With These Eyes
By
Mark Richard Masters
Copyright 2013 Mark Richard Masters
With These Eyes
by
Mark Richard Masters
“How did the operation go?” the woman in the hospital bed said sleepily.
“The Ophthalmologists said that the transplant was a success,” the man sitting beside her hospital bed told her, then kissed her on the forehead above her bandaged eyes.
“Good,” she all but whispered before falling asleep again.
Looking down at her softly, Matt thought. ‘Thank God for whoever donated the eyes.’
#
Alison awoke with a start. But whatever woke her did not make any noise, so she opened her eyes. At first she could not see a thing, but slowly she grew accustomed to the dark. That is when she saw the man hiding in the corner. He was a tall dark haired man, and he was holding something behind his back.
Seeing that she saw him, the man took a butchers knife from behind his back. Then he rushed at her. With a savagery that stunned her, he buried the knife in her. Pulling the bloody blade from her, he plunged it in to her again and again.
Trying to get help she screamed.
Suddenly the man was gone, and in the total darkness she felt Matt grab her hand.
“What’s wrong?” he asked anxiously.
Trembling she said. “The man. He kept …”
“What man?” Matt asked as he leaned closer. “The nurse was in here an hour ago so was the doctor, other than that we’ve been alone.”
Trying to calm her racing heart she said. “It must have been a dream, but it felt so real.”
“And?” he prompted gently.
“A man came out of the corner and kept on stabbing me with a butcher’s knife over and over,” Alison said with a shudder.
Gently stroking her forehead, Matt said. “But it is over now.”
“Do me a favor,” she said as she fought off a big yawn. “Stay with me tonight.”
Squeezing her hand, he told her. “Just try to send me away.”
After nearly an hour she fell back asleep, but he stayed with her the rest of the night. Late morning found him asleep also, still holding her hand.
#
“How are we doing today?” The tall and blonde haired doctor asked cheerily as he entered the room later that day.
“We are wishing this was done with and the bandages were off,” Alison told him with equal cheer.
“I will be taking the bandages off tomorrow, if the stem has bonded and the eyes are ready,” the doctor told her confidently.
“And if it’s not ready?” Alison asked.
“It does take a little time to heal from a whole eye transplant,” chided the doctor. Then in a more serious tone he said. “At most it should only take a week.”
“I guess I am a bit nervous,” Alison admitted.
“Relax, I have done this operation many times before,” the doctor said confidently. Then after looking at her chart he said. “I will see you tomorrow.”
When the doctor was gone Matt asked Alison. “Have you tried to open your eyes?”
With a frown she replied. “Not today, but I think I might have had them open last night.”
“But you’re not sure?” Matt asked.
“No, I’m not,” she said after a moment.
Encouragingly Matt said. “There is no time like the present to try.”
“Okay,” she said. As she opened her eyes all she could see was darkness. A minute or two later, she could make out some shadows and shapes. But nothing more.
“I can’t see much through these,” she told Matt as she touched the cloth covering her eyes.
That is when she saw him. Tall and holding a butchers knife. He was also rushing at her. Before she could react he was plunging the blade in to her chest. Pulling it out, he rammed it in again and again. Finally she raised her hands and began to scream, but the man was gone. All she could see was the shapes and shadows she started out with.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Matt asked as he rushed back to Alison.
“The man … He was here …” Alison stammered.
“What? When?” Matt asked as he quickly looked around.
“Just now, when I opened my eyes,” Alison told him.
“There was no one but us here,” Matt said soothingly to her.
“But I saw him. He rushed over and stabbed me,” Alison stated as her hands came to her chest. “But I’m not bleeding.”
Seeing that she was becoming scared, he grabbed her hand and said. “Don’t worry, I’ll go get the doctor and we’ll get some answers.”
With a timid smile she nodded for him to go.
Kissing the hand he held gently, he hurried out of the room to find the doctor. However ten minutes later he came back alone.
Returning to her side he said. “I’m afraid we’ll have to wait to get our answers. The doctor has already left the building.”
“That’s okay,” Alison said. But Matt could tell that she was afraid.
In an effort to get her mind off of her troubles Matt asked her. “Do you know what I wish?”
“What’s that?” Alison asked him with a smile.
"I wish we had met before you lost your sight,” Matt told her.
Teasingly Alison asked. “Why? Do you think what you look like would really matter to me?”
“Well no, but I still wish you knew what I looked like,” he said after a moment.
“Then why don’t you tell me,” she suggested.
“Well. I’m tall,” he began.
“I noticed that,” she agreed.
“My hair is black,” he added.
“And here I had my heart set on red,” she quipped.
“And I’m incredibly hansom,” he said with a hint of pride.
“Modest too,” she said with a laugh, momentarily forgetting about the man in the vision.
All the rest of the day Alison and Matt spent in idle yet pleasant conversation, and as the night came Alison found herself more at ease. By the time it was dark outside she was even able to joke about her situation.
“Do you think this is what he meant about giving me sight?” Alison asked with a grin.
“What do you mean?” Matt asked.
“I’ve heard that a sudden trauma can give people psychic abilities,” Alison told him.
“I sort of doubt it. After all this type of operation is done all the time,” he said with a frown.
Stifling a yawn, Alison said. “Well it was a thought.”
“And I think you should get some sleep. That is if you really want the bandages off,” Matt chided.
So they sat there holding hands in the silence until they fell asleep. Hours later Alison woke up in a fog. It seemed too dark and something was wrong. Several minutes later she realized that her eyes were closed and Matt wasn’t there. Opening her eyes to look for him, she noticed that it was still dark.
Then she saw the man. He was tall and he was holding a butchers knife. He was also rushing at her with blind fury in his eyes. As he stabbed her repeatedly she tried to fend him off. But it was no good, so she screamed. Then the world sunk in to darkness.
There were voices all around her, but they seemed like distant murmurs. Occasionally she could catch a snippet or two but they did not seem to make any sense.
“… must have happened again … ” a male said.
“… never before?” asked a woman.
“… never spoke … visions … ” said the man.
“… smelling salts … her up … “said a new man.
Suddenly Alison started coughing and sat up in her hospital bed. But before she could do anything Matt grabbed her hands and a wo
man lowered her to her bed.
“Ms. Jennings I hear that we seem to have a problem?” her doctor asked.
“I can’t take it doctor, I just can’t take it. Every time I open my eyes I see a man killing me,” Alison cried.
“I’m afraid I have some bad news. You don’t have a lot of choice,” the doctor said as he raised his hands to forestall Matt’s interruption. “Those eyes came from the last victim of the bedroom butcher.”
“What?” Matt burst out.
“Oh my god,” Alison gasped.
“On a hunch I got the donors records yesterday and found out about that,” the doctor said. “I would never have used those eyes if I had known they came from one of my brothers victims.”
“One of your what?” demanded Matt.
“Take them out now!” Alison demanded.
With a sad shake of his head, the doctor told her. “I can do that. But if I do you will never be able to see again.”
The End
About the author:
Mark Richard Masters was born in Northern California, but his family moved to Oregon when he was very young. After they finally settled down in a very small town, his family fractured. Shortly after that Mark began to write. For many years he would alternate between writing and not. Finally he decided to try to make money off of his hobby.
Please feel free to get in contact with me at:
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https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mark-Richard-Masters/123720121127809
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