One morning, I woke up and realized I could hear everyone’s inner voice!
At first, I thought I was dreaming. The sun filtered through my curtains like any normal morning, but something was… different. As I passed by my brother’s room, I heard him say nothing — but I felt his voice.“I hope Mom didn’t forget it’s pancake day.”I froze. He hadn’t spoken. His lips hadn’t moved. Yet the thought rang clear in my head.Downstairs, the chaos intensified. Mom was smiling as she made breakfast, but inside, her voice whispered, “I’m so tired. If only I had one quiet day.”My heart started to race. I turned to Dad. He greeted me cheerfully, but his inner voice muttered, “Don’t forget to pay the bills. Don’t let them see you’re worried.”School was a nightmare. Hundreds of voices filled my mind — worries, hopes, secrets. The quietest students had the loudest thoughts. The funniest ones were often hiding pain.I wanted to run, to shut it off. But as the day went on, I learned to control it, like tuning a radio. I could focus on one voice at a time. I started hearing what people really meant behind their words. I saw through fake smiles and empty promises.It was exhausting… but also eye-opening.That evening, I sat beside my best friend. She was laughing at a dumb video, but inside she was thinking, “I wish someone actually saw me.”I looked at her and said, “I see you.”She stared at me, stunned.For the first time, hearing others made me feel less alone.
Maybe this was a curse. Or maybe… it was a gift.