THE EYES OF A DRAGON
Written By Kevin Schoenherr
My name is James Lockmat and I’m 12 years old and an only child in my family. I’m from Vancouver in the state of Washington going to a hospital in Oregon because I have a problem with my right eye.
That’s because my eye keeps wandering off for some reason. I had it for three months and it keeps bothering me for not to control it.
I hated my eye so much because I was always being stared by people, made fun of, and always being picked on. I hated my eye so much but what I hate most of all is hospitals.
As we pulled up in the hospital parking lot, I was really scared going in. My parents and I went inside the hospital and checked me in at the desk.
“I hate this,” I said as we sat down in the waiting room. “I don’t want to get surgery on my eye.”
“Well honey,” my Mom said. “I’m sorry you’re scared, but you need this surgery for you’re eye to be adjusted.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t care; I would rather keep my eye than get surgery,” I whined.
“James!” my Dad shouted. “Stop you’re complaining this instant, young man, and listen to your mother.”
I stopped complaining afterwards and just sat there thinking of what’s going to happen to me. Then I heard a door open across the room from me and I heard someone say my name: “James, appointment for James Lockmat.”
A doctor stood out of the door and said my name. My parents responded back.
“Hello,” said the doctor. “Nice to meet you, I’m Dr. Ogewso and I’ll be your surgeon for you’re son’s operation.”
Doctor Ogewso looked like a strange man. He was tall with brown hair, his nose was pointy, and he had a scary face. But he seems to be a very nice doctor.
“Come on in” said Dr. Ogewso. “Let’s talk more about the procedures you’re son’s operation.”
We followed Dr. Ogewso until he took us to the examination room. I sat down on the examination bed, while my parents sat in chairs. Afterwards my parents talked to Dr. Ogewso for a while about my eye and the he explained more on how my operation will be carried out. I was nervous just hearing them talk.
When the doctor and my parents were done talking, the Dr. Ogewso got out of his chair and came over to me.
“James,” he said. “I know you’re nervous about your operation, but don’t worry, it’s a simple procedure and you won’t feel anything.”
“Okay,” I responded.
Even though I told him as if I understood everything, but I still didn’t like the idea of what’s going on.
After everything was discussed, Dr. Ogewso asked me to get ready for the operation. My Mom and Dad both told me not to worry and just relax as they left. I felt a little scared being separated from my parents while going through the operation.
I started to change clothes and put on the apron patients wear at hospitals. As soon I was done, I was asked to lie down on the examination chair. Dr. Ogewso then told me he was going to use anesthesia on me to calm me down. He put the mask over my face and turned on the gas tank with anesthesia. I then started to feel sleepy as the gas started to take its effect. The operation was about to begin…
I begin to wake up as I was slowly regaining consciousness. The surgery must be done, I thought. Then I heard voices around me, three of them actually. One of them was my father’s, the other was my mother’s, but I didn’t recognize the other person voice. It wasn’t Dr. Ogewso talking to my parents. But who could it be?
I tried open my eyes to see who it was as I realized they were wrapped in bandages around my face. I began to moan to get someone’s attention to know I am awake. I heard footsteps coming closer to me.
“James,” an anonymous voice said. “I see you’re awake. My name is Dr. Raymond. Now I’m going to unwrap your bandages and I want you to slowly open eyes when I’m done. Okay?”
“Alright,” I replied. “I will.”
When the bandages were taken off, I opened my eyes slowly and I could see three figures right before my eyes. Mom, Dad, and a doctor were standing in front of me. Suddenly my mom gasped and everyone looked terrified at me.
“What wrong,” I asked. “Why is everyone looking at me funny.”
Then Dr. Raymond gave me a mirror and told me to look at my eyes. As I gazed into it, I couldn’t believe what I saw. My eyes were different. They had unusual shape and color, like an animal’s eyes.
“James,” Dr. Raymond said. “I’m afraid I got some bad news.”
My parents looked at me worried. Mom was crying while Dad comfort her with his shoulder. The doctor told me what happened during the operation. The surgery for my right eye was operated successfully, however, my left eye was also operated for some reason. Then I heard the most shocking thing from the Dr. Raymond.
“James,” he asked. “Was the person doing your surgery named Dr. Ogewso, correct?”
“Yes,” I nodded.
“Well,” he explained. “It turns out that that he is not an employee of the facility. I believe he was posing as a surgeon.”
Later that night, I was told to stay at the hospital. I couldn’t sleep. I kept thinking about my eyes. I wondered how people would see me worse than I had my right eye wandering.
When I finally settled down and tried to sleep, I saw something strange above me. A ball of light was shining brightly moving around my bed. In that light I saw a ghostly figure of a girl looking at me innocently with a sad look on her face. I started to get scared; I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. So I closed my eyes for a few seconds and started saying to myself that there is nothing there. When I was done, I opened my eyes and the girl was gone. I thought it had to be my imagination. After that I started to fell asleep.
The next day, my parents picked me up at the hospital and drove me home. While driving back, I couldn’t stop thinking about that girl I saw last night. Her face looked sad and empty. I kept telling myself that it was my imagination and my eyes aren’t functioning well, but I couldn’t help the feeling she was real.
When we got home, I ran up upstairs to my room. I slammed the door behind me and sat at my desk. I turned on my computer and browsed websites. I was so upset about my eyes looking like this.
It then turned to evening real fast. My Mom called me down for dinner. She cooked my favorite foods. There was ham, mashed potatoes with gravy, baked beans and I had Hawaiian Punch to drink. As the three of us sat down and began to eat, I started to look at parents. They were kind of glaring at me time after time not saying a word. I felt like I was a freak to them.
“Are my eyes really that freaky?” I asked.
My parents began looking at each other and looked back at me.
No, of course not, dear,” Mom replied. “Your eyes are just a little more unique than usual.”
“That’s right James,” Dad said. “Just because you have different eyes, doesn’t mean you’re a freak. It will take time for you to get used to.”
After what my parents said to me, I felt a little better, but I still had a feeling my eyes won’t be the only thing different in change my life.
That night, I was in bed fast asleep. I woke up all of a sudden and sat up in bed. Then I heard a soft voice cry out: “Help me!”
I got scared and I began looking around. There was nobody there. Then I heard it cry out again: “Please, help me.”
I slowly got out of my bed and walked towards my door. I could still hear someone moaning. The cries were coming from the hallway. I opened the door and slowly poked my head out. There I saw a dim of white light glowing downstairs.
I continued walking down the hallway and came to the stairs, looking down. I heard the voice again calling out:
“Help me! Please help me!”
The voice was getting louder as I was getting closer. I crept down the stairs and I saw the light was coming from the living room. As I got closer, I heard crying coming from there. I turned my body to the living room and saw a girl sitting in the armchair. To my surprise, she was the same girl I saw last night. She was curled up in a ball, crying to herself. I wondered why she was crying.
I walked over to her very slowly. I got a little scared as I got closer. I leaned over to her and started to say something.
“Who are you?” I asked.
The girl began to stop crying after hearing me. She lifted her head up out of her legs and looked at me with her pale face.
“Can you –,” she startled. “Can you see me?”
“Yeah,” I replied. “I guess so.”
After I replied to her, she then started to smile with relief.
“Oh thank goodness,” she said. “I’m glad someone can actually see me.”
I stood there confused. The girl seemed to be happy as she calmed down.
“Who are you?” I asked again. “And what are you doing here?”
“My name?” she stuttered. “My name is Katie and I don’t know why I’m here.”
“Oh hi,” I said. “My name is James.”
Katie was kind of a shy girl. She looked confused and upset for some reason.
“How come you are relieved that I can see you?” I asked. “Can’t anyone else see you?”
“No, not really,” she replied. “I don’t know why, but most people can not see me, and only a few with special eyes can?”
After hearing what she said, I was suspicious. For the moment I thought of how my eyes were probably the ones Katie mentioned.
“Katie?” I asked. “What kind of eyes would be able to see spirits like you?”
“Well,” she said. “I believe it’s the kind of eyes of a rare animal, like a dragon. By the way I’m looking at yours, it looks like your eyes are the same as I described.”
I was shocked of what Katie said. I sat there frozen on the floor while my dragon-like eyes were wide open in terror. I couldn’t speak at all. My mind was in a complete daze.
After meeting Katie, we were both starting to get tired. Katie wanted to sleep in the living and thanked me for being there with her.
I quietly sneaked back upstairs to my room. I closed the door gently and went on my computer instead of bed. I was so concerned of my eyes; I wanted to know if there were any other abilities, side effects, or other methods. I searched for hours of anything from dragons, to their eyes and their abilities. In the end, I had no success whatsoever.
It was four-thirty in the morning. I decided to go to bed after that, even though I couldn’t sleep. I had a lot on my mind. There were so many questions unanswered.
Who is that surgeon impersonator, Dr. Ogewso, really? Why did he give me these eyes? What’s he planning? And most importantly, how will this affect my life from now on?
