Heart of Dorkness

Terror Thirty-Five - Sight

Felix can’t remember ever being in a place that feels like this. The temple is big, she knows that much. Sound echoed in a strange way when they walked in a few minutes ago, and, even in this room, there’s obviously a lot of space. The problem is that everything she feels is fuzzy.

Usually that only happens when she’s sad, but she’s not sad, even if the temple feels like a sad place.

She usually avoids places that have a sad feel to them, though it’s hard to figure out why some locations are like that. There are a lot of angry spots too, and places where the air is filled with a weird feeling, as if something is about to jump out and mug her at a moment’s notice.

Felix has always tried to stay near happy places; they make things so much easier.

So, under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t be here.

But Valeria brought her here, and Valeria is nice. She’s given Felix more food in a few days than Felix ate in all of last month, and while Valeria can be a little silly and clumsy and terrifying, she never seems to do anything to hurt Felix, and that matters.

Of course, the biggest thing is the promise. New eyes. The ability to see again. Felix isn’t sure if she wants to cry because she’s so happy, or if it’s this temple making her feel that way.

The priest washes her eyes out, and Felix tenses and tries not to scream. It hurts, and having someone else's hands on her face isn’t nice. But he’s quick, if nothing else. The pain isn’t all that bad. Like scabbing her knees while running away with some bread. She can’t complain, especially when she can feel Miss Valeria fretting right next to her.

A man comes in, and Valeria gives him a few coins after looking at something. She’s shifting around as she does it. Worry, Felix thinks.

Miss Valeria worries about Felix in a way that no one else has ever done. It makes her want to smile most of the time, though right now she mostly thinks it’s silly.

Three people walk into the room. Felix can barely see, the air is so fuzzy and broken up around them. She can tell that two of them are girls, those on the sides, with walls over their faces. The third is a blur. None of her wind can reach her.

She’s never seen someone do that before. It’s strange, and she instantly dislikes it.

The gasp from Valeria doesn’t help, nor does the sound the woman makes. A deep, wretched sob. Felix has heard moms who had to put their babies in the body carts when a sickness sweeps through the Roughs sound the same. It’s not a nice sound. “Oh, oh no,” the woman says.

Then there are hands around Felix’s face and all of the feelings that her happy brings are gone. All she can feel is the hands, and the clothes hanging off of her shoulders.

“Don’t move, and don’t worry,” one of the veiled women says, talking to Valeria, Felix thinks. “Let the priestess do her work.”

She’s about to say something, though she doesn’t know what it is. Maybe she’ll tell Valeria that it’s okay.

What comes out of her mouth is a scream.

There’s pain.

Felix has been bitten before, by cats and racoons and even by a mean little dog once. There’s a weird sting to a bite, especially as it breaks skin. This is that, but a thousand times worse.

It’s as if a million cats have gripped her head and they’re all taking turns biting her around the eyes and in the face. She squirms, but the hands are like iron.

Her leg swings in a kick, but someone catches it, and then her arms are pinned to her sides. There’s someone talking, but Felix can’t make anything out through the rush of blood in her ears and the waves of pain.

It hurts and hurts.

She feels something squiggling around in her face, and it reminds her of that one time she caught a rat bare handed.

And then, just like that, it’s over. The pain is gone.

The woman that’s been holding her face for so long folds down onto Felix and hugs her close. She’s crying, wet tears rubbing against Felix’s hair and dripping onto the back of her shirt. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” the woman says.

“Did it work?” Felix asks.

She reaches up and touches her face. There’s something there. Eyes.

And then another shock. A pain, but a strange one. Her eyelids are still closed, but she can... see. It’s a red and black and blurry mess, but she can see it as well as she can remember being able to see.

The ladies fret around her a little more, those whose faces she still can’t feel inspecting her, and then the priest is back. “It seems to have worked, though the priestess is worn out. Don’t you want to open your eyes? She assures me that they work, but there’s no verifying like, well, seeing.”

“No,” Felix says. “Where’s Miss Valeria?”

“One moment,” he says.

Felix shifts on the spot. There are wet tears on her face, so she wipes them off. Tears are ugly, she knows. What she doesn’t know is why she feels like she has to look good for Valeria.

“Oh, I see,” Miss Valeria’s voice says. She coughs, clearing her throat, and Felix has the impression that she was crying too. “Just... can we have some time?”

“Of course,” the priest says. “This should be a joyous occasion, which, by means of my calling, I feel like I should avoid. Take all the time you need. I won’t be far.”

“Thank you,” Miss Valeria says.

The door opens; it closes.

Felix tries on a smile, and it comes easy.

“You have eyes,” Valeria says. She comes closer—a small person, with a hood that does strange things to Felix’s touch-sight. She’s all soft. A well-fed girl, like the nobles, but not fat. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay,” Felix says.

“Have you opened them?”

“I...” Felix hesitates, then she tells the truth. “I’m a bit scared.”

Valeria laughs, but it’s not a mean, mocking laugh. Her hand reaches out, and Felix takes hold of it, even though they bump fingertips and fumble before she can properly grab the hand. Soft. Always soft with Valeria. And clumsy too.

“Okay,” Felix says.

She opens her eyes.

Everything is a blurry mess.

“Uh,” Felix says. There are colours and shapes and... she blinks. And some pain. The light is very bright. She blinks a few more times, and things come into focus. The door, the shelves. Things she knew were there. The paint on the walls, the colours of the tiles, those are new.

Felix grins, and blinks again. Then she focuses on what’s right in front of her.

It hurts to look. The light in the room is way too bright, and it feels like something is jabbing her in the eyes the entire time, but she has to see.

“Oh, shoot, my hood!” Valeria says. She lets go of Felix, who giggles as Valeria fumbles with her hood.

Then she sees her friend.

Valeria has a round face, with a slight chin and chubby cheeks. There are veins under her very pale skin, little bumps that look... blue? Her eyes are the most arresting feature. All black, with big red circles in their middle. Her glasses are big and round, and only make her eyes look even wider behind them.

Those eyes should look mean, but on Valeria they’re open and curious.

Felix laughs.

Valeria’s cheeks puff out, her lips--nearly as pale as the rest of her--purse, and her little nose scrunches up. A pout!

Felix laughs harder.

“I’m hardly funny to look at!” Valeria says.

Felix can’t help herself. She reaches over and hugs Valeria. “Yes, you are!” she says with a chuckle. There’s a wind in the little room. Her wind. She can see! Colours and shapes and textures. Her eyes feel strained and dry and scratchy, but she can see! “Thank you!” she shouts.

Valeria starts to laugh too. She hugs Felix right back. “It’s okay!”

“You’re the best. You’re the greatest, Miss Valeria!”

“I’m hardly—”

“You are!” Felix insists. She plants a big sloppy kiss on Valeria’s cheeks, then stares, amazed, as they change colour. She didn’t know cheeks could do that! It’s wonderful!

“You should be resting your eyes. They’re new, but you shouldn’t abuse them. Does your head hurt?”

“It does,” Felix cheers. “I don’t care.”

“Don’t be silly! I can’t afford new eyes again if you break these ones.”

Felix can barely suppress the next laugh. It’s so hard her tummy hurts, and she feels all weak and wobbly. She has eyes! And it’s thanks to Valeria.

“Don’t squish me,” Valeria complains as Felix hugs her even harder.

“No,” is Felix’s reply. She’d do anything for Valeria, but letting her go isn’t one of those things.

***