Flashing Lights

part 1

Just a short story I wrote on change. Please read and review !

Flashing lights, the last thing I saw before my world went black. If only then I'd known it'd be black forever...

Pain exploded in my head as my ears registered the beeping sound. My eyes scalding hot leaving me surrounded by darkness. What was going on? Where am I? The beeping, where was it coming from?

Groaning I lift up my arm to touch my eyes trying to discover what the burning heat was only to find them covered with something that felt somewhat like a bandage. The only thing my mind could process was the pain I was feeling.

I heard footsteps then arms tightly wrapped around me, I froze up unaware of who this person was until I recognised the sweet familiar fragrance, my mum's perfume. I exhaled a breath feeling safe for the first time since I woke up; she was quietly sobbing whispering 'my sweet baby' over and over again, like a mantra. I finally was released from my almost comatose state and remembered I had no idea where I was or what was happening to me.

"Mum," I hoarsely whispered before a glass of water was placed against my lips. I skulled it down ignoring the pain brought along with it. I cleared my throat finding the will power to try again.

"Mum, where am I? What's happening? Why do my eyes hurt?" I softy croaked still getting used to the aspect of talking again.

"Oh sweetheart" She softly said.

"You're in the hospital, do you remember the fire?" She whispered in pants almost as if to get her crying under control.

"Hospital" I repeated shocked, my mind couldn't reconstruct the event she was talking about for a few moments until the flashes started.

The screams, the crying of children, the hurried and frightened footsteps of the people who were trying to escape, to save themselves and their families. Then there was me, standing there, just standing there unmoving as my eyes caught a little girl about the age of two with a look of pure terror marring her face. Time stopped. I ran back towards the flames, she was so close, then... nothing. What happened? Was she ok? The next thing I remembered was the flashing light, the flashing lights then nothing, just darkness.

"Mum, the girl, the little girl, is she alright? Please tell me she's alright." I asked frantically.

"Yes honey, you saved that little girls life, she perfectly healthy just a bit of smoke inhalation that's currently being treated." She informed me quietly.

I let out a sigh of relief, she was ok, and that sweet innocent little girl was safe, But what about me?

"Mum" I whispered "Why cant I see?" the questions answer long anticipated. I waited and she found the words.

"Honey, your eyes, they were damaged in the fire." She whispered in anguish trying to control her tears.

"The doctors don't know if its permanent or not, its something that needs time"

"What needs time?" I asked needing the conformation, knowing it would make this situation feel more real and less like a nightmare.

"Th-they need time to see if your blindness is permanent or just a temporary consequence from the trauma, it could just be your brain stopping certain functions in order to process your bodies shock." She stuttered with a crack in her voice at the word blindness.

Her words couldn't be heard anymore as soon as she uttered the word blindness. That couldn't be true, anger started to fill me, as I had done nothing to deserve this. What had I done wrong? I risked my life to save that little girl only to be punished in return. Never to see my mothers warm brown eyes smiling at me, or my fathers face scolding me for something I stupidly did. All because I was a good person, I didn't deserve this, I should have died in that fire saving that little girl. At least then I would have died a hero, not lived with a disability. It wasn't right, it shouldn't have happened like this.