it was a voice he heard outside…this loud talking by a man in need of something…a one sided conversation…who was he talking to…what did he want…few words could be made out…just this on-going chatter of sound…sometimes rapid like bullets…and at times slow and paced with deliberate ques…marking the conversation… a lot of, I will’s…,and, don’t rush me…,that stuck out…,I will and don’t rush me…

he turned off the lights in his room…could hear cars going by in the early morning hours…still dark outside…and this man still talking to someone…his voice getting clearer…,why don’t you come over…, the man said…,let’s talk this thing out…,then back to senseless dribble…incoherent…a semi put on it’s air brakes…the train rolled through town…he could feel his heart beat in his chest…telling him something…his heart was telling him something…

look…,the voice said…,I won’t hit you…I just want to talk…, that part was clear…he could hear that…then a door slammed and steps were heard coming up the stairs… loud banging steps as if Army boots were hitting the floors…moving quickly while the voice called out quietly to someone…,I miss you…I miss you…promise I’ll never hit you again…swear…,and then a door down the hall shut quietly…

he looked at the clock on the nightstand…it was three…three o’clock in the morning…and then there was no sound…no train…no cars…not a voice talking to someone…just silence…eerie silence…the kind that makes you wonder…was it all just a dream…