The Ex. A Voice from the Past

I had almost convinced myself that the broadcast would end quietly—without surprises. Only a few minutes remained until the finale. And then another light flashed on the console. There is always someone who decides to call at the very last moment.

– Hello… – a voice finally sounds.

My heart, so used to listening to other people’s pain, suddenly stumbles. There is something strangely familiar in that voice. It feels as if I’ve been struck by electricity. I freeze and stop breathing.

– Go ahead, – I say with difficulty, and my own words feel like they are not mine, as if they are coming from somewhere behind my back.

– I… I don’t understand why I’m calling, – he says, and each syllable pounds heavily at my temples like a dull hammer. – Probably because it’s night. Because there’s no one else. Because today… today… is the date.

He falls silent. I hear his long breath. Klim. It’s Klim. The very one who, several years ago, shattered my heart to pieces by saying those terrible words.