The Book of Sight Read Free Page A

stained like she remembered, but now she noticed that the faded red leather was actually covered front and back with a lightly etched pattern, all swirls and curls, gold on the red background. She opened it again. On the first page where a title would normally be, there was just one word: SEE. She must have skipped over it last night.
    Turning again to the story she had read the night before she was quickly lost again in the tale that felt more than ever like it was happening all around her.
…an invisible hand halts the brothers, pain floods their limbs…the white face, the yellow eyes, the low sweet voice, the sorcerer!...
hand in hand and back to back, the brothers encircle the jewel…the prophecy rings in their ears, ‘while the circle remains unbroken none shall enter there’…
a blue ring of fire springs up around the brothers, trapped!...and then the tempting… money, lands, fame, love, all shall go to the one who brings out the jewel…
who are these brothers anyway?...remember when? The stolen toy, the father’s love, the fight that came to blows, the girl with the golden braids…hearts full of confusion, the brothers look away, but do not let go…those words, those insidious words, they won’t leave their heads, remember, remember, you never received what you deserved, now is your time, see, he cannot even look you in the eye…
the grip begins to weaken…
then the sweet voice falters, stops, the brothers look up, the king! The king!...
white-faced, weakened, but with sword raised, the king descends upon the sorcerer, calling aloud the words of the prophecy…gendel sea! Gendel sea!…
the brothers heads are cleared, their hearts turn to each other, hands grasp tightly, a song of joy shared on all tongues…
then a flash of light, the king falls, a ruby dagger in his chest…impossible! How can he be lost?!...
the brothers’ song falters, but the jewel’s light grows, a blazing royal light fills them as if from within, the song is renewed, but the ring of fire grows in response…
the king’s dying breath, a spell of power, unheard as the song rings joyfully out…
brothers’ feet joining with the soil, brothers’ hands entwining, brothers grow in strength and solidity…
a cry of recognition and rage escapes the sorcerer, his hurled spells to no avail…
where once had been a circle of brothers now a circle of trees, solidly planted, the jewel buried deep in the protected center…
the sorcerer flees as healing radiates from the circle…a kingdom renewed, a people restored, the wind plays a joyful song in the branches of the brothers’ circle…
gendel sea…gendel sea…
    This time when it came to an end Alex felt a sudden and aching sense of loss. She wanted to read more. She turned the page to start the next chapter, but it was all nonsense, and no matter how many times she reread it and tried to figure it out, it remained impenetrable. 
    In frustration, Alex dropped the book and climbed into bed, and the headache which had been forgotten in the delight of the story pounded back and kept her tossing and turning all night.
    •   •   •   •   •
    The next three days were spent mainly with her dad. True to form, he took her out for ice cream, beat her at Monopoly, and rented movies every night.
    Alex continued to be plagued by headaches which were especially bad if she spent much time outside, but each day the headache was less intense. She also continued to see strange things, though nothing as strange as the tiny man. Twice she saw a rock move on its own power; the pond in the park reflected everything around it in colors that were completely different from the colors of the actual objects; and once she had seen a dark shadow when there was nothing to cast a shadow. That last one had given her a very unpleasant shiver.
    It wasn’t just new things, either. She began to notice unexpected details about places that she had thought she knew very well. For example, the elaborately