*Tap* *Tap* *Tap* *Tap* *Tap* *Tap*.....<br/><br/>VVVVVRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWW.....<br/><br/>Kale froze. There was a tight grip on his arm as one foot was nearly out in the street, the sound of a near miss as a hurried bike rushed by. Life was merely a conglomerate of sounds for him, his sight robbed from him long ago. Whomever grabbed him had let him go and patted his shoulder.<br/><br/>"Careful, Kid. Watch where you're going...." he said. It was a stranger and Kale turned his head to face the direction of the voice, and his blank stare and cane in his hand was visible to the stranger, "Oh, sorry. You're.... You're heading to school alone?"<br/><br/>"I'm fine. I know the way." Kale replied with a reassuring smile. He heard hesitation in the man's voice.<br/><br/>"Oh,....Alright. be careful then." he said. Kale heard footsteps walking away and he turned back to the street, the chirp of the crosswalk sounded and he continued on his way.<br/><br/>*Tap* *Tap* *Tap* *Tap* *Tap* *Tap*.....<br/><br/>It takes him twice as long to get to school as anyone else, but he is able to do it alone. After making his routine phone call to his grandmother to let her know he was fine. He slid into his desk and pulled out his text book, one he paid twice as much for just because it was in braille. He was often frustrated because he had to make concessions such as this. The school paid more for braille tests, he often hit people with his cane as he made his way around, stairs were a bitch and even though he couldn't see them, he could almost feel the pitiful stares of his schoolmates as he walked the hallways. He had few friends and never a lover. No one wanted to get close to him because most thought they would have to take care of him sooner or later and none wanted the responsibility.<br/><br/>He didn't ask for help either. He knew it was possible to do it on his own and wasn't afraid to work that much harder. He knew he couldn't try out for any sports teams and even the chess team was out of the question. Without his sight he was forced to deal with his own thoughts without much distraction, making him exceptionally bright and logistical, along with a great sense of memory. He did well in school regardless of his disability, making him somewhat average and invisible socially.<br/><br/>In his dark world, he sat in his chair and waited for the class to enter. When the sounds around him become a drone of white noise, he often found himself drifting off to sleep if he was sleepy at all in the first place. This time was no exception. The worst part was, because he often kept his blank looking eyes closed regardless, not many knew the difference if he was asleep or not.<br/><br/>His dreams were often odd. His dark world would stem nothing but odd shapes and sounds when he dreamed, but this time the image of the elegant woman with dark hair was as crisp as ever.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">The Circle......must be formed......come to.......Terranu......</span><br/><br/>"Who are you?" he asked aloud. The image of the woman vanished and he noticed the room was silent.<br/><br/>"Sorry, Kale. I haven't said good morning yet." his teacher said, "Don't worry, my flu hasn't kept me from work just yet. No substitute today." Kale sat up straight, the vivid dream fresh in his mind. He was confused for a moment and realized he just got away with snoozing in class.<br/><br/>Lunchtime came around and he carefully made his way to his favorite spot, the park beside the school. In the park, there was a short dock that was used for paddle boats when they were in season, but this year no one has bothered to put them out just yet. He loved to sit on the edge and hang his bare feet in the water while he ate, the sensation of the current seemed rather soothing.