The Muted Girl

scottkennedy12 · Post by **scottkennedy12** » 09 Mar 2016, 16:02

Crystal was your average seven year old, laughing and dancing, her long blonde hair bounced in the air; then it happened. There was a knock on a door: Margaret, the twenty-five year old nanny, answered. Standing there was a policeman with an apologetic atmosphere surrounding him, as he explained to Margaret what had happened, all she could think of was Crystal: how could she tell her, a seven year old girl, that both her parents had died in a car crash?

It wasn’t a sudden thing once she had been told, Crystal lay crying on Margaret’s knee for years and after Margaret adopted Crystal she got quieter and quieter as she sunk into silence and one day just stopped talking; now she was seventeen and as the bell echoed through the English classroom Crystal got up and headed out of the hell people called school. It was lunchtime so she headed over to a giant tree that she had claimed as her spot. As she sat reading her favourite book ‘The Silence’, ironically, she heard a sudden voice, a voice she knew, “Hi, there” his bright voice was filled with happiness and Crystal hated him for that. It was Leo, the new boy; he had been at the school for a day and was already popular with his charming looks, his dark brown hair that fell just above his bright blue eyes that were staring right at her. She waved back and continued reading her book. Leo stared at her as if waiting for an answer. Did he not know she was mute? There was a long awkward silence drifting through the wind, but it was cut short.

“Sup Leo?” Ryan came over and looked down at Crystal and his face transformed into disgust, “Why are you talking to the mute?” Ryan asked his voice full of judgement.

“She’s mute?” Leo asked just catching up.

“Why did you think she wasn’t speaking?” Crystal had had enough so she got up and left, heading to her next class.

It was home-time now and Crystal began to walk home when Leo appeared, “Hi” she waved back in response. “Do you wanna go see a movie later?” Crystal stopped in shock and looked to see if he was being serious, he was. Crystal’s heart began pounding faster on her chest, her hands were soaked with sweat, she didn’t know what to say; she had never been asked out before so she thought for a while and then she nodded, playing with her darkened hair. A smile spread across Leo’s face like a child who had just been given a piece of chocolate. They continued to walk and talk. Well, Leo talked. They said goodbye and headed home to get ready.

Crystal ran about in a frantic mess while wasps stabbed the inside of her stomach. Two hours later, she was finally ready then the doorbell rang and as it’s deathly sound ran around the house, the wasps swarmed inside, buzzing inside her while a drum banged in her head. When she opened the door they both stood there flabbergasted and stunned as a thousand volts of electricity travelled through them. They said hi and left; little did they know that would be the start of a relationship that would blossom from the love emitting from both of them.

Crystal was twenty-five now and was engaged to Leo. They were walking down to their own home when it happened, it was a sunny day; the flowers were blooming as the sunlight shined above. Crystal saw the house near ahead and as they walked hand in hand, something changed; the clouds darkened, the sunlight vanished and the flowers hid in their buds as if for protection, the air became cold and then a light appeared but before Crystal could turn around she was shoved to the side and in a split second there was a mind numbing crunch and as Crystal looked up her skin turned white and her heart turned to dust and dissipated into the air. In front of her was a car and in front of that was a beaten up Leo, an image she will always relive. She got up and headed over to his limp body but was thankful to see his eyes open. “Crystal...” he sputtered out but Crystal put her finger to his mouth: tears in her eyes. “I-I-I love you…” and with those last words a small tear fell silently sown his cold, lifeless chin. Crystal shook him desperately for some life to appear and then she felt it: a feeling she had never experienced before, like a firework exploding in her chest and with one powerful urge she screamed.

“Leo!!” her voice echoed through his brain and with the angelic voice a miracle happened: his eyes opened slowly and he smiled. Then as the ambulance arrived, darkness faded over him.

The hospital was quiet: the only noises were Crystal’s cries as she sat with Margaret beside Leo. His eyes opened and he let out a small cough. “Leo!” Crystal exclaimed as he smiled at the sound of her voice.

“It’s good to hear you speak” he laughed and Crystal smiled then he grunted. “Crystal, I can’t hold on” he smiled sadly.

Crystal shook her head. “Don’t say that, listen to me you are too great to die, you gave my voice life again and you were the best thing ever, you can’t leave me.” She cried but with a last breath, he was gone. The doctor came in and said he was in a coma and she found a little hope. She visited him for years on end until he passed and until now, eighty year old Crystal left a seat for Leo at dinner, for the man who exchanged his own voice for hers all because of a speeding man who only got a fine.

DATo · Post by **DATo** » 09 Mar 2016, 21:07

Nice story Scotty - sad, but nicely written. Thank you for sharing it. You have a wonderful imagination which is good for a writer.

KEEP WRITING! [:- )

Marrsee · Post by **Marrsee** » 28 Mar 2016, 07:24

I second the comment above - very sad indeed but well written.

pallavi garg · Post by **pallavi garg** » 28 Mar 2016, 09:34

So tragic....sadness filled my heart reading it....

Lycaonia · Post by **Lycaonia** » 12 Apr 2016, 22:51

A great story, but I might recommend a more unique title if you plan on posting it elsewhere, so it's more likely to be notice & draw people in.

Vermont Reviews · Post by **Vermont Reviews** » 13 Apr 2016, 11:39

Keep writing no matter what. You'll only get better.

KatherineEWall · Post by **KatherineEWall** » 25 May 2016, 04:53

Very sad. The premise is great, but I think it was too short a vehicle for all you tried to portray here. You could extend it and create an even stronger piece by using this almost as an outline. This would allow you to really show the story. Often, you allow it to fall into a summary of events which could and would have more emotional impact. Good luck as you continue your writing journey.