I watched Haley carefully. She seemed in awe, and was moving towards one of my first paintings: it depicted a man on a cliff, staring down, with one foot poised over the edge. She reached her hand forward, fingertips nearly grazing the surface of the painting. I moved to stop her, but she turned and pulled her hand back.
"You painted these all by yourself?" She stared at me intently. Nodding, I began to show her all of them, one by one. Slowly, I gained confidence. She smiled and pointed at different ones, telling me what she liked about them. I began to feel an emotion that lay dormant in my heart for years- happiness.
Then she stopped. I walked over to her as she picked up a small photograph. In it, a man had his arm around his wife's waist. Their two children were in front of them, and everyone was smiling except for the woman. Haley looked at me while still holding the photo. "Is this your family?" I cringed at her use of present tense, but nodded anyway. My fingers twitched nervously. I held out my hand for the photo, and she gave it back to me. I relaxed only when it was sitting back it its proper place.
The bell rung. Haley and I looked at each other for a moment, then both hurried out of Haven and to our individual classes. For the rest of the day, I marveled at the experience. So much had happened in only a few hours, and so unexpectedly. There was a label for people like Haley, a label that I had long since stopped using: friend.
When the school day drew to a close, I grabbed my stuff and ran, not stopping until I reached the house. Then I slowed my pace to a walk and just smiled. The wind circled around me, blowing around my hair and disheveling it slightly. I came upon the door and placed my hand on the knob when I felt warmth on my cheek. Turning to my right, I saw what had caused it.
The sun was shining. I stood still for a moment, just feeling its heat on my skin. Then it disappeared behind the clouds once more, and I stepped into the house.
Author's Note: Sorry for the shortness of this chapter, but this is just how it worked out. I'll work on making Chapter Seven much longer in recompense!
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Voiceless
General Fiction***CURRENTLY UNDER EDIT!*** Vera had lost everything: her parents, her brother, and even her voice. She couldn't remember the accident that destroyed her life, but the memories haunted her still. Then she meets Haley, a fiery redhead who drags her i...
