Random Things I Wrote

Eyes Like Amber

Amber yelped as a guard threw her onto the hard floor of the cell. The guard grumbled and dusted off his gloved hands. He was careful not to lock eyes with her because everyone thought Amber was dangerous. And maybe she was, but she didn't think so. You would be just fine if you didn't look into her eyes.

She shivered. The stone floor was cold and she could see her breath float slowly up toward the ceiling. The guard always had the audacity not to give her a blanket. The cement square felt like it got smaller every time she was thrown back in it.

A tear slid down Amber's cheek. Why was everyone afraid of her? Was she really that scary?

Then, snapping her out of her thoughts, a familiar voice whispered from the cell next to hers.

"Psst. Psst!" it said, "Are you there?"

Amber stopped crying. "What?" she asked quietly.

"Oh, so you are there!" the voice said. "Hello!"

Ugh. Ezra. His high-pitched voice got annoying after a while. On the few occasions when she got a glimpse of him, she noticed that he had dirty blond hair that was always disheveled, almost like he ran his fingers through it regularly (which he probably did). His skinny little limbs weren't thinner than hers, but they were close. His stormy gray-blue eyes didn't match his bright personality. He never stopped talking and seemed to think that they were best friends. Then again, Amber had never known another person who didn't want to kill her, so maybe he was her best friend.

"Hey," Ezra said, dragging out the word. "I would really like to talk to you."

Amber didn't respond.

The boy behind the wall kept bugging her. "Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello."

"Ugh! What do you want?" Amber snapped.

"To talk to you."

"And why would you want to do that? I've told you I'm a monster!"

"I don't think so. I think you're fine."

Ezra was blind, Amber knew that, and it meant he was immune to her magic. She also didn't know why he was in prison in the first place, he never talked about it and Amber never asked.

"Why would you want to-"

"'Cause I'm bored," he said, cutting her off. He kept rambling, but Amber didn't want to listen to it.

She slumped against the wall, her arms folded across her chest. Her dark hair fell over her shoulders. The wall in front of her had a few chisel marks etched into the stone, and at the bottom spindly cracks formed a dark spider web up the bricks.

The boy on the other side of the wall started to whisper-yell at her. "Hey! Are you even listening to me?"

Amber nodded but then realized it was pointless to do so. "Um, sure. Yes."

Ezra paused, then spoke again, "Okay. Good." She could hear the smugness in his voice. He kind of reminded her of herself. Except for the 'never stops talking' part.

Amber gave a very tiny smile. It felt strange on her lips. She didn't smile often.

"Hey, Amber?" he started again, hesitantly. "What... What do they do to you? Every time they take you upstairs?"

Her smile melted and Amber shuddered. "Needles. Tests. Blood. Bright lights. They won't tell me what they need me for, but I think they want to take away my magic and use it for themselves." She rubbed the crusty red-brown scabs on her shoulders.

"Oh."

He stayed silent for a long time.

She started the conversation again, which was very abnormal for her, "How long have you been here?"