Are You Afraid Of The Dark?

[Benji]

What?

What the hell is going on?

Why are people screaming?

...Wait...

What about me?

I can't keep my eyes open any longer, but... wait!

Crap... Too late, I'm going under...

I remember I was in the car with my family on our way home from vacation in Myrtle Beach, (again) when Jayden and I were fooling around with the radio... again.

We were always fooling with it because we didn't like Mum and Dad's music. Also known as oldies and News Then the driver's side of our car got rammed... and now I'm...

Hey, where am I?

I wriggled my body trying to get more comfy on the apparently overused hospital bed. These things were just so uncomfortable. I groaned. Not the best idea I'd ever had. When I moved a shot of pain went up my side.

I opened my eyes and...

What... is going on?

Why is everything dark?

I started to panic.

Why can't I see anything!

I started shaking as I reached up to my eyes to make sure they were opened...

They were.

Which means either I'm in a really, really dark room in a hospital, which is extremely unlikely, or something's wrong with me.

I heard a door open.

Damn. There goes the dark room theory. Fuck...

"Hello, I'm Dr. Johnson. I can see you're awake. How are you feeling?"

What?

I'm... not dreaming? Shit…

I started to shake even harder, and as much as I tried to hide it, the stupid doctor was observant as hell.

"...Are you okay? You're shaking. Are you cold?"

I heard him coming over to the side of the bed, probably to check my head, but I freaked. Stupid past cant leave me alone can it?

I screamed as the doctor touched me and I flinched backwards falling off the bed. I scrambled up and backwards, but I kept hitting things on my way backwards. I could hear Mr. Doctor yelling for help.

I screamed, holding my head in my hands as I went down, flash backs came pouring into my darkened view. I could feel the tears fall down my face. I wasn't crying though. I was screaming.

It felt like years later. I woke up yet again to feel the bed under me. I dreaded opening my eyes. I didn't want to see the darkness. I knew what it would do to me.

Instead I went to sit up, only to feel restraints holding down my arms.

Great.

Just what I needed, stupid fucking hospital... Grr.

I suppose you've figured it out by now... I know I've generally come to deal with it. Well, as long as I don't open my eyes anyway. I'm guessing there is some sort of band aids on my eyes (not really.) Must have hurt them in the accident (lies) I'll be able to see stuff soon (or never again…)

-One-month time skip-

I woke up again after having that damned nightmare. Stupid hospital. Why won't it just leave me alone?

I got up and felt my way over to the dresser and grabbed some clothes that I hoped matched, and then walked to the bathroom. Took a shower, got dressed, and fiddled with my hair as best I could without a mirror... or lights.

See... I'm blind. Dr. What's-his-face said so. I might be able to see again in a few weeks or months, but then again it might never come back. I'm obviously choosing to believe it will come back.

I stumbled on the stairs and heard someone running over to help me.

"I don't want help!" I screamed in Kara's face for the millionth time.

I knew it was her. She was the first to come running anytime it sounded like something was even remotely wrong. I felt her back away and let me get up and get into the kitchen, her following me the whole way. Like some sort of silent bodyguard or something. Creepy and annoying.

"Benji, you really ought to be nicer to her... she's only trying to help."

Yes almighty foster mother. What ever you say. Not!

I grabbed a muffin I found on the counter then grabbed my bag and hopped in the car... well, not literally, but you get the idea.

'Mom' drove me to school. This would be my first day in this new place. I don't want to go. But I have to. 'Mom' says so.

After we got there we walked into the office, 'Mom' was lightly holding my arm, directing me where to go... I refused the walking stick. I'm already a freak though, so really what's the point?

"And hunny, wont you open your eyes please?" she begged.

"No."

She always wanted me to open them. But she didn't get it. No one did. If I opened them, I'd go crazy. I only opened them when I was positive it was pitch black and shined a flashlight in my eyes to see if it was back. Did that every night. Not sure if she knows...

"Ah so you're Benjamin Moore I assume? And his mother?" I heard a voice interrupt.

"Yes, this is Benji." stupid woman. Wasn't it obvious? Pretty sure I was the only new kid.

"Hello." she said it in the sickly cute voice people use when talking to sick or demented people. Must put a stop to this... now.

"Stop talking to me like that. I'm blind, not stupid." I said it in a smart-ass way.

Not the best thing to do on my first day... but tough shit. I'm sure they'll learn while I'm tough on the outside... I'm ruined on the inside...

-One-week time skip-

Great. School sucks. Why did I come to class again? Oh yeah, my 'guide' showed up... stupid girl. Doesn't she know I don't want help?

Why did she bring me to this room anyway? To be teased... right.

As soon as I walked in the room no less.

"Hey freak, why don't you open your eyes?"

"Yeah common, open 'em, maybe some chick will be so into your eyes she'll ignore the part that you're blind!"

I hate them.

I hate them all.

School is torture.

'Mom' wont believe me.

And I wont tell Kara. Its not her fault, its 'Mom's.

I ignored the question and sat in my seat, which was thankfully there today. In the past it's been across the room when I tried to sit down. Not fun I can tell you.

Then I felt hands grab me and force my head onto the cool desk.

I finally spoke. Something I never did here. Why? Simple. I have trust issues with people I'm not around all the time. Being blind just intensified it.

"What the fuck? Let me go you ass holes!"

They paused for a second then went to pull my eyelids open. I squeezed my eyes shut, but they pulled them open anyway.

I saw only darkness where there should have been people.

I freaked out, (again) and screamed.

They all gasped as my hazel-green eyes got wrenched open. The only thing they weren't expecting was the film of white that layered over them. I didn't either, but Kara told me once. Yea, she found out that I check every night. She helps me check now... it's not so bad.

Back in the classroom I was totally freaking out. My eyes opened wide I screamed holding my head, tears falling as I finally stopped screaming to whimper and mumble incoherent words... unfortunately, some words were all too clear...

"Please don't... stop it... please... I wont ask anymore... I'll be quiet... I won't scream anymore... promise... I just want to go home... don't hurt anymore..."

[Kara]

I ran into Benji's classroom. I heard him screaming. When I got in there I saw him in a mess on the floor, holding his head and crying.

I looked over to see the jerks that always bothered him on the other side of the room looking at him weird.

I ran over to Benji and he started mumbling...

"Please don't... stop it... please... I wont ask anymore... I'll be quiet... I won't scream anymore... promise... I just want to go home... don't hurt anymore..."

"What the hell?"

It was all that could come out of my shocked mouth as I reached over and wrapped my arms around him securely.

He started shaking and I shifted so I was holding him more comfortingly and rubbed his back trying to calm him down.

This happened once before, but I never heard what he mumbled last time... it was too incoherent.

This time though... I think I understand now why he doesn't open his eyes. He must have gotten kidnapped or something as a kid. Some sort of abnormal childhood trauma that freaked him out...

"Please... not the closet…. Please... No..."

I gasped.

Made him afraid of the dark...

Despite his badass attitude at home, he was broken. And now everyone knew it. Mom suspected something, but never said anything.

Guess now we now...

I'm not sure how I would handle it.

Being blind, always surrounded in the nothing that is darkness, but at the same time get terrified of the dark.