Chapter 2: Mind Orchard

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Hi! This is unedited, but I will be checking back up on it later! Thanks for reading, and remember to vote, comment, and read on. \m/ 

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Sometimes, after a storm, the sky doesn't clear up. It stays dark and nobody can see the stars that hang above in the blackness at night.

I like to think that life can be like that sometimes as well.

When bad things happen, you can either get over them or you can't. You can stay shadowed, never actually leaving the dark times even after they're over, or you can get light and look to the future and find yourself. I think I'm in the middle here.

Sometimes, I have a good day. Sometimes my mom doesn't completely ignore me. Sometimes I can sit in my shelter alone watching a thunderstorm and listening to music.

But never have I ever had a day as good as this one.

This is the first time in years that anybody other than my mom talked to me willingly. This is the first time in years that somebody was my friend.

It started in the storm, and, now that it's over, it's time for us to head home.

"That was amazing, Laci," Gray says to me while crawling out from the small entrance. If it's small for me, at 5'1'' and 100 lbs, then it's tiny for him. I'm estimating he's at least 6 feet tall and is average weight for his height.

"I know. I come here whenever there's a storm. I do this every time," I tell him. What I don't tell him is that I come here anyway, even when the weather is normal. Even when there's 4 feet of snow layering everything. I just hollow it out. That's how I make it through the winter months.

We're both standing outside the shelter now, with twigs in our messy hair and dead leaves sticking to our arms. As imperfect as the scene may look, nothing can be more perfect to me than this moment.

Sometimes in life, you just need a moment like this. Something to remember.

"Well, then, I hope there's going to be another storm soon," he murmurs, staring back into the river who's choppy waters are settling down to fine ripples. "So I can see you again."

A slight, unwanted blush settles on my face. "Yeah, that would be nice. I'd like that."

"And maybe I'll see you around town now that it's summer? You're staying here for the break, aren't you?" he asks, his eyes bright and his smile wide.

The blush fades as I feel my skin pale. "Uh, n-no that's n-not it at all," I sputter- graceless, embarrassed. I actually completely forgot that I'm invisible. "I live h-here. I h-have lived here my whole l-life."

We each shuffle our feet. The air around us has grown slightly awkward, circulating through our lungs and back out again.

"I'm just invisible," I whisper.

"Nonsense," he declares, putting a hand on my shoulder. "If you were invisible, I wouldn't be able to see you right now. Maybe everyone's just been blind. They had to be."

"But you're not."

Gray gazes at the sky, now clearing. "Not anymore."

A frog jumps around my shoes and I feel the need to go home. I can tell my mom will be back soon and I don't know if she's going to talk to me or not. Tonight might be a good night for us. She might say hello.

I wave goodbye at him and begin stalking off in the direction of my house, sliding in between trees and ducking under branches.

I may be invisible, but that doesn't mean I'm not blind myself. I thought he was just staying here for the summer as well.

You've reached the end of published parts.

⏰ Last updated: May 16, 2013 ⏰

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