The darkness pressed against me worse than ever before. As if it were a physical thing.

Slowly, gradually, almost unnoticeable at first, I heard a man talking. I couldn't tell if it was next to me or far away, couldn't distinguish the volume or the direction from where it came. It sounded old and wise, kind, and soothing. Like the voice of a person who had all the time in the world to explain a difficult problem for you. I felt myself relaxing, that was until I understood what the old man was saying.

"I'm afraid you should not have made that deal, young Linden. It will bring much unrest to this land. Your memory now rests in the wrong hands, and with it, the wrong people will gain much power. You will see for yourself soon enough." The voice began to fade away.

A cold hand of dread clutched my heart. What did that mean? What had I done? And if this was true, then how could I make it right? I knew what I had done had been a big mistake, but how could I possibly fix it?

"Travel to the Singing Valley and find Master Jarguedo Chavez, he is the only one who can get your memory back. You must reclaim what is yours, before it is too late."

The old man's words rang with sincerity and a touch of sorrow. Then the voice was gone, and I was once again lost in the emptiness. Completely alone.

It was only a moment later that I was aware of the hand loosely clasping my own. I instantly recognized the smooth yet worn, working hand of my mother. I shifted slightly, but there was no reaction.

Perhaps she is asleep, I thought to myself.

A cold wind blew through the window and I shivered, my left hand searching for the quilt. As I pulled it over me, I realized that the pain that had crippled me hours before was now almost completely gone. I lay still and thought about what this meant, and about what the voice of the old man had said. I turned my head towards Mother, my eyes opening automatically. At first I couldn't understand what was happening, then realization hit. I gasped, eyes widening as I greedily drank in the shape beside me. I couldn't believe it.

I… can see?!

Mother's hand slipped out of mine and she startled awake. She probably wasn't even all the way conscious before she grabbed up my hand again and burst into tears.

Why is she crying? I wondered.

I squeezed her hand with as much strength as I could muster, sadly that wasn't much.

"What is the matter?" I asked, the scratching feeling in my throat making me want to cough.

"Oh!" She cried, her words choked. Her arms wrapped around me before I could protest. I winced, waiting for the pain to come. It did, but this time I could handle it. Barely.

I embraced her, tears of my own tracing their way down my cheeks. I didn't want to let go just yet, but it was slowly getting hard for me to draw breath. I still couldn't quite figure out what I was seeing, or what things were. Nor had I quite come to terms with it yet. It still seemed like a dream. Only it couldn't be, because I had never dreamed anything as good as this.

Gasping for air, I let my arms fall back to my sides.

"Please, I can't…hard to breathe," I managed to choke out.

Mother pulled back, but didn't let go of my hand. Her own hands were shaking horribly and she was still sobbing, leaning down against my arm. I looked at her form next to me, trying to grasp every detail, trying to commit everything about her to memory. Footsteps hurried towards my parents' room and I looked up as a new shape appeared in the doorway. Everything seemed fuzzy around the edges, like a furry animal, but I knew for certain that my parents and siblings were not hairy.

Even though I couldn't distinguish who it was just by the figure, I knew who it was by the footsteps. Father stepped into the room and kneeled beside the bed, one hand on Mother's shoulder, the other gently squeezing my leg through the quilt.

"Linden?" He asked, voice choked.

"I'm fine," I said. My words were still weak, and so was I for that matter. But I was better than before. Better than I had ever been in my life. Because for the first time in my life, I could see. Elaine's little footsteps meekly entered the room, her fuzzy form paused, then skipped to my side.

"Lindi! You're awake!"

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I smiled, holding out my free arm for her. She climbed up and snuggled into my side. The pain was there but I ignored it. There was a loud honking and the heavy beating of wings and then Lucy alighted on the end of the bed, adding her fifteen pounds of weight to my legs.

She waddled up the bed and settled down next to my hip, rubbing her head up and down my legs. We sat there like that, clinging to each other, cherishing the moment. I knew I had given my family quite a scare, and I wanted them to understand that I was fine now. I just didn't know how to tell them.

My eyelids started to get heavy, my body relaxing as I listened to the sound of my family's breathing. I was surrounded by people I loved and I was safe, I could just let myself go to sleep... But I forced my eyes open. I didn't want to close them just yet. I didn't want to miss anything. The shutters were thrown wide, but the curtains had been pulled over.

"Can you open the blinds, Elaine?" I asked.

Her little head bobbed against me and she sat up, springing over to the window to do as I had asked. I ran my freed hand over Lucy's head, stroking the smooth feathers. The fuzziness around things was fading slightly, but I still couldn't quite make out what I was seeing.

Something right outside the window drew my attention. It was beautiful, it was a color, that much I was sure, but then again, everything had a color so I'd been told. I pushed myself upright with shaking hands and Father helped me lean up against the headboard.

"What color is that?" I asked, pointing out the window at the fuzzy glob. Mother's hand tightened around mine.

"That's a green tree," Elaine said, bouncing happily back to my side.

I looked at it, unable to take my eyes away. That was green?

Green…

It had to be the most beautiful color in the world.

But there was something else there, a different color. Only one. Or were there more? It was hard to tell.

"What is that other color?" I asked. "It seems like it's moving and… changing maybe?"

Father stood and walked over to the window. There was a rustling sound and a small blob of green followed Father back to me.

"Can you see this, Linden?" he asked, his voice gruff.

I reached out and took the green branch. I knew that trees were green, but I had never imagined–had never thought– that green would look like this! I felt one of the leaves between my fingers. Now that it was closer to me, it was easier to see it. I could make out details I hadn't been able to before. It was strange seeing something that I had felt countless times, but now… it seemed so different. Like it was a separate thing. Seeing it and feeling it were two very different things.

But the other color that I had seen out the window wasn't there anymore. The fir needles were cold and wet, covered with a thick coating of ice. I shivered and tried not to get too wet. My eyes were glued to the green needles. So incredibly beautiful.

"Can you see it, Lindi?" Elaine asked, turning the branch over.

My eyes widened. On the other side was a new color.

"What color is this?" I asked, running my fingers over the frozen needles.

It looked almost like green, but at the same time it wasn't.

"That's still green. Light green," Mother explained.

Was this the 'shades' of things that my family had explained to me before?

"Can you see the branch, Linden?" Mother asked.

I nodded mutely.

"Where did that other color go?" I asked, looking back out at the tree branches outside where the green was accompanied by another color that seemed to be moving and changing.

"I think what you're seeing is the sunlight reflecting off the ice," Mother said, her tear choked voice kind and gentle.

Lucy grumbled softly in her throat and nibbled on my fingers to get my attention, but my eyes were focused on the beautiful color I was seeing. Father took the branch from my lap and walked to the window. I wanted to protest, but he spoke before I could.

"You are getting cold and wet, Linden, we don't want you to get sick again."

I wanted to say that I felt fine, but now that I wasn't focused on the branch, I realized just how cold and tired I was. I nodded and sank down into the pillow, pulling the quilt up over my chest, mindful of Lucy. I shivered, a chill racing through me. The ice had made me colder than I had thought. Even the heavy quilt suddenly didn't seem to be enough.

I shivered again.

"Elaine, go get your blankets for your brother," Father said.

"No, I'm fine. Elaine you'll be cold," I said, forcing myself to be still.

"No you aren't fine." Father's voice was final, leaving no room for argument.

A smile flickered briefly across my face, but was gone as fast as it had come. My eyelids dropped, feeling heavier by the second. But I didn't want to close them. My family's forms were taking on more shape, more detail, and I wanted to see them. But it was a losing battle. Fear surged inside me, sudden and choking. What if when I woke up, my sight was gone? What if this was my only chance? I fought against the pull of sleep for a few minutes longer, just enough time for Elaine to return with not only her blankets, but mine and our spares as well.

Father went to call for doctor Humbert and Mother stayed by my side.

Elaine carefully spread the blankets over me, making sure to tuck it around my feet.

Lucy's familiar weight comforted me and my eyelids dropped.

I managed a mumbled thanks, then my eyes were closing for good as I was whisked away to the realm of dreams.