“This is a project. It’s… A work-in-progress, but we have a lot of faith in the good of it.” A motherly voice was saying this in the promotional ad. “A lot of people… They don’t have a lot of people to talk to. That’s the way it is. But also, a lot of people want to talk to people they can’t talk to anymore. So we created this anonymous archive and program where you can send a voice note. You can say anything you want to the… Ether… You know? Let it all out. I’m not sure you will be heard, but we hope the talking-about-it is the first step towards living with your… With any of your baggage. So, this is our number and email,” They both popped up on the screen as she said those words, “And we’ll be waiting for you. Goodbye. I hope you’re well.”

FIRST VOICE NOTE – 2025-02-22-ellen.wav
Name guiven: ellen
Country: USA

“Hey… So… I don’t know how this works, but… Arin… You’re a dick, okay?”
The voice of the woman was tender, even though she was trying to be confrontational.

“I don’t know… Yeah… Like, you don’t think of other people, you know? It’s only you. I’m sick of it.”
There was a lot of static in the recording. She seemed like she was becoming uninterested on talking any more.

“I love you, but you’re sick. Arin… Go to hell.”
Her conflicted voice confused even herself.

*VOICE NOTE END*

SECOND VOICE NOTE – 2025-02-22-gary-is-gay.wav
Name guiven: gary is gay
Country: USA

“Hey.”
A kid’s voice.

“My name is Charlie and I just wanted to say that Gary is gay.”

Another voice appeared:
“NO, I’M NOT-“

It probably was Gary.

*VOICE NOTE END*

THIRD VOICE NOTE – 2025-02-22-angelopoulos.wav
Name guiven: angelopoulos
Country: France

“So… Happy birthday.”
A melancholic voice. Even though it carried a lot of sadness, it wasn’t going to cry anytime soon. It felt like it had already cried so much that it couldn’t, even if they wanted to, at least not at the moment.

“I’m watching your favorite movie. Angelopoulos is really good. He’s greek, right? You told me about it.”
A brief silence.

“It’s been four years since you went away. You died so young. It’s been a while, I know, but sometimes all I can do to help myself is sit down by the fireplace and put on this movie that we used to watch when we were younger.”
The static clouded the voice as it held itself, so strong.

“I don’t know how our parents let us watch this, honestly.”
A coy laugh.

“But it’s so pure and simple. It’s different from you. You used to be… Not simple at all. You were everything the entire world would want to be if they ever wanted to be interesting. Which they were not, never. I know you felt this way.”
A brief silence.

“I just wanted to say happy birthday. Those posers… Mocking them is not the same them without you. This movie is not the same without you. It’s as if you were a character in it, and I keep waiting for you to pop up in one scene or another, but you just don’t show up. It’s been four years and nothing changed.”
A sigh followed.

“Happy birthday… I won’t forget you. Not even if I tried.”

*VOICE NOTE END*

FOURTH VOICE NOTE – 2025-02-22-lance.wav
Name guiven: lance
Country: USA

“It’s so close to midnight now. I can feel it.”
Sounds of glass bottles clanking in the background.

“I can’t stop drinking. My kid, Bernadette, she won’t speak to me.”
He drinks a bit of beer straight from the bottle, it seems.

“Come back to pa, baby girl. You know I love you.”
A long silence.

*VOICE NOTE END*

FIFTH VOICE NOTE – 2025-02-22-rabbit.wav
Name guiven: the rabbit
Country: Germany

“Hey…”
A silence.

“I… I wanted to talk to you – sorry – I want to talk to you about something.”
It was a frail voice, but you could hear from the tone it managed to gather some courage to speak.

“You’re incredible, really. I’m sorry, you really are. And I hate that we’re apart, I wanted to be with you right now.”
The voice was more confident now.

“I know you said it’s best if we don’t talk, so I won’t bother. But I really wanted to talk to you. I feel we’re more distant now than we’ve ever been. You’re on a whole new… Country. But I’m glad you’re happy. I hope you’re happy.”
He said, taking a few pauses.

“You know… The other day, I was watching the news. Some bus crashed. It was where you lived. It crashed with a lot of students from some university. I couldn’t see the name of the university, I couldn’t see the name of the city it crashed in, but…”
He cries a bit.

“I got so worried. I thought you could be in there…”
He takes some time to breathe.

“I know, I know. It doesn’t even make any sense, but… I don’t know. I told you, ever since my grandpa died all those years ago… Every person that lives with me… You know… I’m sorry.”
His voice trembled too much. He felt like he was losing control, so he took a breath and continued.

“Ever since he died… Every time someone left the house back when I lived with my parents… Something on the corner of my mind would tell me ‘This is the last time you’ll see this person’. I don’t know why. And then they would be late five minutes too long and I would be so goddamn worried. And then they would arrive. And I would be so happy. They wouldn’t even know. I was so happy they came home from the grocery store or whatever. They were there with me for a little more, you know? Anyway, that’s how I felt about you, I guess.”
He was way more controlled now, but not enough to hamper any sincere communications his soul was wanting to make. He was not as stern as a rock; he was as calm, decided and destructive as spring water forming a river.

“I thought that I would never see you again and I cried, even after seeing it wasn’t even in your city. Can you believe that? *haha* I’m a mess, pup, I’m a mess. But… I’m glad you’re alive. I’m glad you’re still here, even if you’re so far away. I know we’re probably never going to speak to each other again, I know. But you have to promise me you’ll keep living. You have such beautiful eyes. Soul eyes, you know? You see everything in such a beautiful way. I want this world to have you for a little longer, even if I don’t. I sincerely hope you outlive me. You kept saying that you couldn’t even imagine yourself living past 24. I’m so proud of you. You’ve come so far. But you deserve even more. I get happy, you know, imagining you with wrinkles and… Slippers… And a rocking chair. *hehe* And you would probably be dressed the same way, you know. I always told you you dress like an old lady. *hahaha*”
Even through the tears and the jokes, he felt complete for a moment, there. The same way he felt complete when he used to talk to her.

“So watch yourself for me. Please. And I promise I’ll keep myself safe. I hope you’re… right where you want to be. Ciao, pup. Ciao, ciao, ciao.”

*VOICE NOTE END*

About the text: I was planning for a few months to have a few series of Short Stories over here. I have written two other series that I plan on making them public soon, but I had this idea for this one after some reels I watched today from an actual program of voice notes like this. So I came here and wrote it all in one sitting. The last one was the first one I wrote. So, this will be a series over here. Whenever I feel like it, you’ll get a new installment of voice notes. I hope they mean something to you. I hope you’re all good. Ciao.