Vines and Eyes
Dania Khan 9A
The flowers never bloomed in House Fraye. Father told me that. Nothing bloomed in House Fraye. House fraye’s dark exterior is similar to the hyde of the greyhounds found in its courtyard. The greyhounds do not have eyes. The texture of the brick is unique. It is like the tough meat of the pigeons in the courtyard. The pigeons do not have eyes. Of all, the envy of Hour Fraye is its stained glass. It is red like the eyes of the hawk on its window sill. House Fraye has an eye made of stained glass. No one else has an eye in House Fraye. Except me.
The water dripping from the celing does not allow me to sleep. It drips all night. It is clear like the tears of the last lady of House Fraye in her portrait. The eyes are everywhere. I can feel them on me as I move through the corridors. They are in the paintings, bulging. They are in the window, drawn out of water. They are in the food, taken from the animals. I have not eaten for the past three days. The eyes are everywhere. They are watching my every move. They watch me sleep. I never sleep. They watch me eat. I do not eat. They watch me cry. I do not cry. They watch me laugh. I do not laugh. The eyes are everywhere. I cannot stand them.
The vines surrounding House Fraye are growing. They cover my window. They cover my clothes. They cover my food. The eyes and the vines are suffocating me. I am not myself anymore. They control me. They take me to the dining hall and shove the eyes down my throat. I want to cry. I cannot. I have forgotten how to. The eyes are still watching me. The vines take me to the portrait room. They do not have eyes. I cut the vines I can stay here in my sanctuary. The vines cannot hurt me.
I am still running, The vines came through the window. The eyes are back. I am still running. I want to stop. I do not know how to. The vines know how to make me stop. So I am going back to them. Back to the room, back to the eyes. I cannot do this anymore. I want to go back. I think I have found the greenhouse. The eyes do not come here. There are flowers here. They do not bloom. It is spring. The animals are dead. The vines are taking me to see them. I do not want to. I stay in the greenhouse. There are no vines here. The eyes are afraid. I do not know what. I hope the flowers bloom soon. I cannot stop the vines anymore. They have not come here yet. I am safe. I am safe for now.
I eat the flowers that are left. There is nothing but them here. They taste better than the eyes. They taste like something I had eaten before. I cannot remember what. I only remember that nothing blooms in House fraye but I hope it blooms soon. I cannot remember what else Father had told me. I am tired of being here. I think I should go with the vines. Tomorrow I will let them in. I do not wish to be here. I do not wish to be. The vines have come. They will take me. They are taking me to the courtyard. They are taking me to the animals. I do not wish to see them. I do not wish to eat them. They are taking me there for something else. I cannot see anything. I cannot remember why I left the greenhouse. I cannot remember. Though I think in the far distance, in the greenhouse something has happened. I cannot feel the vines anymore. I cannot feel the eyes. I think in the garden in the House of fraye something has happened. I think once again flowers bloomed in the garden.