The Book of Incomplete of Idea

The Blind and the Liar

For the longest time, I couldn't understand why his eyes never moved. Through two thin, broken, sheer pieces of glass his dark brown eyes were looking down at me but I knew he couldn't see me. The palm of my hand rested softly on his warm, bruised cheek as my thumb carefully wiped away a droplet of blood from his bottom lip.

"You're lying," I whispered once again, disrupting the silence that stood over us.

My other hand, freed from his grip as his head looked down toward our matching black sneakers. With the smell of smoke in the air counting down the time we have left in the building, I carefully took off the damaged glasses being held up by the bridge of his nose.

I flipped the glasses over, revealing what is hidden from the world around him. A computer screen is what I thought at first, but it was more than that.

He moved before I did. His hands outstretched in front of him, guiding him across the room. I could feel his shame mixing in with the fumes consuming our air. Carefully, as I didn't want to destroy it anymore, I held his glasses over my eyes. At first it was nothing more then a blank screen. Then from what was still working, words appeared before my eyes. Most were scrambled and out of order, but I could make out just enough. Enough to finally see the world through his eyes. Nothing but darkness and white letters to described his ever changing surroundings. What I would see, he would read.

'King size bed, charcoal colored frame. Dark blue sheets, no patterns. Two pillows, white.'

I lowered the glasses as I felt my heart weighing down inside my chest. My eyes went back to look at the only friend I had, who was standing in a corner with his back facing me.

"If we get out of here alive with the minimal amount of lung damage, I'll help you fix this." As I spoke, trying to hide the guilt of not knowing. I walked over to him. Standing on his left, I wrapped my fingers around his arm, willing to be his eyes for that moment. "Next time, leave the lying to me. I'm better at it."

Skylar, wrapped her hand around her business partner arm and tugged him out of the room. The palm of her hand could feel his sweat mixed with blood soaking through his shirt as they moved slowly through the smoke-filled room.

Six floors up, the only exit was a dark staircase. Fear out weight the satisfaction of another successful task, as she never once in her twelve years been so close to failure. The reason all falls on the shoulders of a blind man.

They took their time walking down each step. Their hands were gripped together, though they were always one step apart. She faced him, watching his every step to make sure he didn't trip. Her back fully expose from a cut off dress and open to whatever might lurk from the next flight. His eyes were wide open, moving toward sounds he couldn't figure out in the dark world. With each step leading the closer to fresh air, the heat of the fire meant only to destroy evidence was growing closer.

"Is Skylar even your name," he asked with a rather hoarse voice. His eyes impressively fixed on her face.

"No. Is your name really Joe," she challenged right back, even squeezing his hands a little.

"Nope, I was born Joseph Tyler Bent."

She paused and her body became really still for nearly fifteen seconds, which was just enough time to understand his sarcasm. She called him an indecent name that caused them to erupt in laughter before choking on the fumes.

It burned. That was the only way she could described the toxins she was inhaling. Her hazel eyes scanned the darkness to and spotted a sign indicating that they made it to the second floor.

"We're almost there now," she reassured him before an unusual sound could be heard.

It sounded like metal smashing against metal. Panic radiated out of both Skylar and Joe, which cause them to speed up. She tried her best to rush him down two or three steps at a time, but his size eleven foot slipped between two steps and he tripped. Attempting to hold himself up, he grabbed onto Skylar. Unable to hold his weight so suddenly, they both tumbled backwards just before sliding down to the directly in front of the exit door.

"You can't be both blind and--" Another sound erupted and echoed throughout the building. It was the violent sound of metal crushing, bending and eventually snapping. Tricklets of dirt and rocks started to crumble above them in small pieces.

Skylar grabbed ahold of her partner, who was oddly quiet and tugged him toward the door with all her might. Forcing the door open with her shoulder, the sun cut right through the smoke as they left the burning building. Though her eyes burned from the light, she could clearly see that they weren't alone. People, men, women, policemen and the fire-safety crew stood behind a perimeter blocked off by yellow tape. Safe away from the fire, each and every person had their eyes up. Curious, Skylar looked as well and saw nothing but an alarming sight.

The building seemed to sway left to right as it burned. The sound of the structure giving in was louder and even more terrifying. That wasn't all the dozens of people couldn't tear their eyes away from. Twelve stories up, workers begged for help as they waved around clothes and even an American flag to attract anyone who would help.

"I thought you said the building was clear," she grumbled against Joe's ear.

"I took the bottom half, remember? Got everyone out, checked twice and reported back to you. Are people still up their?"

Her heart felt heavy, a feeling she occured once too often. Her lips spread apart just slightly as she thought of what to say, when she felt an unfamiliar strong arm wrap around her waist. Her eyes were soon fixed on a young but tall police officer. He, or Sergeant Barnes as his name plate said, carried most of her weight with one arm as another man took Joe.

The two were pulled outside of the perimeter but one single sound made everyone freeze. Not another was made as the two turned to what sounded like a bolt of lightning hitting a tree. Where they stood just moments before, laid the motionless body of a man who had rather jump to his death then be burnt alive.

Skylar was pushed forward and forced to turn away by the officer. He shouted out orders to get all the people away from the scene as he pulled the small woman into a medical bus already packed with Joe and three others. The man kept spitting orders including one directed at Skylar, but he spoke to someone else.

"Keep this women in sight, she's not allowed to leave the hospital without my consent," he demanded before slamming the doors shut.

Through the small window, she kept her eyes on him as two nurses checked over her for injuries. The officer was looking up, yet again froze as his eyes followed another body fall to its death. Skylar didn't hear that gut-turning sound, but she couldn't help but jump slightly and turn away.