The Last Spoken Word

The Last Spoken Word

By Karl Knight

My job is to record the child’s words.

He held up an old piece of paper and a pen.

It is mandated that the words be written on paper as in the old world. They will be recorded and mark a milestone in our history.

Why a child. We have some of the world’s greatest thinkers, philosophers and they have chosen a child?

He turned a key and entered the large room filled with colour and bright images. The walls changed on a slow basis the images dissolving into new images, which showed a world of magic and wonder. This the womb of a child’s imagination.

I will have to go alone the presence of more than one will confuse the child.

You are sure that this will be the last one?

What if more are found?

The council have decreed that this will be the last. This will be what we keep as the last words.

Was it wise to change her is such a way?

It is not natural.

He closed the door behind him and walked to the far end of the room. A swirl of colour changed in time with his steps. He could see a blast of light pierce the colours as the little girl stabbed her finger into the wall.

He pulled a chair from the wall and sat facing the little girl.  With the touch of a stylus he tapped the words into his hand. A speaker system built into the walls released a synthesis of his voice.

“Hello Winnie. My name is Francis. How are you today.”

The little girl looked at him with calm blue eyes. He could see her small mind working as she looked at his hand and then his mouth. Then with eyes wide she spoke with an earnest voice

“Mummy says that each word is special so I should not use them very often.”

He wrote each word into the book and then tapped again. “That’s right Winnie but this is a special occasion. After we finish here you will go to sleep and while you are asleep they will put a special little thing in your head that will make you able to understand everything. You will be able to talk to mummy and daddy again and you will be able to hear their voices again.”

“Also no matter where in the world you are, no matter how far away mummy and daddy are you will always be able to speak to them.”

“Doesn’t that sound nice?”

Winnie looked at him for a moment and grinned.

“Yes that sounds nice.”

He wrote every word and then smiled at her.

“Winnie why don’t you tell me about yourself.”

“My name is Winnie and I like chocolate and cuddles. My teddy is the bestest in the whole world and I love him but not us much as I love mummy and daddy. My daddy flies a plane and my mummy makes sick people better.”

Again every word was put in the book.

“I don’t like spiders and grasshoppers but I love dinosaurs.”

At the word a dinosaur image covered the far wall. The girl smiled.

“Like that one.”

“They said I could have ice cream after it was done.”

“Yes Winnie you will get ice cream.”

He turned the page and kept writing.

“Daddy said that I should say Rosebud. I don’t know what that means but he said I should say it.”

He grinned and wrote it in the book then tapped. Winnie watched his stylus.

“Your daddy is making a joke.”

“It doesn’t sound funny.”

A tapping on the door made him turn away.

He turned back and saw the girl a small line of blood trickling down her face.

He tried not to look at the large metal plate above her ear.

“Did I do something wrong?”

The metal and plastic collar moved her face up.

Again he wrote and again he tapped.

“No Winnie you didn’t do anything wrong. The nurse will be here soon. Soon it will be all over.”

He looked at the paper. This is a moment in history. This will be forgotten for what was done to this girl and all that will be remembered is that she spoke the last words.

A friendly looking man entered the room with a silver tray. He smiled at the man and then watched as he knelt next to Winnie.

“Winnie it is time soon you will go to sleep. So now tell me what you want your last words to me.”

Her tiny body moved slightly and he watched as the endoskeleton kept her upright.

Those eyes blinked and he could see her think. Then the shot pierced her skin and her beautific face changed to one of sorrow and pain.

Just before she drifted off into sleep he could hear the words soft on her tiny lips.

“Mummy, daddy please make it stop hurting.”And then with a look of piece she fell asleep.

He wrote words in the book and then with final moment he let the baby fall asleep.

A voice came over the intercom.

“Thank you scribe. You have done a great service today. She will be remembered for human history and your role will not be forgotten.”

He left the room and handed the journal to a man in a suit and then waited till he was alone and cried.

© 2013 Karl Knight