Night Light

Chapter Two

The Life elves have scared me since I was born but this one was so friendly he wouldn't hurt me. His name was Phil.

We had been walking for a while when the sun started to peak out from the trees. Like the idiot I am, I didn't realize and some light hit my arm. I yelped and stepped back pulling my sleeve down and my mask over my face.

"Are you okay??" Phil held his hands out nervously.

I shook my arm for a sec, "yeah mhmm" it hurt like a son of a bitch.

He bit his lip before he spoke, "Can I... Can I see it real quick?"

I hesitated but I was in a shadow so I rolled up my sleeve the burn wasn't big but still hurt. I bit my tongue. He put his hand on my arm and the moment he touched the burn a chill went through my whole body and I shivered, "never had that reaction before." He laughed.

"Reaction to what" he pointed at my arm, the burn was fading, "Phil you can HEAL people?"

"Guess it's part of the life aspect of my species" he stuck his tongue out at me with a smile. Something about his smile made me feel happier. Maybe it's just the contagiousness of happiness.

I roll down my sleeves again and close off any skin to keep from more burns. Even if Phil could heal me again I don't think I would survive it again. The genuine joy that came from him made my soul feel warm. I hated that feeling it felt so weird and unnatural. I shuddered, making a strange sound as well.

"What was that?"

"Uh- got lost in thought sorry." Great job Daniel, you actual freak now he knows you're insane. I cannot believe myself, "Whats it like being... a Life Elf?" I was genuinely curious, but it sounded like small talk which I hated.

Phil looked at the ground while he thought of what to say, "Everythings warm and bright. Full of colour and energy, it's not easy to sit still and be calm. You just want to do everything you can. You want to be happy. We have this weird ability to make people happy or emotional. We just love for the sake of loving. Most of us anyway." He paused and looked at me, "What about you? What's it like being a soul elf?"

I didn't know what to say at first, he was so passionate in the way he spoke I couldn't follow that up, "It's odd. " I started, "The opposite I guess? Dark, cold and sad. We can read peoples souls, you kinda have to do it with permission though, like palm reading? Reading souls is a weird thing as well. Kinda like mind reading but instead of thoughts its emotions and peoples true feelings. Hard to explain, but a strange experience to say the least."

His face went from his soft kind smile straight to that of an excited child's. He got extremely close almost throwing me off balance and making me blush pretty hard, "You can read souls! That's so cool- read mine!"

"Phil a-are you sure? You want me to know that? I mean it's really personal stuff."

He waved my question away, "Go ahead I want to know too! It's hard to know yourself sometimes y'know?"

"Oh... okay." Shakily, I reached out my hand and put it to Phil's chest, thankfully my face was covered so he couldn't see the amount of blush across my face. It took a moment to connect with his soul as he was unusual in almost every aspect of the word. I closed my eyes to focus on him.

I fell back from the shock. His entire existence was so colourful and happy, it made me feel a weird type of joy from seeing it. I felt connected to him, a bond. But I definitely wasn't about to say that to him. I pulled off my mask and hood, must have zoned out as well because Phil snapped his fingers in front of my face to get my attention, "What- oh sorry."

"What did you see? Was it that bad? I'm sorry I made you do that."

"No no no, I just wasn't expecting that," Luckily my face isn't bright red any more, "you're so warm and- I mean you're so cheery it hurts. Your personality's just bright and adorable. It's sickening" I nervously laughed.

He held out his hand to help me up, I started for a second but that would help me up. I steadied myself to keep from falling into the sun spots, "Hood" I had almost forgotten, "Im sickeningly adorable, huh?"

"We have to find somewhere to sleep or I might go insane,"I pulled my hood over my face and started walking and kept quiet.