I wake up into the same room that I had for years yet it seemed so different. The usual dark calm that washed over the room was replaced by pitch black which was very unsettling to me. I reach out to my nightstand where I keep my lamp. My fingers find the switch but when I flick it on there was no change. I sit up and immediately feel woozy. My head was spinning and my arms felt heavy. The worst was the headache. I swing my leg over the side of my bed and nearly fall off. Every movement made my head feel worse. I lay my head back down and curl up under my blankets. I could deal with this later. I close my eyes and allow myself to drift back to sleep.
When I awake my head feels worse. I try to sit up again but my head would not hold me up anymore. It felt like I was on the surface of the sun but there still was not a single beam of light. Why was my room so dark? My head never hurt this bad in my life. I needed help. I try to yell to my dad who slept in the next room over but my brain wouldn’t allow it. I couldn’t make a peep. All that was accomplished was making my head feel like it was on fire. I had to go to him. I roll gently out of my bed onto my floor. The hardwood felt like ice on my bare arms. I couldn’t stand so I had to crawl. I crawled and crawled for what seemed like an eternity until my head hits into my door. I collapse instantly. When I gather the strength I slowly creep up my door and turn the door knob. When the door swings open it is was just as dark outside. Why is it so dark? I briefly rest before crawling into my father’s room. He always kept his door open so I wouldn’t have to worry about hitting my face. I crawl to the base of his bed. Already exhausted I gather every bit of my strength in order to make out a very weak “help me”. After that I black out.
I awake to my father’s familiar voice. He sounded very distressed.
“Josie? Hello? Hello Josie, can you hear me? Please tell me that you can hear me!” I felt his hand on mine. I try to tell him that I could in fact hear him but I was too weak. Instead I move the arm that was in his hand. I open my eyes and just as I suspected, it was still dark. I wanted to ask my father why it was so dark but I couldn’t. My throbbing head wouldn’t allow my mouth to articulate the word. Suddenly I hear footsteps. A person, probably a man, walks through the darkness right to the foot of my bed. Their footsteps sounded confident yet rushed. They were obviously in a hurry. Then a man’s voice spoke.
“Is she awake?” My father instantly responded to this confident man.
“Yes doctor. She can hear me too.” As he said this I couldn’t help but wonder whether I was at a hospital or a doctor was at my house. This thought quickly leaves me.
“Mr. Myer, there is something I need to tell you about Josie. I will explain the details in a moment but the lab results show that Josie will be blind in both eyes.” My father and I both gasp. I couldn’t believe it. I would never see sweet sunlight again! That is when I realized, I wasn’t in darkness, the darkness was me!