Lend Me Your Ear

[Emily]

Ch. 1. Farm Plan

I’m deaf. I haven’t heard a thing in my life. That’s sixteen years. So I know ASL, American Sign Language.

After school, I rode my bike home. I love the wind blowing in my face and my black hair flying behind me. I ran inside my house and into my room. I dropped off my backpack in their, then went to the kitchen to greet my mom.

She’s always in the kitchen, cooking something up for me. Because I have many medicines I’m taking now, I’m always hungry. There are billions of things I can’t eat. I can’t eat cheese (Jack cheese only), cheeseburgers, chocolate, chocolate anything are the main foods that I can’t eat.

“Hello mother. What’s cooking?” I signed to her.

“Pancakes.” She signed back quickly.

“What’s the matter mom?” I signed.

“Crystal, darling, I’ve signed you up for a Farm Plan. They picked you. I think fresh air and good work will be perfect for you.”

I yelled. “NO!!” I signed angrily. “I DON’T WANT TO LEAVE!”
Mom covered her face with her hands. Tears ran down her cheeks, but she lifted her hands. “You’re growing up; Crystal…You’re leaving tomorrow….”

I stomped my foot, sat on the floor, and wailed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The soft sea mist settled on my face, and I giggled. My dark brown eyes blinked as I stared down in the water and a dolphin kept splashing water at me. The boat sped on, cutting through the water easily and quickly.

Ms. Clarkson, a nineteen year old girl who was my interpreter for the boat ride, walked up to me. She smiled and put her arm around me.

“Five minutes to arriving in Mineral Town.” She signed.

“Mineral Town? Oh: the town I’m going to.” I signed back.

“Looks like the captain was wrong.” Ms. Clarkson signed, and pointed. The mist had cleared mostly, and through it a crowd stood, waiting to greet me; but none would probably know how to sign.

Crap. I’m back in my sad, silent world.

[Herfefiny]

Awwww! How sad! But this looks like a cute story! I hope you write more soon! ;D

[momo]

This is such a nice story! It probably has a moral. =D

[Emily]

Ch.2-Greetings to the Town

I tucked my hair behind my ear as I arrived at the beach. I picked up my bags, and stepped off the boat.

Out of the crowd, a person came through. He had sand-colored hair that fell down to his shoulders, longer than the boy’s hair at home. He wore overalls, and his face was dirty. He stuck his hand out to me, and his lips moved.

I stared at him.

A girl jumped into the air, and her orange hair swung around excitedly. Her lips moved too, but she pushed through the crowd until she faced me. Then she lifted her hands and started signing with a grin.

“Hello, my name is A-N-N, Ann.” She signed. “What’s yours?”
I jumped up and down excitedly and cheered. Someone could understand me! “My name is C-R-Y-S-T-A-L, Crystal.” I signed back quickly.

A man in the crowd jumped up and down, lips moving. He was a chubby, short man in red clothes and a matching hat. In return, Ann’s lips moved, and then turned to me to tell me what he had said.

“He, Thomas, said, ‘What did she say? What did she say?” Ann signed. “I said, ‘She said her name was Crystal.’ By the way, are you the new farmer?”

“Yes, I am.” Crystal signed. “Can you show me where I live?”

“Yes, I can.” Ann signed. “But I think you should stay at the inn first, so you can be near me. I think I should be your interpreter for a while.”

Thomas walked up to me and waved his hand. I nodded and smiled back at him. Everyone crowed around Ann and asked her something. She would sign back while she talked, and showed them how to move their hands in the letters of the alphabet. Then they walked up to me and fingerspelled their names. Each time they did, I would nod, smile, and remember their name, so by an hour I knew everyone’s name.

Ann grabbed my hand and shoed everyone away when all were introduced. Then she tugged on my hand and pointed to the sidewalk, then gestured to come on. I nodded, and then she started rushing away, so I clutched onto her arm and sprinted along.

People were walking in all directions, crowding the small red square we were in, and Ann dropped my arm, so she disappeared in a flash. I looked around worriedly and ran around the square, but there was no sign of her.

Karen, one of the girls who I had been introduced to, walked up to me and grabbed my arm. Her golden brown hair flashed in the sunlight, and her bright green eyes flashed as she started signing to me.

“Ann isn’t the only one who knows how to sign really well.” She signed quickly. “Now come with me. I have something to show you.” She grabbed my arm and started leading me off to an unknown place, and confused as I was, I followed.

[momo]

Yay! She isn't all lonely in her silent world.

[Herfefiny]

That was great! I loved it!
I'm happy that she is happy. ;D

[Emily]

Thanks guys ;D

[Kikyou Saya Rin-Ren]

It's really good! I hope you write more soon!!

[Emily]

You know, I think I know whjy I wrote this story. I have a deaf best friend, but I'm not going to see him. He's going to a different school

[Kikyou Saya Rin-Ren]

I know how you feel. I'm writing a fan-fic (look at siggy) and I got the idea for part of it because Cliff in my MFoMT game left.

[Sakura-chan]

Awsome! Write more!!!! This is going to be interesting when she comes to a festival or something....

[Emily]

Ch. 3-You Know My Destiny

“Wait! WAIT!” I signed quickly and repeatedly, trying to stop.

“What?” Karen signed. “I’m taking you to my house.” I shrugged in return, and she continued to drag me off. I saw a church bloom into view, and the carved brown door opened slightly for a slender young man to step through. Cliff, a boy I had met earlier on the beach, tossed his long, brown hair (which was tied in a ponytail) and smiled at us.

“I you come in here team?” He signed clumsily, getting most of the signs wrong, and then awaited an answer that would probably never return.

“Cliff!” Karen signed and her lips moved together. “You signed wrong. You told her complete ASL nonsense.”

Cliff grinned sheepishly at me, then opened the door to the church and slipped back inside. Karen rolled her eyes, and started pulling on my arm again. We passed another building. ‘Hospital’ spelled the sign in front. I signed her to stop, but she led me up the next building. ‘Supermarket’ spelled the sign in front of it.

“Store?” I asked.

She nodded, and led me up. She crossed quickly through the store choc-full of candy, basic food, baskets, and backpacks, and opened the door tucking into the corner in the back. She threw it open, and inside was a small room.

I looked at her confusedly.

She opened another door on the left and it opened to nearly a whole house. My eyes, I think, popped out. She smiled, and led me over to a fireplace, behind a small brown rocking chair, where an aged woman sat. Her skin was wrinkled in countless places, and a small white bun lay on her head. The grandparent smiled.

“This must be the Crystal you were talking nonstop about.” The grandmother’s lips moved, but her arms raised and her hands whizzed back and forth, signing. “Crystal, darling, you can just can me Grandma.”

“My grandmamma has signed ever since she was a child.” Karen signed to me proudly. “And that’s not all. My grandmamma was a star in her young woman days, and she can tell the future. She has told me I will follow in her footsteps and marry Rick!”

I covered my mouth and supposedly gasped. Grandma smiled and nodded. She closed her eyes, and suddenly opened them with a bolt.

“I see greatness in your future, Crystal.” She signed. “You will stay in this town, but you will find your true love. You will protect the town from evil that tries to enter. You will bring much publicity to this town, and live in a mansion. The only downfall is…you will be betrayed and killed by a friend.”

I blinked.

“My destiny…” I signed surprisedly.

[Herfefiny]

she will be killed... like, literally?

WEll, it was a good chapter, Suite Girl! Keep up the good work!

[Kikyou Saya Rin-Ren]

She'll be KILLED by a FRIEND?! like Herfefiny said, literally?
I bet it'll be Ann!

[Emily]

It's a mystery...