Page:The strange experiences of Tina Malone.djvu/65

Rh voice giving his telephone number and telling me to ring up quickly, and he gave me a catch-word, saying "Molly and the children," to use, and his telephone number, which I knew.

With the old terrible vibrating feeling on me, and with a confusion of fears crowding in my mind, with all the voices going as if giving excited chase to something, I begged my sister to ring up for me.

Then, just as I was ready to ring up, a voice would say, "Stand away from the telephone"—and again I was frantic with fear.

This went on all the evening. Then I heard another voice I knew, of a man, who was calm and wise, telling Mont Jones not to make a fool of himself—for I imagined Mont stamping and saying silly things but showing himself my friend.

But still the confusion of sounds went on and they terrified me into believing they were chasing me and could see all my movements.

They would say:

"If you touch that fence I will know you are Tina Malone," just as I was going to touch it. Then when I held back they said "If you don't touch that fence I'll know you are Tina Malone." How they knew my name I don't know.

Then came:

"Don't stand in the light," "Keep away from the telephone," and then someone advised me to be ready for them in the middle of the night and they were to take me away but I was to keep the first people waiting till the second motor came up to save.

What it was all about I don't know, but my heart was beating hard, I could pay no attention to what my people were saying because I was too busy listening to all the voices.

In vain they tried to attract my attention and divert me from these "foolish fancies."

And then the lights were put out and they went to bed.

I knew it was no use. They could not understand the "voices." And the voices were still telling me to be ready to be carried off at midnight and I imagined the two motors racing to get there first.

So I went to bed in my clothes and in the dark, terrified that I might be seen, and at last I fell asleep—they did not come.

The next day my sister asked me if I would not like to go to a "Rest Home." She told me she had known a woman who had heard "voices" and had been so thankful to be there that she did not want to come out again.

Furiously and terrified, I rebelled.