Locked Voices

20251120

Prompt from DailyPrompt.com

There was great excitement when little Heidi started to vocalise. The first member of her family to have magic! Hands danced that day, her family rushing to sign the news to all their neighbours, most of whom came to hear Heidi for themselves.
With no grown-ups to model on, she was repeating sounds she heard. Mostly meows from the cat. Amusing, and adorable, but her family ruefully observed that they’d need to get someone to come teach her to talk.
{The sooner the better} Matron Polly signed with an earnest smile. {I will fax the city and ask them to send someone}
{Ah, thank you thank you} The family replied.
Meanwhile Heidi was snuggled in her father’s arms burbling “Muh muh. Mew! Bbbbbb…” while the neighbours listened in fascination.
And so a junior magician was dispatched to help this latest little magicker.
{First I will teach her to recognise her name.} Ms Heath explained to the family. {Then I will teach her the spoken words for signs she uses.}
They nodded - expressions alight with curiosity, having never heard “Heidi” spoken aloud.
“Hello!” Ms Heath said, and Heidi looked up at her in wonder. Startled to hear a human making calls like an animal. “Hello, Heidi.”
Behind her a flurry of signing broke out as the family discussed whether that was how they’d expected the name to sound, and their opinion on it.
Heidi craned her head to watch - after all, she’d learned signs were important and didn’t yet assign the same to words. Ms Heath patiently turned her so the conversation was out of sight.
“Hello!” Ms Heath waved.
Heidi waved back. That was a sign most every child her age knew.
“Uh-huh.” Ms Heath nodded. “Hello. He he he… llllllll… o o o.”
It took a while before something clicked in Heidi’s brain and she started repeating the noises back. But by the end of the day she was managing “Hi!” while waving.
{Ok, that’s a great start} Ms Heath signed with a hug grin. {We’ll see how far we get tomorrow.}
Mother took Heidi for a nap - while novel and fun, this game had been very tiring - while the others signed encouraging words to Ms Heath.
{Just think our little jewel might be the one to finally break the curse} Father signed, and the rest of the family fluttered their hands in agreement.
Ms Heath managed to smile.
It was what everyone said, after all. Perhaps this child would grow up to be powerful enough to undo the spell bound in blood and hate and rage.
And every magician tried. At least once. The expectation was crushing.
If only they could turn back time… surely if the people who had put Alice Stone to death had known she would spin a magic so strong it would grip humanity for over a hundred years without faltering, surely they would’ve chosen mercy instead.
Or perhaps if Alice had known that through her curse her dream would be realised, that magicians would no longer be feared and treated as second-class citizens, she might have been willing to grant mercy. Enough to include a counter-spell in the weave.
As it was, while the world had largely adjusted to only one percent of the population being able to speak, most people were deeply bothered by this unnatural state they were born into. The sensation of something missing itched at the mind and throat.
Just watching a baby writhe, face screwed up and breath coming in helpless huffs as they futily tried to cry…
And the resulting joy of the lucky few when their magic started surfacing and their voice unlocked…
Ms Heath looked after Heidi and sighed.
Perhaps this child would be the one to finally unlock the world’s silenced voices. Certainly she would have no rest until she tried.

Prompt was “Write a story set in a world where only those who possess magic are able to speak.”