Out of the Darkness
written by: Valli Henry-Boldini
“Janelle knelt quietly at the edge of the Golden Pool. Her long raven hair dipped in and out of the moonlit water, causing ripples to venture towards the middle and then disappear into the shadows on the other side. The silver moonbeams turned to gold as soon as they touched the magical water, giving her some hope that she would see him once more.”
***
She held out her slender hand, and he took it. Her delicate fingers wrapped around his stubby little ones and squeezed them tightly. He did not know where she would lead him, but he felt completely calm and trusted in her smile.
They began to walk, moving slowly at first, and then gradually quickening their pace. He looked mostly ahead, turning only when she pointed out places of beauty to him.
They didn’t speak but understood every word that was communicated because they came with love from their hearts.
Distant voices called out from the encroaching darkness, distracting him every now and again. He could not understand what they were saying, apart from a stray word here and there.
They sounded like “The big…”, “Moon…”, “Darling…”, and “…Broken… bed…”, “We love you…”, “Please come back to us…” He looked up at the beautiful girl to see whether she’d heard those voices too and could explain them. She made no sign of acknowledging him, and he didn’t question her.
She led him deeper into the forest. The blackness now surrounding them became unbearable to him as tight knots forming in his stomach, warned him of danger ahead. She sensed his fear and squeezed his tiny hand a little tighter. This gave him the comfort he needed. She knew he trusted her.
***
“Her thoughts turned to Castel, her only true love. She wondered if he would be able to kill the dragon and bring back the tip of his tail as proof of his victory. Her life depended on it. Would he be in time to save her from this sad destiny? Would they be joined once again in love but also in freedom from this profound darkness resting heavily on their lives?”
***
They fought on further through the darkness, almost tripping on the serpent-like tree roots snaking their way over everything in their path; roots that were finally awakening and pushing up from the marshy terrain after years of tormented slumber. The boy’s excitement grew as he thought about all those adventure books he’d read so often; only now he was the knight, sword at the ready, in search of a dragon to slay by the light of a huge silver moon. They soldiered on through unending gnarled and tangled bushes, hiding prickly undergrowth that bit into his body, causing him to wince in pain. He searched high into the crisp black sky but only caught glimpses of the dragon flapping its huge wings in the slowly fading moonbeams. He finally gave up his search as the thick clouds covered the moon, and the darkness instantly became denser. This sudden change forced ice-cold air to descend on them, causing him to shiver and cling even tighter to this young woman’s hand.
***
“Her heart quickened as she looked across the golden water. Castel had asked her before leaving to meet him at the very spot where the bed of the pool was slightly broken. He had implored her to wait for the glow of a brilliant full moon and then sit in that spot beneath its comforting beams. Tonight was the night of that full moon, and she looked out across the pool for some sign of him.”
***
Suddenly, the tiniest dot of light appeared somewhere in the distance. It caught a strand of her jet-black hair and bounced off it, causing a rainbow of colours to spew out ahead of them, lighting up their path. This puzzled him, but he enjoyed their comforting glow, and still, she gave him no explanation.
***
“He had spoken to the elders, and they had gathered their strengths to advise him. They had given their promise to gather their fates for this one momentous moment. They were sure that by defying the rules and relying instead on their wit, cunning, and tools, a victory would be theirs. He had no other choice but to believe them and their powers. He glanced at Janelle before taking his leave on his quest to save the only woman he’d ever loved.”
***
On and on they moved towards the light. Stronger and stronger it became, gradually replacing the blackness in its path and revealing tall green trees, beautiful animals and birds full of vibrant colours who looked at him and seemingly smiled. He smiled back, waving every now and again with his free hand. How was all this possible? His thoughts began once again to question what was happening, but he continued to follow her. She smiled faintly, gently tugging his hand as they hurried even closer towards the light.
***
“She hoped that they would be right and that she had not come too soon. Timing was of the essence. One second too much or too little would cost his life. She could not let that happen. That was far too big a price to pay. She had to time it perfectly.”
***
Finally, they entered a big open space. Everything came to a standstill as she released her grip and turned to face him. Looking up at her properly for the first time, he saw that her eyes were a transparent light blue, and he could see the ocean flowing from them. Though her hair was black, it now reflected a beautiful blue haze rising up from the darkness and encircling her pink-clad body. She raised her arms, as if in thanks to a higher entity, creating bolts of blue light which forged upwards, ending at various points of a strange new rainbow in the sky. Her lips were the rosiest of reds, as she chanted, then blew him a farewell kiss. Sadness filled the deepest depths of his soul when she had gone, but soon after was replaced by an incredible peace.
A familiar voice now began to fill his head as he tried to listen to what it was saying.
“Can you hear me, my darling? This is your favourite dragon story! Remember? You called Castel your hero of all time because he was victorious against all odds. He killed the dragon in time and came back to meet his beloved Janelle by the Golden Pool. Sonny! Please open your eyes. Sonny! Oh my God,” said the young woman, whose eyes betrayed her need to sleep. “Doctor! Nurse! Come quickly. Sonny has opened his eyes.”
Sonny screwed up his face at the light which was now much brighter than the comforting colours he’d just left behind. He opened his eyes again slowly, allowing them time to focus. Looking up, he saw his mother, her long red hair falling over her face in her rush to kiss his forehead. His father stood next to her. His thin face filled with joy, though his eyes were tearful. The bleep of the monitor somewhere to the right of his bed beat strongly, almost singing with happiness. Smiling, he held both their hands as he searched the room for her.
“Mamma,” he said. “Where is she?”
“Who, my darling?”
“The beautiful girl with the long black hair. She brought me out of the darkness.”
His parents looked at each other as big salty tears crept silently down their pale cheeks. The hit-and-run driver could no longer deprive them of their only child. Had an angel brought their precious little Sonny out of his coma? Had someone from above answered their prayers?
He would tell them all about it very soon.
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