Memories of that Winter

It's a one-shot story that revolves around the theme- epiphany. I wrote it a few moths ago and I thought why not post it. ^.^  

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A girl with beautiful deep chestnut-coloured hair, rippled like water on the white mattress around her. Sunlight fell softly on her translucent white face, with a tint of rose pink that coloured her cheeks. She breathed through her light cherry coloured lips. Long eyelashes trembled as if they'd open at any moment. KLANG! KLANG! The sound echoed loudly through the lonely white hospital room with an occasional faint electronic sound in the background. Aria woke up from her nap. "Who's there?!" she shouted, but the words escaped as a bare whisper as she was hazy from her nap.

"Sorry for waking you up, I just moved into this ward. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Grey Wilson, age 17," a deep rich voice muttered in a British accent to her right. Aria turned her head to the direction of the voice. She smelt the fresh flower fragrance that lingered in the air.

"Um, hi. It's nice to meet you too," she said in a sweet soft voice. Her lips formed a shy smile. "My name is Aria Evergreen, just turned fifteen this summer," as she stretched her arms and then tried to straighten her wrinkled hospital clothes. "This might be a bit straightforward but why you here?" Aria asked her voice filled with curiosity.

"Nothing much, I just have a fragile heart and the doctors need to monitor my condition," Grey replied cheerfully. "What about you?"

"I've been blind since I was born. I'm old enough to undergo a surgery which was successful two days ago. I just need to wait another few days and I can take the bandages off. I can't wait to see what everything looks like," Aria admitted honestly. For some reasons she felt as if she could spill every secret and trouble of hers to him.

Grey leaned forward with a sympathetic expression and muttered, "Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise! It's not your fault" she snapped. After they got that cleared and they became friends and began to talk about random things. They found out that they had a lot in common. Since Aria's eyes were still bandaged, Grey and Aria would pass time by having Grey verbally describe the scenery outside the window to Aria. Aria in the other bed would sit there and listening to Grey's voice that resonated through the room. The world in Aria's mind broadened and enlivened.

"Sparkling icicles, mesmerising like expensive jewels, decorated the leafless trees. The few conifers preferred to be adorned with crystal clowns of pure snow instead, and compared to their naked relatives, embellished the ivory surroundings with a glorious green. The forest was virtually showing off its frozen, temporary beauty. Another delicate compliment perfected the picture when the sky began to contribute a light curtain of snowflakes," Grey stated softly. As Grey described the scenery in exquisite detail, Aria saw the vivid image in her mind.

One day Grey was recalling the tiny bird which had been perched outside on the window sill. The bird turned his bright eyes turned towards them, startled, than swiftly spread its wings and soared. A thought of jealously ran through her mind that instant. Why should he have the pleasure of seeing everything while I've never seen anything before? She hated that people always had everything while she had nothing. Secretly she wished that he also had her absence of sight. Her jealousy turned her sour. She began to sulk and brood, unable to sleep at night.

One frosty night, Aria was shivering. Her pearly white teeth clacked and chattered uncontrollably. Her breath seemed to materialise into something solid in the icy air. Grey from her right was coughing furiously but Aria pretended as if she was asleep. She clenched her fists together and tried to block out the sound. Her heart thumped furiously like a drum, threatening to jump out from her rib cage. A few minutes passed the room a deathly silence hanged over the room.

The following morning Aria could finally get the bandages from her eyes off after the surgery. The nurse came into the room to do the daily check-up but she found the lifeless body of Grey in his bed. The nurse was saddened and gathered another nurses to help take Grey's body away. A few hours passed the original nurse came back to help Aria take her bandages off. Aria was delighted that she could finally view what is has missed for the past fifteen years. The nurse's warm slender hands carefully unbind Aria's bandages. Her emerald green eyes blinked a few times to adjust to the room's light and thanked the nurse. Her inquisitive eyes moved around the room in search of the window but all she faced was four smooth, creamy walls. Aria asked the nurse about the scenery through the window that Grey always spoke off. The nurse confessed that there was never a window, "Perhaps that young boy just wanted to encourage you." The truth finally dawned to her.

And then- suddenly: regret. Many emotions cross her mind. Sadness, regret and finally guilt. Where did it come from? Somewhere in her heart she knew the answer. She had been foolish to obey to those ugly emotions. She held her breath, desperately trying to hold back her tears. Hot, silent tears began to form in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks as she cried.

"Grey..." 

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It'll make my day if you comment or vote. Since I'm still an amateur please tell me if there's any spelling or grammatical error. Thank you :]