The Eyes Have Me

Chapter 1

Well, let's start off with how the world works- when a person turns 18-years-old, on the day of our birthday, our eye color changes. If someone's color changes to Blue, then they are "Good," but if your eyes are Red, then you are "Bad."

Blue and Red cannot mingle, be mated, or live in the same part of a town or city. If your eye color doesn't match that of the part of town you live in, you have to move, and never associate with them any longer.

My 18th birthday is in two days, and I M scared that my eye color won't change to Blue like the three people in my family. My parents are Hope and Asher Reid, and my brother is Abel, and all three of them have Blue eyes. All of my friends and their families are Blue, too. Towns and cities are split in half - on half is for Blues, and the other half is for Blues.

If your eye color changes to the opposite color of the what your town is, you have to move to the other side, or another city. I have always wondered what would happen if Red and Blue tried to mingle or mate?

"Arrow, are you alright?" Abel asks while shaking me by the shoulders, pulling me from my thoughts.

Looking to my right, I find my 20-year-old brother standing in front of me with a worried expression on his face as I nod in response.

"Are you worried about your birthday?" He softly asks as he moves to sit across from me at the bay window in my bedroom, and we are sitting cross-cross.

"Yeah," I softly admit in a whisper, not wanting our parents to overhear me. "I am afraid of my eyes turning Red, and the I will have to leave all of you behind."

Studying Abel's face, I am trying to commit him to memory in case I have to leave home. Abel is 6'1", lean build, blond hair, obviously had Blue eyes, and is a great brother.

"I am sure your eyes will be Blue, too. I don't recall hearing of any stories of anyone in our family turning Red," he tries to confidently assure me.

Humming softly, I give him a nod, but I am not sure if anyone in the family was Red. I am sure if anyone had turned Red, they wouldn't be mentioned.

"Alright, enough worrying about the 'what if's'," Abel suddenly says, clapping his his palms onto his thighs before standing to his feet. "We are going out to do something fun."

"Like what?" I grumble with a frown as he pulls me to my feet, grudgingly on my part.

"I dunno, what do you want to do?" he asks. "Consider whatever we do as an early birthday present from me."

Thinking for a moment as I ponder this before quietly asking; "Can we walk through the art museum?"

"Absolutely," he grins since he enjoys the art museum as much as I do.

Grabbing what we need for our time away, we head downstairs to find our parents in the kitchen at the table having a cup of tea together as they converse.

"We are going to the art museum," Abel informs them as I start to become over our adventure.

"Be back by 4 p.m. as we are having Arrow's birthday dinner at 4:30 p.m. with the family," dad says with a smile over at us.

In my family we always celebrate someone's 18th birthday a day or two before the actual birthday just in case the person turns Red.

Abel and I leave the house after promising we will be home by 4 p.m. We settle into Abel's black, 2018 Dodge Ram, and he drives us toward town.

"So, other than your worry, are you excited to get your own vehicle from mum and dad?" he asks while driving.

Our parents bought Abel his truck for his 18th birthday, and I am getting my vehicle tonight from them. The dealership is delivering the vehicle today around 4:30 p.m.

"Yeah, I actually am," I reply with a grin as I look over at him. "Do you know what the vehicle is?"

I am very aware that he won't tell me, but I can still try.

Abel grins quickly over at me before refocusing on the road again; "Not happening, little brother. A good try though."

Pouting harshly, I let out a soft sigh that he chuckles at; "Stop pouting, Arrow, it isn't cute."

We hold a conversation the entire twenty minute ride, and it stops once we are in the museum. Inside the museum, we discuss the pieces we enjoy, and sometimes the artist. Abel does amateur photography, and is working on becoming a professional. He works as a graphic designer l for a large, worldwide company.

The museum changed a few pieces since the last time I was here, and one new piece has caught my attention. The piece is a photograph of an up close section of a person's closed eye. The title of the piece reads: 'The Eyes Have Me,' and is by Trave McCoy.

This piece speaks volumes to me. Not only does the title speak loudly at how I am feeling, but with the closed eye, you don't know what the color of the eyes are. Are the eye color Blue, Red, or perhaps Green or Brown.

"This piece is beautiful, isn't it?" Abel softly questions as he stops to stand next to me on my right.

Nodding silently as I swallow against the sudden lump in my throat.

We spend the next two hours wandering through the rest of the museum, and talking about the pieces. We arrive home at 3:30 p.m. much to our parents delight. Our grandparents, both sets arrive by 4 p.m., along with mum's brother, his family, and dad's brother, and his family for the birthday dinner.

By the time I am in bed, it is midnight, and I have temporarily forgot my about my fear. I am sure by the time I wake up tomorrow morning, it will rear its ugly head. If I dreamed at all, I don't remember any of it sadly. I love when I remember my nice dreams.