The Border

Her name was Light. Her hair was arranged in corn-rows, each braided with threads of light which spread down her back like luminescence from a lamp; her eyes were glowing golden, the lightbulbs of her body, which were positioned midway down her round face. Freckles radiated across her cheeks, each in the shape of little stars that twinkled in the light from her eyes. Light’s fingertips bled into the glow around her, so that she was one with the energy, and her legs faded into a ray of sunshine; not dis-similar to a mermaid. She was breath-takingly beautiful, but no one could lay eyes on her without being blinded; so, she was utterly alone.

His name was Dark. His hair was shaved into a short buzz-cut which prickled like the spikes of a porcupine. His diamond-shaped, chocolate face was blemished with black spots that plagued his smooth skin; Dark’s sculpted body was encased in a cloak of pitch black that wisped when he moved. His eyes were the only part of him that were bright and full of life, they shone like lightbulbs from his face because he too was a Creator.

At the beginning of the world, non-human beings were created to set up the natural balance of nature, they were named the Creators. Light, Dark, Earth, Sea, and Sky. Earth, Sea, and Sky remained isolated by staying hidden in their elements, keeping the natural balance of separation. However, Light, and Dark had their own separate sides of the world, keeping one side completely in darkness and the other shrouded in light. This was the natural order. Earth could create different types of vegetation that survived in the light and others that survived in the dark; Sea could create creatures that thrived in the sunshine and others that preyed in the murk; Sky could create white puffy clouds to cover the blue sky and looming shadows to coat the black sky. This was the natural order.

Occasionally, Light, and Dark would come close to the border between the two halves of the world, never acknowledging each other but sensing the others presence. Then on one occasion, Dark started chuckling to himself while he played with the shadows he had created, which caught the attention of Light.

“What are you laughing at?” Light called over the border.

Dark began to turn around to see who had spoken to him because no one ever spoke to him.

“STOP!” Light screamed. This caused Dark to still instantly, in a softer tone Light continued, “If you turn around and look at me, you will be blinded by my light.”

Immediately, Dark knew who he was talking to. So, he sat down, back facing the border and continued to talk to Light. After a while, Light also came and sat, back against the border, and continued to natter about their days. They would only leave each other’s back to carry out their duties as Creators: generate more light and dark, produce balls filled with shadows and light to send down into Sea’s territory and produce beams to send up to Sky. But after all this was done you would find them back at the border.

Lots of time passed by and they would still meet. They grew very fond of each other and soon they became inseparable.

“Light?” asked Dark.

“Yes,” replied Light.

“You have seen me, but I haven’t ever seen you,” he continued in a weary voice, “I just want to see your face.”

Light gave a silent sigh of grief as she realised that she too wanted to meet him face to face for she was starting to realise that feelings were growing between them, that they both tried to hide.

“I wish you could Dark, but we both know if you did you would lose your sight almost instantly.”

That was the end of the conversation for a very long time. Still meeting everyday they eventually admitted their feelings towards each other, that they no longer wanted to be ‘just friends’. But this was not enough for Dark, he loved to talk but he wanted her. All of her.

“Can you turn to face the border?” asked Dark

“Why?”

“Can you just look at my back. Please,” pleaded Dark while facing away from the border.

Cautiously Light turned to face the back of his head and stared at it intently wondering what his beautiful face looked like. Suddenly, Dark spun around and for only a few seconds they met each other’s gaze, a smile spread across both their faces as they gazed at the person they had grown to love over the long, long time.

Then he recoiled in pain as his bright eyes lost their glow and turned pitch black, like pits of darkness. Dark was blind.

“No!” cried Light, “NO! why would you do that?”

Dark smiled into the darkness, “I could spend eternity looking into the darkness I create, or I could spend a few seconds looking at the woman I love. You are the first thing I think about when I wake up, you are the first thing I want when I am lonely and now you are the last thing I will ever see.”

Tears pricked in Light’s luminescent eyes.

“I finally got to see your beautiful face and I do not want to see anything ever again so I can remember that image forever.”

Light could not contain herself any longer. She jumped over the border and took Dark in her arms, in a warm embrace, and they held each other until a loud crack snapped across the sky. It suddenly all turned dark. Light’s half of the world was enveloped in darkness.

She stayed with him, in his arms for 12 hours until she began to feel weak and faint. Dark carried her back over the border and suddenly the whole world was covered in sunshine. This continued for all eternity, creating day and night for the world. As soon as the other was drained of energy the night and day would switch as they crossed over the border.

This is why sunsets and sunrises are so beautiful because two unlikely friends are crossing the threshold together and creating the new, stunning, un-natural order.