Blind Sight: Through The Eyes Of Leocardo Reyes

Ermisenda Alvarez

Chapter THREE

ARTIFICIALLY SWEET

Every day for the past week, Leocardo tried to get a hold of his parents. The foreign message became too familiar across the line as they refused to take his calls. Leocardo needed to leave this wretched place and fly back home before his parents forgot him forever. Unaware of their predicament, Odette assimilated into her new high school perfectly. Starting in the middle of the year had been difficult for her at first, but she had made friends who helped her catch up. Theodore had been more than kind, which made Leocardo feel uneasy and indebted, something he was trying to avoid.

The cool breeze penetrating the bus was refreshing against Leocardo’s face which held little expression. He wanted to feel excited about meeting up with Claudia, but he found it difficult with everything else going on. She had agreed to meet him at the restaurant where she worked. Leocardo jerked his head away from the window as his forehead fell unintentionally against the cold glass.

He gazed through the thick glass and could see the glimmer of the lake through the gaps between the buildings. He stared, mesmerized by the glittering sparkle created by the sun’s reflection.

Once at the La Cocina Española or The Spanish Kitchen, they greeted each other and the conversation flowed effortlessly. He was not sure where to take her and she suggested they just walk to the lake. With each step, the lake grew more enormous and yet, even more beautiful. The grass seemed healthier than what sprouted up between the cracks in the sidewalk. The sun’s reflection danced on the soft waves and water birds swam lazily across the middle. He liked lakes as much as anyone else, but as beautiful as this one was, he felt his stomach knot up at the thought of being plunged into the middle of the bottomless water that had haunted his nightmares of late.

The lake was framed by lush green land, most of it cleared for parks or winding pathways. There was something odd and mysterious about the lake, something he could not explain, but Claudia stole his attention before he could dwell on it further.

“Can you ice skate here in winter?” Leocardo asked.

Claudia’s head tilted up slightly as her eyes focused on the mountain peaks. She was barely taller than Odette now that she wasn’t wearing heels. Continue reading →