In this area, the lights never come on, there are no visitors, and it's always dead silent. The houses stand empty without residents, and no one wants to buy a home here.
Twelve-year-old Luke Campbell suffers from loneliness - he has no friends, an...
Luke and Aliya are sitting at a small table, each with a piece of paper and some colorful markers. They are drawing cartoons of each other. As children paint, Luke and Aliya exchange their drawings and burst into laughter. Luke points at Aliya's drawing and says, "Look at your funny nose!" Aliya laughs and replies, "And your ears are so big!" They both continue to tease each other in a playful way. The room echoes with their laughter as they enjoy their friendly cartoon drawing game.
Luke then grabs a new sheet of paper and starts another cartoon, this time exaggerating Aliya's love for pizza by drawing her holding a huge slice. Aliya responds by drawing Luke with a superhero cape, flying in the air with a pizza in hand. They laugh even harder at their imaginative creations, each trying to outdo the other with their funny ideas.
"You don't look very cheerful," suddenly remarked Aliya.
"I have very few reasons to be cheerful."
"But this time, you seem particularly downcast."
The boy didn't want to bring up school bullying and another punishment from the headmaster again, so he just quickly changed the subject.
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"Aliya, what do you plan to do when you grow up? Social services will definitely be interested in why all this time you've had no documents, haven't been to school, and who has been taking care of you at all."
"First, tell me what you'll do when you become an adult."
"You're dodging the topic again!"
"Why is that? I'm sticking to the same topic you started."
"But you haven't answered my question."
"It's impossible to answer when there isn't one."
Luke sat quietly, lost in thoughts about Aliya's future. He imagined her growing weary of staying hidden away in her luxurious hideout on Dark Lanterns Lane. Maybe one day the girl would decide to step out into the world. He pictured her completing her schooling through a flexible program, earning excellent grades because she would be such a smart and hardworking student.
The boy dreamed of them attending the same university together, always by each other's side. Her dedication to her studies would surely pay off, ensuring she excelled academically. Luke imagined the joy of sharing this journey with her, from high school to university, where they could support and encourage each other every step of the way.
"What are you planning to do after school?" she asked again more stubbornly.
"First of all, I'm going to burn all my school notebooks and photos of my idiots classmates."
In that very moment they noticed the first drops of rain tapping gently against the window glass. Outside, the autumn rain began to fall steadily, painting the world in shades of dark colours. The air filled with the earthy scent of wet leaves and the sound of raindrops pattering on the roof. It was the kind of weather that whispered of cozy evenings indoors, wrapped in blankets with a hot cup of tea. The contrast between the coolness of the rain and the warmth indoors made the space feel even more inviting.
But it was time to go home.
***
One cozy autumn evening at home, Luke sat down for dinner with his parents. The table was adorned with a simple meal of roasted chicken and vegetables, the aromas were delicious. They chatted about their day, sharing stupid jokes and laughter over their plates. Just a warm family evening when everyone has finished all the duties and can spend time in a cozy atmosphere.
After the dinner, they gathered in the living room in front of TV screen. The soft glow of the lamp cast a warm light over the room. Luke's dad turned on the TV, and they settled in together on the couch. They chose a funny cartoon they all loved, and the screen flickered to life with colourful scenes that captivated them all.
That was that very day when the boy had no school assignments at all. So, all he could do was just to relax and forget about everything.
"Mom, what used to be at the place of Dark Lanterns Lane?" Luke cautiously decided to ask.
"Why do you suddenly want to know that?" his mother replied.
"I'm just curious."
"Luke, have you been there?" she asked in a frightened voice.
"No, of course not!"
"Never go there! Those abandoned houses have definitely become a haven for local homeless people."
The boy didn't respond to this, though he could have certainly shared a lot of interesting things... but why unnecessarily scare his parents again?
