luxiland

Karly stood at the edge of the cliff, staring at the water, looking for a light. The only thing that made you appreciated in Luxiland. The jump to retrieve the light would be dangerous, and potentially, life-threatening. But she needed to satisfy her hunger for the light. Just one more, just one more. The yearning, calling of the light. Karlyy…. Karly….Karlyy… It seemed to whisper. A sound so quiet, only her soul heard. Karly…

-Three months earlier-

She hadn’t always been that way, obsessed with the light. She had been a common street folk, loved by those near, but hated by those outside. It was the day she slid into the cart out of curiosity that changed her perspective.

Lights. Glittering and shining across the surface of the people’s skin. What was that? She had to have it. It was mesmerizing. The light that reflected off many, some more than others. It danced with the people, it had its own life.

The cart stopped abruptly. Karly peered out once more and then took off and ran. Faster, faster, faster. On top of the stone floor, crashing through dull colored laundry. Faster, faster. The thundering footsteps closer, closer, closer…and yells behind her soon diminished as she strove into a small hut. Safe, she sighed.

“Who are you?” A little boy, the age of five asked pointedly. Karly looked at him cautiously. A dim ray of light glowed from beneath his skin. “Karly,” she slipped, trusting the light. The beautiful tranquil light. “Why do you have a light?”

“It’s Luxiland. The island of light,” the boy said, tilting his head, wondering why she had asked such a dumb question. Karly frowned at the face. She only wanted answers. “How do you get the light?”

“Through good deeds, or you can find it, but it hurts to put inside, some people buy it, but not many have money,” the boy replied matter-of-factly. “I want some,” Karly slipped again, her eyes transfixed on his illuminating eyes. She was unable to keep the words and thoughts from coming out. She was unable to hear the small sentence the boy said. Too much of it will kill you. The boy shrugged, wondering what the big deal was. He walked out then, as if realizing he had better things to do.

Karly snapped out of it then, stood up, grabbed a cloth which looked like the clothes that was worn here, and headed to find a light, she needed some.

For the next two months she genuinely cared about the people around her and received a lot of light. She made friends, money, and was starting to become the new popular one everyone wanted to be amongst. But when a newer, prettier, and nicer girl came through, it all stopped. Her light started dimming. But she longed for more. And her good intentions soon turned into jealousy. Mad at the prettier ones. Mad at the richer ones. It was all comparisons. But she had enough, she wanted to risk everything for the light she was so dearly drawn to. The light that sang, the light that bathed you like the warm sun. So when she heard the rumors about the light in the ocean, she knew she had to go find it. It was the best source, the one only few acquired. She wanted it all for herself.

Maybe she also wanted proof that she could be like the others. Maybe she just felt like she needed to prove herself in general. Maybe she thought her friends were actual friends. It didn’t matter though. No one heard her screams as she injected the light. No one heard her pleads of help. No one heard about the girl again. It was just assumed she moved. But every so often, we hear the light. Screaming softly in the distance. A different name, and then they’re gone.

The light has a want for humans. Too many of them though, will break her into a thousand little pieces.