Lightless Curse

• Astron Douglas, Grade 7, Patrician Brothers College
• Short Story
• 1998

2nd in the 'Fantasy And Beyond 1998' competition

For the third time since he had woken up, Richard tried to remember the verse as it had appeared in his dream. Six lines on a scroll surrounded by light.

To save your souls from lightless curse,
Find the crystal that speaks the verse.
To overpower flying cave,
Find what burns in souls you save.
Take the path that hides the way,
And touch the truth to save the day.

For two days, Richard’s city, Sydney, had been without light, and the days were becoming darker. He opened the door and stepped outside. The darkness floated around him like a suffocating mist. Suddenly he felt as if he were sinking, the darkness swirled around him. He sunk deeper and deeper, until he finally hit the bottom. He realised that he was standing in a cave. The words of the verse floated back through his mind. To overpower flying cave, Find what burns in souls you save. A thought struck him. ‘Fire!’ He said outloud, causing sudden shrieks from the cave. Bats. He felt in his pocket, pulling out a match, and lit it; flying figures flew off in all directions. He quickly made his way to the end of the cave.

He stood there facing two paths, one curved upwards, and the other straight. Lines of stone pointed up the curved path, an eerie mist floated around the straight path. Take the path that hides the way. Richard started up the curved path.

He had been walking for hours, unaware that he was walking uphill. The path suddenly came to a stop; the way was totally blocked by a wall of stone! He looked back and realised he had taken the wrong path! The path that hides the way was the straight one, as the mist hid it from view. The curved path had arrow pointing in its direction. With despair he turned back.

He finally reached the point where the two passages met. He looked at the straight passage and shivered. Mustering up his courage, he started to walk down the path. The passage suddenly turned sharply and he found himself at a door. He opened it and gasped. Everywhere he looked it was brighter than the sun, or so he thought. He wandered around for a few minutes, then thought of the verse. And touch the truth to save the day. ‘What is the truth?’ He asked himself. Suddenly he realised, the truth is the light. He had to find the light source. He continued to wander around until he suddenly came to a standstill. A blazing crystal was there in front of him on a golden cloth. He extended a hand and touched it. He felt himself sinking, the darkness encased him like a suffocating mist, he sunk deeper and deeper, and then all became light.

He realised that he was at home. He sat down exhausted and switched on the television, that was when he saw the news headline, ‘Eclipse passes over Sydney.’