thanks to the professional editors and writing teachers I've worked with who continue to teach me the art of transforming neurons carrying story ideas into digital manuscripts. I'm thankful for the amazing authors who spend time teaching writers and sharing the lessons they've learned over their writing careers. Thank you to my author friend Jenny MacKay (www.jennymackay.com) for being an amazing teacher, my Nevada SCBWI Mentorship Program mentor, and taking the time to work with me.
A special thanks to U.K author Vanessa Curtis (https://www.curtisliterary.co.uk) for sharing her knowledge and expertise. And thanks to Randi Taber for her creative suggestions during the proofreading phase of book 1 and 2.
Thank you to Jo'Ann Ruhl (https://www.joannruhl.com) for her encouragement and wisdom. Jo'Ann helped me stay focused on follow through and encouraged me to share Reizo's, Aimee's and Carmina's stories with the world. And many thanks to my friend Ernest Morrow (https://www.ernestmorrow.com) for sharing his wisdom and offering encouragement during the world and mythology building process of these novels—the process forced the characters to stay present, ask big questions and search for their own truth.
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