The Noises (9): There’s a noise somewhere around you and you don’t know where it’s coming from, or what it is. Maybe it’s the sound of something otherwise normal–glasses clinking, someone walking, a clock chiming–except, it doesn’t belong there. It’s a common noise, it just has no source. Or, maybe it’s something scarier–a whisper, a scratch, and wail. The noises come and go without any apparent source. It’s constant. For minutes, or hours, or days. And then, it stops, with no explanation, and that’s almost as scary as when it started.
Dreama was quietly studying her Calculus homework. It was difficult but intriguing. Though Kelly and Quinn would have found it easy and fun - Dreama slammed the door on that painful thought. But she wondered. One of them wanted to be an Astronaut. Dreama had been to another dimension. Her Mauvian friend had apparently come from a lost world he couldn't remember. Did she, as Terpsichore have other World origins as well? Her Mauvian friend had mentioned past lives. Okay, now she was really off task! Back to work.
She bit her tongue, attempting to figure out an advanced area problem. Well, advanced for the non-college folk, it was actually basic calculus - and well, still very difficult. While she did enjoy math and science to some degree, doncha know, she would rather be dancing.
Then, just as her concentration was at its peak and all was quiet, Jonama....Jonama! whispered some voices. She just about jumped out of her chair. "Who's there?" No answer. "Erica?" Nothing. She sighed and went back to her work.
Jonama, I wanted to see the stars! came a whisper. Then a different whisper; Jonama, I wanted to save lives!
Dreama looked around frantically for the source. "Erica, that's no funny! Come on! Stop it!" Especially, since Erica, as far as Dreama knew didn't even know Dreama had a family. And particularly because Dreama could now see Erica through the window, two stories down, sitting under a tree, chatting and studying under a tree.
Dreama looked back her dorm room door - it was still locked, and only she and Erica had the card keys (as well as Dorm Management) and furthermore, if anyone had come in, she would have heard the beep - therefore she was alone.
She shook herself. She must be imagining things. She went back to work. It was quiet for a while. She finished the Calculus and following that she finished English and Biology. Now she went to wash some dishes. Her mind began to wonder why anyone would try to pull a prank like this on her. There was the fact that she had recently come from Ireland on a Visa to study and was working on getting her Citizenship, and it was Human Nature to bully those who were different, but there was also the other day, when she woke up and everyone appeared to her as a shadow with a high-pitched scratchy voice. After Dreama had shrieked and fled the building, Erica, her roommate, seemed to be avoiding her the last few days (Erica had been the first shadow she'd seen, and the one she had let out a shriek after seeing, and she did leave a mess of a broken bowl, cereal and milk, for her to pick up, so she didn't blame her).
Why didn't you save us, Jonama? Why didn't save us? We were your brothers! The whisper came once more.... Okay that was it. She had been locked in her dorm room for far too long and working far too hard. She gathered her purse and things and headed out, for lunch and perhaps something fun.