“Hey! Hey! HEY, Amaryllis wake up!” I rubbed my eyes, squinting at the bright light reaching into my bedroom. I pulled the covers off feeling the breezy wind of the night and sat up on my bed. “Hey, Amaryllis over here.” I tilted my head watching my little sister leaned over the windowsill gazing.
“What are you doing here Makeba?” I murmured half awake.
She grinned brightly and replied, “I’m doing my homework”. My eyes widened, Bewildered.
“What do you mean you’re doing homework? you’re leaning on the windowsill”. She kept the same cheeky smile and proceeded to say “What’s outside your window?”
“What do you mean what’s outside my window?” I questioned leaping out of bed. I began to stroll towards her. “It’s the same stuff that’s been outside ever since we’ve lived here” I shrugged. The same dreary housed, the same stupid cars, the same boring setting. She clasps her hands on her hips annoyed. “Well, that attitude won’t help me for inspiration! ”. I grabbed onto the windowsill “What do you mean inspiration.” I looked outside the window and took a deep breath (add some visuals of what she sees outside her window). I looked around and it was the same dull setting. Cars were rolling by, a plain blue sky and people walking about. Makeba let go of the windowsill ”Well for homework today Ms. Gizem gave us a prompt called what’s outside your window and we had to write an essay on it” she paused pondering on what to say “I was hoping that you would be able to give me some inspiration but as usual you’re stubborn .” I scoffed and continued to look outside the window when I saw something glittering on a park bench. I couldn’t exactly make out what it was. I turned back towards Makeba. “I’m not stubborn I’m just telling you the truth.” “There’s nothing here just the same old thing every day.” She looked at me distastefully.” One day you’re going to regret those words and that negative attitude you have.” I opened the door and pushed her out .” You’re younger than me so what do you know.” I closed the door shutting her out.
I turned my attention back to the windowsill and the glittering item on the park bench. it’s listed shouting for attention yet everyone was walking past it. As they say, curiosity killed the cat and somehow I found myself putting on clothes to go outside. I ran into the bathroom to brush my teeth. I looked around to see if my mom was awake yet and luckily for me, she was still in the room sleeping. I felt my body sigh with relief. I ran down the block to the park bench and my shock saw nothing there. I looked all around to see if anyone else had picked up the item but not one person had eyes on me or the park bench. I decided to look behind the park bench but unfortunately, my luck was the same.
Why am I so obsessed with finding this item? What am I even doing outside? I was getting ready to turn back when in my peripheral vision I saw a flash of light near the woods. My heart raced as I ran towards a small secluded path to get to the tree where the light was shining. To my surprise, there was a small light pink gem just up ahead sitting under a tree. I ran and reached out towards it but recoiled when I saw a pair of eyes staring back at me
.It was an older-looking woman dressed in a black shawl. She was gripping the pink gem that was supposed to be mine. “Excuse me ma’am but that pink gem is mine could I have it back.” I jeered. She gave a big grin that reminded me of Makeba. I felt chills run down my spine. I was getting ready to turn back in defeat and let her have it when she spoke.“ Oh it’s yours, is it? Here you go.“ She held out her hand with the pink gem in the middle of her palm. I reached out, feeling my body immediately go into shock as my vision blurred to black. I immediately thrashed my arms around to grab on to something. I felt a lump rise in my throat. My sight had been plunged into darkness.
“Help what’s going on help I can’t see.” The old lady immediately spoke and my blood turned to ice.
“Hi, Amaryllis what’s the problem I thought you didn’t want to see .” I look up in confusion. “What do you mean I thought I didn’t want to see.” My heart wrenched. “Who are you and what did you do to me.” She spoke. “My name is Gizem.” I picked my brain for a second. Now, where have I heard that name before but I couldn’t think of an answer. She opened her mouth once more.“ You told Makeba that the world is plain and you were tired of the same old setting so I took away your sight to suit your needs.”
I gripped my shoulders at the sound of her content tone. I pleaded “Please ma’am I don’t know who you are or how you knew what I told Makeba but that’s not what I meant please give me back my sight.” She cackled an old witch’s laugh. Her voice was high and screechy when she spoke. “What’s outside your window Amaryllis? Explain to me, child .”
This lady is crazy I thought to myself as I spoke. “Ma’am my answer is always going to be the same”. She scoffed and cleared her throat “Some kids will have a completely different answer than you .” I felt my curiosity rise again .” When some kids look out their window all they see is war or when they look out the window they see famine.”
Reality came crashing down on me. I felt a loss for words I didn’t know what to say. “Sometimes kids don’t even have the opportunity to look out the window and ponder for an answer.” But you were content with the idea of having a setting other kids would sacrifice everything for. “So I took away your sight.” When I heard her words I realized how selfish I had been. While also realizing it’s probably too late to change my ways. My heart dropped “Please ma’am I realized the error in my ways.” My hands were gripped into a fist. “Please give me back my sight I beg you.” Although I couldn’t see I could feel her smiling back at me. “I don’t think you truly understand what it means to see what’s outside your window.”
I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. I held out my hands and tried to walk and reach out towards the presence in front of me. “Please please please give me back my sight I realize what I’ve done wrong I understand what it means to look outside my window”. My knees were weak as I took each step. “Please give me another chance.” I heard her take another step towards me and I froze in my tracks.” “What are you doing.” I asked. She croaked “here take this gem since you wanted it so badly. I just heard my mind screaming to refuse it. I couldn’t trust it so I continued to back up. I could feel her steps getting louder and faster. I started to run into the black abyss I called my sight. I stumbled over something near my foot and fell flat onto the concrete. I felt a scrawny hand grip my wrist and place the gem in my hand. I felt electricity running through my body. I tried to drop the gem but it seemed glued to me. I squinted my eyes closed and tried to stand up. I yelled out for help but it seems like I was the only one there. I felt a cloth being wrapped around my waist while I was on the floor. I shook my head and yelled out against the darkness. I gripped my eyes tighter and tighter until I saw a glitter in the darkness. I immediately open my eyes.
“Hey! Hey! HEY,” I rubbed my eyes and squinted at the bright light in my bedroom. I sat up in my bed covered in a layer of sweat .“Hey, Amaryllis over here” I turned my head to see my little sister leaning on the windowsill staring at me. “What are you doing in here Makeba” I whispered. She smiled and proceeded to speak.” What’s outside your window”. I rose out of bed and walked towards the windowsill. I looked at the bright blue sky, the colorful buildings, the fast cars, the same setting. I looked down at the pink gem in my palm then back at Makeba and grinned. “ opportunity.”
