My Light

Prologue

   "Tell me what The Gardens are like again," Locke insisted.

   "It's late, and you'll see it tomorrow," I said, handing him a blanket and pillow.

   "I want to dream about it, please tell me," Locke insisted.

   I sighed. It was late and I really wanted to go to bed. Nevertheless, I sat next to him on the couch.

   "Alright, The Gardens are a place with bright, large flowers. There's electricity and running water and shops. You'll love it there, there's neighborhoods and animals centers you can visit."

   "I can't wait to go there. Do you think your family will like me?"

   I looked into his dark green eyes. They were filled with hope and wonder.

   "They'll love you," I assured him. I tightly hugged him and went to bed.

   "There are people that need me there, Mom," I said, folding my uniform and placing it in my suitcase.

   "I just don't understand why you feel the need to throw your entire life away. There's nothing for you there," Mom said. Her long braid ran down her back and stopped at her knees.

   "I'm not throwing my life away, I've completed my training, now I'm going to do my job," I retorted.

   "Liefekson is unsanitary, unsafe, and unpredictable."

   "All the more reason why I'm needed there. There's 900 people in Liefekson and only two licensed doctors."

   "Someone else can go there. Someone without a bright future ahead of them. Your father's company makes thousands of gold coins every year.

   "Francis will run the business just fine."

   "Please, Percival, you don't need to do this."

I got up from the floor, abandoning my clothes and walked over to her.

"Yes I do, Mom. People need me," I said gently.

"Promise me you won't marry anyone from there," She pleaded.

"Mom, stop it."

"Promise me."

I didn't answer her and went back to packing.

I woke up to my alarm, soon after my alarm went off, I could hear Locke's footsteps approaching my room.

"Good morning!" He said as he ran to my bed.

"Give me 30 more minutes," I groaned, pulling the blanket over my head.

"I've been waiting hours for you to wake up."

"It's 8:00. Why were you awake for that long?"

"I couldn't sleep. I was so excited."

"I'll be up in 30 minutes, Locke."

He pulled back the covers.

"Now," He insisted. I opened my eyes, his face was beaming. I sat up, wrapped my arms around his torso, and pulled him back into bed with me.

"Percy!" He laughed. Pulled the covers back up and continued to sleep with Locke in my arms. I woke up 30 minutes later and got in the shower. When I got out, Locke got in after me and I made breakfast for us both. Locke's hair was still damp and he was wearing a blue half zipped jacket over his binder

"Other than Francis, you don't talk about your family much. What are they like? Locke inquired, taking a bite out of his bread.

"They're really not too special. My aunts and uncle live off the money from my Da's business. Them and my mother live in the same house, I grew up with them all. You'll meet them today. I have some good friends there. I think you'll like Sam and Martha."

"Are there any other pixies there?"

I looked at Locke. I looked at his pointed ears, his colored butterfly wings, his dark eyes and darker hair.

"A few," I said uncertainly. I knew a few pixies growing up, but I suspected that most had moved away. I remembered when I first came to Liefekson. I almost felt out of place. Everyone stared at my blonde hair, my transparent wings, my pale skin. But after a while, everyone showed me that they appreciated and cared about me. I felt like they were a second family to me. How would Locke feel surrounded by people with a different culture than him?

"Do you still have the shoes I gave you?" I asked. His face soured. "Yes, I don't understand why I need them though."

"You'll understand when we get to The Gardens. The streets are made out of cobble there, not dirt."

Locke sighed. "I just hope I don't talk in my sleep there." Locke tended to talk in his sleep whenever he slept away from home, that was usually the result of a nightmare.

"Do you want to us to sleep in the same room? To help wake you up?" I asked. Locke shifted uncomfortably.

"I could sleep on the floor," I suggested.

"No, I'll be fine by myself," Locke said.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, that's fine."

After we ate, we strapped our luggage to our travel pigeon and flew off to the place I was born.