Hey guys, sorry this is late I was supposed to post Friday but with a busy week it didn’t happen. So, I hope you guys like this short story and we hope you like the new blog!

I didn’t know what to post so I decided to write a short story. This is just a concept I came up with on the moment. I wanted to view a real life situation and show how horrible it is but also present a picture of hope at the end.

This story is a work of fiction.

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 I felt my way down the hall, running my hand along the smooth surface of the trim. I felt the dust collecting on the tips of my fingers, heard the floor beneath me creak, smelled the mold within the age-old walls. You might be waiting for me to say what I saw, but sadly I cannot because I didn’t see anything.

    I didn’t see the trim of which I felt so keenly, didn’t see the creaking floor beneath my own feet, and I didn’t see the ancient walls which held the moldy smell. My life was colorless. No pink or yellow flowers in summer, no orange and red leaves in autumn, and no glistening white snow in the winter.

    My life was like one big, black canvas. It had not always been like this; I remember days when I had seen colors and shapes, but that life had been taken from me five years ago. It had started out as a perfect day, but then it all went wrong.

    All I remember is sitting in the car with my parents. We were heading to my friend’s 7th birthday party. I had been so excited and was talking non-stop about the games they were going to play. My mom had a headache and told me to stop, but I hadn’t listened which made my dad angry. Dad turned his head around to scold me and didn’t see the light turn red. I screamed and the next thing I knew I was in a hospital.

    My mom was dead, and the doctor said I had gotten glass in my eyes and would never see again. Blind. Nothing. No more seeing movies with my friends, in fact, no more friends and no more school that should have made me happy, but it didn’t.

    The doctor said that I could go to a school for the blind but dad wouldn’t allow it. Without mom, dad was nothing like his old self. He went crazy and started drinking. He barely worked, and when he did, he spent every penny on himself. Not worrying about buying anything for me, not even things I needed like clothes, shoes, or even food. I felt so alone and useless without my sight. I was just a burden to my dad. A useless blind rat that he had to feed.

    My thoughts were interrupted by a loud thud. My senses peaked, and my head shot up. My sensitive ears picked up the sounds of someone moving downstairs. I sniffed the air and picked up the smells of dirt, sweat, and Chinese food, but I also smelled the unforgettable scent of alcohol.

    I clenched my jaw and turned around, quickly making my way back toward the stairs. My hand slid across the trim so fast I’m surprised I didn’t get a splinter. Finally, I ran out of trim. I felt around until my hand clutched the edge of the stair rail. I took a deep breath to calm myself so I didn’t go down too fast and lose count of how many steps there were and fall.

    I took a few more deep breaths then began walking down the steps counting as I went.

    Three…

    Four…

    Five…

    Six…

    Seven…

    Eight…

    I stopped and put one foot down, clutching the railing tightly as I made sure I had counted right. I had. I nodded before stepping off and into the kitchen.

    I cringed at the noise that assaulted my ears. I inhaled slowly before grabbing onto the bar and inching toward the smell of my dad. When I reached the end of the bar, I stopped and asked, “Dad, what are we having for dinner? Are we having Chinese, or is that just leftover from your lunch?”

    I heard my dad move and was sure he had turned to face me. That thought was confirmed when he spoke because I could feel his breath on my face. “Why aren’t you in bed, boy?”

    I gulped. “I was, but I couldn’t sleep because I…I was so hungry. I figured I’d wait until you got back.”

    He growled. “I told you to be in bed by midnight, you little blind rat.”

    I turned my head away as I heard his sleeve rustle. Sure enough, the back of his hand connected with my jaw. I yelped as I fell to the floor. I put a hand to my jaw, winced, and lowered it, rubbing my fingers together, feeling the warm, sticky liquid on the tips of my fingers. Blood. I was bleeding.

    I heard my dad step forward and bend down beside me. He grabbed my face in his rough, grimy hands and jerked it to face him. His breath smelled like alcohol, and I knew he had been drinking again. This never went well for me. I tried to stay calm, but I felt myself trembling as he spoke again.

    “Why did you disobey me, boy? Why?”

     I swallowed the lump in my throat and spoke, barely able to keep the quiver from my voice, “I-I-I didn’t know. I-I’m sorry.”

     He let go of my face, and I heard him stand. He took a few steps then kicked me in the stomach. I gasped, and he yelled, “Sorry! Is that all you have to say for yourself, boy? Sorry, huh? Is that all you have?”

    I still couldn’t breathe, so I shook my head. I heard him shuffle his feet, then felt another kick to the gut, this time harder. I gasped, clutching my middle.

    “Do you want to answer me, boy, or are you mute now too?”

     I shook my head as tears stung my eyes. “No sir.”

     He yelled something I can’t write down before he kicked me again, only this time he kicked me in the face. I yelped and curled into a ball, hugging my knees. I felt blood on my face but didn’t dare move. It was one thing to deal with an abusive dad, and it was another thing to deal with an abusive dad you couldn’t see. I couldn’t see therefore I never knew what he was going to do next. I was afraid to move.

     He kicked me again. I gasped and groaned as pain shoot through my middle.

     “Go to your room, boy. I’ll finish your punishment there.”

     My heart stopped, finish my punishment. What did he mean? He had already beaten me. I couldn’t do this anymore. I had tried so hard to be a good son and he rewarded me with beatings. I couldn’t do this anymore. I needed help and fast!

    So, I did the only thing I knew to do. I scrambled to my feet, found the wall, and slowly edged to where I remembered the door being. I reached it and started feeling around frantically clawing for the doorknob.

    I heard dad growl. “What are you doing, boy? I said to your room NOW!”

    My hand caught the doorknob, and I pulled on it as hard as I could. I heard the door swing open, and I ran outside. My foot caught the bottom of the doorframe, and I fell onto the wet, cold sidewalk, scraping my hands on its rough surface. I heard dad run out cursing.

    “Where do you think you’re going, you little blind rat!” He yelled as he grabbed my foot.

     I yelled out and kicked, and he let go with a curse. I scrambled to a wall and pulled myself up then I ran as fast as I could, yelling for help. I didn’t know I had run into the middle of the street until it was too late to turn back.

   The sounds and smells of the cars overwhelmed my peaked senses. It was too much. The sound of the cars as they drove by rang in my ears. The smells of the rubber and gas assaulted my nose. I was completely overstimulated. Tears coursed down my cheeks as I fell to my knees and clamped my hands over my ears.

    “Someone help me, please! Please, I can’t, please!” I sobbed as I began to tremble.

     “Shh, it’s okay, Ian. It’s okay. Help is coming, child, help is coming,” a gentle voice whispered in my ear.

     I lifted my head and sniffed the air. I didn’t smell anyone. I reached out my hands, clasping at the air, but no one was there.

    “Hello?” I yelled.

     I heard the sound of a car horn blowing and turned toward the sound. I felt a gust of wind on my face as the sound of a car screeching to a halt met my ears. I froze, my heart racing. I heard a car door open then slam shut. Footsteps sounded as someone walked towards me.

    “WHAT ON EARTH are you doing in the middle of the highway boy, are you crazy? If I had been going any faster, you’d be dead, do you hear me?” A man’s voice yelled.

    I felt around for him mumbling, “Help me please, sir, help me. Please, I’m blind. I can’t see. I’m scared, please, help me, please. Please, I don’t know what to do, please, please.”

    I heard the man bend down. “Shh, slow down, slow down, son. What’s going on? Where are your parents?”

     I felt around till my hand touched his neck. I wrapped my arms around him and sobbed, not wanting to let go. “Please, sir, you have to help me. My dad he was, he was going to beat me. I didn’t know what to do. I can’t see, please help me, you have to help me,” I sobbed.

     The man pushed me away. “Whoa, whoa, son. Wait a minute, you can’t see?”

     I nodded.

     “So, you’re blind, and your dad was going to beat you?”

     I nodded as I felt more tears course down my face. The man cursed under his breath. “A man going to beat his blind son, I didn’t even think someone could stoop that low. Eliza dear, come here.”

    I heard a car door open then soft footsteps. I smelled the sweet scent of roses. “What is it, Joel?”

    I heard the man stand and felt him grab my arm. I started at the action. “It’s okay, son. It’s going to be okay. Eliza, take him to the car and call 911, tell them we’ve got a man who was going to beat his blind son.”

     The woman, who I guessed was Eliza, gasped then grabbed my arm with gentle hands. She and the man, Joel, exchanged a few words in hushed tones before Eliza slowly lead me away talking softly to me.

    “It’s going to be okay. Joel is going to take care of this, now sit here.” I felt around then sat down in what I guessed was their car. “You stay here while I call the police, okay.”

     I nodded and heard Eliza walk away before calling and telling the police what had happened. I sat there for who knows how long before I heard sirens. They were loud and sent my senses into overdrive. I clasped my hands over my ears.

     Eliza came over and held me in her arms, telling me it was okay and that it was only the police coming to help me. I believed her, it was all going to be okay.

    They got my dad and put him in jail. I didn’t know what would happen to me now without my dad, but Eliza and Joel were more than happy with the idea of taking me in since they didn’t have children of their own, and they did take me in!

   They bought me new clothes and shoes and they even bought me my very own sight dog! He’s a golden retriever and his name is Treasure; it is an unusual name, but hey, I didn’t name him. I was so happy to have my own dog, I didn’t care if his name was Daisy, which I’m glad it wasn’t, but you know what I mean.

    Eliza and Joel took me to a blind school at first it was just relearning how to do things differently, but soon I was starting to learn new things. All sorts of things I never thought I would get to learn. I even made two new blind friends Jane and Zane, they were twins, and they were so funny together.

I didn’t know who had spoken to me on the street that day well, I didn’t know until Joel and Eliza took me to church for the first time then I understood. That very first day I was saved by God’s grace. I became a devoted Christian, went to church every Sunday. I helped out at the church in any way I could. Of course, it wasn’t easy just moving on after all I’d been through, but the Pastor at the church we went to talked to me every Sunday after service and helped me understand God’s word and His plan. It helped me a lot.

   I told the Pastor about the day God had spoken to me and all that had happened before and after that moment. He listened and answered my questions the best he could. It was nice to talk to someone about my questions and problems. I always went home refreshed.

    I have decided that when I grow up, I’m going to be a Pastor and share with people all God had done for me. It was amazing really how God took me up from the darkness of my life and saved me, giving me friends, a new family, and most of all, a purpose!

    I had always thought I would never be anything but a useless blind boy but that wasn’t what God had had in mind for me. He had taken me from the ashes of darkness and made me new! Made me someone with a purpose!

    I was a new person now, not just a useless blond boy. No, now I had friends, a new family, and a purpose, but most of all, I had a Father in heaven who loved me enough to send his only son to die for me, a little blind boy. He did that with me in His mind, He knew who I was from the moment I was born, and He knew His plan for me all along.

    When I grow up, I’m going to travel around the world shouting HIs name with all my might, but for now, I will have to praise Him from where I am, and I’m not ashamed to sing His praises at the top of my lungs. No, I’m not ashamed or afraid with God by my side. I have nothing to be ashamed or afraid of even if I am blind because He knows my name, and He is the rock on which I stand.

The End

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Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Jaidie