dimensions | original

Lalaland's Secrets.

Disclaimer/Author's Note: This is not in anyway related to the musical Lalaland. I wrote this previous to the release of that movie, and the city Lalaland has always existed in my mind.

Luma gasped at the sight. Lalaland. It was as if the whole world was beneath her feet. LLL was a scramble of people (not just humans) castles, houses, forests, lakes, rivers, but the one thing most cities had but it didn't was lonely alleys and deserted lanes. It just had a delighted, happy feel about it that made Luma want to burst into song, and maybe do a little dance. Just looking over the city gave the strange pair a hopeful feeling. Nothing could go wrong in a city like Lalaland.

"Lalaland's great, isn't it?" Mark said, leaning against the glass railing of the balcony. "I can't believe that I stayed away so long."

Luma nodded. For a long moment they stood there, watching the bustling city below.

"We should probably get going." Mark said into the silence.

"Yeah."

The duo made their way to the stairs, which were also a thin glass. "How does it not break?" Luma wondered aloud.

"Magic, obviously. The same magic that makes the balcony float in air." Looking around, Luma realized he was right. Both the stairs and the balcony had no supports whatsoever. Both Luma and Mark experienced a sensation as if they were falling; to their eyes it looked as if they could fall straight through the glass and down to the busy city below.

"Amazing." whispered Luma in awe. Colors flashed at the corners of her sight, random but beautiful details of Lalaland.

Luma and Mark made their way to the ground level, and Mark gestured to a tourist's map stand. "Yeah." agreed Luma. Mark walked to the map stand and Luma ran over to see a booth selling what it claimed was 'Pricklemint Ice Chewing Gum,' which seemed to have a funny effect on those who sampled it. Luma giggled as a buyer's skin turned a icey blue color and their smooth hair spiked up like a porcupine's.

A hand grabbed Luma's arm, and she yelped with surprise. Mark laughed beside her, and Luma blushed a delicate pink and smoothed back her russet hair.

The grinning boy pointed to a purple star on the map. It read "EARTHEN PORTAL" beside it.

Luma caught her breath. I'm going home.

Yes, you are.

Luma jerked her head up. "You can read my mind?"

No.

"Then how?"

Try it again. Try thinking so loud everyone can hear it. Mark searched Luma's face intently, scarlet eyes narrowed. Luma blushed as he stared at her intently.

Is this it...

I could barely hear that.

Mark slide his hand into hers. Luma blushed again, and gave him an embarrassed look.

Was that necessary?

Blushing, Mark sent another mental message.

Yes, for beginning channelers having physical contact helps.

Channeling?

Yeah, it appears you trust me. That's surprising.

What?

"We should get going." Mark said, looking anywhere but at Luma.

"Yeah."

***

"Where are we?" When Luma first saw Lalaland, she believed that nothing bad could possibly be in it, but it seemed she was wrong. They were in a dark, littered alleyway, and the map seemed to be incorrect.

After many random twists and turns over dirt allyways and narrow, unlevel concrete paths, Luma was ready to drop.

Mark rubbed his eyes in exhaustion. "I don't know." he admitted with a sad smile. Luma shivered and rubbed her arms.

Mark noticed Luma's cold, and made a quick decision. "We'll make camp here." he declared, and began to scuffle around, trying to find dry ground.

Using a ring of garbage cans as walls, they constructed a temporary structure quickly. Mark frowned, wishing he had more than just his wallet that he had emergency cash in. And he was almost out because he thought he wouldn't need to use any, since he was working for Timorous. And the fake map had cost quite a lot, a fact that Mark hadn't wanted to tell Luma.

Luma, shivering in her (quite tattered) green dress, leaned against the wall of the alley. She yawned, it had been a long day of exploring.

Night fell upon them, and Luma curled against the wall, still shivering. A long moment passed, and Luma, exhausted, curled herself into a ball, arms wrapped around her legs.

The stars were out, and they glittered like diamonds with cold ominous light. Their light was beautiful and bright, but harsh and distant like a dream that you knew you couldn't ever reach. The night air was still and silent with silver and black shadows dancing like a black and white movie without sound.

It was eerily beautiful.

A sigh escaped Luma's lips, and the lost girl smiled as she stared into the murky alleys of Lalaland's dark side.

Luma's eyes closed, but thoughts ran through her head that she'd been trying to ignore. Dreams of a girl named Asha. Hopes that could fade into never. A strange thing that Mark had said.

Yeah, it appears that you trust me. That's surprising. What, thought Luma, did he mean? Of course she trusted him. He had saved her from Fear itself. Why wouldn't Luma trust him?

Another, more traitorous thought hit Luma. She flashed back to earlier that day at the portal. The faerie had said, "Do you know what he is?"

"He's my friend." Luma had answered. But he could easily be hiding something. After all, she knew nothing about him.

Shaking off these thoughts, Luma slide into a deep and dreamless sleep.

***

This, however it may seem, is not a quiet piece of the story. However sleepy this piece of the plot may seem, it is not. Because, after all, some of the most ominous stories truly begin in the hidden shadows of midnight.