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Authors: Natasha Orme
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transformed into a large white unicorn with a purple and pink horn.
“’The spell is broken,’ cried the Unicorn. The young Girl laughed. She took off her long brown cape to reveal the garments of a princess underneath. The Unicorn was so grateful that he served the Princess for the rest of his life and lived in the palace with her. They remained the best of friends and lived happily ever after. The end.”
Helen clapped in her excitement. “I want a unicorn,” she said.
“They’re not real,” I answered. “Sleep time now.” She settled down in her bed and I gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Goodnight, Helen.”
I turned out the light and went back downstairs to see Daddy. I gave him a kiss goodnight and then went to my room.
I wasn’t tired; I just wanted to be on my own. I was thinking hard about what Helen had said. Because we don’t have Mum around I have to step into her shoes when it comes to looking after Helen and she amazed me. She was so intelligent and in tune with other people.
I lay on my bed, fully clothed and stared at my ceiling. I thought about poor little Helen, not knowing much about the world, Daddy who had to put up with us, Charlie who tried her best to keep my spirits up, Alex who didn’t know what to do around me anymore and I thought about Joshua.
I thought about the emotions I had when he left, the emotions I had when he was here, the things that he didn’t understand or see when I first met him, the story of his parents. I thought about his facial expressions, the vulnerability in his eyes, the way he would avoid looking at me when he didn’t know what to say, the way he looked at me before he kissed me.
Curiously there was no longer a need for him. The numbness I had felt when he disappeared just faded and now I didn’t know how or what I felt. Fed up of my own thoughts, I picked up a book on my bedside table. After a minute of reading, I put it down. I didn’t want to read a romance right now. I wasn’t in the right state of mind.
In the end, I got up and dragged my school books to my desk. Everything was getting ridiculous, especially if I was now at the point where I couldn’t even be alone with my own thoughts any more. Not even reading was a good enough distraction.
I labored away at my work until my eyelids became heavy and even then I worked on. It was two in the morning before I switched the light out and I simply collapsed onto my bed, not even bothering to undress.
“Are you okay?” asked Charlie.
“I’m fine,” I answered slowly. “My mind wouldn’t shut up last night so I worked until two this morning.” Charlie studied me carefully.
“What was on your mind?”
“Everything. It’s been a while since I’ve let myself think and it all caught up to me. Once the barrier was down there was no way of putting it back up.” I laughed a little and Charlie smiled. She gave me hug and took me by the hand as we went into class.
The day passed the same as any other. I was stood waiting for Helen to come out of school but I couldn’t see her. Her whole class had been dismissed but she was nowhere to be found. I frowned. It was unlike her to be late. I knew she loved school but she always rushed out to tell me all about it. I walked through the gates, against the flow of people. I made my way up the stone steps and into the building.
I was unsure where her classroom was but to my relief there were signs posted on the walls. The last thing I wanted to do was ask for help. I doubted anybody here would be able to sign or even understand me. I found her classroom and peeked my head around the door. The teacher was clearing away a few things on her desk. She looked up at me as I approached and said something. I signed to her that I was deaf and she looked at me for a second before slowly signing the letters of my name. I pointed to myself and nodded.
The woman stood from her desk and shook my hand. Then she picked up a board marker in her hand and began to
“’The spell is broken,’ cried the Unicorn. The young Girl laughed. She took off her long brown cape to reveal the garments of a princess underneath. The Unicorn was so grateful that he served the Princess for the rest of his life and lived in the palace with her. They remained the best of friends and lived happily ever after. The end.”
Helen clapped in her excitement. “I want a unicorn,” she said.
“They’re not real,” I answered. “Sleep time now.” She settled down in her bed and I gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Goodnight, Helen.”
I turned out the light and went back downstairs to see Daddy. I gave him a kiss goodnight and then went to my room.
I wasn’t tired; I just wanted to be on my own. I was thinking hard about what Helen had said. Because we don’t have Mum around I have to step into her shoes when it comes to looking after Helen and she amazed me. She was so intelligent and in tune with other people.
I lay on my bed, fully clothed and stared at my ceiling. I thought about poor little Helen, not knowing much about the world, Daddy who had to put up with us, Charlie who tried her best to keep my spirits up, Alex who didn’t know what to do around me anymore and I thought about Joshua.
I thought about the emotions I had when he left, the emotions I had when he was here, the things that he didn’t understand or see when I first met him, the story of his parents. I thought about his facial expressions, the vulnerability in his eyes, the way he would avoid looking at me when he didn’t know what to say, the way he looked at me before he kissed me.
Curiously there was no longer a need for him. The numbness I had felt when he disappeared just faded and now I didn’t know how or what I felt. Fed up of my own thoughts, I picked up a book on my bedside table. After a minute of reading, I put it down. I didn’t want to read a romance right now. I wasn’t in the right state of mind.
In the end, I got up and dragged my school books to my desk. Everything was getting ridiculous, especially if I was now at the point where I couldn’t even be alone with my own thoughts any more. Not even reading was a good enough distraction.
I labored away at my work until my eyelids became heavy and even then I worked on. It was two in the morning before I switched the light out and I simply collapsed onto my bed, not even bothering to undress.
“Are you okay?” asked Charlie.
“I’m fine,” I answered slowly. “My mind wouldn’t shut up last night so I worked until two this morning.” Charlie studied me carefully.
“What was on your mind?”
“Everything. It’s been a while since I’ve let myself think and it all caught up to me. Once the barrier was down there was no way of putting it back up.” I laughed a little and Charlie smiled. She gave me hug and took me by the hand as we went into class.
The day passed the same as any other. I was stood waiting for Helen to come out of school but I couldn’t see her. Her whole class had been dismissed but she was nowhere to be found. I frowned. It was unlike her to be late. I knew she loved school but she always rushed out to tell me all about it. I walked through the gates, against the flow of people. I made my way up the stone steps and into the building.
I was unsure where her classroom was but to my relief there were signs posted on the walls. The last thing I wanted to do was ask for help. I doubted anybody here would be able to sign or even understand me. I found her classroom and peeked my head around the door. The teacher was clearing away a few things on her desk. She looked up at me as I approached and said something. I signed to her that I was deaf and she looked at me for a second before slowly signing the letters of my name. I pointed to myself and nodded.
The woman stood from her desk and shook my hand. Then she picked up a board marker in her hand and began to
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