Little Falls

Meet Hilav "Hil" Equi (10) and Afiby "Afi" Equi (9), sisters who were born with an odd genetic mutation, different colored and unequal pupils. This caused another irregularity, the ability to see “up”. This sets them both apart from everyone else in the school yard, and they are both often made fun of for their weird eye colors. Afiby takes it a lot harder, often avoiding the topic and getting anxious if anyone mentions her eye. Hilav, being a bit older than Afiby, often had to comfort and reassure her, staying next to her sister when she starts worrying too much. The light dots they saw were their favorite, they were the one thing that they both loved about up, and they talked endlessly about the patterns they saw when no one else was around.

Hilav, being older, started taking the medicine sooner than Afiby would have. Afiby eventually began noticing that her sister was acting... odd. Distant. Some nights she could hear Hilav quietly crying to sleep, and every morning, her usual cheery disposition felt more and more strained.

After a while, Hilav's eyes started changing too, becoming duller and fading in color. Hilav tried to never show the pain taking the medicine caused, but Afiby noticed the things she couldn't hide. The way Hilav's hands would shake when she would take it, the way she started bumping into things more often, how she would rub at her eyes subconsciously.

One day, before Hilav took her medicine, Afiby grabbed it instead, going to throw it away. But before she could, her sister walked in, not fully realizing that Afiby was in the room until Hilav got closer. Hilav was more confused than anything at first, until she noticed what Afiby was holding in her hands.

That day, the two sisters fought, one of the first few times they had ever fought. Afiby did get Hilav to stop taking the medicine, though being hesitant when she first agreed. It became apparent that Hilav's partial blindness from taking the medicine was permanent, a realization that made Afiby scared, sad, and angry all at the same time.

Hilav played it off, telling Afiby to not worry about her, but Afiby could tell that Hilav missed the light dots. Every day, Hilav and Afiby would go into their shared bedroom, and close the door, not wanting anyone to overhear. Afiby would then describe the light dots and the patterns she saw in them to her sister. Seeing the way Hilav's glow softened when Afiby talked to her about them told Afiby that Hilav greatly enjoyed hearing about the light dots again, even if she couldn't see them herself.

But eventually, someone would overhear, and "up" is not exactly allowed in Eucydia. Afiby would be taken to the eye doctor, and while she would try to deny it, the someone from earlier (probably a parent) would have witnessed her talk about the light dots to Hilav. Afiby would take the medicine first in the doctors office, where everyone could see, before being sent home.

The first night was absolutely horrible, Afiby had never felt that much pain before. Her eyes felt like they were burning, the light dots flickering in her sight when she tried to look at them. She couldn't stop the tears rolling down her sides. Hilav sat with her that night, listening and understanding what Afiby was going through. Hilav comforted her until Afiby finally went to sleep.

The only reason Hilav wasn't caught for not taking her medicine was because her parents trusted her after she took the medicine by herself for such a long time. Afiby would have to be monitored by someone at first to make sure that she took the medicine. Most often, the responsibility would fall on Hilav, and she absolutely hated having to hold her little sister accountable for taking her medicine. So she didn't, she would conveniently have her back turned, or have her eyes acting up while Afiby would "take" it. In reality, they both dumped it out.

Afiby never went blind like her sister, and no one seemed to notice. They still went to school, and they still got bullied, but the sisters didn't seem to care as much. And then their bullies stopped bullying them, bored from the lack of reaction, going instead to bully a certain yellow triangle...