It Happened to Me…

The voice of authority

I too have experienced ‘The voice of authority’ [FT410:75]. When I was younger, I had a romance that lasted about six months. At first it was terrific, then it wasn’t, then it ended. Nothing drastic. Several months later, I had a day off work. I had a feeling that “something was up” and I couldn’t shake it. This feeling usually occurs when someone dear to me is ill or has died. I say “usually”, but I am talking a mere handful of times in my life. I was being bugged by it this day; something was up, the forces were out of alignment. I went for a wander in town, seeking distractions, but the feeling wouldn’t go away.

I decided to go to the movies. What was on? A crappy follow-up to a venerated sci-fi classic. That will do. I entered the cinema, bought a ticket, and then came The Voice. As described by your correspondent, it was a deep and authoritative male. It was in my head, but outside my thoughts. It said: “[Name of my ex] is going