Julia jumped from the bed and ran into the bathroom. She locked the door behind her and turned on the cold water full force. She cupped her hands under the faucet and plunged her face into the cascading coldness.
My name is Julia Fenway. I'm a file clerk at Continental Insurance. I'm going to die and I'm not preoccupied with sex.
She turned off the faucet and stared into the sink. The water gathered into a little whirlpool and disappeared down the drain. There was a knock on the bathroom door.
The voice was in her head. "I wonder if I could see that. We have some rather indistinct writings on running water. I'd like to bring them up to date."
The cold water didn't help. If anything, it was worse now. The knocking came from the door. She was sure of it. But the voice ... the voice was inside her.
"May I come in?"
Julia sat down on the edge of the tub. She squeezed her head between her hands. I don't deserve this. What did I do to deserve this?
"Please. I'm on a tight schedule."
"So am I! Go away!" She was talking to it. She was talking to the voice in her head.
Then it was very quiet. Julia watched the door, waiting for someone to walk through its solidness. Nothing happened. She lowered her head and started to count the tiny tiles in the floor.