Chapter 1

The first time I heard about the Indigo disease I was just six years old, when the little son of one of our neighbours was taken to quarantine by the HOPE staff of medics. Back then, I never thought I could be one of them as well.

No one is absolutely certain what the disease actually is. We are simply told that is an extremely dangerous illness and it represents a severe threat to the national security, shall the infected not get taken for treatment. The HOPE institute was created to take care of all these patients, placing them under strict observation while a cure is found. The effects of the illness are, mostly, unknown to the main population. Most of the people are just aware of an indigo halo that appears around the infected person's pupils, hence the name of the disease. It is a mandatory policy by the government to inform HOPE immediately shall you meet anyone bearing such distinct mark on their eyes. Contradicting this mandate could lead to prison and in some cases even death.

My parents were the owners of a glassware store at Hullenoive, a small town south of the capital of our country. My mother died giving birth to my little sister when I was very young, so I really don't have many memories of her. My father never remarried and raised us lovingly, although sometimes he could be severely strict with our discipline. He was a true expert in optics, and he used to create really fine glassware that was very appreciated in our area. Even people from Anfagaunt would ask him sometimes for an special refractary vase or some beautiful glasses. We had our own workshop in the back of the house and my father used to teach me a lot about the bussiness, clearly thinking about me to continue the family tradition.

When I was ten years old, he gave me a really robust pair of glasses. They were really light and the frame was made of iridilium, so I felt very special when I got them. He made me promise I would wear them all the time, and I did, since I was proud of having such an expensive craft by my father with me.

Twelve years passed rapidly and I became a young adult. I kept working next to my father and taking care of my sister. But when you are young, I think it is imposible to control the emotions that burst all the time...so when I had just turned 22, I fell in love hopelessly.

Her name was Marie, the daughter of the local blacksmith. The first time I watched her long, golden hair and her deep blue eyes, I felt like a lightning had pierced through my chest. I kept courting her for months, until she finally agreed to spend some time with me. She had a really short temper, but I think that's what I liked about her the most: making her angry. After eight months, I really felt she was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life next to, so I took a second job in at the pharmacist's shop to save some money and ask her to marry me.

When we were together I felt the world stopped for a moment and nothing mattered but her soft hand on my face. I was truly happy. One warm evening in autumn we sat next to the river to hear the crickets sing and catch some fireflies. Right at dusk, she kissed me tenderly and she caressed my cheeks while I kept my eyes closed. I didn't really realized when she took off my glasses, I just remember her sweet voice wishpering that she had never seen me without those old glasses covering my face. In my mind, the vivid memory of the lovely smiling face was the last thing still printed in the backside of my eyelids, so I really couldn't understand right away what was happening when I first opened my eyes and she started screaming desperately.

"Indigo!"-she yelled and backed away-"an indigo! I was touched by an indigo! somebody please help me!"-she kept screaming while she got back on her feet and ran away to the town.

Few second after that I realized that I needed to get away from there. My heart started pounding in the middle of my chest and I started to pour sweat out of my forehead like in the hottest summer day. I took the glasses off the ground; they were broken. I hurried to my house and I never stopped to look back, in fact, soon after I started running I didn't hear Marie's voice anymore; the only thought in my head was to get home  swiftly.

It was really dark already, so the streets were mostly empty. I opened the back door of my house and entered the kitchen, when I stumbled upon my father. My eyes uncovered opened as big as they could while I was terrified watching my father's face, with that soberly expression he always had, staring at me directly as if he was trying to look at my soul. I shut my eyes in fear, I didn't want to continue watching that deep and inexpressive stare; I waited for a hit, for a stomp to make me fall and a tell-tale scream to let everyone know he had captured the sick man.

But none of that happened. I opened my eyes slowly after one minute holding my breath and I looked for my father. He was at the workshop, looking for something in one of the drawers. He turned and gave me a wooden box without saying a word. I opened it and it contained another pair of glasses, just like my old ones, a pistol and some golden coins. He turned back again and while not looking at me he told me - Whatever you decide to do, you must go away. If you decide to put an end to your life, please do it in a place where it won't be me who finds you. If you decide to flee the country, use that money for food and transportation and that pistol to defend yourself, unless until you're in a boat you won't be safe anywhere. You must leave now, because you and I cannot have any relation. My son died the moment those glasses left his mark uncovered.

I don't think I fully understood all of my father's words right at that moment; I was hearing but not listening. Me and my numb face left the room slowly into the darkness of the wild...