Post by Joelw64 on Nov 5, 2004 1:08:02 GMT
It was another sleepless night. Bad weather seemed characteristic for the lake, booming thunder and torrential rain had been falling from the heavens for several hours. Derrek sat at the edge of the bed Hanah had so graciously let him use. He sat so still that only a statue could rival him. A candle provided a light source, casting a blurry shadow of his figure against the wall. For hours, his eyes had been locked onto the fist he had been holding in front of his face. But instead of seeing a fist hardened from life long training, he instead saw black. He saw Darkness, even when in the light.
It had been months since he’d seen anything. Or even more than that, he had long since lost track. Being blind did not make him helpless, however. Through his life, he had come to have an intricate understanding of his body through his monk training. Early on in his blindness, he discovered that he was able to still ‘see’ his surrounding environment through feelings and sounds. And as for people, their ki energy was enough to allow him to know their existence. But for being a strong believer that there was light in any situation, blindness was beginning to become ever more frustrating for Derrek to bear.
He began to have thoughts about past decisions, decisions that had been continually haunting his thoughts for some time now. He was resilient to begin with, his thoughts waning with his attitude. But his thoughts would always return, always more forceful than before. His stony posture began to crumble, only slightly at first. But as his thoughts continued to assault his conscious, he completely broke apart, shaking nearly uncontrollably. He placed his head in his hands, wishing for an answer. A few minutes later, Derrek would slowly lift his head from his hands and rise from the bed, fumbling around for the hooded robe he always wore. He soon left Hanah’s home, as he had been doing for many nights now…
He soon found himself slumped over at the base of some cliffs at the lake with a bloody nose, soaked by relentless rain and nearly deafened by sharp thunderclaps. He had no idea how long he had been there. In fact, he wasn’t even sure if leaving the house was a conscious decision on his part, either. Thoroughly confused, and moving as if he had just come out of a long unconsciousness, he sluggishly felt at his nose knowing that he was bleeding. Oddly enough, it wasn’t painful. Rain stung his face as he stared up into the sky, not knowing what to do, still seeing black. After a long doubt-filled pause, Derrek decided to climb to his feet. He slowly made his way back to Hanah’s home.
Not long later, he was in front of Hanah’s home, grateful that he was so close to shelter once again. But as he touched the door handle, an excruciating pain enveloped his entire body, forcing him to buckle over. He grunted in pain, attempting to stand again, but his attempts were futile as the pain firmly gripped him, slamming him into the ground. Derrek began to uncontrollably twitch and spasm, his eyes fluttering open and shut at an alarming rate. Gasping for breath, he thought he was dying. He wasn’t dying, but something entirely else.
Through the bout of pain, Derrek began to have flashbacks, starting exactly when he left Hanah’s home originally, during all of the things he could not recall. But these flashbacks were not just feelings and sounds, they were visual as well. In his flashbacks, he was seeing. He saw the rain soak his robe as he walked around the lake. He saw the bright flashes of lightning illuminate everything around him. But just as his flashback approached the base of the cliffs where he had apparently fallen unconscious, everything went black once more…
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Derrek quickly rose out of his bed, wildly looking around, expecting to still be outside. He quickly discovered otherwise. He was still in darkness, and after a moment of thought, he was about to dismiss the entire thing as a bad dream. Only later would he find his wet robes strewn across the floor. And although he was not aware, there was a large bloodstain on the front of his robes as well.
It had been months since he’d seen anything. Or even more than that, he had long since lost track. Being blind did not make him helpless, however. Through his life, he had come to have an intricate understanding of his body through his monk training. Early on in his blindness, he discovered that he was able to still ‘see’ his surrounding environment through feelings and sounds. And as for people, their ki energy was enough to allow him to know their existence. But for being a strong believer that there was light in any situation, blindness was beginning to become ever more frustrating for Derrek to bear.
He began to have thoughts about past decisions, decisions that had been continually haunting his thoughts for some time now. He was resilient to begin with, his thoughts waning with his attitude. But his thoughts would always return, always more forceful than before. His stony posture began to crumble, only slightly at first. But as his thoughts continued to assault his conscious, he completely broke apart, shaking nearly uncontrollably. He placed his head in his hands, wishing for an answer. A few minutes later, Derrek would slowly lift his head from his hands and rise from the bed, fumbling around for the hooded robe he always wore. He soon left Hanah’s home, as he had been doing for many nights now…
He soon found himself slumped over at the base of some cliffs at the lake with a bloody nose, soaked by relentless rain and nearly deafened by sharp thunderclaps. He had no idea how long he had been there. In fact, he wasn’t even sure if leaving the house was a conscious decision on his part, either. Thoroughly confused, and moving as if he had just come out of a long unconsciousness, he sluggishly felt at his nose knowing that he was bleeding. Oddly enough, it wasn’t painful. Rain stung his face as he stared up into the sky, not knowing what to do, still seeing black. After a long doubt-filled pause, Derrek decided to climb to his feet. He slowly made his way back to Hanah’s home.
Not long later, he was in front of Hanah’s home, grateful that he was so close to shelter once again. But as he touched the door handle, an excruciating pain enveloped his entire body, forcing him to buckle over. He grunted in pain, attempting to stand again, but his attempts were futile as the pain firmly gripped him, slamming him into the ground. Derrek began to uncontrollably twitch and spasm, his eyes fluttering open and shut at an alarming rate. Gasping for breath, he thought he was dying. He wasn’t dying, but something entirely else.
Through the bout of pain, Derrek began to have flashbacks, starting exactly when he left Hanah’s home originally, during all of the things he could not recall. But these flashbacks were not just feelings and sounds, they were visual as well. In his flashbacks, he was seeing. He saw the rain soak his robe as he walked around the lake. He saw the bright flashes of lightning illuminate everything around him. But just as his flashback approached the base of the cliffs where he had apparently fallen unconscious, everything went black once more…
-----------------------------------------------------------
Derrek quickly rose out of his bed, wildly looking around, expecting to still be outside. He quickly discovered otherwise. He was still in darkness, and after a moment of thought, he was about to dismiss the entire thing as a bad dream. Only later would he find his wet robes strewn across the floor. And although he was not aware, there was a large bloodstain on the front of his robes as well.
