A short story I wrote for the Newgrounds' Writers Jam. Theme: Lantern
*Through the woods Saint Ephron did roam Far from his cottage and homeland home When ahead, a bright glowing light shone Beaming up to the heaven's dome
With curiosity peaked, he followed the glare Trudging through brushwood with determined care Soon he came upon a radiant pyre Known by few as Seraph Pyre
T'was a place spoken of only in lore Where deep wishes uttered become life's core Saint Ephron gazed in hopeful awe At the fire's gift, he soon did draw
This magical place grants wants and dreams For those pure souls it calls and gleams Saint Ephron spoke his truest desire And was gifted his wish by Seraph Pyre*
“Nico, why are we chasing fairy tales?” The irate voice of Tobias echoes against the crunch of our footsteps on the snow. He treks a bit behind me, using my body to shield himself from the harsh chill. The frigid wind slices through my puffy jacket, chilling me to the bone, but now is not the time to stop. I keep moving forward, stomping my boots in an attempt to quicken my pace.
“No one is telling you to.” We continue our journey, followingalong frozen creek. Our town gets its namesake from this very waterway - Crigler Creek, a little slice of Americana. Its frozen appearance only happens during the holiday we tend to celebrate these days, Angel's Night. The creek's path flows into a darkforest. Though it's hard to make out what lies ahead,from what I can see, there is still a walkable path next to the creek. Tobias catches up to me near the forest's entrance
“It's not too late to turn around. We could still make to Jermaine's party. Heard this year he got actual South American Cacao for the ambrosia!”
One last plea to get me to abandoned my quest. “Sounds like you should have gone there instead.”
I continue walking forward into the forest. The snow covered trees provide some protection against the wind, but not much. I roll up my jacket sleeve to reveal my smartwatch. As the wind bites at my arm, I press the crown on the watch twice to activate flashlight mode, providing some much neededillumination.
The revealed path seems narrow - I can't make out the distance between the tree roots and creek due to the deep snow. We continue carefully, doing our best not to trip. It takes until we are deep into the forest until Tobias sounds off another complaint.
“There are better ways to get a girl than appeasing to angels.”
A slight jab, but it doesn't matter. I really don't know why he came along if all he was going to do was complain. This is important to me. Significant to…
“If you want to go party with Jermaine so bad, then go already! No one is stopping you!”
It goes quiet for a bit. I don't hear Tobias' footsteps in the snow, only the whistle of wind against the trees. The sound of moving branches startles me. Did he go off by himself? I take a half step forward before turning around, trying to spot Tobias. Suddenly, footsteps crunch behind me as a push almost sends me into the frozen creek. Falling backwards to stop my momentum, my watch's light reveals Tobias as the culprit.
"What kind of friend would I be if I let you spend Candles and Cake out here alone in the freezing cold?"
“One that almost kills his best friend?”
I quickly pick myself up and stare back at him. He tries to look serious, but the sight of him shivering defeats the purpose. I dust the snow off my pants before returning the nudge, being considerate enough not to send him into the creek—just enough so I can get in front of him.
“So, let's keep moving. The faster we find the pyre, the faster we get to the party.”
A smile cracks on Tobias's face. He swings his arm around my neck. We both shiver as we continue following the creek, hoping to find the Seraph Pyre soon.
“Then we can warm up with some ambrosia and college co-eds.”
“Living the St. Ephron's dream.”
Tobias lets go of my neck to raise both hands to the sky.
“THE VISIONARY HIMSELF!”
He exclaims it as if beckoning St.Ephron. We exit the forest to see a massive hill in front of us. The sight of the creek flowing up the hill dampens our joyful demeanor. We let out a defeated groan that clashes against the howling wind. Why couldn't the creek just lead into another forest? I turn off flashlight mode to conserve the battery on my watch. Taking three deep breaths, I make my way up the daunting hill.
This is the harshest part so far. I can feel my legs screaming in protest. We get past a quarter of the way up when Tobias faceplants into the snow. After waiting a few seconds for him to get up and seeing no movement, I hoist him onto my shoulder and continue climbing. A little ways later, I collapse to my knees, struggling to catch my breath. I stare at the snow, thinking this is going to be impossible in these conditions. How did St. Ephron do this back in the day?
Suddenly, Tobias stirs on my shoulder, finally coming to. In a daze, he asks me a bizarre question:
"Why'd you turn the flashlight back on?"
I give him a puzzled look.
"I didn't."
Just as confused as I am, he returns the puzzling look.
"Then where is that bright light coming from...?"
We look up to see a dazzling light illuminating the night sky. Did we actually find it? A burst of energy propels us as we scramble up the hill on all fours to see the source. As soon as we reach the peak, Tobias is the first to exclaim at the newly discovered sight:
“Holy shit! It's actually real.”
At the end of the creek stands a building in the shape of a lantern. Long glass windows surround the building completely, while a smaller version of the structure sits atop its domed roof, crowning the place. We slide down the hill, our exhausted legs barely able to move. Tobias ends up tumbling down, picking up speed to get ahead of me. The front glass of the building splits in half, opening up as Tobias draws nearer and nearer, until he is swallowed whole by the blinding light. I catch my footing on the hill and push into a mad dash for the door. My legs almost collapse, but I give up running and leap into the light.
It takes some time for my eyes to adjust to the brightness. The interior resembles an ultra fancy hotel lobby, with gold lining everything - the rugs, chairs, walls, and a plethora of glass doors throughout. It's fitting of the name Seraph. The warmth instantly heals me from the bitter winter wind outside. I decide to take off my jacket, holding it under my arm but keeping on my trapper hat, snapping up the side flaps so my ears don't get sweaty.
I notice Tobias also took off his jacket, standing there with flattened hair after removing his beanie and thermal shirt, taking a chalice from a gentleman in a suit. Something seems strange about the man however - his face lacks any defining features.
Tobias notices me walking towards them and shouts,
"They have ambrosia here!"
"Of course they would. Don't you remember the rest of the fairy tale?"
The gentleman holds out a tray with another chalice of ambrosia. I take it as he exits through the only silver-framed door in the lobby.
"Still, I expected it to be sweeter here,"
I take a sip to confirm his statement. He's right - it's less sweet than we make it. The chocolate has a purer taste as well.
We walk around the lobby enjoying our drinks while looking for a place to make our wish. The clacking of heels on the floor draws our attention to a circular desk in the center. A woman approaches, her tight dress accentuating her curves. Her hair is tied in a neat bun, and gold-rimmed glasses frame striking, raven-like eyes. The secretary, I presume, looks directly at us with a warm smile.
"Welcome to the Seraph Pyre,"
Her accent is unfamiliar to my ears.
"Please state your wish."
Tobias and I exchange confused glances, unsure what to do. Tobias responds, trying to clarify.
"Do we have to say it out loud?"
"Just thinking it is fine,"
Suddenly, a door opens and girls' laughter spills out. They lounge just beyond the doorway in various seductive poses, crudely cut wool sweaters leaving little to imagination. In sultry voices, they call out for Tobias repeatedly.
Their words seem to entrance him, like sirens' song. I thought he just wanted Jermaine's party, but this exceeds any bash Jermaine has thrown. I nudge Tobias, breaking the spell.
"I'll be fine. Go on, enjoy Angel's Night."
Tobias stares at me blankly, then throws his hands on my shoulders as tears form in his eyes.
"I wouldn't trade you for anyone in this world."
He rushes for the doorway, skipping like a child to a candy store. Diving into the girls' arms, the door shuts behind him. The secretary adjusts her glasses, gaze returning to me.
"Now what is your wish?"
Seeing how the secretary just granted Tobias' wish, she must be the angel from the fairy tale. Okay, I try to remember the exact words so I don't mess this up. "We never got to make it like we planned." The words come out tinged with sadness. It's hard to forget.
A Blu-ray case appears on the desk before the angel. It's strange to see an angel dumbfounded by an item. She clears her throat and quickly recovers her composure.
"Strange, are you sure you don't want anything else?"
"No, that's all. I'll be on my way then. Thank you so very much."
I grab the case and make for the front door. If I hurry, I can still spend my birthday with Milka. The massive hill flashes in my mind - yeah, no way I'll make it in time. Still, I'm curious what's on this disc. Maybe if I roll down the hill to gain momentum...
The angel interrupts my planning.
"What about your friend?"
I put on my jacket, not slowing my brisk pace, and reply.
"He'll be upset if I interrupt his wish."
"Wait,"
I stop and turn back. She gestures to a door behind her desk.
"Use this door. It will take you exactly where you need to go."
The door opens to reveal Jermaine's house, decked out in lights. White bulbs adorn the place, and a picture of St. Ephron holding ambrosia decorates the front door.I guess Milka is going to be at the partyThis is way faster than hiking back through the wilderness and over that treacherous hill!
I thank the angel again before heading through the doorway to the party.
The secretary fixes her glasses while she stares at the freshly closed door. “Now, let's see if this is truly a selfless wish.”
