Ever since I can remember I’ve been hearing voices in my head. My mother took me to countless experts. I’ve been asked ‘does it ask you to do things?’ on so many occasions it’s not funny. I was shocked when I found out that it wasn’t normal to have a voice in your head. But to me, the more worrying thing is that their girl voices.

I’m one of seven children, the oldest set of triplets recently left school, and the younger set of triplets had just started. Then there’s me. My siblings are close to two other siblings, and my mum always spent her time with one set of triplets as they demanded to be comforted and told that their individual. And other stupid stuff like that. No consideration to the nigel child.

But I was never lonely. I had Orane since I was young. Her voice is bright and bubbly and full of life. She’d make up stories for me. I was always the hero, never anything average or standard; I was always special, important. We would have tremendous adventures in my backyard. My older siblings would laugh when they saw me running from dragons in my yard and dodging behind our trampoline boulder. Mum would just look at me, upset, before shuffling away. The younger load of triplets would all be in front of the TV, demanding food and attention. My dad on the other hand would come out and join me, Being a king to give his head knight missions, or a beast trying to attack a poor harmless ant hill village. Those times were the best. Just Orane, my dad and I. My dad accepted that I was different from the rest. He even asked Orane how she was doing, I always had to relay the message, but that never mattered.

But then one fatal day ruined it all. One woman drank too much, and that was that, one father gone, one car bloody, one woman sitting in a prison cell, one family mourning, and two friends in one body lost.

But we weren’t lost long. We were soon found. By Acquanetta, or Ace for short. Her voice was always echoing through my head. And she said nothing. My mind would just become blurry or fluffy, when she was around, like a persistent buzz or hum that meant she was there. And tough she said no words I always got her meaning, and knew what she meant.

Then I started high school. Year seven I spent most of my time hanging with groups of girls. At that age, they still believed in faeries and magic, and were perky like Orane. But then the next year I was teased about my hanging with girls. Orane said they were just ‘smelly boys’ but according to her, it would mask my scent from some beast. Ace’s content hum meant she thought it was alright too. I didn’t really like the boys of my year. They talked about computer games, where you sit at a computer to have an adventure. They didn’t climb trees or run, or have any scraps or bruises. I played a lot of sports, not team sports mind, but archery and swimming and athletics. And I was always kept company when doing them, but I didn’t understand the joy of a screen. Not since I was seven and Orane said we needed to rescue the man from the evil black box of doom called a Terriblevision.

I wasn’t allowed near the new TV after that.

Then year nine I was alone. I tried to go back to the girls but they felt uncomfortable with a guy in the group, couldn’t gossip then. I remember one girl though. Kari. She befriended me, and we went out, and I brought her things, then one day in front of everyone she told me that the whole thing was a joke that I fell right into. Then she laughed. That day a new voice joined the other two. She called herself Leandra. She was a tad snappy, but manageable.

But the day that really changed it all was when I felt like I was being watched. I’d look at shadows and no one would be there, whirl around suddenly, but no one would be there.

I dropped my bag next to my desk and slumped; I prepared for the lesson, but didn’t prepare for the event.

‘Represents balance through…’ I write into my book, copying from the board.

‘Balance, aye? I can balance! Can’t I Rover?’ Orane stated in her sing song manner. I frowned, that voice didn’t sound in my head. I turned but no one was there. ‘The other side silly’ and I did as told and gaped. A girl was standing there! She was tall, and wearing a long black robe, with elbow length sleeves and wavy green patterns on the flowing skirt part of the robe. Her hair was a mess of braids, dreadlocks and tresses of dark brown hair, with some forest green strands. She had bright silver and pale gold eyes that stared back at me happily.

“Orane?” I hissed. No one in the class paid me any attention. Everyone was accustomed to my talking to myself. Apparently someone heard my mum telling the principle last year that I was a safe schizophrenic, of course that was spread all over the school in no time.

“The one and only” she laughed. The rest of the lesson she sat next to me. Sitting on the floor, pulling and adjusting her skirts, running her fingers down the green slithers. She was there the rest of the day, laughing and making jokes as usual. I kept asking her why I cold see her now, but she’d just change the topic, pointing at a birds nest and muttering that three little birds were going to come from that five bird sized nest. I raised an eyebrow at her. It was unlike her to say something that depressing.

“Orane, what’s going on, please tell me!” I plea, this was the first time she had scared me. It was like everything was suddenly tilting. The edges of my vision began to blur, before settling and a content buzz came from the back of my head. Orane looked behind me and smiled warmly. Turning I gasped. Ace was there! Her dull grey eyes staring blankly at me, brown hair falling dead straight at different lengths, her black robe like Orane’s but had tilted blue square patters.

“Ace! Why are you here now? Why can I see you?” I plead, willing to drop to the floor and beg. It was driving me insane, what was with the sudden change. I understood that there were people who heard voices in their heads, and ones that had such dramatic mood swings that they were said to be a different person, but to see the voices in your head? Does that even make sense? The buzz changed to a hum with a quiet grunt. She was uncomfortable; she knew she shouldn’t be here. Her lifeless eyes looked up wards, I follow her gaze. She was staring at the nest; I heard some cracking and some high pitched squawks. One or two of the eggs were hatching.

“Oooh! Baby birdies! Can we go look Rove?” Orane chirped, turning to me innocently. I nodded slightly, following her billowing black robe. We carefully climbed the lower branches and peered into the gathering of twigs. Three of the five eggs were hatching, and chirping loudly for food. I stared at the last two, they weren’t even wobbling.

I scampered down slowly, getting a sinking feeling.

“Oh stop being so morbid. That’s my job!” growled a girl’s voice; I turned around and was unsurprised to see my newest friend. Her brown hair was short and stuck out in organised spikes, with two long braids hanging from behind her ears. Her robe was decorated with red spiky, sharp shapes, and her bright silver eyes swam with blacks and greys. Her gaze bore into me, she almost looked saddened but it was quickly replaced with anger once again.

The topic was quickly changed to the upmost random. Orane would say something strange, Lea yelling at her, and the blurry feeling in my mind from Ace meant that she was telling me to ignore them. I stare at her as she stared back, nearly lifelessly. She was sadness; she had to hold it all for me, which must suck.

After my last lesson of the day which was a distracted affair, we headed home, down a quiet street, I smile listening to the banter between, the girls. They had a little obsession with touching me fondly though, not that I minded in the slightest. I went to turn right, but three hands on my shoulder stopped me.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Left is more profitable” Lea stated sharply. Orane gave her an unsure look, Ace seemed to want to look every where but at me, her hums becoming very quiet. I glance to each of them, going right is shorter; there must be a reason for me to go left. Whatever, I can follow along. I nod at them and cross the road heading left. Once we round that corner we cross two more streets, each time they told me it was wise to do so or more practical to do so. Today had been plain weird.

“Stop” snapped Lea.

“Lea don’t be so rude to him!” Orane remarked unhappily.

“Don’t call me Lea! It’s Leandra!” came the retort. I cautious hand slipped into mine. I look at Ace carefully. There was something bothering her, but why wouldn’t there be, she was all my problems. I turn and look around, we’re near a school yard; some of the kids were still playing happily as the parents chat. I loved that age.

“We love you Rove” Orane whispered in my ear. I look at her, confused. Sure Orane had said she loved millions of times, but ‘we’. I turn to Lea, who shifted uneasily.

“I love you guys too” I smile.

“You love your dad more” Orane muttered, looking at the hem of her robe.

“Yeah, but my dads gone” I frown. There was a slight nod from the green streaked head.

“Like her” remarked Lea, her silver eyes looking across the street. I turn and gasp. In slow motion I saw a girl run onto the road, after a bouncing ball, a car driving forward, no time to stop. Without a thought I run towards her, pushing her out of the way. I hear the screech of breaks, a girl squealing, distant screams, pounding of feet. But I don’t feel anything. Not the blood running from my skull, chest and mouth, not the pain from where it came from. Just noises slowly becoming more distant as a fuzzy feeling took over my brain. My eyes glance around me. A man yelling into a cell phone, a woman screaming at her cry daughter before pulling her into tight embrace, unknown faces above mine, all worried, when an adult worries you know everything is wrong. I look past them. Lea was standing there, the pained look was back. Orane stood just behind her, tears running down her face, begging for forgiveness. Ace was on the other side of Lea, her dull eyes boring into mine.

‘I’m so sorry’ echoed around my head. Orane dropped to her knees; Ace bowed her head in shame. Lea continued to tare, her constantly annoyed expression changed to fond smile, making her look beautiful.

‘We do love you Rove’ Lea whispered, a single silver tear leaking down her cheek. ‘Hopefully we’ll be seeing you’.

“That was quite a show there, Rover” the voice called out from a distance. I open bleary eyes. My dad sat there, smiling regretfully. “Death isn’t so bad, you’ll get used to it” he tried to say comfortingly. I grinned and threw myself into his arms, clinging to his neck. Big hands patted my on the back. “I’m guessing the oracles treated you alright”. I look up at him confused; getting a knowing smirk in return. There were no voices in my head, but I still felt complete. I searched about my mind but I couldn’t find the girls. They were gone.

I look around the bright landscape, it was a valley filled with happy people, dancing, playing, and laying in the sunshine, I look up and smile. There were three moons in the sky, a grey one, a silver one and a pale gold one. I turn my dreamy gaze back to my father.

“You didn’t break anymore televisions did you?” he remarked and I laughed.

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Rover- English- Dreamer

Orane- Little green one- Gaelic

Acquanetta- liquid

Leandra- Lion woman- Greek

Lea- cow- Hebrew