For the past forty minutes Devin had been waiting. Waiting was something that people like him had always been good at. People had always seemed surprised when they learn that for many without sight waiting can often be the most interesting time in the day. The location rarely mattered. If you are waiting it is likely for something to happen which means everything going on around you is possibly involved in what you are waiting for. 

This would be in a normal scene in a normal day. A normal day is something Devin hadn’t had in over three years. That was the day his powers began to activate. The day he became scared to hug those he cared about or even touch something. These fears had steadily been lessen, but that was different than leaving him. Their weight at the moment was almost as high as they had ever been. The world he was standing in was unknown. It helped a little that he was waiting outside. At least here there was plenty of distractions. 

Every so often, maybe ten minutes or so, a car would pull up and another teenager would be dropped off. Devin had been one of the first, but the order hardly mattered as most kept to themselves. For the most part Devin had been doing his best Dawson’s Creek impression by standing up and ‘staring’ out towards the tree line. The noise they made when wind pushed against their branches was a lovely sound.  

Devin had brought several things to help him pass any down time he found during the trip to the school, but he had found himself avoiding them for different reasons. He had his music player, but wanted to be ready and alert if something happened or he was asked something. For most music can be a good way to zone out but still be aware. For a blind person it was like entering a sensory denervation room. The only way to get Devin’s attention would be to touch him and that would likely startle him.

The books he brought were interesting to him and a large portion of him wanted to break one out and read it; however, the books would make it glaringly obvious to everyone that he was blind. He knew as soon as he had to move somewhere he would have to use his cane and the not-so-secret secret would be out. It was cruel of the driver to drop him off in the middle of a field or whatever it was. The uneven surface made it difficult for him to step with any confidence, hence his desire to stand still. 

A breeze kicked up a little and a few people seemed to complain as it kicked up some grass and other particles. A boy sneezed and started cursing his allergies. Devin simply smiled to himself and let the nature around him become a symphony. The sound actually has a name. It is a name everyone with similar conditions as Devin hold dearly. The word is psithurism and it means the sound of wind in the trees and rustling of leaves. 

One of the first books Devin read when he joined a support group to deal with his blindness, a common practice for teenagers with sensory impaired persons or others dealing with disabilities, was a book that was full of writings about noise. It was called “The World Painted with Words.” One of Devin’s favorite portions was a small section about nature and the sounds it can make. His favorite quote was by Liu Chi, a scholar in ancient China. 

[indent][i]“Among plants and trees, those with large leaves have a muffled sound; those with dry leaves have a sorrowful sound; those with frail leaves have a weak and unmelodic sound. For this reason, nothing is better suited to wind than the pine.”[/i] -Liu Chi[/indent]
The story continues as Liu dives into the many reasons for why pine trees are the best for wind to clash with. After reading this Devin had asked his mom to take him on a hike. He asked for her to take him to a place where there are many different trees. He had read the entire section during the drive. He read aloud so his mother could know what he was talking about. When they reached the trail they hiked for almost an hour. It was slow, but with the help of Devin’s guide dog they were able to make better time than expected. When they reached a high ridge Devin sat down and thought about what Liu wrote.

[indent][i]“Wind flows through smoothly with a natural sound. Listening to it can relieve anxiety and humiliation, wash away confusion and impurity, expand the spirit and lighten the heart, make one feel peaceful and contemplative, cause one to wander free and easy through the skies and travel along with the force of Creation.”[/i] -Liu Chi [/indent]
Now standing in a field with wind sweeping across it Devin could tell roughly what type of trees were where. Almost forty yards to his left was a collection of pine trees. The song they sang was everything Liu described and was one of the young teenager’s favorite sounds. They were the first string of an orchestra, the Wilhelm scream, or a perfectly tuned piano. 

The sound was broken by the entrance of another youth being dropped off. He smelled of cigarettes and quickly confirmed as he asked if anyone had a lighter. This seemed to bother another who groaned nearby. Devin shared the sentiments of the one who groaned. For blind people smoking can cause headaches and even dizziness. For most blind people smokers are difficult to be around. The smell lingers in the clothes and for those with heightened senses of smell this can be toxic to be around.