Llum’s the Word
Chapter One: The Death of a Pillow
It’s raining. I despise the rain. My feet turn tight like sow bugs and I feel lightheaded from counting the raindrops. 14, 15, 16. My life is kind of like the miniature water bombs; just when I can keep track of it, I have to start over from the beginning. At this moment I find myself selfishly jealous of the carefree drops. They get to live out their purpose; leaving their fluffy, icy homes in the clouds, falling through sites unexplored by man, then absorbing the euphoric crash on the closest surface to impact. Sometimes they even make relationships with passing drops. With the slightest ease, they bond, and set out on even better adventures. Sliding down walls with thick history, or even traveling the strange yet desirable journey through the innards of a young child; I was jealous of the rain drops.
I hopped off my bed; it was high off of the wooden floors, so the stepping stool came to me. I stood upon it and shook the funk that stuck to my skin off into the air. My slippers were waiting for me at the dresser. I slipped them on and shuffled towards the door. I had a thing about doors. I never could tell what was behind each door. I always wondered if something undesirable would show up behind one; my doors were tricky. My hands ran down the door knob of the tall oak portal. I slid my hand further down the lever with more pressure and my chest pulled in air. Yep, I was right, I shouldn’t have opened it. My mother was laid out on the sofa, reading the latest Vogue, while the paint brush ran up and down her toenails. She looked up at me with her bright, youthful eyes and pursed her full, glossy lips.
“I felt you coming. Though I figured the rain would keep you in for a while. How are you feeling Kiui? Your expression is giving me a bad feeling.”
A dark green current ran down her jet black hair.
I want to be a raindrop and find my purpose.
“I’m fine. I just want to feel the sun.”
That at least was true. The sun brightened my disposition like nothing else. It has warmth, security, hope, and a nurturing nature; that’s all I really needed to keep believing that my every tomorrow would exist.
“Where’s Dad?”
“He’s out of the country on business. He said he’d be back by tomorrow. If you want I could ask him to duplicate and have himself transport over here to entertain you.”
I thought about it. My dad was so fun. He worked as an international movie producer. I wanted someone to relieve me from the grogginess of the wet weather, but I did'nt’t want to interrupt him.
“Oh don’t worry about it! So then, where are Miche and Zon?”
I knew if anyone could compete against the rain, it’d be my two older brothers
“Oh, I think they went to California to get out of the rain. Beach volleyball, I think they said. You can follow them out, just be careful.”
She smiled her illuminant smile as I turned on the ball of my feet and began to walk away.
Ugh, those traitors. They always transport to hot spots without telling me.
Miche and Zon were twin shape shifters. The two could change into anything and any person they chose. Miche’s additional power was mind reading. While Zon’s second was invisibility. They always hit up the hottest cities as different celebrities to pick up girls. My hair lit up bright crimson as I made my way to my room. I was now ready to set out to Llum City in the other realm for some relief. It was good to know that it never rained there. Clothes, Clothes, come out wherever you are! I cooed in my mind. They were never where you last put them. I spied dusty footprints coming from the closet, up the walls then stopping. Trefflers! The Trefflers take all the things you didn’t keep a close eye on. Trefflers were one of the most disrespected creatures in all of Llum City. They took things, and horded them, never returning them to the owner. They’d steal your conscience if you didn’t keep it close enough.
I gave up on the search and walked over to the huge double doors in front of my full length mirror. I blinked twice, my thick hair cooled, and the doors burst open. My closet was one of the doors I didn’t mind opening. I slid into the closet like a Chinese gliding frog. My closet was fully stocked with the latest looks and updated by the hour. Labels of French, Italian, German, and Polish designers lined the walls of my closet. This was one of the perks of being me, Kiui Blasi. I’m a Phlicker. A Phlicker is a magical being infused with powers. No two powers were the same. We take on the look of humans when we need to, but to control our lights takes great concentration. You could usually tell who did what by the color of the shimmer strands in our hair. My family was an extraordinary exception. Our hair only changed with our moods. Phlickers also have special tattoos at birth to identify powers and figure out training regimens. I had been blessed with telekinesis from my mother, and duplication from my father.
Many Phlickers could only possess one power at a time. I considered myself quite elite. Every morning I set out duplicates of myself and transport them to every major fashion capital in the world and then some to go into the less popular venders for vintage tidbits. After they’re done, they eventually come back and show me the goods. They have extremely great taste; after all, they are me.
Once rummaging in the deep depths of the closet, I quickly picked out a pair of dark-wash skinny jeans, a flirty black top, and a cute pair of five-inch, black heels. I waltzed away from the closet and closed the doors. Stepping back, I closed my eyes again; a prickly feeling rose on my scalp and a pop sound came from the door’s locks. I magically bonded the two doors together. Try to steal now! I cursed the Trefflers under my breath and snuffed out of the doorway.
The brush lifted from my marble wash bowl and gently stroked my thick curls. Bright orange currents ran down my hair. I smiled; I felt great to have my stands brushed. I stepped my foot down and made another me to put my make up on. Only I could make my face look just right. After she finished my make up, she tapped me on the shoulder and I took her back into my body. My face was as radiant and youthful as I felt. In Earth time I am around 300 years old, but as a Phlicker, I’m at the adolescent stage. Phlickers live to be tens of thousands years old. In times of dispute between realms, there have been Phlicker deaths. Though, not a single one has ever been known to have died of old age. One of the most important parts of a Phlicker’s life was to keep the inner lights lit. Without them on constantly, we cannot attract mates or reproduce. Without the lights, we were like birds with no wings; headed nowhere with a dim future.
The old ones called us La gent de Shimmer, which is roughly “shimmer people” in Catalan. They came from the small country of Andorra long ago to escape from persecution. Misunderstood and disposed of, the remaining originals took the small population of Phlicker people away from Andorra and created the other realm where the City of Llum is now and then soon after, created The Shield, a group of elders to enforce the new laws of the Phlicker people. Laws which included the following; Keeping the species an absolute secret, never completely shut off the inner lights, do not abuse Phlicker magic, and yadda, yadda, yadda. I followed them the best I could, for I recognize that I am part of a misunderstood people; any unnecessary publicity and we could become extinct. This might be slightly unlikely because of our magical advantages.
After I brushed my hair, my lip gloss swiped across my full brown lips. My smile glowed in the mirror as I sprang to my feet. Just as my feet left the ground, a LightLetter cloaked my eyesight. LightLetters are just like text messages. They quickly send anything you need delivered from realm to realm. It hummed until I grabbed it and ripped off the top.
It read:
Dear Ms. Blasi,
Ingrid is growing thinner by the day; first her beautiful, long, and shiny hair became dull and dry. Her glowing, mahogany skin became a russet color and as we are writing this letter, her smile is fading like the Earth’s sun after a long day.
I stopped midway to collect my thoughts. Ingrid Sommers. THE Ingrid Sommers, leader of Llum City and one of the oldest known Plickers was fading. In all of Phlicker history there had never been reports of fading. In anticipation, I continued reading.
The reason for this letter is to request your help. If we are correct, you are the only daughter of Hire and Tathresa Blasi and descendant of Henry Blasi. By Phlicker light line, you are next in line to lead Llum City. By the time you receive this letter, the city would have been on lockdown. Take caution, please, do not go into Llum City and contact us only by LightLetter with your reply ASAP.
Best regards,
The Shield
I felt out of breath. The leader of Phlicker controls everything; controls The Shield, Llum City, the Phlicker race, and activities on Earth. Ever since I could remember Llum had been under the rule of Ingrid, one of the first Phlickers made by God’s hand. She was one of the primary factors in the balance between Earth and the other realms. The City of Llum was breathtaking, even to a native. Mumbo stays out all day on one side, and Jumbo hovers over the other; Mumbo and Jumbo are the equivalent to Earth’s sun and moon only in the perfect combination to suit all. Llum City was home to the majority of the Phlicker people (though my family and I live on Earth), and to the unique creatures that had occupied it. The creatures included the flying Hellims with their electric blue tufts of hair, and elegant long bodies, crunchy, crawling Gartunes, all bumpy and propped on three thick, trunk-like legs, not to mention the hovering Yersics, patched with furry, matted, multicolored hair, that stood at least 10 feet above the average Phlicker male. It was predicted that if the whole Plicker species was to be demolished, the creatures had the ultimate plan to save Llum; it was their home. I wanted to be there. I’m attracted to Llum, I guess that’s just nature.
I walked back into my room and continued to watch the rain fall. It was strange how I hated but envied the smallest of wonders. How the ants used team work to get the job done and never strayed from their task and I could barely keep my attention on one thing for too long without becoming restless. Also how the grass grew. It was just as irritating as the raindrops by bursting from the ground and providing homes to all the organisms seen and unseen. I wanted purpose; I wanted to know I was here for more than just to “be”. Maybe grandpa knew about me being the next leader. Sigh. I took a dramatic stance and made five of myself doing various depressing poses around my room. This was my simple way of dealing with crisis. Just as we were about to initiate the quoting of Shakespeare, my mother bounced into the room.
“So, did you decide where you wanted to go find the sun?!”
I quickly sucked in the rest of my company and hid the LightLetter underneath a pillow; which still steadily hummed, waiting for a reply.
“Uhh, no, I didn’t Mom. I figured I’d stay in a little more.”
“Oh well, I was gonna go out to the mall for a little bit and I thought you might want to go.”
Her hair glowed blue. She looked so betrayed. I felt bad for abandoning her, but I really needed some time to think.
“I’ll pass. I might go somewhere later. Thanks though, you have fun.”
Just as she walked out of the door, I pulled the LightLetter from underneath the pillow. The humming had created a bit of heat and there was a dark singe on my bed spread and covering the underside of my pillow. Glowing embers grew and a flame started. The flame caught and a hole grew. The tight fibers of the pillow began to smelt together. One weightless feather after another they began to follow the trend. In the air was the smell of burning poultry and black wisps of what once was. I quickly made a few more of myself. The first got a cup of water; the other ran for a fan for the smoke. I moved the pillow into the air and the other me with the water threw the cool liquid in the air onto the flames. We all stood and watched the soggy, black, pitiful pillow sag in mid air until the smoke was gone and the last flame was smothered. The duplicates came back to me and I smiled in relief. The pillow floated into the dumpster down the block. After cleaning and replacing the sheets and venting out the smoke smell I sat and pulled out my LightWriter. Keystroke by keystroke I typed my reply; the answer to my future.
