For Every Life There is a Story

The Great Blinding - Version 1 - Part 1

*Writing prompts are in header*

A bright white flash then, Black. It happened on March 13, 2045. They call it the Great Blinding, the day the whole world lost the ability to see. Nobody knows why or how it happened, it just did, 2 years ago . It took us all a long time to figure out that everyone was blind, nobody expected every single person to only see a black abyss for the rest of our now miserable lives.

Life became lonely even though I knew I was not truly alone. It pains my heart to wake up everyday and only hear my mother's good mornings. Visiting someone in flesh and bone no longer exists. God's greatest creation is no longer great but blind to see each step they take in life.

I stop my fingers from brushing over the braille textbook. I turn my head as if I could see the world outside the window I remember so vividly in this classroom. The bell signaling the end of the school day rings through the halls. I close the textbook, leaving it on the desk, knowing it will still be there tomorrow. I search for my bag on the ground before feeling the cool fabric on my skin. As I slowly make my way to what I hoped would be my home. I think. I think about how much I would give to see another person's face. I search for the lamp post of my house, putting my hand out in front of me. I find it and continue down the front path to the stairs, brushing my leg against the bushes for guidance. As I feel the last branch of the bush slide off my leg I slow my movements until the tip of my toe hits the beginning of the steps. I reach for the railing, slowly making my way up the concrete stairs. I find and turn the handle of what I remember to be our bright red door.

"Mom?" I shout, announcing my arrival.

"Yes Natalie, you are in the right house!" my mother's voice echoes through the house.

Relief fills my body as a small smile spreads across my face. The rest of the night goes by in a blur, homework, dinner, bed.

I lay in the warm embrace of my blankets. My hands begin to sweat, and liquid dribbles down my forehead. I kick off my covers trying to cool down but it just gets hotter and hotter. The sound of something crackling persuades me to get up, I go to put my hand on the wall, trying to exit the room, but as soon as I touch it a burning sensation runs through my fingers. I quickly pull away, wincing at the short pang of pain. A loud blaring sound of the fire alarm goes off as realization floods over me.

I begin running through the halls hitting my knees and elbows on banisters, walls, and furniture. I keep going, ignoring the smoke in my lungs and the burns on my arms and legs. In a miracle I make it to the front door and out into the street. My mother and fathers voice don't call for me as I expected.

"Mom!" I call out. "Dad!"

No, they are still in there. No. I begin to run towards the heat of the fire. But a blaze knocks me back onto the hard concrete and I lose it. I lose my touch, my hearing, everything is blank. I lose consciousness.

When I wake up. I stare down at the dark concrete. I quickly sit up and look up at the burning house. I look. Confusion racks my body. I can see the houses arounds me, the dark road, but I also see that nobody is to be seen. Not my parents, not my neighbors. Nobody. My breath quickens and my heart pounds out of my chest. In a panic I absent-mindedly start to run down the road as tears stream down my face. I turn down a small pathway between two houses. As I quietly walk through I notice something. The sides of the houses are covered in spray paint all giving the same message:

Don't tell them you can see

I keep walking between houses and buildings, everything is covered with the message. Mailboxes, walkways, roofs, walls, fences, sometimes even on the road. My head begins to spin, my breathing becomes heavy. Abruptly, I feel a hand slide over my mouth and my body being dragged into a small corner on the side of a house. I squirm around in the person's grip, trying to get free.