Blind But Not Unheard

He crossed the wide, deserted road, listening as he went, knowing what was awaiting him on the other side. He knew without seeing that there was a path cleared straight into the forest, he could feel steady rocks lodged into the earth, under his feet. He knew this land, this forest, and he could walk it blindfolded. Not that he needed one; A blindfold that was. That was already taken care of for him. He had been blinded just last year. And with his sight, also went his life.

"I know Jake's here, I just don't know where," she said to the man driving the obscenely large truck. He was a large man, his hair was thinning already, at the age of 50. She could see the gray coming in. The man scoffed his mouth twisting into a grimace. "I'm not sayin' nothin'. You've know my Jake for some years now. There's no denying. But Liz I'd of thought you knew your best friend well enough to find him." "Look sir, as you said already, I am his best friend, therefore, I know what's best for him. Trust me when I say that us barging in on him isn't going to help." "And you're saying that huddling up like some sort of hermit is going to help?" "Sir, with all do respect I do believe that's his choice."

He paused as he heard the sounds of a large, moving vehicle coming down the road. He felt the ground shuddering beneath his feet. Dust and bits of rock flew up against his skin. He knew he had to move. For a blind man he wasn't that bad of a runner. Dropping his walking stick on the ground he sprinted knowing the other side of the road was only a few meters away.

The man was looking at her now, His face convulsing with rage, his eyes narrowed on her. "I knew you was a no good pile a-" "LOOK OUT!" She reached over to the steering wheel swerving over to the other side of the road. The car barely missed him but it did. She knew there was going to be a collision before she saw the tree ahead of them. As they hurtled into it her it her thoughts remained the same. 'Thank God he's ok.'

He halted finally on the other side, listening but knew it was too late. He had heard the screeching of the tires but had done nothing. Nothing, but run in cowardice. But he would have sworn that he heard the familiar voice shout before it had come to a halt. He couldn't understand why he recognized it. Then as if suddenly enlightened, his eyes widened with shock, his body trembling, he tried to call out but his voice came in only a hoarse whisper. He shut his sightless eyes tightly, tears stinging behind his eyelids but he kept them back, he opened them again and cried out this time his voice carrying. "LIZ!" As he ran toward the place he had heard the impact, for the first time since his accident his thoughts were on something other that his battered life, his best friend could be dying he knew and as if in denial he gave his head a hard shake and cried out her name once more. "LIZ!" He fell to the ground and crawled the rest of the way, his fingers feeling out the crushed remains of the former vehicle.

As she lie there, waiting for death to claim her, she heard a faint cry, as if someone were calling her name. A smile crept up to her lips as her lids slipped closed. She then, uttered a last word before succumbing to the darkness around her. "Jake."