Behind My Eyes

    I open my eyes only to find darkness. My first reaction is screaming and crying for darkness is my biggest fear. No one comes rushing in to comfort me as I attempt to bat away the tears and brush away my hair from my face. My vision floats back and I settle back into my cacoon of blankets and reach for, Simoni's warmth, my older sister is curled into a tight ball her ginger red hair in perfect placing as if she was standing before a mirrior getting prepped for school. I hear the gunshot like sound of the school bus stopping before our house for our neighbor. We do not go to school our "mother" says it does the opposite of what is assumed. That is considered our signal to get up and do our washing before we are given the small parcile of mint leaves to chew all day instead of meals.

     My name is Jazzlyn Lyric. I have bright green eyes that dazzle like emeralds at any glint of light. My long hair hair is ginger red like my sister Simoni's yet mine has bouncy light hearted curls in unexpected places. Simoni has the same hair as mine and pale blue eyes with flecks of golden hazel. We both rise from our bed and slide into our "work" clothes. Simoni and I were adopted at the age of three she is 9 months older. Our adopters name is Mrs. Crabtree she works at the local cemetary and treats us as if we are her servants. "Oh wait." I say "Today is the fields." "Oh yes" Simoni says nodding in agreement. We quickly and quietly slip into our outfit for the fields. The fields are five houses down the street. We are expected to walk down with two buckets and haul back katniss roots and any other plants we are capable of finding continuously throughout the day.

    Upon ariving to the fields we begin to depict any single edible weed in the bare field. Finally I come across a patch of Dempeler Weeds. The sweetest kind of all. (If you remember to de-thornify them) I reach down and my vision blurs I fall over into a hole. "Ahhhh" I screech with hints of extreme terror in my voice. "Simoni Hel-" I am cut off as reality hits when I smack to the bottom of the pit.

    The rest was a blur I remember being shot up with novacaine continuously and falling back into another dreadfall, dreamless sleep. About five hours later I regain conciousness. My sister waltzed into the room with dried tears stuck to her pale face I try to smile at her but find my cheek to be in pain. She bites her bottom lip and begins speaking in a voice full of sorrow. "Whe- Whe- When you fell you were bi-bi -bi- bitten by a snake and your vision." She shook her head, looked down, and bit her bottom lip even harder until it turned snow white."The nerves- the poision they damaged the nerves in your eyes- and and-and mother is furious because.' She took a deep breath and stroked her bloodstained work dress. "The snake bite poison damaged the nerves in your eyes and you are becoming blind. Mother is furious and she says your keen eyes were the only reason she adopted us and you could spot any good plant to put into stew there is in the world." She sighed and breathed heavily as the tears streamed down her face. I could feel the same salty tears welling up in mine as well. I get up from my bed and then sit back down. "Blind?" I ask turning to Simoni "yes' she responds choking on her own tears. "Me? How long do I have?" "The doctor said between today, Wednsday March 21, 1978, to Friday." My eyes open wider and I dash out of the room and into the backyard where my mother sits in a plastic lawn chair. "Out of my line of vision" she orders. I do as she says and take a step behind her chair. "Better now talk to me then go help your sister pack her bags she packed yours. "Wha-Wa- What?" Stoming in front of her eyes. "What do you mean? What orphanage are we being given up to?" Mrs. Crabtree smacks her lips swallowing her meal of mashed potatoes and steak. "What do you mean orphanage MISSY???" She says sounding furious. "My voice is small compared to hers booming and loud. "Aren't you giving us up to live with a new family? I-I-I mean you can't just throw us on the streets right?" "Wrong!!!" she screeched "I am taking you far far away deep in the woods and leaving you and your rag doll of a sister there to be taken and killed!! What use is a blind homeless girl to some high class orphanage!!!" Her words burn into my brain leaving permanent scars as I feel the second waterfall of tears about to overflow my lower eyelid.

   Sooner I find myself deep in the woods with my sister scavanging for food. "I can't believe this is legal!" Simoni demanded "It's not" I replied resting my head in my hands. I glance up to see the sky dimming from a soft orange to the deep black that I fear most. "Jazzlyn?" Simoni asks, I turn and nod my head signifying for her to ask her question. "I want you to know I know why you are afraid of the dark." I try to smile but can't.

    The next morning Simoni and I are awakened by the crunching of branches behind a tree a few yards away from us. I open my eyes alert and awake. I am relieved to find my vision has not disappeared throughout the night. Simoni looks at me as if to say "Can you see me still?". I nod and turn my direct attention back to the tree as I begin the process of getting up from the ground without crunching leaves. Simoni follows like a mirror and we stand before the tree holding our only weapons, two sharpened spears our father sent with us to the orphanage knowing we'd need them. I slowly circled the oak tree. "Jazzlyn!" Simoni yells in a whisper. There stood a tall shivering man clasping a bottle of wine in one hand and a dart gun in the other. I began to back away until I saw the cloud of gray coming before me and I know I had been shot and I was drifting into a seven hour sleep.

      When I awoke I could barely see my sister crying . My vision was weakening and I could see the last bits of life and color practically drip from behind my eyes. I began to weep and sob and I allowed the salty tears out untill I couldn't cry any longer. I began to squint open my eyes to find nothing but a barren darkness. I was blind.. I fealt as though a pieace of my life was missing.. I heard my sister sniffling and I reached over to comfort her and what I am assuming is a razor blade left a gash in my arm. "Ahhhoohhh" Simoni screeeched. I blocked the blood in my arm by wrapping it in what I thought was my shirt. "Simoni!!!" I yelled "What happened?" "He cut my... my... my hand and there isn't any feeling anymore." I gasped. I guess I accidentally let my head hang over the cot and I fealt another deep gash in my neck. "Oh" I said coughing up blood as I passed out again.

      Later in the day I awoke again sipping water from a cup the strange man (or so I was thinking thats who it was) was giving to me. I spit back up the strange liquid and fealt behind me, the window was open. "Drink...IT!!!" the man said forcefully. "What is it?" was all I could manage. "Are you blind? Your sister is dead and you have the nerve to say how did she die or nothin?" He said entirely blowing off my question. "Yes" I said bewildering him. While he was wondering what I meant I jumped out of the window  sprinted as far as I could trying to avoid any trees in front of my path. Soon I fell to the ground and soon discovered that I couldn't move. I was trapped. Inside my blind body forever.