The old women creaked in her chair, staring out the window. She did this often, it wasn't like she could visit her friends. They were dead, most from old age. She couldn't talk for hours with her husband, nope, dead too. She just sat there, looking out the window. She was waiting for something, but what? The teenagers didn't know. Their great-grandma just sat there and waited. They had always wondered but they were to scared to ask. Their great-grandma never liked to talk about her life. Even discussing it in the slightest seemed to pain her. She hated her unspoken past, like it was the reason that pain existed in the world. Even though they knew that it would pain the elderly women they, wanted to know. They had questions that had no answers.

Before they even tapped on her shoulder, she turned to face them. Her eyes, eternally bright with excitement, stared at the teens. Her thin line of a mouth didn't need to move to portray what she wanted to know. One thick, silver eyebrow stuck up in a questioning glance. Her square face full of canyon-like wrinkles portrayed the want for the disturbance of her loneliness. The young man with his great-grandfather blue-hazel eyes, decided to speak first.

"Grandmeré, we want to know about you when you were our age."

She stared blankly, her pain molded her face into the same grimace that she wore after her husband's death. She turned to face her Great-grandchildren.

"No, there are things I want to forget." The women calmly replied.

"Why can't you tell anyone? We want to know about your childhood. No one else will tell us and you're only getting older. So keeping it in won't really make a difference. You could die tomorrow for all we know." The young women, with a black streak in her white blond hair, snapped at the old women.

Her face didn't flinch, even at the obvious insult to her old age. The old women looked at each of her Great-grandchildren, she would not let their teenage stubbornness outweigh her elderly pains, after all she didn't live to nearly one hundred years with pure health.

"Grandmeré," the young women, nearly women, with an emerald-green eye and a chocolate-brown eye, spoke softly,"I know it hurts you, but sometimes pain needs to be expressed in order to actually heal."

The old women looked at her blinking slowly, then responding, "You got that from one of your older cousins. Do you know who told them that?"

The teens looked at one another, then the old woman. All then decided to shake their heads. The old women laughed a little, shaking her head in disbelief. "Sorry children. You don't know him. It was unfair of me to ask a question that you had no answer to."

This only made the children look at each other. Their looks gave away their thoughts "She's really starting to lose it." 

The old women caught the looks. "Any of you care to share what the looks are for?"

The boy sheepishly answered, "We just think your reaction and question are odd. That's all." His eye darting straight to the floor.

The old women smiled, knowing that these kids are as ready as she can ever hope to make them. She began to stand up and gather up blankets and pillows, confusing the teens. They attempted to help her but she just simply snipped, "Just because I'm older then dirt doesn't mean I'm useless."

The old woman set up a place for each teen to sit. Making sure they were nice and comfy. She then sat down in her chair. When the teens just looked at her confused she simply moved her wrinkled hand to the comfy seats she made. The teens sat down, looking up at the old woman in confusion and wonder.

"Get comfy, it is a long story. It begins when a rare disease came back, so rare it didn't have a name and the last case of it was in the early 20th century,..."

She could hear voices. Could she be imagining them? She tried to open her eyes to see the scene in front of her, but black greeted her instead. Maybe she was imagining again. She stood up and walked down the hallway carefully because she still had no idea what was in front of her. She managed to find the bathroom. Once she identified her location, she tried to find the sink. She turned on the water. Waiting to hear the trickle of the water. The water splashed hard against the sink. It sounded so loud in the echoing bathroom. It was beautifully wonderful. So the voices were real. That meant that she could hear. How long had it been? Two weeks? Two years? Time was a tricky thing especially if there was no way to track it.

She began to walk back to the living room to hear the conversation. She quietly slinked through the hallway trying not to make too much noise. The house felt very frozen now that she could hear. When all she had were the vibrations beneath her feet to tell everything that happened around her, everything seemed so alive and wonderful. But now only the chittering of the women flew in the house like a ghost in a house. The voices were like music to her ears, they quietly hushed though the endless drama, making sure no one could hear as they laughed their way though the conversation. They never skipped a beat in the conversation. It was a melody she had been dying to hear.

The women with the deeper voice called that food was ready. A thunderstorm of feet hitting the floor of the upstairs had traveled downstairs, to the dinner table. Senkina heard footsteps coming towards her. They stopped immediately in front of her. She felt the presence of one of the women. Senkina knew which woman would make them stop dead in their tracks. The last time Senkina saw her, she was a uncomfortably skinny women with a tan complexion and dark features to match. This woman was only to be referred to as Mother by her kids. She was able to strike fear like no other into the children she had. Senkina remembered how she was when she wasn't disabled. 

The other woman called to the kids to come sit, blissfully unaware of what just happened. 

At the table they had spaghetti, not to hard to eat, but it wasn't the cleanest either. Senkina's siblings hungerly at the food. They ate like there was no tomorrow. Which it did sometimes feel like that. 

Mother and the other women chatted about life and responsibilities of having a disabled child. Senkina didn't care what they said about her. She knew she could still live as she wanted, even if she was blind.

The other women and Mother chatted relentlessly about the most mundane topics. Eventually the Mother shifted her voice towards the kids. The quiet rustling of eating hauled to a stop. 

Mother continued to talk about her day to the kids and the kids, like privates talking to their general, they recited their day and what they did in school. Senkina not being able to communicate except by putting symbols in her hand, didn't have to report. They knew if they missed anything, their mother would throw a fit after her guest left. Most likely using the extremes for the person who dare cross her. 

When the Mother was finally satisfied with their answers, she allowed them to finish eating. Senkina quietly ate, even though she had disabilities she was still held up to the standards of her younger siblings. When the guest was done eating everyone stopped. To make sure that even Senkina knew to stop, someone slapped the table hard. Senkina stopped dead, her jump wouldn't be suspicious because the hard slap always made her jump. The guest giggled a little at Senkina. This helped Senkina figure where the Mother knew this woman from. Probably one of her "children with disabilities help" class. 

Senkina heard the other kids scrruy to clean off the table and set out dessert for the adults. Senkina just waited for her que to leave came. Finally after everything was set out, the Mother sent them in their rooms, to work on the good extracurriculars that were approved. Senkina was sent to her room just to get out of the Mother's hair. One of the siblings pushed symbols into her hand, telling her to go to her room.

Senkina stood up and walked down the hall, scraping the wall with her hand. When the wall ended, one of her siblings would grab her hand and and help her up the stairs. When she made it to her room, she sat down on her bed. She wanted to talk, to hear what her voice sounded like, but the walls have ears in this house.

Laying down on her bed, she decided to go to her "world". Her world became her safe space through all the rough times, especially when she began to loose her sight and hearing at the same time. Her world was simple but it helped her feel better. Drifting to her world was always weird but she had gotten use to it.

She was on a baseball diamond. Next up at bat. Stepping up to the plate. She steadied herself and looked at the pitcher. The pitcher's gray cap hid her wavy long brown-red hair. The pitcher looked back at Senkina, she was studying Senkina, seeing her weaknesses.

The pitcher drew her arm back as far as it would allow. And threw with all her might at Senkina. Senkina readied her bat to swing. When the ball was in the perfect position, Senkina swung, the ball changed direction immediately and flew to center field.

The pitcher turned to Senkina, smiling. "I really don't know how you do that. You'd think that after no practice for months you would suck, but obviously not." The pitcher giggled, mostly to herself, "I've been practicing that pitch forever. And I still can't seem to make it curvy enough to get you." 

"Maybe if you try to through it straight it be too curved for even a pro to hit it." Senkina answered, sarcastically.

"You suck." The pitcher retorted.

"Darling, looking in a mirror won't help your pitching." Senkina quipped.

"Senkina Erica Evans-Neal! Who taught you to talk like that? Definitely not your religious prick of a mother." The pitcher replied, full of fake shock and giggles.

"I think you need a break. You're beginning to giggle way too much." Senkina suggested, slightly worried for her friend.

"I'll be fine. I want you to have fun." The pitcher brushed off.

Senkina noticed that the pitcher's face was all red and her breathing was uneven. "Beatriz, I want to go sit under the walnut tree." Senkina firmly said.

Beatriz looked up at Senkina. All she did was nod.

They turned to run to the old walnut tree. It's green leaves turning to red with the changing season. They stared at the field for a minute before they decided they had enough energy to talk.

"How bad do you think the disease is?" Beatriz asked.

"Not as bad, I have my hearing back that means I'm making progress." Senkina replied cheerfully.

"I think that you are doing great. I hope you get better. I just hope you don't forget me." Beatriz worryingly responded.

"I could never forget you. You helped me through this hell. And you will always be my best friend, even if I can only see you here. Okay?" Senkina softly responded.

The two girls embraced. Beatriz holding Senkina tight, like it would be the very last time they'd see each other.

"Okay that's all I needed to know." Beatriz replied, gently.

Beatriz stood up, and started to walk away. She turned for a second to looking sadly at Senkina with her green eyes, wetness glistened in her eyes. Beatriz looked back at the woods where her house was. Beatriz ran past the field to the woods, moving faster and faster until she was nothing more than a blur of a tan color.

She awoke in a cold sweat. She must've fallen asleep. It's hard to tell the difference between daydreams and sleep when you can't see. She stood to touch around the room. Hearing nothing but the cold silence of the night. Nothing, not even the smallest cricket, would dare make noise to disrupt the Mother. Senkina sighed with disappointment. She had hoped to hear more talking from the siblings, especially if it was less forced. Then silence must be the playlist of her life now. 

Senkina heard her bedroom door open. Senkina tried to not move a muscle as if she was prey hoping she could play dead for protection against her predator. 

Someone came in and pulled her arm. The arm was trying to urgently move her. When Senkina didn't move an inch it tugged harder. Senkina pulled back, breaking from what she was conditioned to do. She was not gonna take being used like this by the Mother. 

The arm tried again but all it got in return was Senkina giving the shoulder, connected to the arm, a good hit. Senkina was ready to fight. She was sick and tired of being a defenseless doll. Now she was gonna show the mother what she was made of.  

The arm yelped from the pain and began to speak, it was not the Mother's voice. It sounded like a teenage boy's, it was deep but it was cracking, "Please stop."

Senkina stopped. "Oh I'm sorry I thought you were Mother. Why are you waking me up and tugging on my arm?"

"You can hear? That makes this easier." The voice spoke half surprised, half relieved, "Follow me. I need to show you somewhere."

Senkina, a little skeptical, but she put out her hand. The arm grabbed hers and began to lead her. The arm was moving fast, almost like he was in a hurry to get somewhere. The pavement of the sidewalk was smooth and cold beneath her bare feet, Their footsteps echoing through the neighborhood walls of stone. The stone turned to grass that was wet with morning dew. The arm continued on pulling Senkina along. The arm only stopped when Senkina started to feel sticks and branches under her feet. Senkina lifted her head up to face the arm, instead she was greeted with a wonderful warmth. The arm let go of her but Senkina didn't mind. She felt drawn to it like a moth to light. The pain from the branches disappeared, slowly she felt everything slowly melt away. Her grief, her pain, her wants, her dreams. They all seemed to melt off her back dripping down onto the soil of the wooded area. After what felt like an eternity of peace, she tripped over a piece of metal of some kind.

She sat up and blinked a couple of times. And saw a desert-like landscape.

She looked around...

She could see?

SHE COULD SEE?

Where was she? They only traveled to the woods. They shouldn't be in the desert. The desert was also colored wrong. This desert was not orange and brown, but purple and gold. She looked around to see if she could see who took her there. A person that was to Senkina's forhead at most, pointed a sword at her. The short person was wearing blue armor with a raven across the chest. The raven glared at her, this glare became more intense when the purple sun shown on the metal. Senkina was ready to fight them but their sword showed that they had the upper hand for now. Now wasn't the best time to make stupid reasons. They walked around her and tied her hands together.

They grabbed her arm and marched her to a clearing with orange grass. They then pressed one of the green gems on their sword. It shot out a little tic-tac size object in front of them. The object then began to ooze a green smoke. The smoke began to crawl towards them. The person seemed unfazed, probably to do with the helmet, that looked like a a bird's head, that covered their face. 

The smoke surrounded them. Senkina tried to not breathe it in.

When the smoke cleared they were surrounded by people. The people were a range of heights and sizes. Their outfits were dress-like, even on the people who looked like men. The outfits ranged from white to black, in various vibrant shades, and ranged in lengths, seeming to allow people to choose what length they preferred to be in. Their hair was also a bit odd, all braided in a variety of different ways but one thing just seemed especially odd to Senkina. The thing that was odd was the hair color, almost all the people had completely unnatural hair colors. 

One person stepped forward, a teenage girl, she had chocolate colored skin, that contrasted with her lavender hair and highlighter pink eyes. Her hair was neatly braided in two braids that crossed each other, one crossing completely over the other. She wore a orange dress that covered everything if she had the hood on.

The teenage girl nodded to the person that captured Senkina. They untied her. Senkina wasn't sure what to do, so she stood in awe of this teenage girl.

"Do you speak English?" The teenage girl commanded in an English accent.

"Yes, ma'am." Senkina responded.

"Perfect, what is your name?" She asked.

"Senkina." Senkina reported.

"Okay, See-kin-a? I need you to put this on then I need to braid your hair." The teenage girl commanded. 

Senkina was handed a dress that felt like it was made with velvet. It was a green-yellow and reached the floor with a few inches to spare. It felt more like a cloak then a dress. She decided just to put it over her clothes.

"Why do I have to put this on?" Senkina began to question, "And why does my hair need to be braided?"

The girl looked at Senkina, a bit of surprise on her face. "Well I suggest that if you want to live to tomorrow you just follow what we do and don't talk." The girl harshly retorted. Shutting up Senkina sharply. 

After she pulled the dress over her head, the teenage girl braided her hair to a flower crown style and lead her to a dazzling blue palanquin. "Sit in here and don't say a word until you see me again. Got it?" The girl snipped.

Senkina nodded and sat in the palanquin, making to sure she was completely still. Four strong people lifted her up. She heard hinges squeak under her, then a door slamming shut. Senkina wanted to ask where they were going but it would have been pointless. The girl would have been mad at her for talking and even if she was told where they were going to she wouldn't know where that was. All Senkina knew was that if she survived this whole thing, she better be able to get back home at the same time she left. Because she wasn't going to deal with the Mother after all of this.