A beacon of hope offers no repose to its viewers. He sat in the lighthouse in an exquisite pose. Sitting with a book in his hands, one leg over the other, the second hand permitting his face to rest upon it, squishing his cheek.
“Kerrigan!” giggled the younger one by his side. “Another boat is passing!” She sat cross-legged, leaning against Kerrigan’s chair, her arms pushing against her leg to maintain an arched back position. This allowed her to beam up at Kerrigan’s face. He smiled back. She asked, “How do the stars look?”
Kerrigan took a glance at her, then put his book down to fix her tie.
“The stars you drew across the bridge of your nose, you mean? Quite elegant, if I dare say so myself. I’ve always firmly believed you are beautiful, Raine.” He rested both of his hands on Raine’s shoulders and looked into her eyes. “And don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
Raine held his gaze and sighed lightly, softly closing her eyes. “I know, but it’s not that simple.”
Kerrigan gently squeezed her shoulders before grabbing her by the arm to hoist her up to her feet.
“Let’s head back,” Kerrigan announced.
He clasped his hands together for a moment. There seemed to be a soft yellow glow emitting in the space between his palms, before he parted them to reveal a key that hadn’t been there before. He took a step forward and inserted it into what might have been just thin air, and turned it. Almost immediately, a light in the shape of a door, or maybe a gate, appeared. The two of them treated this magic like it was a normal occurrence. Raine sprung into the gate while an amused Kerrigan strolled through behind her.
The light grew for them as they entered, casting away any shadows that tainted the area until the colors of the world came back again. Yet the world they came back to was incredibly dreary. They found themselves in an unkempt alleyway, absent of the feeling of life. Raine’s smile dampened as her outfit melted away back into her original clothes, the palette of colors that were no longer extravagant, less like herself. She could only stare longingly at the reflection of herself in the broken glass on the ground before sighing. Her hands glided across her body, feeling the coarse textures that now gripped her. Raine looked back to Kerrigan, searching for comfort, but he could only scoff at his own scraps of clothes, brushing off the dust that clung to it. She tentatively took his hands. “Maybe we’ll experience happiness someday in this world, too.”
Kerrigan looked at her and gave a weak smile. “In dire times such as these, I doubt we could find a realistic future that is on par with what we can experience in our alternative timeline.”
He then messed with her hair. “But I do believe that we can still enjoy what we have. I’ve been told that hope shines the brightest against the backdrop of despair.”
Raine gave a quick snort of laughter, but had a shine in her eyes again. “Your words sound like some kind of narrator.” She sprung across the room and out the door, and stood outside, waiting for Kerrigan to leave. “Let’s head back home, big bro.”
He began to stroll out with her, unharried, but paused when he saw the broken glass on the floor. Kerrigan bent down to pick the pieces up, carefully placing them on the side of the wall to alleviate the concern that perhaps an unaware stranger might step on them. Once he was satisfied, he joined Raine on their walk back home amidst the static world.
“Kerrigan!” giggled the younger one by his side. “Another boat is passing!” She sat cross-legged, leaning against Kerrigan’s chair, her arms pushing against her leg to maintain an arched back position. This allowed her to beam up at Kerrigan’s face. He smiled back. She asked, “How do the stars look?”
Kerrigan took a glance at her, then put his book down to fix her tie.
“The stars you drew across the bridge of your nose, you mean? Quite elegant, if I dare say so myself. I’ve always firmly believed you are beautiful, Raine.” He rested both of his hands on Raine’s shoulders and looked into her eyes. “And don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
Raine held his gaze and sighed lightly, softly closing her eyes. “I know, but it’s not that simple.”
Kerrigan gently squeezed her shoulders before grabbing her by the arm to hoist her up to her feet.
“Let’s head back,” Kerrigan announced.
He clasped his hands together for a moment. There seemed to be a soft yellow glow emitting in the space between his palms, before he parted them to reveal a key that hadn’t been there before. He took a step forward and inserted it into what might have been just thin air, and turned it. Almost immediately, a light in the shape of a door, or maybe a gate, appeared. The two of them treated this magic like it was a normal occurrence. Raine sprung into the gate while an amused Kerrigan strolled through behind her.
The light grew for them as they entered, casting away any shadows that tainted the area until the colors of the world came back again. Yet the world they came back to was incredibly dreary. They found themselves in an unkempt alleyway, absent of the feeling of life. Raine’s smile dampened as her outfit melted away back into her original clothes, the palette of colors that were no longer extravagant, less like herself. She could only stare longingly at the reflection of herself in the broken glass on the ground before sighing. Her hands glided across her body, feeling the coarse textures that now gripped her. Raine looked back to Kerrigan, searching for comfort, but he could only scoff at his own scraps of clothes, brushing off the dust that clung to it. She tentatively took his hands. “Maybe we’ll experience happiness someday in this world, too.”
Kerrigan looked at her and gave a weak smile. “In dire times such as these, I doubt we could find a realistic future that is on par with what we can experience in our alternative timeline.”
He then messed with her hair. “But I do believe that we can still enjoy what we have. I’ve been told that hope shines the brightest against the backdrop of despair.”
Raine gave a quick snort of laughter, but had a shine in her eyes again. “Your words sound like some kind of narrator.” She sprung across the room and out the door, and stood outside, waiting for Kerrigan to leave. “Let’s head back home, big bro.”
He began to stroll out with her, unharried, but paused when he saw the broken glass on the floor. Kerrigan bent down to pick the pieces up, carefully placing them on the side of the wall to alleviate the concern that perhaps an unaware stranger might step on them. Once he was satisfied, he joined Raine on their walk back home amidst the static world.