Friends, Slaves, and Nightmares

3: Blind Boy

Eleven years had passed and Mina was now fifteen years old. She drifted from town to town, never settling down and sleeping where she could and eating whatever was available. The quilt her mother had made her she fashioned into a warm hoodie when she was ten. The hoodie looked nothing like a quilt, bit still held the same look and design as it. The hoodie was gray with swirling red designs stitched into it. This way she felt her mother was always close. The sleeves were long enough to conceal her dragon arm and her clawed hand was kept in her hoodie pockets. She always kept her hood up to avoid people identifying her.

It was a chilly evening with a strong gust blowing into her face, making it numb. Mina shivered slightly and shuffled through the throngs of people, slipping into an alley where the breeze could not reach her. She kept her hands in her pockets, not daring to start a fire with her dragon arm. It would temporarily warm her, but possibly cause her to be seen, captured, or even killed. Mina decided against the reckless idea.

A group of villagers on the other side of the alley had gathered in a tight circle, laughing and taunting at something she could not see. "Look at the fool! He's so clumsy he doesn't even know what he's tripping over!" A stout boy hollered and triggered a chorus of laughter. The boy then tripped someone who was being shoved around inside the circle, causing them to fall on the ground outside of the ring.

The person being tormented was a boy, maybe a bit older than Mina, with dark hair and gray eyes that had been clouded over. It took a moment to realize the boy was blind.

"Blind as a bat right?!" Another villager shouted, taking out a knife. "I bet he won't see this coming!" He went to bring the knife down on the boy's back.

Mina's eyes widened as she hesistated to bring her left arm out of its pocket to help, but she was too slow. Instead the blind boy had jumped to his feet and caught the blade in one hand.

"Yes I'm blind, but I heard that one coming.." The boy said, twisting the knife from the villagers hand and hitting him to the side. The blind boy's eyes now glowed a soft green color.

"You're blind! You can't see anything! That was just luck!" The stout villager shouted as he swung wildly at the blind boy, who easily stepped out of his way and landed a firm blow on the villager's back which caused him to tumble to the ground.

"I never said I saw it coming."

Most of the villagers were now freaked out and feared being hurt, which out weighed their desires to bother the blind boy. Instead, most of the people fled, except one last man. The man was silent as he raised a gun and aimed it at the blind boy who looked around, seeming unaware of the shooter this time.

Mina knew this wasn't going to end well. Something wasn't right this time, the blind boy couldn't tell the man was there as he had the other villagers. Moving her left hand out of its pocket she aimed it at the man, a bright ball of light forming in her hand, then launching into the man's face. The man shouted in surprise, dropping his gun with a clatter.

The boy jumped, now aware of his present company he turned and kicked the gun far from the man and then began to run away towards the lake before the man could do anything else.

Mina smiled slightly, returning her hand to her pocket. She slowly followed after the boy, keeping her distance and staying quiet. The blind boy approached a lake. The lake was a green-blue color from moss growing in the water and other vegitation such as water lilies and cattails. Mina smiled as she watched the lake. It was scerene and peaceful here.

"Thank you for the help." The blind boy said without looking towards Mina. He instead sat down on the edge of the lake.

Mina's eyes widened and she stammered, "H-How?.. How did you know I was here?.. You are obviously blind. Uh-.. No offence?"

The boy calmly nodded. "You saw the fight your self. I was able to tell were the villagers were. Why are you so supprised I can tell you've been following me here?"

She smiled slightly and let out a light laugh. "Right, how stupid of me.. So why couldn't you see the man with the gun?" She walked over and sat down nearby the boy, keeping her dragon arm in her hoodie pocket.

"He wasn't making any sounds. I couldn't hear him."

"Sooo.. You're a human bat?" Mina joked and tossed a pebble into the lake.

The blind boy's head jerked towards the sound of the pebble hitting the lake. "In a way I suppose.. Imagine that if it helps you understand. By the way, nice arm."

Mina's eyes widen as she stuffed her left arm deeper into her pocket. "What?.. My throwing skills right?.."

The blind boy shook his head, using the sound of her voice to look in Mina's direction. "No, the special arm. I think it's cool. You used it to distract the man with gun, right?"

Mina hesitates, then slowly nods, taking a moment to realize the blind boy did not see her nod. "Yeah.. And you're not scared or freaked out right?"

The boy laughs. "Why should I be? You saved my life after all." He playfully nudges Mina, grinning and staring off into the space just beyond her.

"Saved your life? Now isn't that overly dramatic?"

"Not unless it's true. So anyways, what's your name?"

Mina watches the blind boy, figuring he was a good person and she could trust him. After all, she did save his life. That means blind boy owes her right? "Mina.. My name's Mina.. I was named after my mother."

"So you mother's name is Mina?"

She shook her head. "No.. Her name was Wilhemina..." A pang of sadness filled her voice as she studied the ground.

"Oh." The blind boy noted the word 'was' and change in her voice, quickly changing the subject. "My name is David."

"David." Mina looked up at him and smiled. "It's a nice name."

David nodded. The two then sat there in comfortable silence. Mina reflected over what had just happened. It seems she had made her first and only friend.