Whisper

Things talk to Spider Green and they have done all her life. A piece of paper tells her to go on a journey, at the end of which she can stop hearing the whispers. But first she must give everything up to get there.

Prologue

All my life, I have heard the Whispers. Things whisper to me, books, pens, statues. Some are louder, some whisper of sorrow or joy, history or the past. If I listen, they tell me about their lives, their stories. The Whispers never stop and I have heard them for as long as I can remember. I thought, when I was young that everyone could hear the whispering.

I was wrong.

For a while I tried to block out the Whispers. And now I think that if I hadn't my parents would still be alive. Sometimes the Whispers can tell the future. They talked of fire, and fire killed them. I never stop listening to the Whispers now.

Then again, I have no friends. No-one likes me. Comes near me. I'm a freak. I hear voices. I should be locked up. Forgotten. Abandoned. Left to rot and die.

I would run away if I could. I would go so far away from London and start again.

Then I found the paper. The map of my desires. That is where my story starts.

My name is Susan Green. I am 16 years old. My life has been filled with Whispers and lies.

Now my journey begins.

Chapter 1 - The Map

"Shift out the way Spider!" Joey, a small boy shoves me into the wall. I wince as he runs off. No-one comes to ask if I am alright, they just shove past me too. The floorboards don't just creak as they run away, they shout and laugh. I barely notice it anymore. 16 years of endless whispers, shouts and messages and stories; I've learnt to ignore what I don't need to hear now. I used to hear everything. Endless words in my head. I thought it was everyone. I thought wrong.