EYES


Chapter 1


  It was a ghastly night. Children were screaming. Dogs were madly barking. I was under a beat up old Chevy truck, clutching my teddy bear. The sirens were going off and constant gun shots were blasting. I closed my eyes tightly, waiting for it to stop. But it wouldn’t. I remember an explosion and a man falling in front of me, his eyes wide with fright as he twitched to nothingness. Those eyes, those terrible eyes stared at me, sinking me in, watching my soul.
     “Roseanne!”
     I couldn’t look away.
     “Roseanne!”
     Is someone calling me? Oh, those eyes.
     “My God, Roseanne!”
     Yes?
     “Give me your hand!”
     I was dragged out from underneath my shelter and into the arms of my mother who sobbed on my shoulder. Another explosion blew and I was slammed to the ground, nearly banging my head if it weren’t for my mother’s protective hand. I heard her speak softly in my ear, but I couldn’t get those sickening eyes out of my mind.
     “You’re safe now” she whispered to me as she carried me away.


     I was nine years old then. Eight years have past and the memory of that day is still engraved behind my lids, fresh. I see those eyes, watching me, in my dreams.. They call for me in the eyes of strangers. Whisper to me in the night. They haunt me. They are who I am now.
     I don’t know if any of that makes sense. I, myself am still confused on the theory. It's the way it is. I guess you can say I’m pretty screwed up, but from that point on, I have lived a pretty decent life. That is, however, since I have moved to America.
     Oh, America. What a extraordinary place. It's so beautiful, if i could, i would travel to every town, every city, every piece of land i can find. Yet, I'm here. In California. I moved here about a year ago and almost every soul knows me.. At least the basic of me. i'm the girl who came from a research island in the atlantic. How normal is that? Yet, they don't know the real me. Mother doesn't even know me. I  don't even know me.
     "Roseanne!" Mother calls from down stairs. "Come and eat your dinner!"
     I'm not even hungry, but if i don't go down I'll get the hour long questionnaire seeing if I'm alright or not. I sigh, as i try to cheerfully stroll down the steps. Every stair creaking.

                                ***        ***         **          **             **

     I wake with the yellow sun in my eyes.
     "Roseanne, you awake yet?" my mother pops her head in the doorway. She looks tired, almost exhausted.
     "Yeah, I'll be down in a minute." I give her a meaningful smile.
     "I'll make you some pancakes" she smiles and leaves.
     I groan and pull the pillow back over my eyes.  
     Monday. Finally. I thought the boring summer would never end. All my summer vacations have been boring, i just basically do nothing. Now, i can smell the sweet smell of text books, feel the dense air, and go back to being invisible.
     "Roseanne! Your going to be late!" Mother calls from downstairs quit anxiously. I sigh as I slump out of bed.