LIGHTS
THE LIGHT THIEF
"Juliana!” a woman called, opening the screen door.
“Juliana, what are you doing out here? It is raining outside!” the woman scorned.
“I’m sorry Kristen”, she said. Her head still hung low, as if it had no desire to rise to see the woman’s face.
“Come inside, we’re about to eat dinner,” Kristen said, ushering her inside.
She pulled her sleeves over her hands and crossed her arms, keeping her body hunched over dejectedly. The woman let out a distressed sigh and walked back in. The screen door shut loudly and you could hear her speak to her husband.
“Kurt, why doesn’t she call me ‘mom’?” the woman despondently asked.
“It takes time, honey. Give her time,” the man replied.
Instead of going inside, she walked away; she walked far from the uncomfortable musty yellow light flooding the steps outside of her house. She didn’t bother to get her bike. She walked through the rain while the clouds hung farther down than when she had first come outside earlier; and the light wasn’t exactly disappearing, it seemed to deteriorate instead. She really had nowhere to go but she left anyways. All she had was herself. She had left money and her cell phone at home, as well as her backpack. She could always come back for it later. She walked down the driveway and onto the sidewalk. The rain pitter pattered on her back, threatening to pierce her jacket and soak her. She leisurely strolled around the sidewalk of the miserable town. She noticed the little things in life. The flowers hung their heads low too, as if they were not worthy of admiration. The trees limped and sighed. The sun was enveloped in the clouds; they swallowed it up. She felt like them. Something was eating her inside. She limped and sighed and held her head low. The houses twist their faces into frowns when she walked by. The businesses’ doors purposely slammed shut at a glimpse of her face. She rounded a corner, then another and walked down an old gravel alley leading to the woods. She trudged through the woods, the rain menacing her presence. Finally, she reached a place unknown to many. It was her palace of grandeur and splendor. There was a steep alleyway made of large grey stones and tiny black pebbles. It finally led to a cobblestone road with trees aligned perfectly along the sides and pretty little benches scattered about. She walked down the twisting road until she reached a gate; the trees climbed high, so high that you couldn’t see behind the cast iron fence and vines tangled around black, mighty iron pegs. She pressed a button, secretly masked behind the green foliage.
“Plachard Estate, how may I be of service?” said a voice.
“Visit” she said.
“Name please”, said the voice regally.
“Dawson, Juliana”, she spoke, almost automatically.
“To whom may I give the pleasure of greeting you?” said the voice again; it was a man.
“Miss Atlantis Plachard, please”
“Why of course. Have a pleasant visit!”
The heavy iron wall seemed to float mid air as it parted in two to let her in. She walked down the cobblestone road, silently greeting the crisp green grass and the twisting, clipped trees and the dark green bushes. She strode on silently. The house always looked so alive but now it… it looked dead. The classical style of the mansion always lifted her spirits. The majestic columns and the dome atop, with the long, arched, crystal windows and ivory cream walls. The tall arched door and the white balcony on the second floor. She loved the Greek design of the building though that day it appeared to be as dismal and hopeless as she felt. She felt gravity pull her head back down like a dog being yanked by the collar when it runs out of line. She began to think to herself that she was not worthy of being there. The ice bit at her face, as if it were telling her to get out. She felt a dying feeling inside. Her heart sunk and she felt pressure around her lungs. The spark that never lit up was burning inside now. Her eyes focused in on a figure in the distance. She felt her whole being silently gasp. Her heart skipped a beat.
“Noah…” she whispered.
Suddenly, her body fell with a thundering clasp. Her soul could not contemplate what was before her eyes.
…
“Juliana, what are you doing out here? It is raining outside!” the woman scorned.
“I’m sorry Kristen”, she said. Her head still hung low, as if it had no desire to rise to see the woman’s face.
“Come inside, we’re about to eat dinner,” Kristen said, ushering her inside.
She pulled her sleeves over her hands and crossed her arms, keeping her body hunched over dejectedly. The woman let out a distressed sigh and walked back in. The screen door shut loudly and you could hear her speak to her husband.
“Kurt, why doesn’t she call me ‘mom’?” the woman despondently asked.
“It takes time, honey. Give her time,” the man replied.
Instead of going inside, she walked away; she walked far from the uncomfortable musty yellow light flooding the steps outside of her house. She didn’t bother to get her bike. She walked through the rain while the clouds hung farther down than when she had first come outside earlier; and the light wasn’t exactly disappearing, it seemed to deteriorate instead. She really had nowhere to go but she left anyways. All she had was herself. She had left money and her cell phone at home, as well as her backpack. She could always come back for it later. She walked down the driveway and onto the sidewalk. The rain pitter pattered on her back, threatening to pierce her jacket and soak her. She leisurely strolled around the sidewalk of the miserable town. She noticed the little things in life. The flowers hung their heads low too, as if they were not worthy of admiration. The trees limped and sighed. The sun was enveloped in the clouds; they swallowed it up. She felt like them. Something was eating her inside. She limped and sighed and held her head low. The houses twist their faces into frowns when she walked by. The businesses’ doors purposely slammed shut at a glimpse of her face. She rounded a corner, then another and walked down an old gravel alley leading to the woods. She trudged through the woods, the rain menacing her presence. Finally, she reached a place unknown to many. It was her palace of grandeur and splendor. There was a steep alleyway made of large grey stones and tiny black pebbles. It finally led to a cobblestone road with trees aligned perfectly along the sides and pretty little benches scattered about. She walked down the twisting road until she reached a gate; the trees climbed high, so high that you couldn’t see behind the cast iron fence and vines tangled around black, mighty iron pegs. She pressed a button, secretly masked behind the green foliage.
“Plachard Estate, how may I be of service?” said a voice.
“Visit” she said.
“Name please”, said the voice regally.
“Dawson, Juliana”, she spoke, almost automatically.
“To whom may I give the pleasure of greeting you?” said the voice again; it was a man.
“Miss Atlantis Plachard, please”
“Why of course. Have a pleasant visit!”
The heavy iron wall seemed to float mid air as it parted in two to let her in. She walked down the cobblestone road, silently greeting the crisp green grass and the twisting, clipped trees and the dark green bushes. She strode on silently. The house always looked so alive but now it… it looked dead. The classical style of the mansion always lifted her spirits. The majestic columns and the dome atop, with the long, arched, crystal windows and ivory cream walls. The tall arched door and the white balcony on the second floor. She loved the Greek design of the building though that day it appeared to be as dismal and hopeless as she felt. She felt gravity pull her head back down like a dog being yanked by the collar when it runs out of line. She began to think to herself that she was not worthy of being there. The ice bit at her face, as if it were telling her to get out. She felt a dying feeling inside. Her heart sunk and she felt pressure around her lungs. The spark that never lit up was burning inside now. Her eyes focused in on a figure in the distance. She felt her whole being silently gasp. Her heart skipped a beat.
“Noah…” she whispered.
Suddenly, her body fell with a thundering clasp. Her soul could not contemplate what was before her eyes.
…