[Y]
1
There she stood, facing the mirror. Her long, red hair fell towards the floor with the appearance of fire. The woven curls swirled with hues of red and orange. These colors appeared to dance through her hair like the colors of flame. A golden border around the mirror shone brighter than the mirror itself. The girl faced that mirror, yet her expression remained unseen.
She was far away, yet Lyva could see her clearly. An old, green dress held itself upon her skinny limbs. Her hands must have been clasped before her. The skin and face remained unseen.
For a currently unknown reason, Lyva simply knew that the girl needed help. Quickly, she ran down the long hallway towards her. The silver metal walls seemed to stretch and twist. They gleamed and shined eerily around her. The sun was nowhere to be seen. Somehow, the red-haired girl appeared to be moving further away. Fear began to fill her mind, as Lyva realized that she would never reach the girl.
She ran faster. Her tired legs pushed harder. The walls began to twist more violently. The girl would be forever out of reach.
Waking suddenly, Lyva could feel the quick beat of her heart. It seemed to skip and thump quicker than it should. The sound rang in her ears as her eyes quickly opened. Soft sunlight streamed through the window; it was time for the day to begin. Slowly, she turned and raised herself to sit at the edge of her bed. Her soft feet floated down to the rough, wooden floor. Lyva slipped them into her shoes as she paused to think.
Why do I have these dreams? She asked herself quietly. No answer came as she began preparing for the day.
Y
In the small, quiet village of Yena’a, many years ago, a young girl went missing. No one knows why, or how. She simply vanished. Without any clues to her whereabouts, the villagers eventually gave up hope. Many of the older members of the village still remember growing up with the stories of a beautiful red-haired girl, whose hair fell towards the floor with the appearance of fire.
2
Beautiful, tall sailing ships drifted past. Their wooden masts reached upwards, towards the sky. This lazy river floated sluggishly towards the horizon.
Bright, green grass adorned both riverbanks. Many people held authority over their own tasks while few others wandered about lazily.
“Still dreaming?” Parnih asked. Without even glancing at her brother, Lyva nodded. The two of them were to be found near the river’s edge. He stood slightly behind her as she sat idly. Her comforting eyes stared calmly at the river before her; she was simply there to watch the world go by. Then, her brother had come to join her.
“They should not haunt you like that. You should be able to sleep in peace. Maybe, if you talk to someone, then they may leave you.” he suggested. Concern was obvious in his voice; he cared for his sister deeply.
This time, Lyva did not answer him. Instead, she continued to gaze across the river. On sunny days such as this one, Lyva often sat here to be alone with her thoughts. Daydreams often joined her. They showed her magnificent tales of wonders and exotic places. She sometimes even let her daydreams consume her. Yet, some days, like today, her brother joined her.
“At least think about it. Okay, Sis?” Parnih asked as he moved to sit beside her.
“I’ll think about it.” Lyva promised as they watched the world sail by.
Y
Many years ago, in the village of Yena’a, the mother of the missing girl never gave up hope. She searched constantly, even after the others were forced to give up their own hope. The mother continued searching. She continued searching forever.
3
Days passed. Weeks passed. Months passed. Still, the dreams continued. Still, they haunted her. Always, Lyva failed to save the girl. Always, the girl’s face remained unseen.
As time passed, Lyva began to accept the dreams. They became a part of her, as she began to feel like she herself was an important part of them. Over time, she even began to acknowledge the dreams as a part of her own existence.
Then, one day, everything about her life and the lives surrounding her was changed. Yet, most people would never know the reason why. Some might not have even noticed the change. Yet, it was there. It had changed. So, everything had changed.
All of the stars had disappeared. Only the pale, twin moons remained as a light in the darkness, and in the emptiness, of the night sky.
Y
Years passed. Day after day, the mother searched. She never gave up hope. She never wavered. She never forgot him. His presence never left her mind. She caught glimpses of him everywhere. He was always there, wherever she searched.
He must have taken her long lost daughter.
4
Lyva and her brother were amoung the few of the village to notice the missing stars. They would usually gaze at the stars often; they enjoyed watching them. The other villagers were either too busy or did not care enough to look at the night sky.
At first, Lyva and Parnih stayed awake to search for them in the night sky. Yet, only the darkness greeted them within the vale of the pale, twin moons. So, soon they gave up hope of ever rediscovering them. Now, they turned their attention towards the search for answers. They wanted to know the reason why the stars had disappeared. Yet, many of the villagers remained entirely oblivious.
No answers came. Parnih listened in on conversations in the village and questioned travelers. Lyva watched the world around her as she listened. In the mornings, when they could, Lyva and Parnih searched through the old books. Still, no answers came.
That was, at least, until the mystic one of magic came. She wandered into their lonely village one day when the sun was just starting out into the morning sky. Frizzy, grey-white curls rose from her head. Deep ridges lined her face. A dark, purple robe clung loosely to her skinny frame. Old, worn-out sandals shielded her feet. She was obviously older and well-traveled, yet the villagers openly questioned her sanity.
Bits of prophecies spewed from her mouth. She yelled and screamed them with the full force of her lungs. At first, villagers refused to listen to her. To them, she was worse than the disgusting filth of the earth. They had refused her.
In spite of them, the woman sat in the village square each day, yelling from dawn to dusk. Any attempts to remove her had failed, so there she remained. Her bits of prophecy lacked any coherence to them. Often, she told of doom and destruction. Yet, then she spoke of health and roses. Sometimes, she spewed tales of false idols. Other times, she sang joyously of the triumphs of man. Her voice rose and fell like the sides of mountains. Her pitch swelled and swayed like the joyous waves.
Like the others of their village, Lyva and her brother refused her at first. Yet, then they heard her speak of the disappearance of the stars. Now, the people of their village were no longer oblivious to that which had occurred. Some of them even dared to listen to this unusual woman.
Lyva was amoung them.
5
Lyva was one of the few to willingly show her interest in the unusual woman, even after the mystic spoke of the stars. She began to sit in front of her in the village square so that she could listen eagerly. Few people joined her.
Of the others who did join her, Lyva was the only one to sit there faithfully each day. Others would come and go, yet Lyva remained. Her eyes betrayed her eagerness and her attention remained focused. Day after day, she listened. Day after day, she searched for understanding. Day after day, she felt as if she was reaching and sorting through more and more of their vague universe.
Lyva did everything she could to decipher the meaning behind the mystic’s words. The bits of prophecies played through her mind and occupied her thoughts. Her memories danced with them as her soul searched for answers. Whenever she was close, something else forced her away. Yet, somehow, Lyva knew that the mystic was trying to tell her something of importance.
One day, her brother confronted her on the way to the village square. He did not want to argue against her, yet someone needed to be sure of his sister’s own sanity.
“Lyva, I need to speak with you.” he said to her.
Carefully, she stopped walking and turned around to face him. She waited silently and patiently for him to find the words.
This was when Parnih’s plan was lost. He had meant to reason with her logically and be sure that she was alright. Instead, he simply said what first came to mind:
“Why do you listen to that woman? What can she possibly tell you?” Parnih asked.
“Everything,” Lyva answered quickly. Her expression remained calm and unchanged. She still waited patiently with her ears held ready to listen.
“What do you mean by everything?” Parnih asked. He did not understand.
“She can tell the secrets of the universe, the wonders of the galaxy, and the unknown facts of man. All we have to do is listen, then decipher her prophecies in order to reach a higher understanding.” Lyva stated calmly.
There was a slight pause, as if Parnih was considering his response. He had never expected for her to say such a thing. Then, suddenly, he thought of his way to answer her.
“Are you still dreaming?” he asked. Concern showed in his eyes as it echoed through his voice. He obviously cared for her deeply.
There was no hesitation in her voice; she knew just what to say. So, Lyva answered quickly:
“Yes, but the dreams are better now. I finally have a chance at understanding them.” she said.
Lyva then turned and resumed walking towards the village square. To her, the conversation was done. Parnih stayed where he stood. Quickly, he began to recite a quiet prayer for her sanity and their safety.
He did not follow her.
Y
The mother began to pursue him relentlessly. Every time, when she was close, he eluded her. He was always just beyond her reach. She always followed him. The mother always pursued him. She would never allow herself to fail.
