Running Blind

26. Thank You

[Callis]

3:12 a.m.

I jumped awake unsure of what had awoken me. I looked around the bunkhouse. Everything was in order; I was the only one breathing… The stuffed bear’s snarling lips seemed even more curled than normal.

I wasn’t even sure what I had been dreaming about but something inside of my head was itching at me.

Something’s not right.

I scratched my head trying to figure out this riddle. Then my phone rang, and I didn’t have to figure it out any more.

It was an unknown number and I had half a mind to deny the call but my gut told me to pick it up. I parted my dry lips and spoke into the phone.

“Hello?”

A shaky whimper answered on the other end and my stomach plummeted. “Callis, I need you. Something...something’s wrong with him. He...I don’t know, he hasn’t been like this before.”

“Lani? Are you alright? Did he hurt you?” I sat up and turned on the lamp beside the bed. Three in the morning could be a dangerous time for my sister.

“He’s never been like this before.” She repeated, like she was amazed at this fact.

“Why? What do you mean?” I asked. I had sick worms wriggling in my stomach as I pulled jeans and a shirt on.

I heard her gasp from the other line, some muffled mumbling, and then Lani spoke quickly into the receiver, panic running off her tongue. “Callis, you need to come help! Something is really wrong!”

 

****

(Brie)

The ranch seemed eerily quiet as I walked--more like stumbled--down to the barn. It was 6:30a.m. but no one seemed to be milling around working on chores. A quick thought slipped its way into my mind wondering where Callis was. However, as I was still well on my track of focusing on horses from now on, I shooed the question away.

After tacking Ila up and leading her out to the practice track, I managed to mount her and we started off with a jogging lap.

By the end of our workout we were both drenched in sweat and I had convinced myself we were ready for our next race. After cleaning up, I went up to the house and got ready for school.

 

First hour class I spent thinking about any possible races I could enter in in the next few weeks. I thought of my eyes. Would they freak out again? I thought about the goggles Ian had given me for eye protection if it did happen. The thought made me uneasy: the spasms my eyes had was so unpredictable I never knew if or when it would happen.

Then I remembered the woman who offered to help me. I had to find her to see if she really could help me; to see if she was capable of such help. What was her name? I had given her my phone to type in her number--

“Hey,” A voice whispered interrupting my thoughts. “Hey, do you think I could talk to you?”

It was Shawna. Of course. Thankfully, the teacher heard her comment and spoke up.

“You could talk to me, Shawna, or you could talk to the principal…”

A noise issued from her throat and I imagined she had turned beet red and sat straight in her seat. The teacher cleared his throat and continued with the lesson but it wasn’t two minutes before I heard a hushed whisper directed my way.

“I’m sitting with you at lunch.”

 

Patricia Fine. It took me way too long to figure that name out. She was the paramedic who offered to help with my blindness problems. Long story short, I searched recent contact entries and then went through my entire contact list alphabetically. It took ages and my third hour teacher probably thought I was taking a dump in the locker room.