Lot 40, House #268...The Voice

What were the odds I would find an old telephone in this old house, in the corner of its entry way?


I suppose I should not have expected smooth sailing when I bought this lot...Blogland Lane has a reputation I'd heard about even when we were sailing the high Seas.  I remember the whispers about it from out neighbours in the sailboat anchored next to us at one of our stop-over places...the tales intrigued me even then.  And here, in this elderly home, those strange stories are bearing out...


I tell myself...It is only a telephone, a really ancient one, at that.  Don't be such a wuss...

There is no sound, here in this room.  Birdsong, Ocean waves, Wind...all are muffled, indistinct.  I consider calling Wolf or Owl or even Spider, but I am known for my stubbornness.  Wolf has shaken his massive head often at my disinclination to compromise; Owl will simply not put up with it.  And Spider...well, she tends to hibernate at this time of year. Waking her would be, quite simply, hazardous.

And I don't feel danger here, in any way, only apprehension. It is not yet time to call for reinforcements...I would only question my Allies' advice.

The telephone is not connected.  I pick it up, and use it the way I've seen these old phones used in movies, by holding the earpiece to my ear, not really expecting anything, only following instinct.


And just as soon as I do...the telephone RINGS!

Startled very badly, I drop the phone, shattering the silence in the room by letting loose with a string of expletives.  Of course, being frightened in this manner, I immediately react with Anger, kicking that telephone to the farthest reaches of the room.


It continues to ring.


Trying with some difficulty to regain my composure, I consider the situation.  I watch the ringing telephone, urging myself  to calm down and answer the thing.  My heart is pounding, sweat drenches through me, my hands are trembling badly...


I take a deep breath, as I walk over to the phone and once again place the receiver to my ear.


The ringing ceases; I hear nothing from the earpiece but the wavy sounds one hears when a Seashell is placed against one's ear.  I manage a shaky, tremulous and questioning...Hello?

A Voice booms out into the room, so loudly I once again drop the telephone.  But it doesn't seem to matter...I have released and allowed this Voice entrance by my inquiring Hello.  I know better than to do so; not allowing entrance to energies not yet fully understood was one of the very first lessons taught by my Animal companions.


WELCOME!..the Voice shouts...Welcome, welcome, welcome!


The word reverberates and echoes through me.  I have not yet completely lost the all-consuming Fear, but the warm word welcome goes a long way in reassuring me.


I try to shakily answer the Voice, but it is not interested in listening to any speech from me.  The Voice does not seem to come from only the telephone...the very walls, the floor, even the glass in the window seem to be speaking, in an extremely deafening, booming way. And the Voice seems to be made up of many voices, each melding into one, yet distinct, as well, if I listen carefully enough.


I can almost make out...someone...I once knew...


Voice goes on...Many long years have passed.  There has been much time spent waiting for you to return, but it seems you HAVE passed many of your lessons. You have accumulated some knowledge...whether it will be enough remains to be seen.  But your banishment has now ended!

My eyebrows raise and I can feel my hackles rising.  Strange, this instant Anger...but the word banishment raises sudden feelings of loss, sadness and misunderstandings.  And I wonder...


Have I learned enough to challenge the Voice?






More in awhile...