Flying Blind
Anna wasn't always blind, in fact until her 7th birthday she was a lively happy girl. Then everything changed, and she woke up one morning sightless. Then at the young age of 7 her parents died leaving her with her big sister Jamie. What happens when Anna and Jamie get blasted through past and end up in the sixties with our favorite greasers?
Anna's Point of View:
It seemed like another normal boring day, me walking down the street tapping my cane and clutching my big sister's arm. Then suddenly my feet aren't under me anymore and we are spiraling through the air. I slam into the ground with a loud thunk and hear Jamie land heavy too. I hear a string of cuss words from different male voices.
" Who are they?"
"How'd they get here?!"
"Whats this stick for?"
"One of them is blind idiot!"
"Oh,"
I groaned and opened my eyes even though it did nothing but expose my cloudy cerulean blue eyes. I sat up, my hand closing around the white cane that's always in my grip. Hands grab at my arms making me freak and stumble away into a corner.
"Don't hurt me please!" I plead looking around wildly.
"No, no we aren't we want to help you!" A soft smooth voice says and a big hand softly grabs mine leading me to presumably a chair since I felt the arms of it on either side of me.
"Where's Jamie?" I squeak out scared.
"She's still out, she hit her head pretty hard, I'm Sodapop what's your name?" the same soothing voice asks as his hand rubs my back.
"I'm Anna, where am I at?" I ask looking toward the voice.
"Tulsa Oklahoma, and it is nice to meet you miss Anna," Sodapop says.
I nod and reach my hands up slowly coming in contact with his face. I let my fingers trace his features remembering. His features are proportioned nicely and I can imagine that he is beautiful.
"What are you doing?" Soda asks as I lowered my hands.
"Remembering you, it's how blind people see others, you trace their features with your hands and it is almost like you can see them." I explain sounding old for my age.
"Fascinating, guys come here for a second," he calls to the others who must've been with Jamie waiting for her to wake up.
I hear the loud thuds of six other people and feel their presence around Soda and I.
"Guys this is Anna, Anna this is Darry, Johnny, Two-Bit, Steve, Dally, and Ponyboy," Soda says.
"Nice to meet you all," I say wanting to remember them but not wanting to freak them out.
"Guys lean down one at a time so she can remember you," Soda orders seeming to read my mind.
"Remember us?" a rough cold voice asks.
"Just do it Dal,"
"Fine"
A presence crouches right in front of me suddenly, making me jump.
"It's okay kid, I'm Two-Bit the best person in the world," A light voice chuckles out.
"It's nice to meet you Two-Bit," I say softly, running my hands over his face.
We repeat this process with all the gang members and soon I feel comfortable around them,
"How old are you Anna?" Pony asks quietly.
"I am 8 and a half," I say playing with my fingers.
"How long have you been, you know-"
"Blind? It's okay to talk about it. I don't mind, and since I was 7 I had a genetic disease that knocks out your eyesight," I say cutting off Darry.
"How did you guys get here?" Steve gruffly asks.
"My guess is as good as yours. One minute Jamie and I were walking down the street in California in 2014 and now we are in Tulsa in 1965," I say shrugging.
I had found out earlier what year it was from Johnny, he seems quiet like me and the scar on the side of his face probably explains it.
"So how old is your sister? She's hot," Two asks.
"She's 19 and has a boyfriend," I say thinking of Nick her loving nice boyfriend.
"Maybe in your time but she is single here!" Two jokes earning a slap on the back of the head from Dally.
"That's not funny Two-Bit" I say frowning in his direction.
"Relax kid it was just a joke," Two sooths.
"Wasn't funny," I snap.
At that moment Jamie apparently woke up because she let out a groan.
"Jaim? Are you okay?" I ask from my position in the chair.
"Anna?! Are you okay?!"I hear her rush over to me and I feel her hands running over my body making sure I wasn't hurt.
"I'm alright, are you okay you were out for a long time!" I say gently brushing off her hands.
"I'm fin- W-who are they?" She asks edging in front of me.
"It's okay Jaime they're nice," I say nudging her into the chair with me seeing as there was a lot of leftover room.
"Hi I'm Darry. These are my brothers Sodapop and Ponyboy and these are our friends Johnny, Steve, and Dallas," He says leaving out Two-Bit making me giggle.
"HEY! What am I chopped liver?!" Two screeches making me laugh.
"Oh and Two-Bit but he ain't that important," Darry teases lightly.
"Jaime we are in Tulsa in 1965 somehow we went back in time! Ain't it cool!" I say turning my face toward her.
"Not really, I have work tomorrow," She says sounding stressed.
"No you have work tomorrow in 49 years," I say smartly.
"You're too smart for 8," She remarks.
"Sorry can't help being fabulous," I say tossing my long brunette ponytail.
"More like annoying," Jaime mumbles affectionately.
"Now seeing as we have no idea how to get you both back, we agreed on letting you two stay here as long as you get a job to help out and don't get in trouble, sound good?" Darry offers to Jaime.
"Yeah that sounds great! Thank you guys so much!" Jaime exclaims shooting up from the chair startling me.
Jaime, Darry, and Soda start making plans to go out tomorrow morning job hunting and I sit on the chair staring off into space.
"Hey Anna do you wanna walk around so you can memorize the steps and all?" Pony asks breaking my thoughts.
"Sure, do you know how?" I ask as Pony helps me up.
"Yeah I saw a movie once about a blind guy and his friend," He says grabbing my hand.
We walk around the house numerous times counting steps and learning where things are. Soon I can navigate the house relatively well only bumping into things every once in a while.
"So do you want to tackle outside?" Pony asks as we finish a loop around the house.
"Sure!" I say smiling up toward him.
"Alright lets go ask."
We walk back into the living room where the others minus Steve and Dally are watching the news.
"Hey Dare, Jaime is it okay if we go walk around town so Anna can get used to it?" He asks.
"Yeah just don't be out too late," Darry says and I assume that Jaime nodded.
"Can I come?" Johnny asks quietly.
"Sure cmon johnnycakes!" Pony cheers as we walk toward the door.
Johnny catches up with us and soon we're slowly descending their porch steps. I'm gripping Johnny's hand tightly and my cane with my free hand.
"Don't worry Anna we got you, we wont let ya fall will we Pone? "Johnny sooths as we edge down them.
"No way," Pone reassures.
We make it down the stairs and begin to count going back and forth between the steps to the gate. Then we move to the walk to the lot close by. The whole time my hand is in Johnny's and my cane taps out the walkway for any trash or lips in the concrete. When we reach the lot we take a break and sit on the warm grass and talk.
"Hopefully we can get you both back soon," Pony says.
"Tired of us already Pone?" I tease smiling toward him.
"NO! No not at all! I just mean that your parents and friends must miss ya somethin awful," He says and I hear him scratching the back of his neck.
"Relax! And there's no rush, our parents died when I was 7 alittle after I lost my sight, and nobody wants to be friends with the blind girl so I love it here, you guys treat me like a normal person not some piece of china like Jaime does. I know she means well but I ain't gonna die if something accidently bumps inta me," I say truthfully.
"Aww we love having you here don't we Pone?" Johnny says pulling me into a side hug.
"Course we do you're like the gang's little sister already." Pony says patting my head.
"Pony I'm not the animal you are," I sass reaching up to pat his head making Johnny chuckle.
"So shall we finish the town before it gets too late? We won't go any farther than the corner store off Pickett and Main. We can tackle the rest tomorrow, besides Soda's cooking tonight and I wanna see what color it is," Pony says helping me up.
"Whaddya mean you want to know what color it is?" I ask completely confused.
"Soda likes to put food coloring in the food but he might not tonight cause yall ain't used to that and all," Johnny explains.
"Really!? That sounds amazing! Will you guys tell me what color it is if he does it?!" I ask jumping slightly in excitement.
"Course we will!" Pony cheers.
We then cross multiple streets and back before turning around and they let me lead the way back with only slight corrections. I soon found myself climbing back up the steps to their porch.
"Good job! I can't believe you could do that without seeing!" Pony says.
"You get good at it after a year and a half of being blind," I say leaning my cane against the wall in their entryway as I take off my shoes and line them neatly beside Pony and Johnny's.
Jaime was waiting for us when we got into the living room cause she pulled me into a hug.
"Hey baby, how was it?" She asks leading me to the couch and I sit beside her.
"It was really fun! Pony and Johnny are great teachers," I say smiling up at her.
"That's great. Tomorrow I'm going to look for a job, do you wanna come or stay here with the guys?" Jaime asks fixing my ponytail.
"I'll stay but I know you'll find a great one!" I say smiling.
"Thank you darling," she says and we settle into silence me laying my head over on her shoulder.
We sit there for a while like that until Soda calls us in for dinner. We sit at the table and Jaime fixes my plate for me as I sit between her and Darry. I almost get a spoonful of something before Jaime takes my fork from me.
"Uh Jaim I was kinda using that, can I please have it back?" I ask slightly annoyed.
"Not to be rude or anything but why is the food green," She asks and I immediately get excited.
"It's colors!?" I ask turning to her.
"Don't worry its just food coloring," Darry says chuckling and returning my fork to me.
"Thank you Darry," I say as he does so.
"No problem kiddo," He says and I eat.
"Wow Anna has more manners than Two-Bit and he's 10 years older!" Soda says making me giggle.
"HEY! I have manners I just don't use them!" Two protests.
"Sure buddy" Darry says.
After dinner, Two and Johnny leave, Jaime retires tour new room that was Soda's old one, Soda leaves for a date, and Darry goes to bed leaving me and Pony alone.
"So how did your parents die? Mine died in an auto wreck," Pony asks from the other side of the couch.
"My mom died in a mall shooting and my dad committed suicide not long after saying that we would be fine and that he couldn't take it," I say softly toying with the hem of pony's way too big shirt he lent me along with long since wearable shorts for bed.
"I'm sorry were you close with them?" he asks.
"No they always treated me like I wasn't there and only Jaime was. When I lost my sight it just got worse," I say as tears fill my eyes.
Aww don't cry!" Pony says scooting down and hugging me close.
"You got the whole gang now and we'll never treat ya like that, never," He sooths as I calm down.
"Thanks Pone, you're the best," I say before yawning.
"No problem Anna Banana, now go get some rest," He says pulling away.
"Okay, g'night," I says before hugging him once more and going to Jaime and I's room.
She's already out when I get there and I put my cane on the nightstand after retracting it. Climbing into bed, I snuggle into Jaime's warmth and the blankets before dropping off to sleep.