“Because.” Sieta was exasperated.  She took Michael’s seat on the edge of the bathtub.  “People already think I’m a freak because my eyes are blue. I don’t need anyone else to have anymore reason to talk about me!”

“Oh…”


* * *

Sieta came back to the orphan home from school alone.  She silently thanked Michael for not telling anyone about her leg.  Sieta even made it a point to wear pants so no one would mention it.

“What date is it?”  A little black girl with glasses asked as Sieta walked into the bedroom.

“Monday?”  Sieta guessed.

“No!”  Mia scowled as hard as a seven-year-old could.  “The date.”

“Hell if I know.” Sieta threw her backpack on the bed next to the window.  This room was considered the girls’ room.  There were three twin-sized beds, one window, one desk, and one closet. Sieta’s bed was next to the window.  Mia slept in the corner and the twins shared the last bed.  Mia spent most of her time writing at the desk.  Her dream was to become a traveling writer.

Mia gasped dramatically and shushed her. “No curse words! Miss Johnson said they’re bad!”

Sieta smiled to herself.  “Well screw her too.”  Sieta always made it a point to curse in front of Mia.  Mia always overreacted.

Mia gasped dramatically again.  “How could you say such a thing!?”  She looked appalled.

Sieta went to her backpack.  She pulled out a notebook and flipped a few pages.  “Today is May 6th.”

“Oh!” Mia looked back at her papers.  “Thank you!”

Sieta flopped on her bed and looked out the window.  All she could see was the empty road and the endless dead grass.

“Hey um… Si?”  Mia said shyly, refusing to look away from her papers.  Her pencil was moving viciously.

“Hmm?” Sieta moaned not turning to look at her.

“Y-you know…  Your eyes have been ‘shining’ more than… uh… usual.”  Mia said determined not to look at Sieta.  When Mia cautiously peaked at her, Sieta was looking straight at her.  “Oh! Um! I didn’t mean it like that!”

Mia’s pencil was moving so fast, it was obvious she wasn’t writing anymore.  Mia’s black braids swirled in the air as she shook her head.  “Oh no, no!  I think your eyes are pretty!  And… and… um…”

Sieta didn’t say anything.  Mia was the most fearful of Sieta’s eyes.  She always avoided speaking about it.  If Mia mentioned her eyes, they must be glowing like Michael always said.  Sieta sighed and Mia was panicking.

“I’m so sorry!  I should’ve never mentioned it!  I-” She stopped abruptly when Sieta stood up.  Mia watched silently as Sieta walked through the door.

Sieta went back down to the bathroom.  She closed and locked the door.  She looked in the mirror and jumped back.

“My eyes are glowing…”  Sieta said shakily as thoughts surged through her mind.  What does this mean? Why are my eyes glowing?

“Why does it have to be me!?”  She yelled and slammed her fist against the counter, shaking numerous toothbrushes and the cracked mirror.

“Eyes aren’t supposed to glow.”  Sieta said firmly to her cracked reflection.  She stood in silence as her mind wandered.  She wondered what her parents really looked like.  She imagined a strong man and a beautiful woman… but reality set in.  There must be something wrong with them if they left Sieta at this pathetic orphanage.  There had to be a reason… Maybe something is wrong with Sieta.  Her parents left without a trace… not a single clue.

She clenched her fists as angry tears rolled down her cheeks.  “They left me…”  She said shakily.  “They left me alone…”  She clenched her fists tighter.

“THEY LEFT ME!!”  She screamed as tears rolled like streams down her face; but randomly, water shot out of the faucet.

“Huh?”  Sieta opened her tearful eyes and looked at the faucet.  Water was gushing out and it had no sign of stopping.

“Stop!”  Sieta tried to turn the handles but they were at their limit.  “No! No! Stop!”  She yelled at the faucet but the water continued to relentlessly pour.

“Si!?”  Miss Johnson shrieked from behind the door.  “What’s wrong with you, girl!?  And why is the water so high!?”

“I don’t know!”  Sieta admitted.  She opened the door and Miss Johnson flung it opened and it slammed against the wall.

“What did you do!?”  Miss Johnson demanded.

“Nothing!”  Sieta yelled over the running water.  Water started to pour over the sink and on to the floor.

Miss Johnson looked at it and cursed.  “We need a goddamned plumber!”  She ran out of the bathroom.

Sieta stood in the silence and confusion.  She leaned over the sink.  She felt like crying but there were no more tears.  She was shaken out of her thoughts when she heard the running water becoming softer until she heard the last drip.  “Did the water run out?”  She asked no one.

Sieta turned the handle and water came out.  She turned it again and the water stopped.  “How…?”  She said quietly to herself.

Miss Johnson bustled back into the bathroom.  Her premature lines deepened as she yelled into the phone.  “-No! The water is just gushing out like-” Miss Johnson stopped mid sentence.  She stared at Sieta for a moment.  She looked from Sieta to the sink, then back to Sieta.  The plumber was yelling on the other end of the phone.

Miss Johnson pressed a button and hung up the wireless phone. “What did you do…?” She asked in a low, almost scary tone.

“I… I… uh… don’t know! The water just stopped! And I uh…”  Sieta was at a loss for words.

Miss Johnson stared at Sieta’s eyes.  Sieta was worried that her eyes were still glowing.

“Come with me.”  Miss Johnson turned and walked out of the bathroom.

Unsure of what to do, Sieta followed her.  Miss Johnson led her to a small closet.  Without a word, she opened it and immediately started rummaging through it.

She pulled out a box that was organized like a file cabinet.  She pulled out a file and put the box back in the closet.  Miss Johnson flipped opened the file and looked at it.  “I keep a record whenever I get or find a kid.”  Miss Johnson said calmly.  Her eyes looked tired as she read the file.

“You were brought here on October the 8th, eleven years ago.”

Sieta didn’t know whether she was supposed to respond or not.  She chose to remain silent.

“I took you to the doctor…  He assumed you were about 6 months old.  I asked him about your… eyes.”  Miss Johnson struggled to say the word.  “The doctor figured it must have been your genetics; but when he saw them… ‘shine’… He panicked.  I had to run to get you out.”

Sieta felt greatly appreciative.  Now she resented saying “Screw Miss Jonson.”  No one wants to be a science experiment.

“And when I found you at the door step, you had a card and a necklace.”  Miss Johnson handed Sieta the card.  Sieta looked at it curiously.  It was written in shiny blue ink.



This is Sieta; we apologize for not speaking to you.  We hope you take care of her.

(Note: Upon her 12th birthday, please give her this necklace.  This is very important.)



“A necklace?” Sieta repeated.  When she looked up, Miss Johnson was already rummaging through the closet.

“If the doctor was right, you should be turning twelve soon.”  Miss Johnson pulled out a very expensive-looking box. She handed it to Sieta.  “Wear it when you think you’re ready.”  Miss Johnson gave her a weak smile then closed the closet.

Sieta got a strange sensation by just holding the case.  “Thank you very much!”  Sieta ran up the stairs and into the girls’ room.  She completely ignored Mia’s apologizes as she ran to her bed.  She couldn’t remember the last time she had been this excited.


She fingered the case.  It was very dark blue and very soft.  She was so excited about the cover, she was almost afraid of what was inside.  What kind of necklace is it?  Why is it so special?  Why did I have to wait until I twelve?  She was so lost in her own thoughts; she barely heard Mia’s questions.

“Wow!  That’s pretty!  Where’d you get it from?”  Mia asked innocently.

Mia’s presence was diminishing Sieta’s excitement.  “A gift.”  Sieta said curtly and she put the case under her pillow.

“Aww!  C’mon!  I want to see it!”  Mia whined and stood up.

“Nope!”  Sieta said firmly, her hand in front of Mia’s face.  “This is not for extra eyes to see.”

“Aww!  But Si!!”  Mia whined trying to look around Sieta’s hand.  Sieta was determined to keep her hand in the way.

“Oh fine!” Mia pouted.  “When I’ve gots lotsa money I’m not gunna put you in my autobiography!”  Mia huffed, turned on her heel, and marched back to her desk.  She sat down and began writing furiously.  Sieta was sure Mia was listing all the bad qualities about her.

Sieta smiled to herself.  She didn’t want anyone to see the necklace but her.