Loud booms and blasts made my head spin. I looked at my mother one last time.

“Head! Down! Faye!” she yelled; but it was too late. There were more cracking sounds, and one last deafening blast, coupled with an intense flash of orange and red, until everything went black.

And everything remained black.

Beep, beep, beep, beep…

I groaned. “Turn it off…” I moaned, keeping my eyes closed because I was afraid of the bright lights I was about to be welcomed with. The stiffness of the bed I laid in, the sterile smell of the room, and the steady beeping of some sort of monitor indicated that I was in a hospital. For what? I didn’t know.

I also didn’t know that that, right there, was the first time I would have to use my other senses to determine where I was.

“Faye! Thank God, you’re awake,” I heard someone cry. I immediately started to cry, too—pain wrapped around me like a bloodthirsty snake, squeezing the life out of me. It sliced through my skin, it burnt the surface of my body into a crisp. It was so unbearable, I couldn’t even open my eyes.

“Faye,” the voice cried again—a strained, distraught voice. A voice that belonged to my Aunt—my mother’s sister—Livy.

Keeping my eyes closed, I brought my hand up to my head and face. Ah—that was why I wouldn’t open them… because I couldn’t open them! I felt the bandages that were so tenderly wrapped around the top of my head, even over my eyes. My entire body creaked painfully as moved my arms.

“They’re broken, Faye, put them down,” Aunt Livy whispered faintly. I obeyed.

“W-What happened?” I cried, terrified of the answer. The last thing I remembered…

“Where’s my mommy? My dad? Aunt Livy, where is everyone? Where am I? Why am I here? Why are you here? Aunt Livy!” I cried, beginning to panic. The beeping of the heart monitor accelerated dramatically.

She didn’t answer directly, though. “I’m going to bring in a doctor, okay?” I nodded.

Before, though, I felt a hand on my shoulder—a comforting gesture. “Faye, I don’t know how to tell you this, but I know I should be the one to tell you, not a doctor…” she began.

“What?” I croaked, even though I already knew what she was going to say.

“They’re gone, baby,” she cried. “You were in a plane crash, and they didn’t make it,” she said softly, her voice cracking as she spoke.

“No,” I whispered. “No!” I screamed. “You’re lying! We are in Florida! We are on vacation! They aren’t dead!” I cried. I couldn’t believe it—I wouldn’t believe it. I was only eleven years old; I wasn’t ready for life without my mom and dad.

“I’m so sorry, baby girl,” she cried, and I felt her soft hand hold the side of my face. My chest tightened as I sobbed.

“No,” I wailed, tears flowing like a constant river from my eyes. “Aunt Livy please don’t leave me,” I cried softly, holding my arms out for her. I was so little; I could only imagine how helpless I must have looked as she let out a heavy, torturous sob.

“I won’t ever leave you, sweetheart,” she sniffed.

“C-Can someone take this off of my head?” I whined a little. I wanted to open my eyes. I wanted to look my dear Aunt Livy in her own eyes, so she could tell me that everything was going to be okay.

She sobbed again. “I’ll get a doctor,” she said softly. And within moments, there was a doctor in the room.

“Hi, Miss. Wilson. My name is Dr. Mathews. How are you feeling, hun?” her voice was like silk, and I tried to smile.

“I-I feel s-sad,” I cried, the image of my now dead parents invading my mind.

“I’m so sorry, honey. How do you feel physically?” she asked, placing a cool hand on the exposed skin of my arm.

I took a few seconds to think that over.

“It all hurts,” I cried. “Please take this off so I can see,” I said, nodding my head a little. I heard two soft sighs—one from the doctor, and one from my Aunt Livy, I think.

“Sweetheart,” the doctor rested her hand back on my arm.

“Please,” I begged.

The doctor sighed again, and I felt her slowly unwrap a few pieces of gauze. Air rushed onto my face, and I no longer felt suffocated.

Cool air danced on my eyelids until they fluttered open.

I screamed.

“Faye! Faye, please wake up!” I heard Phoebe yelp.

I drew in a rough breath, immediately sitting up in my bed. My eyes opened wide, and, even though I was conscious, I screamed again. “I can’t see! I can’t see!” I slapped my hands over my face, digging my nails into my forehead and cheeks. I screamed again.

“Faye!” Phoebe called to me, but I didn’t react to her.

I pounded the heels of my palms into my eye sockets. “Why can’t I see anything?” I wailed. It was torture. I felt like my insides were slowly dissolving away. My heart tore into two, my mind shriveled up into something insignificant in my head. I slammed my body back down into my bed and screamed again, this time in a pillow. I screamed a few more times, punching my fists into the sheets around me. My hands were so tightly clenched that my fingernails were digging painfully into my palms, creating indents of crescent moons.

My screams of pain slowly digressed into sobs of anguish. “Why?” I moaned, my tears flooded the soft cotton that my face was pressed into.

“Faye,” Phoebe cried. I felt the bed shift, and two arms wrapped around me. “Please, Faye, shh,” she cooed softly, tightening her grip around me, almost desperately.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. I know it’s hard, darling, but you’re okay. I’m here,” she murmured softly into my ear, and my heavy sobs finally turned into tired whimpers.

“I h-hate it,” I gasped, burying my face into her shoulder. I held her tightly as tears fell hopelessly from my eyes. As I shed each tear, my body began to feel more and more empty.

“I know,” she whispered. “I know.”

I let my remaining tears fall silently, letting Phoebe’s protective hold comfort me. “I’m sorry,” I said finally.

“There’s no need to apologize,” she said softly, brushing my hair.

“I don’t understand why everything is so hard right now,” I shook a little. “It’s been sixteen years…”

“It’s okay, buddy. You’re just thinking about it a lot, that’s why,” she said, and I nodded—that made sense.

“Thank you for being here, Phoebes,” I whispered. “Please don’t leave me…” I whispered so quietly, I barely even heard the words myself.

“I would never leave you, sweetheart,” she cooed.

“That’s what Aunt Livy said,” I remembered.

“Shh, that’s not important right now, Faye. Don’t think about it. You’re here, now. You’re safe,” she rocked me gently, and I nodded.

My heart rate finally decreased to its normal pace, and my tears finally dried. I sniffled, sitting up with Phoebe, who still had her arms around me.

“We’re doing something fun, today, okay?”

“We always do something fun,” I nudged her a little, smiling.

“I’m just a fun person, what can I say?” I heard the grin in her voice. Oh, how I wished I could see it.

“You probably have such a beautiful smile,” I said quietly.

“Remember what I told you?”

“Hm?” I asked, distracted by my daydream of Phoebe’s probable beauty.

“Beauty is within,” she poked my shoulder at each word. “It doesn’t matter that you can’t see it. You have to feel it,” she said.

I smiled. “I know,” I said. “I still think you’re beautiful, though,” I insisted.

“Think all you want, girlfriend,” she chuckled, but I knew she was just being modest.

“You know what? I can’t handle the suspense any longer!” she said dramatically.

“What is it?” I asked, confused.

“I have a plan. Well, actually, it wasn’t my plan. But I have a plan for what we are doing today slash tonight,” she said.

“Oh, sneaky Phoebe. What is it?” I asked, her apparent exciting radiating off to me.

“So, I didn’t tell you yesterday, but guess what?”

I waited.

“The night we met those guys who are in that band—”

“Slice the Veil, right?”

“Pierce the veil,” she corrected. “But, anyway, they are playing a local show, tonight. Some sort of Southern California music festival. Anyway, we are going,” she said.

“Really?”

“Yes, really! They offered us two tickets that night, and it’s going to be a lot of fun,” she said.

“That sounds really nice…” I began, but my voice was deflated. I didn’t want it to sound like that—Phoebe sounded so genuinely excited. “…But the crowds, Phoebes. I can’t go in crowds,” I said quietly, feeling ashamed.

“That’s the best part, Faye! You don’t have to worry about that,” she started.

“Don’t tell me we have backstage passes?” I asked dryly. I knew, if that was the case, that we would be surrounded by a bunch of fangirling teenagers. No thank you.

Phoebe chuckled. “Nah, but it’s an indoor festival. At an arena. They gave us tickets for the seating section,” she explained.

I instantly became a little excited. “Oh!” I said. “But wouldn’t you want to be in general admission? That’s more fun,” I pointed out.

Phoebe sighed. “No, love. I’m there for the music and for you, not so I can be up close to the band. Besides, I get to sit next to my best friend, listen to awesome music, and slightly admire an attractive front man from a far! What more can a girl ask for?” she giggled.

“You rock,” I grinned, my nightmare—no, memory—now forgotten, drowned by my tears, which soon evaporated, taking the bad thoughts along with them.

“I’ll even close my eyes with you when we are there,” she said, squeezing me.

“You don't have to do that Phoebes,” I said, nudging her a little. Except, even though I would not be able to see it myself, I had a feeling that she was going to do that, anyway.

“You’re right, I don’t have to,” she started. “But I want to,” she said.

My heart swarmed—even though this sort of kindness was typical for Phoebe, it still made me insanely happy. She deserved the world.

I smiled.

Notes

Omg Another update! Hell yeah!

It's really super short, but I wanted to split it before they go to the concert
Aaaaaand a little insight on her past and all of that good stuff

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