Sight Seers by P.S. Singleton (Sample Chapters)

Chapter 3: Research

Huh. My eye color changed along with my sight. In the words of Ashton, neat.

I opened my mouth to ask another question, but a beep interrupted me. "Oops, I'm running late for work." Shuffling followed, and Ashton scrambled to get ready. "That's what I get for wanting a slow morning, I guess. You can hold your own here, right?"

There goes my opportunity to get some answers. "Yeah..."

"Take Captain with you if you feel like going somewhere."

            "The...dog?" Ashton trusted a dog to keep an eye on me? I knew I wasn't really blind, but he didn't.

            "What? He's trained," he responded, suggesting that it was a perfectly reasonable explanation. A jingle of keys followed the front door opening.

"You trust me to just wander around town?"

"Yeah, you're fifteen. See you later, Ally-gator. Love you." He blew me a kiss before shutting the door.

My thoughts lingered after him. More than emails, Ashton was hiding as much as he possibly could about my history. I knew one thing for certain.

I could not trust him.

            Getting my vision back via Captain, I stared after my brother. "I guess I'm being babysat by a dog," I said, trying to avoid ranting about the lack of my freedom. I got up from my seat, and Captain followed my lead. I pat him on the head. I could use some vitamin D after being in a coma for so long. Navigating the stairs only slightly better than before, I made my way to my room. I dressed for the day and started on my way.

            Capris that rose just below my knees dressed my legs, allowing me to brush up against Captain. I needed to get to know the neighborhood. I explored the possibility of running away, and to do that, I'd need some sense of direction.

            The windy fall air blended with the cold filter of black and white all over the world. Yards rested between each house, with sidewalk outlining the properties. The street rolled out to meet the main road. Glancing back and forth, I ruminated on which direction to take. The city leaned on a slope, funneling down to the left. Everything circled together at the bottom. I assumed the upward road led out of the city and to a more open country. I didn't want to be too far from Ashton's house, since I didn't have anything to contact him with if I got lost, so my feet started downward.

            Captain's leash rested in my hand as we walked into town. Some time had passed before we came up on the city library. As good a place as any to gather information. Towering brick pillars like a castle welcomed me in. After entering, I scanned over the books, hoping that they would answer any of my questions. Waiting for Ashton to give me answers was clearly taking too long.

            Thankfully, they allowed dogs inside, I wandered around the interior. Rows of shelves lined the area. People scrolled through them slowly. A few kids cried and laughed as they ran around the library, their mother chasing to reprimand them. Finding the nonfiction section, I found the Dewey decimal for history. Research time.

            Scrunching my nose, I ran my hand over the smooth book bindings. The air was imbued with the aroma of old books, redolent with wisdom and experience. Part of me liked the scent. One book title caught my eye. Remmutants, Dragons, and Other Things: An Incomplete History, by Blake Landerson.

            Slipping it out of its designated spot, I took it over to a table a few feet away. The hardcover book thudded as I dropped it. I pulled out a chair, which proved harder than necessary by a combination of my view stuck in the third person, carpet flooring, and the weight of the chair (There also might've been a piece of gum under it too, which grossed me out). But I managed and finally took my seat.