Open Sandy Eyes

[Oakley Everett]

Oakley curled her toes into the wet sand, feeling the grainy texture against her skin. She had a visit today with a prospective family for adoption and she couldn't decide how she felt. Since she was young she had been passed around from foster home to foster home but was often labeled a problem child. Brighton Beach was a place of relaxation for her and she hoped to relax before possibly moving. Oakley wrapped her arms around her knees as she rested her head on her top. The suns bright rays warmed her skin and a tear rolled down her cheek. She brushed it away and looked out into the ocean. The waves were peaceful, calm, everything her life wasn't.

The sound of squishy footprints interrupted Oakley's gaze. She turned her head to the side just in time to see feet run past and fly sand in her eyes. "Hey watch it!"

 

[Mary Lou Layton]

Mary Lou had been in New Zealand for only a week and already she longed for home. She knew nothing about this new country she found herself in. Nothing about the family she stayed with and nothing about the people she was supposed to be a part of. Her family were not the family she knew and her life was not the life she had grown up a part of. Her family thought her strange, broken, possessed, but she knew that wasn’t true, there were many things Mary Lou didn’t know, but that much, at least, she did know. It wasn’t every day one was labelled a witch, only for the term to have actual meaning. Her father, a man she had never known, had been a part of this society of people, people of whom she lived with now, but they treated her with disdain and didn’t care what she got up to. It was a strange situation, one she had never thought she would ever have to face. ​

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The beach was comforting, and she liked the feeling of the sand between her toes. It was something she didn’t have to think about much, it was the same wherever you went, because sand was sand and a beach was a beach. She was glad she didn’t have to worry about that changing at least. Until a few months ago she’d not even heard of magic, or the reality of it. She’d never been allowed to watch those kinds of movies, or read the books that many associated with devils work. Her mother and father, she would always call them this even if they had now chosen not to raise her, had always thought she was a little off, but they’d never realised the truth of it. Her mother had her out of wedlock and her biological father, as it turned out, was a wizard. The moment she’d properly presented with magic, they’d shipped her off to live with her biological fathers sister and her husband, her aunt and uncle, though they didn’t pay much attention to her, since they blamed her mother for the death of her father. It was all a bit complicated for the young girl honestly.​

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She hadn’t even realised she’d been running until she suddenly turned at the sound of a voice, curious that someone might have been underneath her. “Oh!” Mary Lou stopped and looked down at the other girl. “Oh, goodness I am so sorry.” She said, turning fully to face the girl and crouching to look at her. “Are you alright? I did not see you”.​

 

[Oakley Everett]

Oakley scowled and rubbed the sand from her eyes with her fist. The girl was apologizing, but she ignored it as she exaggerated trying to get the sand from her eyes. Great, just what I needed for another stupid day. She wasn't the most outgoing person and preferred to not have to talk to anybody at all. Oakley looked up at the girl, finally, realizing she was close to her in age. "I'm fine." She spoke firmly, not one to ask for sympathy from others. No, I'm not fine. Watch where you are going. Don't run around carelessly.

Oakley bit her lip in frustrated thought. The sand really wasn't a big deal, but she still couldn't get past the thought of possibly getting adopted. After all these years she thought that would be everything she looked forward to, but now she was just waiting for them to decide they didn't want her. Nothing lasted for long, nothing ever did. "I guess I'm just invisible." Her tone was melancholy with a touch of sarcasm. Oakley didn't have many friends and her curt attitude wasn't aiding her any.