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Lenore squinted hard at her book. For some reason, these past few weeks proved difficult for her reading. The letters in the books seemed to move together when they weren't completely fuzzy looking. For the first few weeks, she was able to get by alright, but by now, the words were nearly completely illegible. It was as if someone had gone through her books and poured water on them, but that couldn't be, because the books weren't damaged, just blurry.

She sighed. Maybe she should see if anyone else could read them or not, make sure it wasn't just her. That was a scary thought. Zin would be a good person to ask - the pig tailed girl didn't seem the type to lie to her friends.

Book in hand, the girl got up and headed for Dorm Tragen.

Lenore looked up at her best friend, and nodded. "Yeah. But before we do that, I want to check something - can you read this book's first page?" In her deadpan voice, the words no doubt sounded sarcastic, but she looked at her friend with the most measure of sincerity she could bring herself to give.

Lenore's spirits fell with each word Zin recited, until there was a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as her best friend finished the page. So it was just her. Lenore shook her head, crestfallen. "You don't have to. I was just checking if you could read it, because I can't." She paused. "I think I'm going blind."

There was a weight in her throat as she spoke the last words. Surely it was every bookworm's worst fear to go blind and not be able to partake in what gave them so much enjoyment. And while Lenore could see Zin more or less perfectly like usual, the fear remained that, someday, she might not even be able to see her best friend. It was probably an unjustified fear, and the girl knew it, but fear being what it was, it lingered in the back of her mind even after she shoved it away. Waiting. Waiting for an opportunity to assault her again. She turned a worried glance to her friend, trying to wordlessly express her fears.

((xD))

Looking at Zinnia's hand, Lenore blinked. "Three." At the second question, the girl shook her head. "No, things are just a little blurry. Especially words." When Zin suggested glasses, Lenore mentally berated herself - why didn't she think of that? "Maybe..." There was hope in that, at least. But going to a doctor... She hadn't been to see a doctor in many years, not since her parents died, but she knew she didn't really like to go. Fidgeting quietly, she looked up at Zin again. "W-would you come with me? I don't really want to go alone."

Lenore blushed lightly at the other girl's musing, and accepted back her book. "Sorry for worrying you." As Zin put her arm around her shoulders, Lenore found herself blushing slightly more, but she wasn't sure why.



The two eventually made their way out to town and to the local eye doctor. The two had never been there, but luckily, people around town proved helpful in locating it. Lenore kicked absentmindedly at the ground as she stared at the building. "You'll come in with me, right...?" She asked tentatively, turning to face the older girl.

Cheesiness aside, Lenore couldn't help but blush at her friend's words. She was doing that a lot today. A lot more than usual, in fact. What was wrong with her? She waited quietly as Zin explained everything, thankful for her friend being here - she wasn't sure she'd be able to explain everything as well. Lead to the room, Lenore tentatively raised a hand as the doctor asked her question. "Me."

((lmao, I haven't had an eyesight test in ten or more years. Here goes. xD))

Lenore allowed herself to be lead to the marked area, swallowing as she did. The first letter Doctor Desford pointed to was a massive E, and even with the slight blur around it, Lenore was easily able to discern what it was. "E." The doctor smiled and nodded before pointing at another letter, smaller this time. Lenore had to strain her failing vision to note that it was a V, but said so nevertheless. The doctor noted something down on a chart in her hand and pointed to another letter. Slightly larger this time. Lenore's hopes plummeted. Was she wrong? The V was blurry, but surely it was a V! Right...?

Tears threatened to form in her eyes and compromise her already blurry vision, but she hurriedly wiped them away. Focusing back where the woman was pointing, she opened her mouth to identify the letter, but doubt gripped her. After a moment, she questioned, "K?" The doctor nodded again before pointing at the letter directly under the V. It was smaller, and Lenore strained her vision to try to see it, squinting in hopes it would help. It didn't, however, and the girl tried harder, to no avail. After a long moment, the tears began again, but she made no rushed attempt to hide it. "I... I don't know." She admitted quietly, utterly defeated. The tears fell down her cheeks, and still she didn't move to wipe them away, her focus on the blurred mass of letter she could not see.

Lenore wiped away her tears as Zin wrapped her arms around her shoulders. 'The doctor would fix her'. Because she was broken, now. Reading was the only thing she was ever really good at, and now she didn't even have that. But despite such thoughts, she knew what her friend meant. She nodded quietly.

Doctor Desford smiled reassuringly. "As Zin said, I can help you. Not immediately, mind you, but I'll have glasses fit for you sent to the compound. Don't worry."