Blind

A random writing prompt I wanted to type up. :3 Enjoy. (Sorry if I slip into past-tense with some words. ;_;)

Her eyes stare blankly into space. She can feel the people all around, but they’re strangers to her. Even her mother, who she can hear to the left side, drinking punch and corralling her younger brother, Jack. The unseen sights are just beyond the splashing colors, and it infuriates her to no end. Being disabled since youth, the young woman has to depend on her family for support. Braille felt cold under her fingers, the unspoken language of the blind. A “special” language, just like signing, made her feel ostracized from the rest of her peers. The young woman walks forward, careful not to bump into the tinkling tray of glasses as the butler stomps by, obviously upset by something. Reaching out, she taps a loud gentleman from behind, smelling alcohol on his clothing. His voice is directly aimed at her now, and she holds back a gag as a foul breath seeps into her nostrils.

“How may I help thee, young wench?” He cockily shouts, and she feels a hand grasp her wrist.

Intuition tells her to back away, but she needs to find a bathroom. The woman formerly chatting with the man, the acrid scent of cigarettes staining her clothes, laughs loudly, as if he just cracked the funniest joke she’d ever heard. The younger woman’s head swims, trying to dislodge the man’s grip as she backs abruptly. Her senses focused on the problem at hand, she doesn’t realize that someone is coming from behind until the person slides their hands around her waist.

Unable to distinguish between friend and foe, the young woman begins to struggle, unstable, in her high heels. She lashes out randomly, dress ruffling like a disturbed hen. The grip around her waist tightens slightly, balancing and clearing the alarmed fog in her brain.

“What are you doing, silly? Why don’t we go dance a little?” The voice above her coos, the words soothing and warm. It’s the voice of a younger man, who smells sober.

She nods shakily, and the drunkard’s hand is jerked away with a short grunt of pain. The other woman’s heels clack loudly on the floor, assumingly to check on the older man. She didn’t really notice, being led away by her mysterious savior. A textured glove gently wraps around her hand, and the shivers in her spine calm. Despite this, she still cradles herself behind the wall in her mind.

“T-thank you, but I can get out of situations myself, you mystery man.” She puts on a front, hoping he doesn’t notice her blindness. 

He stops suddenly, and she feels a glove touch her chin. The pressure causes her to look up, the flashing shapes swirling with color. She imagines his look of disbelief, even disgust, as he sets eyes upon her porcelain face. Her mother said she always had the eyes of a doll. The man’s minty breath causes her to inhale deeply, butterflies flitting around in her stomach. He’s silent for a few moments, before letting her head fall once more to its natural position.

“You...you’re blind, miss?” He asks uncertainly, with a voice higher pitched than the confidence she heard before. A piece of hair falls into her face, and she uses the opportunity to cover her face with a hand of embarrassment. She knew that he would ask, and she would answer him with a small nod. Then he would immediately dismiss her, growing awkward and disappearing back into the mass of sounds. That’s how it had always been. No one knew how to deal with a burden like her, so distance was made. 

With a sigh, she angles her head toward the voice, and tips her head in confirmation. The woman thought she heard a breath of some kind. Relief? Disappointment? It couldn’t have been a good reason.

“Wow...I’ve never met a blind person before. Your eyes are so pretty. What’s it like?” The man chatters excitedly, and she hears a muffled clap of gloves. Taken slightly aback by his enthusiasm, she breathes a sarcastic reply, certain that he’s pulling her leg.

“Dark. Really, really...dark.” The heat in her face refuses to go away, and she bends her head down again, certain he’s made up his mind about her. Then, another surprise: a kind hand pats her head, and she lifts up her neck once more toward the smiling voice.

“Oh, I don’t think so, miss. I think you see lots of things. Won’t you tell me?”

The party ends, and she stands in line with her family to thank the host, a wealthy CEO of a growing business in their region. The brown-nosing competition begins, and she lets out a curt sigh of disgust. They’d never even met the CEO, but her mom swoons nonetheless.

“They say he’s got the elegance of a prince, and the looks, too! E-er..but, not that you would care about that, Maria…” She awkwardly chimes, and ends the conversation. 

The young woman pushes a vengeful bang back behind her ear, and they wait in line, back to back with smaller company owners who wanted a favorable position. Her mother was the proud owner of a bakery, named “Heaven’s Cupcakes.” If the name didn’t give it away, the young woman’s mother was also a Jesus fan, who attended church every day since she was born. Her mother also hosted a Sunday class, which the woman had tried in vain to avoid.

“You’ll make new friends there, I promise!” She had dragged Maria as a little girl to the Catholic gates, much less graceful than her mother in tiny heels.

When they had arrived, the hum of prayer droned through the hallways. The shapes pulsed to her rapid heartbeat as the little girl was taken to a room, where their heels echoed off the walls. She sensed the children before they piped up with a hello and a blessing.

“Who is that, Ms. Piper? A new lamb?”

“This is my daughter, Henry. She’s blind, so that means she can’t see anything.”

This statement was met with a shocked silence, and the little girl hid behind her mother, so the other children couldn’t see her eyes. The mother had quickly dislodged her from a leg, pushing her towards the other children. The smell of baby powder made the little girl uncomfortable, and she sat a bit farther away from the other children as the class began. Her mother rattled off a few questions about who-knows-what in succession, and the kid, Henry, answered all-knowingly.

She had kept silent for a while, before her mother picked her to answer the next question. The shifting lights behind her eyes distracted her most of the class period, so she was literally in the dark when her mother called her name.

“Maria! Maria!” She perked her head up at the mention of her name.

“Maria, please pay attention. Now, what did David defeat Goliath with in the book of Samuel?”

The little girl froze, uncertain of the answer. She never listened to her mother’s ramblings about Jesus and God and all that strange, otherworldly stuff that didn’t make much sense.

“Er...a..sword..?” Thinking of the brave knights in her medieval books, this made a logical conclusion.

Her mother sighed, a small, almost unheard sigh, and  if it hadn’t been for the little girl’s strengthened hearing, she would have never heard. A ripple of giggles went around the other children, and the little girl bent her head back down into her knees, tears quickly forming on crimson cheeks. Henry whispered to a girl next to him.

“Maybe because she’s blind, she can’t see the light of God.”

Since then, the woman refuses adamantly to go to church with her mother. The line dwindled, and soon she hears her mother squeal.

“There he is! Oh, Lord, he is handsome!” Holding a box of premium grade cupcakes, she follows her mother as her brother is dragged along behind her. By the time she reaches her mother, the woman is chattering at the CEO. She hears a laugh, and freezes. 

Don’t, she thinks. Please, don’t be… The confidence is back in his voice, and her mysterious knight reveals his true form.

The conversation pauses as she hands the cupcakes toward the direction of the man, bowing quickly and turning, trying to flee. A bony hand, her mother’s, clasps her wrist.

“At least thank Mr. Kerstein for inviting us, Maria! Show some respect, young lady! Oh, Mr. Kerstein, I’m sorry,” She babbles, and Maria imagines the appalled blush on her face as she tries to gain pity. “--this is my daughter, Maria Angel Piper. She’s blind, so she--”

“Can’t see, yes, I know.” The man interrupts her, and Maria hears him stand. The soft brush of a hand moves over her open palm, and she flinches reflexively.

“Maria..” He whispers to himself, and she gulps and flushes, hiding her face in a messy tangle of bangs. The glove comes to her face, pressing lightly as he sweeps the hair away from her crimson features.

“Don’t hide, miss. You’re beautiful, you know. Maria Piper.” His voice is deep, resonating in her chest like a bass drum. Heart in her throat, she tries to push his hand away. Taking his chance, Mr. Kerstein grabs it lightly, and she feels lips on her cold hand.

“Gross!” Her brother gags in the background, and Maria hears her mother gasp.

Leaning in close, he whispers softly in her ear.

“Meet me--” He pushes a card discreetly into her hand. “Here. This Saturday.”

The young woman nods, her mind scrambling for an appropriate response. A noise like a confirmation and a small groan of agony mix as they come out, and it makes her mentally stab herself. Mr. Kerstein simply chuckles, resuming a business-like air.

“Ms. Piper. It was nice to finally meet you.”

Reviews

[Emma]

I really like this, it made me smile. Mr. Kerstein was very kind.
Keep up the great writing.

[Aubrin]

Thank you!! I usually don't write very romantic things, so I'm glad to know someone likes it. :)