Young Writers Society

This is the true definition of a "short story." Read and enjoy. I appreciate any and all critique, so don't be shy!

Author's Note: This was written for my Reading class last year. We had to write a Utopia paper, and this was it. If the list of rules seems a bit out of place, then just know that I had to fit that in somewhere, so bear with me. I'll probably fix it on a later revision.

A rose-petal morning rose over the Nightlands. As the sun began its ascent, its warmth spread over the land below. But even the power of the sun could not warm the empty waste that was the Nightlands. The sun rose up higher and higher, leaving the stagnant waste behind. Then the sun, once again, shone on the Spire of Hope. The blindingly white tower shone out like the first star ignited in the Beginning. Its smooth sides were now on fire with reds, pinks, oranges and yellows; then the image passed. Now it was just a tower, faded and weary with night and evil coiled at its feet, waiting to spring. Masked now, the only light it had was gathered up at a large crystal at the very top of the spire. The tower looked like a cloth thrown over a lamp. But all was not lost. The tower was searching for the one who could lift the cloth, so that the spire could shine out always. But without this one person, the Nightlands would prevail, and the Spire of Hope would disappear completely into the murky dark.

***

Noldee was scouring pots – again. Her hands were red and raw and the front of her tunic was bespattered with water stains and soapsuds, but she still had another pile to go. She hated the rules. When she closed her green and grey-specked eyes, she could seethe large marble plaque beside the Hall’s doors. It read:

Rules

Set down by:

The Master

1) No swords.

2) No animals

3) No one from the Outside allowed Inside.

4) No one from the Inside allowed Outside.

5) No one allowed on top of the Spire of Hope.

These were just the major rules. There were minor ones too, such as: no sliding on the banisters, no resting when you should be working, no lying, no cheating, etc. Minor infractions resulted in Kitchen Duty. Major infractions resulted in exile from the Spire of Hope, where she lived.

The lights flickered. They had been doing that a lot lately. Some said it was because the Nightlands were overrunning the Crystal. Some just said that the Crystal was running low. What if the Crystal, one day, just ran out? It can’t run out – the entire Spire’s existence depends on it! The Crystal is the energy source for entire tower. Without it, the Spire of Hope would fade away.

Noldee had finally finished the dishes and was getting ready to leave for the night when the Master’s messenger sauntered into the kitchen. He was wearing the black velvet robe accustomed for the Master’s personal servants. He had pale skin and eyes and greasy-looking hair that was the color of Noldee’s dishwater. In a pompous voice, he declared, “Noldee is to report to the Master immediately.” Her stomach dropped through the floor and her heart stopped beating. The clattering of pots and pans and the chattering of voices stopped as all eyes turned to look at Noldee. Reporting to the Master meant only one thing – exile.

Dumbly and with heavy footfalls, she followed Greasy-Hair out of the kitchen and into the echoing hall beyond. What had she done wrong? Okay, she had slid down the banisters – again. And she had gotten caught and been put on Kitchen Duty – again. What had she done differently this time? Were there only so many times that you could be punished for minor violations before you were sent away?

She was now standing before the Hall doors. The messenger left her then. She watched him go around the corner, half expecting him to turn around with a bright smile and say, “Just kidding!” He didn’t. Noldee turned back to the doors, and with a deep breath, pushed them open.

The inside of the room was made of black marble. What Noldee noticed when she first stepped shakily into the room, however, was the aura about the place. The atmosphere was thick and stifling, yet there was and electric charge in the air. “Welcome, Noldee.” She cringed as the voice sliced through the heavy air and assaulted her ears. “Come, walk towards me. Don’t be afraid.” The room was darkening before her eyes now, and lightning flashed under her lids.

“Where – where are you? I can’t see anything,” Noldee sobbed fearfully, groping with hands outstretched in front of her. All of a sudden, a pair of cool dry hands grabbed her own clammy ones and pulled her forward. With the touch of those hands, her head cleared and she could see clearly again. The man who had called her at first and who had pulled her away from the doors was standing before her. He was short, but broad shouldered. His hair was as black as a raven’s feather that had grey streaks that showed his age. His face was stern, his square jaw adding to this image, but he had smile lines at the corners of his mouth and flint-grey eyes. He had tucked his hands into the sleeves of his long deep-purple velvet robe that swept the black marble floor.

“You – you’re the Master?” Noldee cried in amazement. No one had looked upon the Master before – or at least no one had looked upon the Master and lived. She was really scared now.

“Do you know why you are here? Do you know why the entire Spire of Hope depends on you?” His voice was kind, but strong. The entire Spire? Need me? That’s impossible! Nobody needs me – has ever needed me. The Spire was perfect; it was the ultimate place to live.

He must have seen the question in her eyes as she looked up at him, so he said, “You must have noticed the blackouts and power surges we’ve been having over the last few weeks. And you also know that our Crystal is our single energy source and life source. Without it, we are doomed to be wisps of ghosts and ghouls wandering the Nightlands forever. I know, powerful words,” he said gently at the fearful look on her face, “but nonetheless true. Our Crystal’s power is waning. The blackouts are proof of that. That is where you come in. I have reason to believe that you, Noldee, have the key to the Crystal.” He looked at her questioningly, as if she was supposed to know exactly what he was talking about, procure this device immediately, and solve his problem.

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, sir, but I can honestly say that I don’t know how to help you,” she spoke haltingly, not wishing to upset him. It must be a mistake – it had to be.

“At least come and see the Crystal,” he begged, his calm face cracking and showing the desperation underneath. “Our lives depend on it.”

Looking at his truly hopeless face, she said, “I suppose it wouldn’t do any harm to take a look.”

“Oh, thank you, Noldee! But I must warn you first: you will experience a feeling much like you felt when you walked into this room.” With a growing sense of unease, she followed the Master to a winding staircase at the back of the Hall. It went up and up, to the ceiling of the chamber. With heavy feet, she climbed up to the very top, eyes fixed on the hem of the Master’s sweeping robe in front of her. Above the Master’s head was a trapdoor, which he unlocked. After he had climbed up, he reached a hand back to help her up.

As she stepped up onto the very top of the tower, the immense power of the Crystal fully hit her. Its magnitude roared in her ears, but unlike in the chamber below, she could see clearly. Directly in front of her was the large Crystal, nearly twice as tall as she was, and three times as wide. It was a magnificent gem, cut and polished to perfection and pulsating gently with an inner light.

Against her will, Noldee was drawn towards it, step by faltering step. She was a yard away from it. Now she was only an arm’s length. Here she stopped. Slowly, she circled the gem, as if in a trance. Again, she came to a stop, and knelt down. Reaching under her shirt, she pulled out a sliver of what appeared to be glass on a chain. Gently, she placed the sliver at a crack at the very base of the Crystal.

A thundering “Crack!” was heard. Noldee’s hair stood on end and a fierce, but beautiful pain filled her body. It was magnificent, overpowering, electric, and penetrating, all at the same time. After some time, she realized that she had her eyes clenched shut, so she opened them. Around her was pure, white light. It took her a while to realize that she was inside the Crystal. But, strangely, she wasn’t scared. In fact, she was exhilarated. She was free: from the world, from pain, from sorrow. She was free.

The Master sat up from where he had been lying prostrate on the ground. Walking over to where Noldee had last knelt, all he found was the little sliver of glass, which actually turned out to be a part of the Crystal that had been chipped away. Picking it up, he tucked it deep inside the folds of his robe, and turned to walk solemnly back through the trapdoor and into the gloomy chamber below.

***

There was a beam of light shining up out of the Crystal and overflowing out into the lands below. Anyone watching would have seen the glow rinsing the dark land of its stains, leaving behind it green valleys and sparkling rivers. The sun glowed with a new strength, the earth was emerald-green and rich, and the rivers ran with rainbow-scaled fish. The land that had been under the sway of evil for so long was finally free. A breath of wind rose up and blew the last clouds hovering on the horizon away into the depths of the sapphire sky.