Look Into My Eyes

The eyes she remembers, but the experience she does not. What happens when she meets the boy with the same green eyes she so often relives.

Its just a scar. That is what I tell myself every morning as I pull my shirt over the marbled tear in my skin. Most of the night is a blur except for one portion I cannot forget, forest green eyes who's owner is still unknown to me. But I try to forget about all that as I pack my boxes for college. Finally I am leaving this bland town I called home for the past eighteen years. Granted the college I am moving to is only an hour away, it will be a reprieve from the nothingness of Winchester, Colorado.  As I look around my empty room I try to imagine all the memories that took place here, the tears and the joy all bottled into one 10 by 12 foot space. But I as I pack the last box into my car I try to forget about the past and look forward. 

***

I winced in pain as I lifted the last of my boxes into dorm number 84. It still hurt years after the accident. I finished the initial set up of my room I took the rest of the afternoon to visit the courtyard where the rest of the freshman had congregated. I met a few people, exchanged numbers, found my classes, and navigated through the campus. I reached my dorm room that night and knew tonight would be that hardest of all the nights spent in this little room. I lay awake thinking of home and about my parents. I reached up and grabbed their picture off the headboard and hugged it close. I whispered these soft words to a lifeless frame, I hope you are proud of the daughter I have become.

I became accustomed to college life, settling into the flow of the everyday routine. That flow was altered the day my roommate drug me to a karaoke party that a mutual friend was hosting. I of course objected profusely, but I was defeated by her persistent efforts and offer of free drinks. My plan was to sit in the back, sipping my virgin Shirley Temple, and laugh at the fools who volunteered to sing. I had just grabbed another Shirley Temple as the spotlight was pointed at me and another boy sitting a few places away from me. I tried to duck out of the way, but to many people had already noticed and ushered me to the makeshift stage. They played the song "Love Lifts Us Up To Where We Belong," which I thought was an odd choice for two strangers. As the first verse began to play I looked over to my chosen partner, but when I did I was speechless. My vision became blurred as I zoned in on the only thing I could think about, this boy's forest green eyes. In backing away from him I fell off the stage and into the crowd of people. The boy hoped off the stage to help me up. 

"Stage fright are we?" he asked in a playful tone. 

"Your...your eyes," I stammered, "I know them."

"I think you have had a little to much to drink my friend, let's take you home." He said politely.

He placed my arm gently around his and I could feel the strength behind them. He hailed a taxi and placed me into the car and got in on the other side. He had asked my roommate before we let where we lived and told the driver as such. I fell asleep in the back of the taxi. Once we arrived he helped me up to my room, put me into my bed, and put an Ibuprofen on my headboard. When I awoke the next morning I found a note that read: I hope you have had some coffee by the time you read this because it may not make sense otherwise. Last night at the party you told me you knew my eyes. I thought it strange at first, but the more I looked at you the more familiar you became. Of course your words could be the ramblings of a drunk girl, but if not coffee at Stellar Coffee around noon? Hope to see you there. Signed Lucas. As I read the words the night began to return. I remembered the boy with the forest green eyes I had seen so many times in my dreams. I glanced at the clock it was already 11:45, so I grabbed my keys and drove to the coffeeshop. 

I pulled up to see the boy from last night, now known to me as Lucas, in the window seat looking at a magazine. I went to the bar, ordered my drink, and pulled up a chair next to his table. 

"Well hello again, glad to know you remembered me from last night," he said in the playful voice he had used the night before. 

"I really wasn't that drunk," I said back possibly a little defensively. 

"Oh really? So you weren't the girl I had to carry to her dorm room?" he said with a grin.

"Well I suppose I may have been a tad bit intoxicated, but not enough to forget your eyes." I said trying to incorporate the purpose of the meeting. 

"About that, you said that you knew them" he asked quizzically, "from where?"

"This story is going to come out sooner or later so I might as well tell it now," I said preparing myself to relive the experience from that night for the millionth time. "It was Christmas break when I was sixteen, so about two years ago, and my parents and I were going to our cabin for the holidays. There was a snowstorm in Colorado that day, but my father was determined to make it up the mountain by sundown. The snow had slowed our pace and it was becoming dark. The road that led up to our cabin was turned and twisted about the mountain. As we rounded a turn an elk jumped in front of our car and my father, being the animal lover he is, swerved for the poor thing. We ran the car off the road and down a short cliff. My parents both died instantly. The EMT said that it was a miracle I survived. Everything after the crash is a blur except one thing, beautiful forest green eyes. Your eyes Lucas." I had kept my head down throughout the whole story for fear of him seeing my eyes well up with tears. But his reaction was something I had not anticipated. 

When I looked up he was staring at me with a white face as though he had seen a ghost. He managed to let out the words in a whisper, "You are her."

"What does that mean?" I asked confused by his answer to my story. 

"You are the girl I pulled from the car. I saw your car go over the cliff and I ran to the wreckage. Both of the adults were dead I could tell. But you were still in the back, alive. I smashed the window and pulled you out. There was a piece of glass sticking out of your side and there was so much blood. I called the paramedics, but I ran away. I am not sure why I did that though. I stood a safe distance so no one would see me and watched them take you into the ambulance..." he faded the ending as if lost in thought. I was speechless I had no idea what to think. The doctors were in awe that I had made it out of the vehicle in such great shape given the circumstances. 

"You saved me," I whispered, "Your eyes were the last thing I saw before I passed out."

"I told you to look into my eyes. I told you to explain what you saw. I wanted to keep you talking to forget about the pain. When I left you you were still awake and describing all the things you saw in my eyes." he smiled and looked up at me. 

 

I touched his face and looked straight into his eyes. The wonderment they held was incredible and I could almost remember my sixteen year old self describing the treasures I had found in his eyes to him. I could not look away. Still to this day as I look over at his face every morning I am amazed at the deep green eyes and feel the same captivation I felt on that frightful winter day. 

Reviews

[Robert Parlange]

I like the “story-within-a-story” technique here. You handled it well. The story has a good set-up and a satisfying ending. No zombies or giant robots. Refreshing. Human beings being human. I also liked the idea of fate and these two people meeting again. Keep writing.

[Bra.Kofi]

i like the story and how brief it is

[Elizabeth Maguire]

Thank you. I like to keep my stories short

[Inject Positivity]

This is so well done... The story has a nice flow throughout, and I must say the concept is really brilliant... The descriptions about the circumstances and how it all happened was lovely to read, sad to hear her parents' unfortunate death... But you gave the story a new meaning by placing the green eyed boy on the spot as a miracle to save her life... So beautifully done frnd...

Sincerely
Dhiman

[Elizabeth Maguire]

Thank You!

[PhillipCalitz12]

wow...this is quite gripping to be honest..

[Elizabeth Maguire]

That was the desired effect. Glad you thought so and thanks