Trusting The Voice Within

{***Don.t go***}

{***Da.nge.r o.utside***}

*******

Max had no idea what was going on anymore, but he did know that at the rate his heart was beating as a result of the previous events, he was going to die from a heart attack.

The 'delivery man' at Max's front door knocked again as he was trying to convince himself that the voice he had just heard in his head was his imagination and that any memories he had of the voice were all a dream.

"Sir!"

As the unexpected voice jolted Max out of his reverie and frightened him, he spoke aloud and addressed the delivery man at his front door.

"I'm coming, just a little busy with something here you see," Max said in the calmest voice he could use in his current state so that his fear didn't come through.

Max may or may not have noticed, but his mental state was becoming increasingly unstable.

It was understandable given that not many people would be able to remain calm if they woke up one day with voices in their heads, strength that was clearly beyond the norms, and a body that couldn't be hurt through normal means.

All of these might sound cool, but for Max, it only added to his fear and confusion. He couldn't help but question if he was still truly human, and that thought alone was terrifying.

Max tried to control his slightly heavy breathing breathing as he stood in the living room near the stairs upstairs and prepared to move toward the door.

Though he had a sneaking suspicion the voice might speak once more, he hoped it wouldn't because if it did, it would prove that what he had initially believed to be a dream was actually reality.

It seemed true, at least.

Max raised his leg to take a step while forcing himself not to think about these things when the voice he didn't want to hear spoke once more, but this time the subject matter was different.

{***Run***}

Max didn't know what changed when he heard this, but he decided to trust this voice for some reason. Without realizing it, Max's body was already moving, but before he could move, several black shadow hands reached out from the floor to hold his knees as black mist began to rise from the ground beneath him.

Max watched the shadow hands approach his leg and was completely terrified by the abrupt change in the course of events.

Max then heard a snort in his head at this precise moment. He wasn't in a position to worry about whether or not it was just his imagination this time because his body had started moving on its own.

In a split second just before the shadow hands could touch his legs, Max 'body' launched itself into the air with a powerful jump as his body twisted in a mid-air somersault, narrowly avoiding the shadow hands that reach up to grab him and with graceful movement, he landed on another side of the room.

All of this was performed fluidly, giving the impression that the actions had been performed numerous times, but Max was certain that the only stunt he had ever performed in his life was a forward roll on his bed.

The only suspect that came to mind was the voice in his head because it was obvious that something else had invaded Max's body.

Before Max could even comprehend what was happening and why everything seemed to be making no sense once more, he heard the sound of something being destroyed, and when he turned to look in the direction of the sound, he discovered that it was his front door doorknob that had been destroyed.

At this point, the doorknob appeared to have been pushed in with absurdly strong force. Even though the damage was minor, it was more than sufficient for whoever was on the other side of the door to enter the house without his permission, and it turned out to be exactly what he had imagined when the door opened and a man entered the living room.

At this point, the earlier shadow hands vanished, but Max did not let his guard drop.

Max's heart was racing as he assessed the situation. The man who entered was dressed in all black, from head to toe, and his face was covered with a hood. Max couldn't see his face, but he knew this was no ordinary delivery man. The man's aura felt dark and ominous, like he was a harbinger of death.

Max backed away slowly, keeping his eyes locked on the intruder. He didn't know what this man wanted or what he was capable of, but he knew he had to be careful. The voice in his head had told him to run, and he had a feeling that it was trying to protect him.

"Who are you?" Max asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

The man didn't answer. He simply walked towards Max with slow, deliberate steps, like a predator stalking its prey. Max's heart was pounding so hard that he could feel it in his ears. He looked around the room for anything he could use as a weapon or something that could help him at least, but there was nothing within reach.

Just as the man was about to grab him, Max felt a surge of energy coursing through his body. It was like a wave of power, and he knew instinctively that it was coming from the voice in his head. His body moved on its own, and he found himself dodging the man's grasp with ease.

The man looked surprised for a moment, and then he smiled. It was a cold, cruel smile that made Max's blood run cold. "Impressive," the man said. "But you're still just a child playing with powers you don't understand."

Max didn't know what the man was talking about, but he knew he had to get out of there. He turned to run, but the man was too quick. He grabbed Max by the arm and yanked him back, sending him crashing to the ground. Max felt a sharp pain in his shoulder and he knew he had dislocated it.

The man loomed over him, his eyes gleaming with malevolence. Max knew he was in trouble. He closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable. But then he heard a voice in his head again. It was calm and reassuring, and it filled him with a sense of strength and courage.

{***Stand up***}, the voice said.

Max opened his eyes and stood up slowly. He didn't know where the sudden surge of strength was coming from, but he felt like he could take on the world. The man looked surprised again, but this time he didn't smile.

"You have no idea what you're dealing with," the man said.

"I don't care," Max said.

The man lunged at Max again, but this time Max was ready. He dodged the attack and countered with a punch that landed squarely on the man's jaw. The man stumbled backwards, and Max took the opportunity to run.

He sprinted towards the front door, ignoring the pain in his shoulder. He could hear the man's footsteps behind him, but he didn't look back. He burst through the front door and ran down the street as fast as he could.

As he ran down the street, he felt a strange sensation in his body. He felt stronger, faster, more powerful than he ever had before. It was like the energy from the voice was still coursing through his veins, giving him the ability to do things he never thought possible.

Max didn't know what was happening to him, but he knew that he had to keep moving forward. As he ran, he heard the voice speaking again, urging him to keep going. "Don't stop," it said. "Don't look back. Just keep running."

Max didn't know where he was going, but he knew that he had to keep going. He had to survive, no matter what.

Even though he was in the dark about what was happening, the black-coated man's attack was proof enough that things were complicated.

That things were not that simple could be inferred from the conversation and the things he saw.

When he finally stopped to catch his breath, he realised that the voice in his head had gone silent. There was also nobody coated in black at his back.

He didn't know what had just happened, but he knew that his life would never be the same again.

The appearance of shadow hands emerging from the ground, supernatural strength that was clearly not normal, and the fact that he could feel the pain in his shoulder lessening and healing on its own gradually woke Max up to reality.

This was not a dream, nor was it a result of his imagination.

The fact that someone else could do things even stranger than what he was experiencing told him that there was a lot more going on, and he just happened to get involved.

At least he was able to get away from the 'delivery man,' but that was the only good thing Max could think of because the voice had not spoken since he left his house, and apart from the phone he had forgotten was in his pocket, Max was stranded and unsure what to do next.

"Sh*t!"