Writer in Progress

Luz Para Él

-Experimental Writing, Changing perspectives

Submission:

Light emerged from the corners of my eyes. I felt delicate fingers pinching my frame as I looked around to see a library and talking skeletons. I had seen plenty of moments like these during my lifetime. I was used to being blown by the wind, stepped on by tiny children, and landing inside clothing. The sound of crunching bones had turned into an everyday serenade for me. In particular, today, I was facing a woman. She appeared young and fair. While her bones had traces of history, her hair was youthful and forest brown. She had a flowing purple dress and a slight frown on her face. At first, I was confused about why she was looking straight at me. As a leaf, nothing about my appearance ever stood out to people. I was wrinkled and worn out. I could never keep a girlfriend in high school because they kept flying away. I never got any attention. I was just a mere leaf on the sidewalk.

But suddenly, a voice from behind me spoke with a cheerful tone. "Nailed it. Now say, 'I give you my blessing.'" I was taken aback by his words as the woman repeated him. I saw her pupils redirect themselves to something behind me, and I was baffled. I thought I was her focus. Curious, I turned my head further back to see what had caught her attention and—

AHHHH! It was a human boy! I had never seen one in the Land of the Dead before! His hair was short. His eyes shined with chocolate goodness. He had a nose! My god, he had a nose! He had ears that were round and without impurities. You could see the smoothness of his skin, the pink patches on his cheeks, and his eyebrows, which were as dark as the midnight sky. In the corner of his mouth sat a small, black mole. The shades of his mask differed from the pale and dull shadows of the woman. Her grasp was strong as she went on to say that his name was Miguel. Little human, Miguel. His eyes filled with hope, a longing to return home. His body came closer to me, and a cute smile appeared. Positive energy radiated from him as I could see his excitement increasing. However, his joy was short-lived because she continued to yell that he was banned from playing music!

He jumped back. I jumped back too. It was shocking! How could someone take away somebody else's musical gift? From the look on his face, striking those melodies gave the young boy purpose in life. It filled him from the top of his head to the dancing beat of his toes. Something so precious was getting stolen from him, and he couldn't retaliate. I had heard stories like this from my friends: Parents not understanding their child and letting history affect their paternal decisions. I never thought it was true. I never believed that a mom could strip away the hopes and passions of their kid. It was draining. I was appalled by her actions.

But amid all the anger and frustration, I had a short resolution: I wanted to be his key to go home. I wanted to be the small ray of hope he could grab onto. He needed me to return home to his family in the Land of the Living. I wanted to be the light for him. Yo quería ser la luz para él.