The Lightroom

"It's your turn," teacher Bedengrayne prompted. I nodded my head and shuffled forward through the archway, through the transparent mists of drizzling light, and into a bright phosphorescent oval room. 

The lightroom. 

It isn't too big but it seemed infinite. The walls were ancient amber painted with liquid light, shining like a million diamonds all glistening at once, and there were fine leaves of french mesh hanging in spontaneous places from the low ceiling. It was ethereal and I could've stayed there forever, even though it was so bright that my eyes burned. My hair glowed as it was spattered with light falling through strategic cracks in the ceiling, and a feeling of peace and coolness washed over me. 

An old woman appeared on a red circus pedestal in front of me, a striking burst of color and dirt against the pure white of the room. It almost felt illegal.

"Hello, Hoping-Madam Aurora," I said, my hands clasped, kneeled to her feet.

She placed her hand on my head. "Rise youth," she said, her voice smooth and tinkling despite her old age. She had curly white hair that fell to her hips and was wearing a long white gown with a nineteen twenties feel to it that looked older than she was. It looked beautiful though, despite its age. That type of dress, the fading dress, had gone out of style many years ago because you couldn't usually see the dress at its true glory. It was made by weaving light through the fabric, and the brightness didn't last forever. But over hundreds of year's it turns beautiful; faintly glowing, but all the details of the stitching and lace are elegantly visible. I had never seen one before. It was so much more stunning than it had been described to me before.

I rose and looked to her. 

"What is it that you have come to ask me?" she inquired.

"I wish for my parents back," I said. She nodded.

"That is a difficult thing to do, are you sure you wish to achieve that?" she asked, implying that it is a daunting and almost impossible task. I nodded my head. I knew that it was almost impossible, but that window of opportunity wpuldnt be open for long. These meetings only happen once every one hundred years. I could not have been luckier than I was to be alive for that. The Hoping-Madam never denies a request, no matter how impossible or dumb it is.

"Alright then," she waved one of her hands, and sparkles spiraled around it. A dark black tube appeared in the air and she plucked it out.

"Do what the text inside says, don't miss a word, and your parents will be alive again." She handed the tube to me, it was cold.

Hope bubbled in my heart. "Thank you," I said joyfully, finally having hope that my parents could be alive again. I kneeled at her feet one more time and left without facing away from her, for thus was the practice.

I left the room, all the light falling from my hair, past my shoulders, and onto the floor. I shook my head to get the last off and stepped through the archway. I couldn't see a thing.

"Did you get your hope?" teacher Bedengrayne asked, as she put her hand on my shoulder to guide me to the hallway where the post lightroom station was set up.

"Yes," I said.

"Good," she responded, "this only happens once a century, so I hope you made a good one." 

She sat me down in a chair and I could feel people rush to me by the rushes of air. After light liquid was poured into my eyes, and large balls of cotton covered them tied to my head with a cotton strap. And any excess light was rubbed off me, it is a very rare substance in the modern days and the common people guards don't need any more people coming into their safety facility in the nude because they had their light stained clothing stolen.

"Stay here until we tell you to, ok?" a nurse instructed.

"Yes sir," I replied. He moved away and I was left with my thoughts. The light room is so much more elegant and blissful than I thought it would be. 

I'm going to begin the hope tomorrow.

Chring! Chring! I swing my arm around and flipped off my alarm. I stretched and sat up. I have something to do...what was it? I went to get my glasses off the nightstand and I saw the tube. “Oh yeah!” I said. I paused, “I can't screw up or I don't know what will happen. Why didn't Hoping-Madam tell me?” 

Screw it.

I snatched up the tube and set it on my lap. I took a deep breath and twisted off the top.

Damn, I expected butterflies and light to come out. But it was empty. There was a small roll of paper inside like a poster though, I plucked it out and un-scrolled it. It's blank. Nothing. Empty. Is this some kind of trick? Is there a code?

I hopped out of my bed and went to my desk in my study. I put the scroll under my reading lamp. Nothing. “Ughhhh, you're kidding me!” I said, this freaking sucked!

Wait. What if that's what I am supposed to do; nothing. Stay at home, just be invisible. Yes, that's exactly what I'm supposed to do. From now on, I will do nothing until my parents come back. 

I sat on my leather couch with my hands folded and just stayed there, staring at my unlit fireplace. I should light it. I almost got up but I stopped myself. “Do nothing, right.”

Unfortunately, I was so focused on the fireplace that I didn't notice the scroll glowing behind me.

(I quite like this story, and it isn't finished so I'm going to make it a series)

Thank you for reading!