The Changes

The sunrays shone high up in the clouds. I peeked at the beautiful sky, with the corner of my eyes. The clouds had made different patterns in the sky. It was with no doubt; A beautiful morning.

"Zara, are you awake. Come down girl. I cannot find my spectacles." Granddad screamed. I smirked, because I knew they were definitely on his head. I rolled over my bed once more, relieved the frustrations of waking up early. Rushing down the stairs, I said, "Granddad, you sure they are not on you head?"

"Oh mine, yes they are. How did you---" He paused as he looked at me. "What's the matter, Granddad?" I questioned. He was looking at me in a very strange way. I was totally baffled. "What's the matter?" I repeated myself.

"When did you get blue lens. I did not know you liked blue eyes." He elucidated. "Blue eyes!! What are you saying?" I exclaimed. How could I suddenly have blue eyes. Not like, I bought lens. I went up the stairs to my room. Granddad was right. I looked at myself in the mirror. I did have blue eyes. At this state, I only thought of being in a dream. I neared the mirror. Even tried touching my pupils, to make sure if they weren't lenes. What is this?

Let me have a bath. I thought. Maybe I am still dreaming. I took of my white full sleeved top. I had another thing to worry about. There was something imprinted on my skin above the collar bone. It was like an emblem. A naked sword, with a red cloth wrapped around it, and white feather in the background. Not bigger than the size of a broch. What is this! My head was spinning wildly. I tried scrubbing it out with a brush. It wouldn't disappear no matter what I did to it. I could feel that emblem-like print near my neck. It felt as if it was inserted in my skin, more of a tiny-flexible metal.

What was happening to me. First my pupils turning blue, and now this. I couldn't freak out less. The question was, what was I going to answer the people who ask me about this strange changes. The 'thing' on my neck would easily be covered up with my clothes. What about these eyes?

My head was pack of weird thoughts. Couldn't stop thinking. I was shocked, a lot more scared. What to do now? What has happened to me?

The only thing that could be done now was to lie. Lie to everyone around, lie to myself that I am alright. I hurriedly wore my uniform. Pulled over a colossal jacket, and headed outside my enclosure.

Granddad was waiting for me besides the gate. "Zara? Are you still going to wear those blue lens?" He asked, not having a clue of the present sitch. "Y-yes! I quite like these." I answered with every word cut in halves. "You look more like your mother now." he said. "Do I?" I questioned. He only gave a smile. There was no way it could be true, mom was way more beautiful than me, she had blue eyes, with curvy coal black hair. I had genes more of my father. I resembled him in looks. Red-brown hair, caramel eyes; which were always mistaken for brown.

As we walked down the streets, I noticed eyes looking at me from all directions. I should have known such circumstances would arise. All that could be done was ignore them. They were all our neighbours who wouldn't stop talking bad about me and my mom for some reason. "Isn't that the Zara girl. I heard a rich boy has been helping her with money." A passer-by whispered to her friend. "She is the one whose parents died in a car accident. How pitiable." Another murmured. "I heard her father was from a very poor background." One more claimed. "Why is she wearing lens, to show off?" "Her mother was one too." They went on and on. Making stuffs about my parents and spitting my dark history. Those words were not new to me. I grew up with this profanity. To be honest, words cut deeper than a knife; because A knife once stabbed can be pulled out, easing the pain, but an offensive-destructive word is embedded in the soul

I pulled over the hoody of my jacket. Just to escape the vicious environment. It had not been three complete seconds I had my face covered. Granddad slipped the hoody from my head saying, "The one who notice the storm in your eyes, the silence in your voice and the heaviness in your heart, are the ones you need to list in your story. The rest can be considered trash."

Wow granddad you rock. His words were so pure and strong leaving me speechless. I now suddenly felt cold-hearted in a warm way. I just have to fight these battles without a sword and an arena. I bid Granddad a goodbye as he climbed Mr. Gibbs' car. The car vanished in a few minutes.

Now all that was left to be done was to reach school in three minutes. "I can make it!! Sure can!!!!" I mocked, as there was no way it was happening.

I ran as fast as my long legs could. No time to even stop to catch my breath. I saw the cross road nearing me. Please let there be a red light.

I looked up the traffic signal in all hopes for a red colour, but fate can sometimes be wicked. It was green. I am doomed. No way was I reaching school in time. I waited a few seconds, then saw a small boy in the middle of the road. About the length from the ground to my waist. Wait!! What is he doing in the middle of the road. I turned left to see a big truck nearing in his way. It was honking loud as to blast my ear drums. I screamed, "Hey kid!! Move from there." But he did not seem to listen at all. I rushed in front of truck hoping to save the both of us. Not knowing why. The truck neared, I had no option left, but just push the boy outside. I was hit by the truck, sent flying. Rolling down I could see stars, my vision all blur. My head started bleeding, and paining in an awful way. Even if I die, I am happy I saved that young life, but I don't want to die so soon. Lying unconscious on the road. Screams went up from all sides, I could hear an ambulance alarm. Maybe I'll die. All I could sense was pain and pain. Help me!! I can't take it anymore.

I dreamt of a young man with brown hair running towards me saying that, I still was not perfect. I could only consider myself dead, but I wasn't!!

My eyes opened, to see a blood saline attached at the side. It was a hospital room, quite a lavish one though. "She's awake!!" screamed an unfamiliar figure whom I did not notice sitting beside me. The doctors came in all worried. They checked me.

"How are you feeling, dear?" one of them asked. I could only reply one phrase, "I hope I am still alive." All the people in the ward smiled at my hilarious reply. But the thruth was I was in a wrll of pain. The woman beside me kneeled by my side, grabbing both of my hands, tears rolled down her cheeks. I could feel her trembling. "Thank you so very much for saving my son." "Son?" I questioned. "Yes the boy whom you saved yesterday from being hit by the truck." another man said," He is our son, James."

"Yesterday?!" I exclaimed. Has it been a day already. "You were in a coma when they brought you here and were bleeding badly. There were no hopes for you to survive, but it's a miracle for you to be alive. And only end up with a major bruise on your forehead " the doctor said. "Yes I feel God still wants me to be alive." I replied. I was super tired, and in terrible pain even after waking up a day later. Hands and legs numb. Wondering how did I survive the accident.

Suddenly a small boy gust in, wearing a small cap to fit his tiny head. He was cute. I recognised him immediately. he was the one I saved. "Hello sister!!" He greeted me. "How are you feeling. I am sorry you got injured because of me. I am sorry." "It's my pleasure James. But tell me what were you doing in the middle of the road. And plus you did not even hear the honking of that truck." I questioned him. Instead of replying me back, he looked at his mother. "H-He is deaf. He cannot hear anything." She said. That instance those words hit me at my soft spot. Such a cutie; but; Deaf! I could not help but cry. Hot tears rolled my cheeks. "Sister why are you crying, it's my fault for running on the roads. " he climbed up my bed to comfort me.

"You are a brave boy. I am sure there is a lot of adventure waiting for you."

His mother translated what I said.

"Really sister? You think so?" "Ah ha!"

We quickly had a small discussion as to when I can leave the hospital. I did not want to stay here for more than three days, because Granddad would definitely suffer a stroke if he heard I got into an accident. "Dear what is your name, you look very familiar?" the mother asked me, after all the men had left the room, to give me some space. James had stayed back.

"Zara, Zara Elliot."

"Wait, Elliot!! You mean you are Isabella Elliot's daughter?! The top sword artist of Claive-o-Rona."

When she said that, I was shocked, more proud. I never knew mom and I were so famous. "Yes. I am!" I replied with my chin held high.

"I was a great fan of your mother. She was so flawless. She destructed the arena whenever she fought. But it's was sad to hear about her death, fifteen years ago." She said with a dull face. Indeed mom was incredible. She would be so glad to hear this if she were alive.

"But doesn't Zara have brown eyes. Why are they so blue now?" she asked. I quickly remembered about the changes that happened on the day before . The crest on my neck, the eye colour change. A gush of images past my memory chip. I had to come up with some excuse to deal with it. "That, I-I actually. I actually have blue eyes, but not many people in our region have them, so I thought of wearing lens. Yes that's it." I lied. What a wonderful lie! I am doomed. What was I going to do when my eye colour returned to normal. Crap!!

"Is that so? But I must say, your eyes are really pretty. They are just like patterns waves on the ocean. Really beautiful. Just like Isabella's "

"Thank you so much. I appreciate it. " I wonder if the doctors had seen the crest on my neck while the operation. But I could come up with a lame excuse for that too. Mocked at myself.

Three days pasted by really quick. On the third day James' mother came to me and told me that I should be get ready to go. The saline on my hand was removed, and except for the bandages on my head. I was still wondering how did I survive that accident. As I was putting on my normal clothes in the bathroom, I heard a big thud in the room outside. I was puzzled, no one would make that loud noise in a patient's ward. I peeked from the corner of my eye without making any sound. What I saw outside was a total bummer. Two girls- or to be more specific two beautiful girls were standing outside as though searching for something. They were dressed in beautiful royal dresses. I did not notice that the door I held on to was opening wide open with my pressure on it; they saw me.

"So you were the one who survived the accident that day, weren't you?" one of them asked rather in a pitchy tone. "Y-yes. But what does that have to do with you?" I as usual showing off my cold side to strangers replied. "What does that have to do with us you ask!" The other who was quite all the time finally questioned. "Quite, Catharine. I'll deal with this myself." Deal with 'This' what a rude way of speaking.

"I'll go straight to the point; Why did you drink the 'Potion'? Who told you about that potion, human." Potion!? What potion is she speaking about? And human? Is she a God then?

"What potion are you talking about? And quit that rude accent of yours, will you?"

"What potion? That potion you stole from me on the day of that school competition."

"I did not steal anything. And what potion. Please tell me so we can avoid this inconvenience.''

The arrogant ladies calmed down and took a sit on my bed. Just as she was about spout some hefty words at me, I could hear a few nurses and staff members coming towards this ward. I counselled them to leave and then have a chat later. Surprisingly they agreed and left from the window.

The staff entered the room, and started panicking about the loud noise. I lied saying, that I dropped something out of weakness.

"You should be careful, Zara. Your still injured. Remember not to bump your head somewhere. And be careful your eye is still covered because of the bandages." one of them warned me. Coming towards the bandages they almost covered my left eye. And which I found extremely annoying. I could only see through one eye, and half of my face was covered. The pain was going beyond my limits.

But, my only prayer to god, "Please, let granddad stay over for a postponed of two weeks." I knew for sure he would suffer a stroke.

I walked out of the hospital doors, Mrs. and Mr. Smith completed all the paper work and even paid all the handsome amount of hospital fees. I was given all the medicines, and the necessary precautions.

  The day was really confussing, and I couldn't find any answers to what was happening, lest could I trouble my injured head. Leaving the hospital and final wave to my saviours (causers of the mess), james and his parents.

  I left for my home, to have some rest.