Chapter 2

When I wake up my head is pounding and I keep hearing beeping noises around me.  I slowly and painfully open my eyes, obviously seeing nothing.  Great, I never know where I am any more, this whole being blind thing really sucks.  I try to move but immediately all I feel is pain, so I decide to lay back down.

"Ah, your awake." says a familiar voice.

"Where am I?  Who are you?" I ask, confused.

"Aw, sweetie."

"What?!" I yell.  "Who are you?  Where am I!?"

"You're in the hospital again." the stranger says with pity.

"Again?" great.  "Why?"

"You were in a serious car accident."

"Oh my god!  My mom, is she okay?"

"Well..." the person I am guessing is a nurse pauses.

"Well what?  Where's my mom?" please let her be okay.

"Kayla." the nurse clears her throat.  "Your mom didn't make it."

No.  No!  This cannot be happening!  I feel like I am going to explode!  First my dad now her.  Why, why do all the bad things have to happen to me?  What did I ever do?  Oh god, I am having an attack!  A bad one, I can feel it.  I start breathing heavily, my heart is beating faster than it ever has, my head is pounding.  I start to sweat, I cannot even scream.

"Doctor Rodgers!" I hear the nurse call.  "What's going on with her?"

I hear someone rush into the room.

"What happened?" Dr. Rodgers asked the nurse.

"I told her the news like you told me to, then she started doing this!"

"She's having an attack.  Her mom told me this happened when she got worked up or upset.  We just have to wait it out.  It will pass soon." the doctor tells the nurse.

"Okay."

The attacks have never lasted as long as this one is.  I feel like it has been going on on for hours.  Probably because I cannot talk and it hurts like hell.  Finally it stops.

"How are you feeling Kayla?" a doctor asks me.

"How do you think I feel?  A few weeks ago I found out I was blind and just as I get out of the hospital I'm back in again and being told my mother is dead.  That's how I feel." I yell.

"I know this must be very hard for you.  But things happen.  I don't know why they happen, but they do." says the doctor sympathetically.

I just sigh.

"I know you won't want to be back here for long, so we're only going to keep you until tomorrow."

"Where will I go?"

"Well after the crash we called around to see if your mother had made a will.  Luckily she had.  It said if she passed before you moved out, you would be sent to live with your aunt and uncle in London."

"London?!" I scream.  "But I have friends here, my life is here!"

"I'm sorry, but that's what your mom requested."

"What are their names?" I was trying to remember who they are.

"John and Sarah Parks."

Parks.  They are on my dads side.  Oh!  I remember now!  Uncle John is my dad's brother.  I like them, I guess.  I have not seen them since I was at least ten.

"They will be here tomorrow to help you get your stuff packed, then you will be leaving the next day." the doctor tells me.

"Okay." is all I say.

I still cannot believe my mom made me move to London!  All I can think about is how lonely I am going to be.

"It's late honey.  You've been through a lot.  Get some sleep."

And with that she leaves.

***

I wake up the next day and smell something good.  A mix of vanilla and cinnamon.  I sit up and feel steam rising up on my face.

"Morning sunshine."

I immediately know who it was by their accent.  I feel someone kiss my forehead.

"It's been so long since we've seen you!  You've gotten so big!"

"Hi aunt Sarah, uncle John." I smile at the direction I hear my aunt's voice coming from.  "What is that smell?"

"Your aunt made you some of her legendary cinnamon porridge." my uncle tells me.

"Well that explains the cinnamon, what about the vanilla?"

"Well that's my perfume, your uncles favorite." my aunt tells me happily.

"It smells lovely." I say kindly.

"Thank you.  Now eat up so we can get out of here.  I hate hospitals and you have a lot of packing to do." my aunt says.

"Well we have something in common, I'm not entirely fond of hospitals either." I slightly laugh.

It feels good to laugh again.  I reach out my hand and feel along the tray that has been placed on my bed, looking for the spoon.  I find it and immediately dig in, I have not eaten real home made food in a while.

"I think she likes it." my uncle laughs.

"They always do." my aunt replies.

***

The car stops, I am guessing we have arrived at my house.

"Here we are!" my aunt says.  "Here, let me get your stick out of the back.  And your mom has a nice surprise inside

for you."

"Thanks aunt Sarah.  Ya, I remember her telling me that." I am kind of excited for this surprise.  My mom had seemed pretty excited her self when she told me.

I hear my door open and I reach out, my aunt handing me my stick.  I could probably walk around my house without it.  I had been living here my entire life.  We walk up the walkway and someone unlocks the door.  I step inside and feel something furry move across my leg.

"Aah!  What is that."

"Don't worry sweetie." my uncle reassures me.  "That's your surprise.  It's a seeing eye dog!"

"What!?  My mom got me a dog?"

"Yes!  She is so sweet, her name is Brandy.  She is a one and a half year-old golden retriever.  She is from a line of very good seeing eye dogs, we know the trainer!" my aunt chimes happily.

I reach out and feel her come up to my hand.  I gently pet her head.

"Hey girl."

I feel her lick my hand.

"She likes you." my aunt says.

"Well that's good.  We're going to be together a whole awful lot."

My aunt and uncle laugh.

"Reach down her back a bit." my uncle tells me.  "Her halter is on, just grab the rail and she'll help you from there."

I do as my uncle says.  I feel her halter, then move my hand up into the air a bit and feel the rail.  I feel it straining in my hand.

"She's trying to turn around honey.  She's still facing you." my aunt tells me.

"Oh." I feel myself blush with embarrassment.  

I give her a few seconds to turn around, then reached down and grab the rail again.  I want to go to my room.  We live in a one level house so there are no stairs, which is good.  But I will have to learn to use them eventually because I am pretty sure my aunt and uncle have a pretty big house.  I start walking forward, knowing exactly where I am.  I walk with Brandy down the hallway for a few steps before she stops.  She must stop at doorways because I know that the bathroom is just up from the front door.  My bedroom is two doors further.  I push a bit and Brandy keeps walking.  We stop again, another push and we continue walking, Brandy stopping again a few steps later.  Now I am at my room.

"Looks like your getting the hang of it." my uncle calls out.

I smile to myself.  Maybe this won't be so bad.

***

Hours later we have finally finished packing my stuff.  Ten suitcases full, and that was not even all of it.  All of the big and delicate stuff would be shipped over later in big boxes.  I was listening to music in the living room when I smell something heavenly from the kitchen in the next room.

"John, Kayla.  Dinner's ready." my aunt calls out.

I get up and Brandy leads me to the kitchen and over to my chair.  She is a really sweet dog, and she is much more helpful than my stick.  Bless my mom.

"What did you make aunt Sarah?"

"Lasagna."

"Well it smells amazing." I take a bite.  "And tastes amazing too!  I think I could get used to your cooking."

My aunt and uncle laugh.

"One of the many reasons I love her." my uncle says.  

I hear them peck each other on the lips. They are so cute.  I will never have that.  A cute, long lasting relationship.  No one will want me now.

I finish my supper and then go to bed.  I have had a long day.

***

I am woken up by someone shaking me.

"Kayla.  Kayla honey wake up.  We have to go or we'll miss our plane."

"Ugh.  What time is it?" I groggily ask.

"It's three o'clock.  The plane leaves at five and we need to be checked in an hour early.  It's a forty five minute drive to the airport so we have to get going.  Your uncle has all the bags packed into the car, so you just have to get dressed and we can get going."

"Alright give me a minute." I say sleepily.

"Okay.  I'll be waiting at the door." my aunt says as she leaves the room.

I have gotten pretty good at getting myself dressed.  I laid out my outfit on the bottom of my bed last night so it was easier so to get ready quickly.  When I stand up I immediately feel Brandy at my side.

"I'm alright for now girl." I laugh.  She really is a good dog.

I get dressed, put my shoes on, and put my hair in a ponytail.  I guess I am not brushing my teeth, I will have to ask for a mint.  I reach out feeling Brandy rush up, I grab the bar and walk out the door.  We walk down the hall until Brandy stops at the front door.

"You ready?" my aunt asks.

I turn around.  Even though I cannot see I feel like I have to take one last look at the house.  I take a big breath in and then let it out.

"Yes." I finally say, and then we leave.

***

I left my house that I had been living in since I was born.  I left my friends that I might never see again, well I will not actually see them again, you know what I mean.  I left the province, country, continent that I have never left before.  I am practically starting a knew life, well I am, at least that is how I look at it.  I should anyway.  I am blind now and I am moving to a place that I have never been to and cannot even see. It is a knew adventure, I just hope I do not give myself a concussion along the way, if you know what I mean.

***

We arrive at the airport forty-five minutes later.  We get ourselves checked in and go upstairs to wait for our flight.  I have my stick now, we had to put Brandy in a cage so she got put in the part of the plane where all the luggage goes.  I felt really bad, but even though she is a seeing eye dog, she is too big to come onto the part of the plane where we go.  

After a long wait, our flight is finally called to board.  When I sit down it finally hits me.  I am moving.  I might not make any friends, I might never meet a boy, I mean who in their right mind would want to date a blind girl.  No one that is who.  I guess I will just have to wait and see, this is going to suck.  I feel the plane moving and a few minutes later I feel us rising off the ground.  Here we go.

Author's Note

If you notice anything, spelling, grammar, choppiness, please tell me. I want this story to be perfect. I would like some kind reviews as well if you do not mind :) And if you have any tips on how to write a dialog better, ex. so after every sentence it does not say "I said." "she said" "he said" thank you :) And please tell me what you think of the story line, I feel it has been my best writing idea and I am proud of it and how it is turning out.