Codenamed: Kids Next Door

Hidden Eyes

They say the eyes are windows to the soul.

They're right. If you look into another's eyes, really look instead of just a cursory glance, you can see into their very being. Their personal histories, their personalities, their essence all there to be seen. One look can tell you about their lives, their beliefs, their emotions.

Warm eyes, cold eyes. Joyful eyes, sad eyes. Soft eyes, hard eyes.

I see those everyday. Every waking moment, from the minute I step out of my bedroom. They're always there waiting for me, glaring at me through breakfast, until we go our separate ways to school. At school, those eyes are everywhere. You wouldn't believe how many kids there are like us, kids fighting a losing war against cruelty, abuse, neglect. Kids with eyes like ours. It's even worse at the treehouse, but in some ways better,. You see, we've learnt to hide our eyes.

The battle is fierce. Father has developed yet another weapon in an attempt to defeat and enslave children once and for all. What a senseless war. No matter how we try to delude ourselves, the truth remains that children and adults are the same. Children always grow into adults, no matter what. No one can remain a child forever.

The Delightfuls approach in a towering robot. Their voices ring as one, their eyes glow a hard bright blue. Five pairs of eyes that tell everything. Almost all Kids Next Door operatives believe that the Delightfuls are evil. I believe that they were brainwashed. There is nothing in those brilliant blue eyes, no emotion and almost no life. Dead eyes, like the ones I saw on the dead bird on the lawn. I believe, no, I know that they are not evil.

Our leader's eyes, hidden by everpresent shades, are nearly as terrible as the Delightfuls'. I have never seen Nigel's eyes without the cynicism much too old for his years. Despite his enthusiasm for all things Kids Next Door, sometimes I get the feeling that he doesn't really care. The very much adult understanding in his eyes proclaim his knowledge on the truth of our war, yet he fights on as one of its leaders. He is bound to the Kids Next Door by both duty and blood, bound to a cause he does not believe in but cannot forsake.

Distracted by my musings, I didn't see the incoming laser until it was right in front of me. Just before it hit, something slammed into my left side, flinging me onto the floor. Looking up, I catch a glimpse of emerald eyes before Wally snapped his attention towards the robot and returned fire. Of all the eyes of my teammates, I love his eyes the most. They are hardened warrior's eyes, yet they still blazed with an inner fire. He has never been good at hiding his emotions, though he tries. I hope he never succeeds; it would be truly tragic if he lost that raw passion for life that shines within his eyes.

In the midst of dodging and firing, he glanced at me, the worry that is usually reserved for Kuki making its way out of the warrior's eyes. I nod in reply, watching the worry turn to relief and then to determination as he sprinted towards the robot, the long bangs once again shielding his blazing emeralds.

I get up in time to break Kuki and Hoagie's fall. Pulling the two of them behind a convenient tree, we stopped long enough for them to catch their breath. Breathing heavily, Hoagie pulls off his goggles and swipes at the sweat on his forehead. Behind the hard glint of eyes that have seen too much, his eyes were tired. They are worryingly glassy, and dangerously close to accepting defeat. The spark of genius that dances in his eyes when he's working on his inventions is dull. I look away, unwilling to watch his gradual descent into depression, and turn towards Kuki instead.

Kuki turned unflinching black eyes on me, her head tilted questioningly. Her silly persona belied what I saw in her eyes; strength. Like gleaming onyx, her eyes were calm and often unfathomable, even for an observer of eyes such as I. And yet they were haunted by what we have had to see: war, battle. She turned away then, squinting slightly. Unlike the rest of us, who hid behind hats and glasses and hair, she alone hid behind a squint and a sunny smile.

As the Delightfuls' laser took off the top of our tree, we scattered, firing from every direction. A stray shot ricocheted past the robot and smashed someone's window. Glass exploded and flew everywhere, landing around me as I took position behind a postbox. I glanced down, and caught a glimpse of chocolate eyes.

Hard, cold warrior's eyes.

Clenching my fist around my weapon, I aimed and shot at the robot, ignoring the hot tears stinging my eyelids.

I have no wish to look into my own eyes, to see what they do not, and will never again, hold.

Fin.

by Kei, 2007

Codenamed: Kids Next Door belongs to Mr Warburton.

Inspired by the fact that everyone in Sector V have hidden eyes.