Did I do the right thing in telling Fatim about the voices? It hasn't been easy dealing with the uncertainty on my own. Most of the time I can't tell if I'm sane or maybe, spending hours in front of the computer screen every day has made me unhinged. But her reaction wasn't what I expected. She understood me and listened as if she cared. And I feel light now. So, maybe I did the right thing after all. Perhaps I should talk to Nate as well. He is an intelligent fellow. He would know what to do. He always knows the right thing to do—

I paused and took my eyes away from the journal. The words were still there, but they wouldn't be for long. I hadn't realized how much I had missed writing down my thoughts. These days, all I wrote were codes.

Picking up the pen, I kept writing in my vanishing-words journal (that's what I decided to call it). I could feel the words washing away my anxiety, and a smile appeared on my lips. How had I forgotten the therapeutic power of writing? It felt as if all my worries were converted onto paper, and they were no longer my concern. At last, my mind was freed of the shackles of my fears. As I continued, things started to become clearer.

The voices couldn't be in my head. They had to be real. I had always believed in the supernatural and intelligent life on other planets. Those weren't fanciful thoughts of a child. The universe was too big to have only one habitable planet. Things we chalked up as good luck or miracles could have different explanations. Besides, I was the guy who could predict future disasters, I had to believe in the unknown.

If I was right and I heard the voices of two supernatural beings, then I wondered why. What could they want from me, and how much I could trust them?

I would be the first to admit I wasn't good at dealing with people. My anxiety sometimes twisted my perception of reality, and I could easily fall down the rabbit hole of my own making, but I wasn't always wrong because I had sharp instincts. At least if I bothered to pay attention to them.

Decision made, I waited for the sun to rise.

#

As soon as I could find a spare moment, I saw Nate in his office. He appeared to be in the process of leaving, standing behind his desk, he was putting away the documents and looking hurried. But as I strode in and tentatively asked him, "Nate, can you spare a minute?" He sat back down.

"Sure, Waheeb, what is it?"

"I have a problem. I don't know if I should discuss this with you or not, but you're my closest friend." I paused.

Even though there was no doubt in my mind that this was the right thing to do, I questioned my desire to tell him. It was interesting how I hadn't felt this urge before talking to Fatim. Perhaps it was her easy acceptance that gave me the much-needed push. I was lucky to have a friend who genuinely cared about my well-being. There was no need for me to be stubborn, and I could ask for his help regarding any matter.

"Of course, you can discuss anything with me, Waheeb," he said with concern. "You know that." He sounded concerned, and I wondered if he had already suspected something.

"So, I went out with Fatim," I said the first thing that came to my mind, unsure how to broach the subject I wanted to discuss most. Starting with telling him about my date seemed like a good opening.

Nate smiled and said, "You did?"

He posed it as a question, but I had a suspicion he wasn't surprised at all. To confirm, I asked, "You aren't surprised?"

"Not at all, in fact, I suspected as much," he said and shrugged. "You two are perfect for each other."

"Funny, how I said the same about the two of you," I chuckled, thinking back at my conversation with Fatim. "I thought she was more than a friend to you."

"What?" Now, Nate was surprised. "Why would you even think that? Me and Fatim? Nah, we are worlds apart, figuratively of course." After a pause, he said, "But you're right about one thing. She is more than a friend. She is family."

I detected a hint of warning in his tone and that made me smile. "Noted." I sighed before continuing, "She told me you two grew up together. By the way, she seems to have a crush on you."

"Don't worry about that," Nate waved his hand in dismissal. "You might think me uncaring, but she isn't like other girls. I know her better than she knows herself."

His confident statement made me wonder why would he think that. Fatim seemed to be a self-aware woman to me. For a brief second, I thought Nate was making light of her feelings only because he didn't reciprocate them. Yet, that wasn't his style. But could he know her better than she knew herself?

Before I could say anything, Nate said, "She is like a sister to me. I fully support the two of you. But don't tell her that I said it. She thinks I interfere in everything."

I chuckled and realized their relationship sounded like that of a sibling bond. The thought made me recall my siblings, and I felt a sense of loss I hadn't felt in a long time. Shaking away the feelings of sadness and regret, I tried to bring myself back to the present.

Nate must have sensed my inner turmoil because he said, "Enough of that. I know there is something else that has been bothering you. I'm sure you didn't come here just to talk about your relationship with Fatim. So, out with it already."

"Nothing gets past you." I knew he would guess that. I wasn't good at hiding my restlessness and he was good at reading people. "I have been hearing voices." After telling him about the two distinct bodiless voices, I asked, "What do you think they mean?"

I waited for his response, needing my friend to tell me I wasn't made, and feeling that somehow, his endorsement would change everything even if he couldn't give me any practical advice. At least he didn't laugh at me, but he hadn't said anything either.

Taking a deep breath, Nate looked me straight in the eye and said, "This sounds like a serious issue. I don't know how to help you, but let me look into it." His voice was reassuring.

"What? You're going to take this seriously?" Though that's exactly what I expected from him, I was shocked. I had been fretting about confiding in him, remembering how my siblings made fun of my ability, and yet, his reaction was of easy acceptance like Fatim's.

"Why do you sound shocked? If you thought I'd treat it as a joke, you shouldn't have told me." Nate teased and I thanked my lucky stars for having him as a friend.

I smiled ruefully. "You aren't the one to take a friend's problem lightly. Thanks for listening to me every time and not making me feel like an idiot. I don't know what I'm hoping for, but if you can find out something then by all means. I'd listen to your advice as always."

"Don't worry, together, we'll find a solution. We're a team after all."

"I hope so. I don't know how to shut them up. And if I chose to believe them, then what would it mean for me? I'm no hero and I don't want the weight of the world on my shoulders."

"All you need to know, Waheeb, is that you aren't alone."

And for the first time, I understood what he meant. I wasn't alone and no matter what happened next, I knew Nate would stand by me—with me. Together, we could deal with any problem. We had been doing it for many years, and I seemed to have forgotten that it wasn't just about work. Even our life's problems were meant to be shared between friends. That was what made life worth living.

Later, maybe I would muster enough courage to tell him about my journal, too. But for now, it was enough that he would help me with the voices.

#

After a few days

"How did it go?" Nate said into the phone, drumming his fingers on his thigh.

"I know the truth now," Fatim replied with confidence.

"What is it?" Nate needed to understand it to help Waheeb.

"We should meet," Fatim sounded concerned about something. "I can't talk about it over the phone."

"Okay, come to my office the first thing in the morning."

"Sure," she said before hanging up.

Nate couldn't relax and picked up his phone again. This time, he dialed Waheeb's number. "Hello, it's Nate. Waheeb, can you come to the office early tomorrow?"

"Sure, everything alright?"

Nate could understand Waheeb's confusion and worry, but he needed to make sure he was there when Fatim arrived to talk about the Havocs.

"Is it about the voices?" Waheeb asked. "Did you find something?"

"Not sure yet, but maybe. I'll know more by tomorrow."

"Then, I'll see you tomorrow."

He hung up and leaned into the sofa. Not knowing what Fatim might reveal, he wondered if calling Waheeb had been the right thing to do. But his friend had confided in him, and he felt obligated to include him in their investigation.