Blind and Deaf

I was blind and deaf. Like a sea cucumber.

That was the first thought that came to me when I regained consciousness.

Last thing I remembered was getting my eyes plucked, leading to screaming until I passed out. Not enjoyable. Very painful. Would not recommend to others.

'But why? He said he was taking me to someone.' I picked myself from the ground and stood up.

"I am!" His voice popped back in my head.

'You-!'

"Calm down!"

The audacity! To hell with telepathy.

"You ripped out my eyes! If you're going to kill me, just kill me! Or if I'm going to hell, just tell me." I couldn't hear them, but I felt the words leaving my mouth. So I still had my tongue and my lungs. Unless of course, he ripped those out as well.

"Yes, yes, I'm sorry about that. But it was necessary! Otherwise you would've went kaboom!"

"Kaboom?"

"Yes, kaboom!" His voice had the usual joyful tone as he said that.

"You're really disturbing." And sadistic. Did he have to giggle as he took my eyes?

"I know!" Same merry spirit. I wanted to slap him. If only.

I took a deep breath, then slowly reached up and touched my face with my hands, which, by the way, felt as if they were no longer stained. It was an incredibly uncanny feeling, to move my fingers up and... emptiness. It was surreal.

No more blood, no more pain. Just empty sockets.

"Why would I go boom?" I asked.

"Well-"

"No, let me guess. Seeing whatever lays ahead with my own eyes will be too much for my mortal mind to comprehend and all that stuff, leading to me exploding. Am I right?" This was the explanation you would see in books and movies all the time. It could also offer some sort of reason for why the mist kept blocking a clear view of his figure earlier. Maybe seeing this entity clearly would be too painful for my eyes.

"Ehhh?"

"Excuse me? You did say I would go 'kaboom,' right?"

"From seeing someone? Where did you get that idea from? That's stupid! What an idiot!" He started laughing. I knew I was dealing with supernatural beings, but I was losing patience with this one.

"No, it's to protect you! Arcy said she would rip you into pieces and make your soul implode before you get to see her." He continued, speaking casually as if this was normal.

"So let me get this right." I was confused.

"You want to take me to someone, who would tear me apart just because I might look at them?"

"No no! Arcy is someone else. She doesn't like you being here, but the Queen..." His words trailed off.

I quickly ran through the scenario I was in. I was being taken by an entity to meet this other entity he was calling the Queen, presumably for a reason that did not involve my vision or hearing. And there was another being called 'Arcy' that did not approve of this, but would go along with it unless I was blinded?

None of it made much sense to me, but it was what I had.

"So, who is this 'Arcy?' Why doesn't she like me? You know, my mother always told me everyone liked me." I went for a light hearted joke while trying to gain more information, but there was no reply.

"Hello?"

No response.

'Hello? Anyone there?' No answer. The figure was gone.

What now? I had no clue. I was stranded in an unknown place with unknown existences with no sight, no vision, and no idea why. Was there anything I could do?

I sat down, thinking for a bit, then came up with a genius answer:

"Absolutely nothing."

Then I laid down and took a nap.

~~~

I instantly woke up when something burned inside my chest.

I groaned in pain, as the searing sensation traveled throughout my entire body. It was as if I was slowly being melted by acid, inside out.

"So you're finally awake."

A different voice appeared in my head. A woman's voice, this time. It was assertive and filled with confidence.

"Weren't there better candidates? You can't be serious about letting the Queen gift him?" Oh this was 'Arcy,' definitely. And what was this about a gift?

"Hey! You realize you can't be greedy about this sort of thing. Besides... ■■ ■ ■■■ ■■■. ■■■■■ ■■. ■■■■■ ■■■-gacha." The figure's voice came back. But while he was speaking, another wave of pain washed through me, and the words he spoke changed into unintelligible sounds.

But did he just say gacha? I think he just said gacha. Oh dear.

"No. I still can't allow him to see the Queen."

"But he won't! See? He's blind! He won't see her!"

"What are you..." There was a short pause. The pain rampaging inside me faded away.

"Are you a fool? You actually removed his eyes?!" A hint of agitation was detected.

Hold up. Don't tell me...

"I didn't mean it just literally!"

I choked after I heard her response. I couldn't believe it.

'You son of a bitch! How could you-'

"Time to go!" Something immediately wrapped around me, lifting me up and encasing me in a soft, wooly substance. As the material covered my head, I caught a whiff of something salty. It smelled like the sea. I tried moving my arms to get it off, but my limbs were quickly pressed against me, leaving me tied up like a cocoon.

'What is this? What's going on?' All of a sudden, I was flipped over, and felt my body hurtling to the ground. Whatever thing was covering me managed to absorb the impact, but I felt the same blazing agony appear again.

I couldn't understand what was happening.

The voices in my head completely disappeared, and being blind and deaf, I could do nothing but wait as I slowly lost conscious once again.