Eyeless

    It was a bright summer day, one with plenty of color and cheer. But nothing could match the happiness felt in a new mother’s heart who is soon to be with her new son. She lay in her bed waiting for the doctor to turn and hand her the child. She smiled at her husband who stood very near as the doctor turned and handed her the bundle.

    “Here you go dear mother, a little baby boy, though most unusual indeed.”

    The mother just smiled and turned the babe to her only to be held in a deep state of horror. For the child she had birthed, the innocent little son, was beautiful as can be except for one little problem. The child, though he seemed fine, had no eyes to speak of.

      Tears flowed from the mothers face as she looked at the doctor. “Doctor, tell me, how can this be? In the pictures, the monitors he seemed so normal, now what trick is this to give us this monster to call our child? This is not the way it is supposed to be!” She wept and wailed as the baby quietly slept in her arms.

      The doctor just sighed. “This is rare indeed, no injury, no issue, not even a warning. This child should be normal in every such way, why he is without eyes I cannot say.”

    The mother and father went home the next day. The neighbors, their friends came to see the new baby only to be turned from the home by the distraught mother.

    “I am sorry my friends, the child is no more, for he was not living when he came into this world.”

    And so a small casket was lowered the very next day unto a small open grave. The mother, the father, the neighbors, the friends all came to send the baby off to his new home in heaven. Unbeknown to the friends and neighbors however, it was only a box they buried that day. For the little boy, who was named Timothy, was alive and well hidden deep in the family basement for fear it be known of his abnormality.

    It was there he stayed for years to come until one day his life changed. He was ten years old, sitting on his small bed listening to the radio when the door burst open overhead. He listened in wonder as a fight ensued. His heart beat, he began to sweat, whatever could have brought on this newfound threat? Above him voices, his mother, his father and a new stranger. The man shouted and cursed as they scuffled around.  With two shots and a loud thud the room went silent. The parents of the boy born without eyes, was dead.     

    Within minutes, sirens screamed as the authorities came. Outside the walls, he could hear them all, chattering, gossiping, wondering. He listened to the men walk above, moving through the scene of broken glass and blood. His heart sighed, those who kept him away were now gone, if only he had eyes he could now run. Pondering his options left him very bleak when all of a sudden, the door began to creak.

Steps approached him as a man came down. A startled gasp told him he had finally been found.

With a shout, men came running. The stared, they pointed, they whispered in awe.

      The police led him up the stairs, through the living room and out in the yard. There the talking, and gossiping ceased as everyone stared at this new unknown beast. The neighbors glanced at each other, the friends never knew, could this be the dead child no one ever knew?

    Into the cruiser he was led, to the hospital to check his head. He was tested, he was prodded, indeed he was probed until the doctor believed what he was told. This child’s story was sad indeed, what mother could lock her son away for ten years like that? Sure he was abnormal, true he was new but eight years ago, the doctors had learned what to do. Now here he was much too old to change, his body already knew how to move, eyes would hurt him more. Sadly the doctors said, there is no more we can do.

      Early that morning he was loaded into a van, to go to the home where the unwanted lived. As he entered in the lobby he was greeted by a girl named Sally. They laughed, they talked, best buds they became for Sally, like Timothy, though healthy, was not the same.

    To Timothy his friend was like no other, without eyes, he saw nothing wrong.  The girl was beautiful, long hair, light skin, bright green eyes. But like her new friend, she had a handicap. For everything was normal until you saw her arms. Long and thin they were, with hands ending in three long, black claws.

    For twelve years she had lived at the home. Her father feared her and her mother was thirteen years since died. Little Sally was alone and unloved just as Timothy had been. But together they found, their love, their pains, their dreams were no longer alone.

    Days past, soon weeks then months until Timothy awoke to an empty room. The children, the nurse, his beloved friend, were now and forever gone. His heart was heavy, he was alone. Sadly he wandered. Forever it seemed he would roam, thinking to himself, what ills to his friend had become. Out of the shadows, within the air, a sound, a sob a cry of despair. He stopped, he waited, he listened until finally the sound would continue still. A child it seemed, a girl about thirteen, could she be  his beloved Sally?

    He turned and followed these sounds and moans, walking endlessly it seemed. It was all at once when he discovered, a room or chamber circular in shape. There in the dark, a girl sat and cried. Until he approached her, her eyes never dried.

        “Timmy?” her voice was broken and quiet, almost as if she were afraid.

        “Sally, my dear, what’s wrong?” he asked. His only answer was silence.

Suddenly the door shut with a loud bang behind him. He spun around and reached out only to find a large metal door in his face. He turned back towards his friend.

      “Sally, what’s going on? Where are we?” Silence. “Sally, where are you?” He stepped forward, towards where he had last heard her. No sound came from her, nothing but a soft drip from what her presumed to be water from the ceiling. Reaching out he felt her face. She stood motionless facing him.

        He swallowed hard as he stood there thinking. “Sa-Sally?” Silence. “Sally, what’s wrong? Talk to me!” he grasped her arms and gave her a gentle shake.

      She stood there silent, unmoving.  Her body was cold, it was still, neither life nor breath filled her chest. His hand ran over her, feeling the cold stream running from her chest. A beam, a pole or some kind of nail pierced her heart and held her firm.

    He stepped back against what was to be the door, fear clutching his heart, only to fall into a deep chasm. His heart burst as he fell onto the floor, leaving him lifeless, breathing no more. The doctors, the nurses, children all stared, as the boy without eyes, died right there. No one knew of his past, his ailing condition. Of all things endured, he fell to a sudden and silent aneurysm.