Faded sunlight cut across Raleigh’s vision as she fluttered her eyes open. She felt a dull, dry feeling-her agonizing perception of the world around her-seep into her skin with the warm sunlight. Through her beautiful green eyes, the windows to her delicate soul, she saw no color. Born without the ability to see vibrant and vivacious flowers or insects, paintings or Technicolor movies, and even the different hues of her own skin and hair, Raleigh matured through the hardships of a life made entirely of one charcoal sketch after another.

            The scenery changed many times from one hospital to the next. The hallways and corridors stretched farther and echoed louder with increasing screams and laments from patients much more insane and out of touch with reality. During the initiation into her current whitewashed prison, Raleigh let go of the memories of her very last friend.

            The thought of Stephanie’s hair, soft gray and grown beyond the small of her back, tickled Raleigh’s lonesome nose as she sat in the leather chair at the front desk, just as calm and quiet as any given ‘sane’ person. She fought the engraved images in her mind and the familiar tingle along the contour of her face, trying ever-so-hard to nod her head at the right moments during the routine speech from the head nurse.

            An orderly lead her down the speckled tile hallway, passing beneath buzzing fluorescent lights. His strong, muscled fingers brushed against her side, and she fell into the memory of Stephanie’s multi-tinted fingernails running over her brand new dress in such admiration. No longer feeling a longing for the friend left behind, Raleigh drowned in a sudden surge of jealousy. Stephanie’s eyes saw color; they knew the difference between each flower in the fabric.

            A single tear, tangible evidence of her overwhelming anger and frustration, slipped down her cheek. With the sound of the heavy wooden door echoing through her tiny room and not a single tear more, Raleigh completely let go of her time with Stephanie.

            The early morning sunshine burned her delicate skin. Her exposed, freckled arms shone a bright gray against the dark tone of the thin hospital blanket beneath them. Her hands began to tremble of their own accord as the normal 7 a.m. anxiety swept through her body. A metallic click from the door of the room ripped her attention away from the look and feel of her own body and startled her into uncontrollable panic.