#4 Sight and Blindness

“Are these those cuties that you used to eat when you were younger”

My Mom was really stretching it, trying so hard to connect with me. “I should have never gone on this walk with her” I thought. “Oh yeah, I used to love those!” I said out loud.

Strangely, the train tracks were lined with these orange peels, like lights down a runway, signaling where to land. Or like caution tape, blocking off the tracks for none to enter.

As a kid Mom told me to stay off the tracks, but after 17 years here and no trains, she’s given up on that traditional piece of wisdom. However, on this day, the rumbling of the tracks startled my mom and I, and I jumped to her side and pulled her off the tracks, just in time to avoid a train from blindsiding us. We watched the cars go by, baffled by the unusual train. Finally, as the caboose went by, I saw that guy Munny standing out the back window, throwing more blood orange peels onto the tracks. I mean I know writers are weird, but I didn’t think they were THAT weird.

The train disappeared into the distant fog, and my Mom and I decided to walk home. She’s the safety first type of woman, and the whole almost getting killed thing was enough action for the day. With the Victorian looming ahead over the fog, just a block away, I decided to break the silence. “Let’s walk through Howell Park” I said.

“Gaia! What have I told you about parks at night!” she replied. For some reason her excessive safety never rubbed off on me.

“I was thinking about my childhood, can we go where you taught me how to climb a tree, you know the one right?” I said. I had this force, pushing me towards the park; I had to see the tree.

“Can’t we go tomorrow...” I quickly turned around, away from my mother’s words and began to walk through to the park. “Wait Gaia!”

She hurried behind me to catch up, and we entered the dark, foggy park.

I could feel the tree before I saw it. A force pulling me closer, against my will. Through the fog I could see two figures, and the bigger one spoke to me. “So you mock my blindness? Let me tell you this...”

“What?” I said. The fog descended and I couldn’t see but 3 feet in front of me. I lost sight of the tree, and I turned around to my Mom. My mom? I couldn’t find her.

I ran through the fog, using my memories as my sight to retrace my steps. I was too late. I came across her body, strewn on the ground. The ground began to split in two, and an aura of red began to emanate from the crack. I rubbed my eyes, making sure I could still see. By the time I looked back at the ground, she was gone.