The crisp morning air seeped through my lungs. The sun had just revealed itself, leaving a warm glow across the meadow. I had found myself gazing at the sun, when Lavender finally arrived.
“I was wondering where you were!” I said. Lavender and I have known each other since 4th grade. It’s now 10th grade and not a lot has changed. I really don’t have any other friends. She’s all I need.
“Hey Jet. Sorry, my mom and I got caught behind a train.” I had just glimpse of Lavender’s mom as she was driving away.
We always met at the meadow. It was a certain willow tree that was where we are always at. The meadow was bordered by a large evergreen forest, giving the meadow an eerie feeling. There was only one old country road going straight through the forest, passing the meadow.
“I can’t believe that we have a test on the history of Anza. Don’t we just have to know that it’s the island that we live on?” Lav and I start laughing.
“Well, I actually am kinda interested in it. It’s crazy who used to be here. Sorcerers and mantacors!” Lavender replied.
“Eh, it’s okay,” I said.
“What’s that on the road?” Lav said, completely focused on a white blob on the road. Without saying anything more, Lavender started running.
“Lavender! Where are you going?”
“I gotta figure out what this thing is! I’ll be back soon, I promise Jet!” She yells, already halfway to the mysterious object.
“Okay,” I said to myself. I just watched her, knowing that she’ll tell me what the thing was when she gets back.
I waited and watched her, noticing that a slight wind was picking up. Lav then bends over and picks the blob up. She’s staring at it, her eyes fixated on the ball of white.
Clouds were coming in, making the meadow a steel gray. I was about to tell Lavender to come back because of the oncoming clouds, but she shouted something before I could say anything.
“It’s just a big white rock!” she said. Then, everything changed.
I screamed before Lavender even noticed it. She looked up then turned her head towards the woods. A wail barely escaped her mouth before a car barreled into her.
I stood there, just watching it all unfold. The car rammed into her, and sent Lavender flying. She landed in a patch of grass, but the car didn’t stop. It kept howling down the road. Before the car left my sight of vision, I caught a glimpse of the driver. He had a big bulgy nose with scraggly hair. It seemed as though his eyes were little pool. Crystal blue, they tracked me along the side of the road. The corners of his mouth began to form a smile.
I couldn’t look at him anymore. I just started blindly running towards Lavender. I didn’t know if she was hurt or maybe…
I reached her and she was still. She looked peaceful. I crashed to the ground, searching for a pulse. Anything that could knock away the lump out of my throat.
It was faint, but I could hear it.
“Lavender, I was so scared,” I whispered to myself. “But, you’re still here.” I immediately grabbed my phone, dialing 911.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………....
“She’s going to be fine,” the doctor said. I let out a sigh of relief. “She just had a couple of bruised ribs. She might have some memory loss. This was very miraculous that she wasn’t severely injured.” I look over at Lavender’s mom, who’s clutching my hand. I gave her a weak smile.
“Thank you doctor,” Lav’s mom says. “We’re allowed to see her, right?” The doctor nods and smiles.
I rush down the hallway, needing the see Lav. I burst into her room. She’s asleep, so I sit down right next to her bed. As soon as I sit down, her eyes begin to flutter. She’s drowsy, having been asleep for a couple hours. She moans, noticing the new bruises. Lavender is really a sight for sore eyes.
“How are you feeling?” I ask quietly.
“I’m okay,” she says. “Really sore and confused. I don’t remember a lot that happened. The last thing was when I saw the big white rock on the road. Then it went black. My head is weird too. It’s not normal. I know that doesn’t make sense, but that’s the only thing that matches with what I feel.”
“I get it,” I said. “I’m just glad that you’re okay”.
“Me too,” she replies. As she was talking, I saw someone out of the corner of my eye. He was walking slowly down the hospital hallway. His blue eyes caught me. It’s him, I thought. I just stared at him, watching his every move. I started to get up, not knowing what had overcome me. I walked out of the room, following the man.
“Excuse me?” I said, my nerves are jumping up and down.
“What,” He mumbles.
“Why didn’t you stop when you hit my friends? Why didn’t you help,” I began to say, my voice rising. “She could have been dead for all you cared.”
“Oh, her,” He replies with a grin on his face. “She’s never going to be the same after today. NEVER.” I just stood there wondering what to say. He started to leave and I didn’t stop him and he disappeared around the corner.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
It’s been two days since the accident. We finally decided to head back to the meadow. I was still freaked out by seeing the man in the hospital and by what he said. He’s starting to appear in my dreams. I just can’t shake the feeling that he’s near or watching me.
I wanted to talk to her about what happened. She still doesn’t remember anything.
“So I was in the middle of the road, looking at the big white rock. Then, you said, that the car came out of nowhere and hit me. I then went flying and landed on the side of the road. But, the car didn’t stop?” She asked
“Yeah,” I answered. This was really hard for me to relive this experience. I was so scared that day. I really wanted to forget about it, yet I knew that it would replay in my brain ‘till the day I die. “He looked really weird. He had a big nose and barely any hair. The strangest thing about him was his eyes. They were crystal blue, and he was staring at me,” I shivered, for the memory gave me the creeps. I just couldn’t tell her that I had seen him in the hospital and that I had confronted him. His words ring in my head as I try to explain what had happened with the car.
“That’s funny. Sorcerers are born with really interesting eyes like that.” Lav said. I just nodded.
“His eyes were like none other. It’s super freaky.” I couldn’t tell her that he had an eerie smile when he was driving by. It would just be too much.
“Yeah. I gotta sit down. My head’s being weird again.”
“Can you explain what ‘weird’ is? It’s just that you’ve been saying that your head has been acting up. I just want to know what that means a little more.” Help me understand Lav, I thought.
“I can help you understand I guess…” I stopped.
“Lavender. I didn’t say that I want you to help me understand. I said that I wanted to know what that means. I just thought about wanting to understand.”
“No, you said that out loud. I heard it!” She says, a little startled.
“Never mind. I probably didn’t realize what I said. So, back to what I asked.”
“Yeah,” she says. “Well, there’s just a buzz all the time. It’s really weird.”
“Okay,” I reply. That’s really weird. I’ve never heard of that happening to someone, I think. I really hope that Lav will be okay
“Yeah, I guess that it is weird. But, I know that I’ll be okay. It’ll go away.” I stop and stare at her.
“Now I know I didn’t say that. I just thought ‘I’ve never heard of that before’. I didn’t say it. I’m really sure of it.” I say.
“What do you mean?” She gulps.
“I think you just read my mind.” I don’t even believe what just came out of my own mouth. I now understand what the man had meant by ‘never being the same’.
“How?” She says, in total disbelief.
“I don’t know. You said something was wrong with your head, right? That it was ‘weird’. Maybe that crash did something to your brain. But, that’s never happened before…”
“Jet, you said that guy looked weird. That he had the bluest eyes.”
“Yeah, they creeped me out. What does that have anything to do with your brain?”
“Everything. Like I said before, sorcerers are known for their eyes. Maybe...Maybe that guy was a sorcerer…”
“What!?” I answered
“I know it sounds crazy, but it kinda makes sense. I mean, sorcerers are known for their eyes. They also have power beyond imagination. It’s amazing what they can do. Maybe, he cursed me or hexed me or something. He might of done it through the contact of the car, or something. I’m just trying to figure this out, because you’re right. No other car accident has caused someone to be able to read someone’s mind.” I just nodded. Mind reading?
“This is so crazy,” I say.
“I know. I wonder why mind reading? Of all things he could've cursed me with, mind reading?”
“Maybe he wanted to hurt you. Not physically, but mentally. Literally. But, having voices in your head would get really annoying. To have others thoughts in your head. That’s harsh.”
“Yeah,” she looks at the ground. “I’m going to have this for all of my life. I’ll never be able to get rid of it. It’s always going to be there. Everyone’s worries, hopes, struggles. All of it, I’ll be able to access it. I hate him! Why ME?”
“I don’t understand it either,” I say, full of empathy. I sit there looking at Lavender, trying to figure out what to say. “There has to be some way to control it though. I mean, we could work with it and figure it out.”
“Maybe I should just try to not think about it. Try to focus on my own thoughts. Not everyone's thoughts. I could block them out… Kind of like listening to music and the T.V. You only really want to listen to one of them, so you mentally block them out. I can do that,” Lavender explains.
“Let’s try it.” We walk over to the willow tree and I start thinking random thoughts. Lavender would just stare off into space, trying to block out my thoughts and focus on her own  thoughts.
“I heard nothing Jet. I couldn’t read your mind. I was so focused on the swaying of the willow tree branches and how the sun reflects off of the meadow, that I couldn’t hear what you were thinking. I just heard faint whispers. Maybe this might work.”
“I knew it would work,” I say. “This will become second nature sooner or later. I can just feel it.”
“Well, what are you doing standing there? Let’s get to work. I want this to become second nature sooner than later.” She smiles. This was the first time I’ve seen her smiling in the past two days. It was so amazing.
“Okay.” I began to think. Lav went over on the other side of the willow tree. She only spoke when I asked her what had happened when she was focused on her thoughts. We worked together until the skies were turning purple and red. I sat next to Lavender, enjoying her company.
“So, do you think you’ll be able to do it? Block them all out?” I asked Lav.
“Yeah, I really think that I can do it. I don’t know where I would have been without you. I really don’t want to get mushy, but thank you. You were the one who didn’t let me give up on myself.” She looked at me with tears in her eyes.
“You’re welcome,” I smile. “But, you can’t get mushy on me. You did it! You have to be happy.”
“Yeah,” she laughs. “Do you want to meet tomorrow?”
“I’ll be here,” I say, staring back at the sun.