Page 5 of Flying Blind

Bethany woke up, and light was streaming into the room.

“Good morning. Did you two come up with a name?” Wren’s voice was soft.

“Luna wrote it down on that piece of paper. Do I really need it?”

“Yes. They are tracking mentions of your name, so we aren’t going to use it anymore. Ah, this is lovely. Give me a minute.” There was the crackle of power and the scent of scorched paper.

Wren sighed softly. “Welcome to the world, Zara Telz.”

Bethany blinked, but then the name made space for itself in her mind. “Wow. There it is.”

Luna’s voice came in. “Hey, Zara, what do you want for breakfast? You didn’t eat anything yesterday. I ordered a bit of everything.”

“I... yes... Zara. That’s right. I like muffins and Danish, eggs and bacon. Just about anything. I can’t believe I slept so long.”

Wren said, “You were sleeping off the shock. I can help heal and seal up those injuries. The burns on your back. They are putting out some chum in the water, and I want to seal that up.”

Zara sat up, holding the bedding to her chest. “Do what you need to do. At least you see me.”

Wren touched her shoulder, and then there was a slow warmth moving down the centre of her back. The burned feeling faded and was now cool and comfortable, like a new tattoo at the two-week mark. She didn’t have a tattoo, but she had plenty of friends who did.

Luna said, “I have some clothing for you. Did you want to have a shower?”

“Is there anything that can be done for my eyes?”

“No. It was an acid attack. They neutralized the acid, but the damage to the eyes is permanent. We are arranging instructors to help you move around and a sort of a halfway house with a tutor to help you relearn how to do everything on a day-to-day business.”

Zara sighed. “Can someone help me shower and keep the food warm? I really want to get dressed. This is happening fast.”

Luna sighed. “We want to get you on the right track before depression kicks in. Most betas who have been in a situation with an enhanced beta that was violent hit depression about a week after the initial incident. That is why we are trying to get you into a network of other people who have been there. Bitten, clawed, broken, left for dead, just to mention a few.”

Wren sighed. “Since you can’t go to the village, a village is about to form around you.”

Zara paused. “Then, I should really get showered and dressed. Being naked in a village is one of my teenage nightmares.”

Luna chuckled and took her by the hand, slipping a robe over her shoulders and walking her to the bathroom.

“Thanks for doing this. I hate being helpless.”

“That is why we are trying to get instruction around you as fast as we can. The faster you learn to sniff out the difference between shampoo and conditioner, as well as body wash, the better. Shaving your pits will wait for another day.”

Zara laughed and was efficiently washed by a woman who was chatting about her son getting ready to go to university. Luna didn’t sound that old.

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