Collection of short stories

Lucid, not dark.

I wish it would rain, not forever, but enough to cover my face below the raindrops. The umbrella prevents others from seeing my pale face, drawn and almost lifeless.

Normally rainy days are hated, or not liked. But for me, these are days when I find peace, a tranquility that nothing and no one is capable of giving me. The drops, the sound of thunder and puddles when stepping on, are really relaxing.  

Children playing, couples happily holding hands, families strolling, everything is happy around them regardless of their gender or appearance.

But behind all this rain, there was something new. A new form of life was developed or rather discovered, although not complete, called "Hikage" or more commonly, "Shadows of light".

These live with humans without disturbing them, in the shadows, as their names say, but there is something curious about them;

They are able to appear and disappear, even teleport and remember. A legend says that if they appear to you on a dark and rainy night, they will cast a spell on you for good luck. Despite their gloomy appearance, they are warm and friendly beings, this legend also tells they were humans in past lives and due for things they couldn't do, they became beings of light, helping humans in the shadows. To Hikage, your happiness and comfort are theirs. 

I met one, and it was... the most beautiful thing that this withered life gave me. It was warm, he gave me his light and accompanied me until he saw that I was fine, or so I want to remember.

The Hikage that appeared by my side that summer night of 2030 was nothing more and nothing less than the spirit of a young woman, who little by little told me her story. She was kidnapped and a certain "Diana" faked her disappearance, but actually tied her to the basement of a house surrounded by trees made of shadows. She had abandoned her to her fate. There... Alone, hungry, afraid, without anyone having the option to help or save her. That house was a drawing the Hikage created and, for strange reasons, it became real. From one illustration to reality, to reality from life... In the form of beings of shadow lights. 

How is it that such an innocent being, with good people around her and a dream ahead, ended up like this?

Neither I nor she knew, but when she disappeared, I knew I had to find the origin of everything and the reasons for her tragic end. At the end of the day, these beings are other opportunities to do what they could not and thus, perhaps rest. The rain reminds me of her, I should have asked her name, but I didn't have the enough time...

I... 

I wish it would rain, not forever, but enough to cover my pale face from the tears caused by the story of that young woman. The rain remembers sweet, bitter, acid moments, and each person in this city, on this planet, has a story of it which they call "life". Some are good, others bad, but each one is special and different from them.

Hikage can live thanks to those precise moments. They arise from anguish, remorse and pain, from darkness they come to give you light. I wish it would rain, like this,k so this way the Hikage who appeared to me, could find out her true life and what happened after she passed away.

They live for the happiness of others since they, unfortunately, could not.

They are lucid, not dark