VOICE

School had ended hours ago, and from the darkness of the outside world you could see all of the classroom lights going out one by one. The only light which was kept on was in the music room, where Flora was practising her solo piece which she would sing the next day in assembly, in front of everyone at Alfea, the high school she attended. She took note that everyone had probably left, as it was dark outside. She started to sing louder, so that the noise filled up the empty halls, which echoed to haunt the classrooms with beauty. The singing filled up her ears, so the nothing else could fit inside. Another voice joined her, assuming it was just her imagination; she carried on singing with the other voice creating a beautiful harmony. Listening to it, she managed to pick out some differences. This wasn't her voice. She stopped singing, but she could still hear the other voice. Flora started to get scared.
"This isn't funny!" She yelled, "Knock it off!"
"What's not funny?"She swivelled around to see her boyfriend, Helia sitting on a chair by the door, fiddling with his phone. She sighed with relief.
"Helia! You scared me!"
"What isn't funny?" He repeated, "Are you feeling okay?"
"Oh... I just thought that I... Might have heard something... I heard another voice while I was singing..."
"Hey don't worry about it Flora," He got up and gave her a hug, "You were only hearing yourself, I mean, you were probably imagining the music to this piece too weren't you?"
"Yeah... I guess..."
"And besides, you couldn't have heard anyone with the same voice as you, because no-one can sing as beautifully as you can..." He kissed her on the forehead.
"You think?"
"Of course I do!" He said, kissing her again, "So, are you ready to go?"
"Ah... No... I really want to get this right, I was going to stay extra late tonight, you should probably leave without me..." Said Flora. Helia sighed.
"Yeah well maybe I should. I've been waiting for an hour and twenty minutes, I even ditched the guys so I could walk with you and I'm really late as it is."
"I'm sorry..."
"Flora you're fantastic, you've already gotten it perfect, please walk back with me,"
"I'm sorry Helia, but you know how nervous I get."
"Fine, okay, we'll flip a coin, heads we go home now, and tails you can stay and practice."
"Fine." Said Flora. Helia flipped the coin, it landed neatly on the back of his hand.
"Tails." He sighed. "Call me as soon as you get home, I worry about you, you're such a klutz in the dark," he laughed.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence!" Flora hugged him. "I'm so lucky to have a guy who worries about me so much..."
"Yes, you are..." Helia leant down and kissed her on the lips, "See you tomorrow, don't worry about a thing, you'll do great,"
"Bye," Flora said, blushing slightly.

Out in the hall way, Helia saw a light turn on in the music office, and the music teacher stood in the door frame for a moment, dismissing the fact that Helia was even there, she then she walked back inside and turned the light off. He would have asked if she was okay, but his grandfather was expecting him home about two hours ago, so he left.

Back in the music room, Flora was singing once again, but stopped. The other voice was there again, and it hadn't stopped. It was coming closer towards her, with a piercing static in the background. The differences were bigger than ever now, she knew that there was zero chance that she was imagining it. When the voice was just as close as ever, it stopped. Then she felt a sharp, cold breath on the back of her neck. She swirled around but here was no-one there. The voice started to sing again, but this time it was a completely different song, as if it was playing with her, or as it were showing her that it was really there. Flora stepped back and tripped over the music stands, then her back slapped the floor. The voice had gotten louder, but it had added loud pounding footsteps, matching the timing and volume of her heart perfectly. She carefully stood up and ran out of the room, feverishly looking for the light switch in the hall, she turned it on, but it almost immediately flickered off, and red lights turned on. The emergency lights.
"The power can't be out! What's going on?" She thought as she ran down the illuminated hall and stopped when she reached the main doors and turned around. There was some sheet music on the floor. She quickly walked over to it and picked up. It wasn't sheet music at all, it was just a sheet of paper with 'Helia' written all over it. She covered her mouth with her other hand and observed her surroundings once again, she wasn't where she thought she was. She was in the elevator, and once the doors opened she realised she wasn't anywhere else either. It was just a long, dark and un-recognisable passage or hall way. Some piercing static or a high pitched scream violently hit her ears, it got louder and louder, closer and closer... Then it stopped. The voice came so close to her that it had cut through the skin on her tanned neck. Everything was silent. Uncontrollable tears fell out of her eyes as she lifted her hand to her neck and pulled it away. Blood. It had cut right through her neck. The paper with Helia's name on it was covered in blood at one end. The voice had controlled her to kill herself using... Sheet music? It wasn't sheet music before! Everything slowly became real again, as she dropped to the floor of the lift. The passage way revealed itself as the entrance hall, bright with moonlight.
"I'm sorry Helia... I should have walked back with you..." She said quietly to herself, and then exhaled her last breath, which had been held inside herself until that very minute.