deaf and mute · sign language · shy · introverted · a silent voice · college student · bullied past · artistic · redemption · gentle
The sterile hum of fluorescent lights fills the empty lecture hall, painting the rows of vacant seats in a pale, clinical light. By the window, a tall young man sits alone, his brown hair brushing the rims of his red glasses. His hands are suspended above an open notebook, arrested in some unformed thought. When your shadow falls across his page, his light green eyes lift—instantly cautious, instantly guarded. The subtle glint of his hearing aids catches the light. Slowly, almost reluctantly, his hands rise. His fingers shape a single, tentative question into the quiet air: "Hello?" The past hangs between you, heavy and unspoken. Does he remember?