Voices
My Message Of Caress by Jacqueline Anel Sheppard This story is about the depth of a daughter towards life and how her existance leads to he... [452 words]
Sincerely, Michelle White by Shelley J Alongi A prominent recording executive realizes her relationship with a band manager has bee... [2,207 words]
Lessons by Albert Davis A short foray into minor philosophy and perhaps a little amusing. [1,359 words]
Tuck And I Steal A Boat To Go Catfishing by Matthew Dean Tuck and I steal a boat to go catfishing. [939 words]
The Night We Saw The UFO by Matthew Dean The night we saw the UFO... [435 words]
Scott Wrestles A Coyote by Matthew Dean Scott wrestles a Coyote. [1,838 words]
Scott Decides To Teach Us How To Break Horses by Matthew Dean Scott decides to teach us how to break horses. [675 words]
Night Run by Song Wright A teenager helps her friend to run away from home in the middle of the night. [2,184 words]
Loss Of Sanity - The Franie D. Story by Christopher McCoy "Love at first site, it may sound trite, but it's true, you know." - Morri... [4,326 words]
Just A Nightmare by Glen Pearson A disturbing short account of a power cut in a family home where a small boys nightmare become... [1,910 words]
How William Fell Into The Septic Tank by Matthew Dean The battles with our septic tank...and how Will fell into it. [1,055 words]
How I Talked My Brother Into Digging by Matthew Dean How I talked my brother into digging up the septic tank. [430 words]
Reflections by Jennifer Nobile Raymond A young woman's unusual experience on a city bus...EXCERPT - �Want to talk? We could go somewhere... [2,171 words]
Stolen Innocence by Deb Meyer Elaine, a gullable high school girl which lacks self-confidence and her own identity, is bulli... [1,743 words]
Night Of Living Hell by Paula M Shackleford This is a story I wrote a couple of years ago about a girl who is waiting outside the cine... [1,227 words]
The Lesser Evil by Nan Deyo �You ain�t tellin� me my babies is dead.� She was crouched on the foul and reeking stairs, arm... [3,778 words]
Family Genes Considered by Richard Koss A story that is unfortunately, much closer to the truth than not. Although the main ch... [1,198 words]
Glass by Shelley J Alongi About the thoughts and reactions of a little girl viewing a riot taking place in a street in Germany duri... [1,021 words]
The Woman by Shelley J Alongi About the last moments of a woman who perishes in an Auschwitz death chamber and how one person's mem... [790 words]
A Better Place To Be by Steven R. Kravsow Bennie Dean is a tiny little man with a crooked little smile who marks the passage of his ... [788 words]
The Sweater by Jennifer M Haynes Andy finds his dead brother's body in the backyard, and takes the sweater to see if he can catch th... [500 words]
The Smart-Ass Shall Inherit The Earth by John C Smith A true story about winning by losing. [399 words]
Sad Poem by Sunny i cut my soul and let it bleed on the paper. [295 words]
Chances Are by Rekha Ambardar A romantic short story. [1,899 words]
Splitting by Paula M Shackleford When Anna's boyfriend decides to break up with her, Anna is the one who ends up laughing. [1,001 words]
Charlie And Mrs. Miller by Richard Koss A very short story about an old woman on her death bed whose last request is to see an ... [585 words]
Crushed by Paula M Shackleford The story of how a fulfilled crush doesn't necessarily make you happier. [2,005 words]
The General's Driver by Shelley J Alongi About the relationship that exists between a top army general and his driver. [4,245 words]
The Omega Pin by Kevin J. Miller A short-short, Apocalyptic burlesque. [263 words]
Mabel by ~Blythe~ You see all sorts of things when you work behind a bar, this isn't so much what I see, but its what I'd d... [238 words]
Cybertalk by Paula M Shackleford Cassie, 20 years old and desperate for love, meets a guy on a chatroom who almost instantly claims to... [4,606 words]
Lillie by Ben-Ibn Balzac A short story of a man dreaming of his little girl after his wife has died giving birth to his daughter.... [1,375 words]
It's Only A Hat by Pat G'Orge-Walker Hilarious misadventures of the spiritually challenged members of the Ain't Nobody Else Right Bu... [5,379 words]
The Perfect Ending by Richard Koss A tale about a wanna-be writer trying to create a story with the perfect ending. With unsus... [642 words]
The Dowry by Richard Koss The Dowry is a story set in or around the year 2020, so I suppose you should consider it science fict... [2,448 words]
Forever, Inc. by Joseph Yenkavitch A man visits a company (Forever, Inc.) where his dead father's brain has been hooked to a virtual... [3,740 words]
The Nightmare by Natalia Pedroza A girl who is a drug addict and is becoming a prostitute. [120 words]
The Box (2) by Nathan C Hedberg Ranell Rabe, captain of the guard in the city of Jaida, is faced with the annihilation of his city ... [3,199 words]
Maudlin Street by Christopher McCoy Loosely based upon the song by Morrissey. The story is about a kid who falls in love with a girl... [4,865 words]
Rainy Day Kids by Jock Pichette The Rainy day Kids were young boy who found something to do, rain or shine, and before the age o... [2,208 words]
Innocent Betrayal by Naadira Shante Rushing - [160 words]
They Are Here by Kate Kreutzer-Spath They came through the windows last time. Why are they here? One woman's nightmare. I am not a... [610 words]
Where The Two Parallel Lines Have Met by Lawrence Naresh A short story. [1,354 words]
Drop And Give Me One! by John C Smith A short story. [1,015 words]
Street Battles by Jock Pichette Street Battles, is about a young boy without supervision, who is always sticking up for his frie... [3,252 words]
Going Out by Saskia Dodd About two girls getting ready to go out. [941 words]
Carey by Saskia Dodd About a girl who is on life support and her parents turn the machine off and about what happens to her pa... [1,023 words]
Rosemary's Gift by Andy Smith Most people know the story about the three wise men that traveled from afar to bring the baby J... [2,094 words]
Wind Dance by Traci McCoy A description of a woman enjoying the sensations of a cool breeze on an early spring night. [794 words]
Eviction Leads To A New Life by Jock Pichette Eviction Leads To A New Life is all about a young boy, and a mom who lived in a du... [2,738 words]
Jocko by Jock Pichette Involves a young boy who loved hockey, but also had a great deal of pride. So in order to learn how to sk... [2,438 words]
Horseshoe And A Red Truck by Jock Pichette A short story. [1,531 words]
Blind Pig by Jock Pichette Blind Pig, involves a Polish Immigrant who came to Canada, worked extremely hard in a packing house, ... [1,743 words]
Cattin' Around by Mary Carol Dill Mary Carroll A very short, slightly racy story about the illusion of romance... [261 words]
Going, Going... by Lisamarie Jones A man commits suicide, and then realises what he's missing. [1,330 words]
Sunny Money, A Collection by Shannon Pypper Leary Satirical collection of a child's point of view... [283 words]
Fatal Perception by Richard Koss An off-beat tale about an aging song writer who perceives he is being stalked by a strange lit... [2,959 words]
I Closed My Eyes (2) by Lisamarie Jones After committing suicide, a young man realises what a mistake it was. [1,356 words]
Clyde's Lot by H E Gurlitt Short story for adults, based on real events. [729 words]
Deep Cutting by Shannon C. A girl, wallowing in misery, decides cutting herself can take the pain away. [1,179 words]
An Unlikely Friend by Jennifer M Haynes A man with an unusual "job" while hitchhiking to get away from his last piece of work, meets... [1,622 words]
His Wife Could Eat No Lean by Mo Rogers [1,628 words]
Cyn by Paula M Shackleford Is Cynthia really cheating on Jerry? And, if she is, what is he going to do about it? [2,479 words]
His And Hers by Paula M Shackleford The story of a girl and guy on the same course at university. They think that they hate each other... [2,765 words]
Teaching Mindy by Mason Cole A New York private investigator and his assistant are handed the case of a lifetime. But will i... [11,186 words]
Rachel's Revenge by Ruth Gillis A beginning writer's reaction to an editor's rejection of her short story. [1,095 words]
Consider The Mule by Ruth Gillis A son meets with resistance when trying to provide care for his stubborn and elderly father. [2,459 words]
Don't Bank On It by Paula M Shackleford This is the story of how a petty argument can develop into a full-scale war, when it comes to ... [3,766 words]
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TITLE (EDIT)
Voices |
DESCRIPTION
Thirty-five years ago, Jacob McLoy lost someone very dear to him. He longs to find her through the voices that led her away -- if only he could hear them.
[1,315 words] |
TITLE KEYWORD
Mystery |
AUTHOR
Jack Linton |
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
Jack Linton is a Southern writer who enjoys telling stories.
[December 2007] |
AUTHOR'S OTHER TITLES (2)
Missy (Short Stories) Why would the light of his life suddenly leave? [1,703 words]
The Loan (Short Stories) Jimmy Camp is about as down and out as he can get until he takes out a loan from Beze's Emporium. [6,026 words]
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Voices
Jack Linton
Jacob McLoy stood in front of the bathroom mirror and watched his lower lip twitch. He told himself it was not as noticeable since he stopped taking the Amitriptyline and perphenazine, but the truth was there was no distinguishable difference. Turning to the door, he walked back into the bedroom and paused before a large framed portrait of a lovely young lady dressed in a white gown and white lace shawl embroidered with the letters "A. M." on one end. He could still hear her laughter as she posed for the photographer in Central Park on that cool spring afternoon thirty-five years ago. Those memories like the voices that filled his head were all she had left him.
He reached under the bed and retrieved a vinyl sign rolled tightly in a long white tube. He stood and pulled a black toboggan over his ears and buttoned his overcoat to his chin before stepping out the door of his brownstone with the tube tucked securely under his arm. A slight chill cut the early morning air, but for April in New York, it was unusually warm. Lights in the long rows of brownstones that lined his neighborhood street began to flicker on as he locked the door behind him. Two doors down, Jake Alexander stepped out his door, waved sharply, and hurried east toward the tiny shoe repair shop he owned near the East River. McLoy returned the wave with a half-hearted thumbs up and turned toward the subway that would carry him to Rockefeller Center.
Every morning for thirty-five years, he had left the brownstone at exactly 4:30 a.m. His neighbors thought he was going to work, and that was fine with him. The less they knew about him the better. The less he knew about them was better yet. They use to ask about the sign he carried, but now a quick wave or nod was all the interest anyone showed in him or his sign. Their lack of interest didn't bother him in the least. The voices grew faint when his life became too cluttered.
There were two people on the subway when he boarded at 4:40 a.m. One, a young man in a black suit with a tan briefcase clutched tightly to his chest, sat at the far end of the subway car staring straight ahead at the black window in front of him. The other was a black man sprawled on the floor next to a shabby blue backpack. The black man's deep leisurely breathing seemed almost too peaceful for someone sleeping on a subway car floor. McLoy stepped over the backpack and took a seat under a sign proclaiming the merits of a new off Broadway production based on a play by William Shakespeare.
The subway car rocked toward Rockefeller Center. McLoy closed his eyes to rest, but was suddenly jerked awake by a tug on the tube under his arm. He grabbed the tube with both hands and sat up straight looking wildly around the subway car. The black man his head now propped on an elbow was watching him with a huge grin imprinted across his face. "You touch my sign again . . . ," McLoy started sternly.
"Didn't touch your sign," the black man interrupted still smiling.
"Someone grabbed my sign," McLoy said. "You're the only one close enough."
"Mister," the black man said sitting up and pulling the backpack to him, "I know all about you and your sign, so why would I want to grab it?"
"How do you know anything about me or my sign?" McLoy asked.
The man winked at him and said, "I know what the voices know."
"The voices?" McLoy asked puzzled. "How do you know about the voices?"
"Man, I know you hear the voices � especially the sweet one. She's been calling you for thirty-five years." The man removed a white lace shawl with embroidered initials "A. M." from a side-pocket on the backpack and wrapped it loosely around his neck.
McLoy's eyes grew wide. "Wher . . .Where did you get that?" he stammered pointing to the shawl.
"From the side-pocket of my backpack," the man laughed.
"That shawl," McLoy continued his face growing pale, "belonged to Alexis. Where did you get it?"
"I told you," the man said, his eyes twinkling, "from my backpack."
"Don't play games with me," McLoy shouted jumping to his feet. "What do you know of Alexis?"
"No more than what you want me to know," the man teased.
"Please," McLoy begged, growing agitated, "don't do this. You have no idea what I've been through. That shawl belongs to my wife. Where did you get it?"
"Where she lost it," the man laughed. "But you mustn't carry on so, or you'll block out the voices. They're closer today than they've been in a long time, so you mustn't scare them away. If you listen close, I bet you can hear the sweet one. I bet it belongs to your Alexis."
The man unzipped the main compartment of the backpack and turned his ear to the bag. "Yes, I can hear them," he said smiling at McLoy. "Ah yes, the sweet one is calling also. Can you hear her? You best hurry though, she's about to forget your name. After all, you have taken much too long to find her."
"Why are you doing this!" McLoy screamed. "Who are you? Why do you torment me like this?" He lunged forward grasping for the black man, but before he could close his hands around him, the man dove head first into the backpack and disappeared. Grabbing the bag, McLoy turned it upside down, shook it, and banged it against a chrome hand rail. "Come out! Let me hear the voices! Let me hear my Alexis!"
"Hey, buddy!" the young man in the black suit shouted as he grabbed McLoy by the shoulders and spun him around. "Settle down! What voices do you want to hear? Who is Alexis?"
McLoy's eyes slowly focused on the young man. He shook his head and leaned back against a chrome pole. The young man released his hold on him, and he slid down the pole and sat on the floor. "I'm sorry," he said weakly. "Where's the black man?"
The young man looked at him and shrugged. "What black man? There's only been the two of us in this car this morning?"
At 5:30 a.m. two "Today Show" cameramen appeared outside the NBC studio at Rockefeller Center. A small crowd of thirty to forty people had already claimed their spots along the barricaded square outside the studio. "There he is again," the tall cameraman in a green and black high school letterman's jacket said pointing to Jacob McLoy leaning on the barricade railing. "He's here every morning like clockwork with that sign."
"Does anyone know the meaning of the sign?" asked a short stocky built cameraman.
The tall cameraman shook his head, "Not really. I've heard that about thirty-five years ago his wife went missing. They never found a trace of her. The poor guy just about lost his mind. He gave the police an off the wall story about strange voices that only he and his wife could hear, and insisted they could find her if they just zoned in on the voices."
"Sounds like a real crackpot to me," the short cameraman laughed.
"Yeah, but he's harmless enough. Be sure to zoom his sign on the next audience shot. He may be a looney, but he adds color to the program."
The short cameraman unwrapped the lace shawl with the initials "A. M." from around his camera lens. "You've got it," he smiled and zoomed to the sign. He chuckled quietly to himself as the sign, SPEAK AND I WILL FOLLOW, filled morning television screens across America.
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READER'S REVIEWS (3)
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"Good story! I was a little confused at the end, but over all I really enjoyed it." -- John, Hattiesburg, MS, USA.
"Very good! The story kept my interest all the way through." -- cindy, hattiesburg.
"Another great one from the best author ever!" -- Susie Jordan.
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COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© 2000 Jack Linton |
STORYMANIA PUBLICATION DATE
November 2007 |
NUMBER OF TIMES TITLE VIEWED
2545
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