Lin was tired of running.
When her family was ripped from her 15 year old world, Lin ran. She ran to escape the scathing voices in her head. Ran to escape the hunger for a warm embrace. 1 year, 6 months, and 8 days later, Lin ran alone.
As the youngest of three, Lin had never expected to be the last one. Her brother, Jin, was crafted from the watery depths, his disposition as unruly and free as the tormented sea. Waterfalls of water twisted and curled like an obedient beast at the flick of his wrist. Her sister, Mei, was born from the darkest corners and deepest secrets. Shadows danced to her rhythm; their forgotten tales woven in her dark hair.
They were much better at their crafts than Lin, for she had only been a scrawny little girl, scabbed knees and sharp elbows, that lacked the grace and fluidity of her siblings. Created from the tears of the sky and the roar of the clouds, Lin found little use for the lightning that flew from her fingertips. Ever since she was young, she was often forgotten – the child you see but cannot hear, who fades in and out of your memory like the ghost of a smile.
But they were all gone. The estranged aunt who pulled you into a detached hug. The distant cousin who never spared you a glance. Your grandmother’s sisters, the clink and swish of their mahjong cards that were once the soundtrack to your memories.
She couldn’t think about it now. Not she was the only hope, the only possible savior left for the entire Asian community.
Lin’s feet pounded into the ground as she sprinted across rocky terrain, her darker-than-midnight hair whipping her face as strands escaped from the tight ponytail. Bitter wind stung her tear-stained face. She could only hear her own thunderous heartbeat as the Darkness shrieked and pursued her. Tendrils of light gathered at her fingertips before she launched it over her shoulder, not even daring to glance behind her. She didn’t have to look to know she had hit her mark. After all, the Darkness was all around her, trapping her. There was never an escape – only delaying the inevitable.
She couldn’t afford to be caught – once you were in their clutch, you were never seen again.
The trees, with their disheveled branches, desperately grasped at her, snagging her shirt and tearing it. The fat moon glowed from above. But she didn’t pause – the artifact was ahead; she could sense it.
The world slowed and quieted. A glittering lake bloomed from the ground and Lin dug her heels into the dry, rotting soil. Thick, heavy fog wrapped around her as shadows darted between the wisps of vapor.
“Jin? Mei?” She whispered, peering into the cool mist. Silence. The repressed pain in her heart grew, sitting on her chest and muffling the rapid thumping of her heart.
Suddenly, the shadows grew agitated, muttering and shifting. Lin’s eyes widened. She could recognize them.
The thick curls her mom had paid $200 to get. The giant handbag her A-ma always carried, insisting there was something valuable inside. The severe glasses her A-ba hid behind, the sleek wooden cane her A-gong banged on the ground every time he reprimanded her.
The tattered dress that clung to Mei as the Darkness seeped into her skin. The long arm, and the one a few centimeters shorter, that reached for Lin when Jin fell into the Darkness’s embrace.
Lin couldn’t breathe. The fog swirled around her, the voices of her family overlapping but unified in their message, rising and rising until a single sentence spilled out of their mouths and rolled at her feet.
“You are so close.”
The fog dissipated as a hand squeezed her heart so hard it hurt and scorching tears filled her eyes. I thought I ran out of tears years ago.
But she wouldn’t let them fall. Ignoring the burning rock lodged in her throat, she crouched at the edge of the sparkling water, breathing heavily. Ignoring the fear and adrenaline coursing through her, she reached out with her trembling right hand, stretching it as far to the center of the lake as she could. She sobbed, tears burning trails into her cheeks as her hand shook. Light gathered in her palm again, only this time, white-hot and powerful. She launched it towards the center, and the inky depths absorbed it soundlessly. A pinprick of light appeared in water, and it beckoned her as she fell to her knees catching her breath.
She glanced down at the water. Her dark eyes stared back. How I’ve changed, Lin thought. Her eyes used to be warm, inky black with flecks of brown and gold that charmed others to share their story. Now, they were merely cold chunks of obsidian. Her hair, which once fell around her face in a glossy waterfall, was strangled in a ponytail – matted and dirty. Her sun-kissed skin was pale and smattered with dirt, and her heart-shaped lips were cracked from the cold. She was a shadow of the girl she used to be.
Her necklace, a slim, sterling silver chain with a sprig of plum blossom hanging on for dear life, was the only reminder of the life she once led. Strolling through night markets and eating street food with her A-gong and A-ma, splashing along in the beautiful beaches of Kenting with Mei, enjoying the view of Taipei on Yangmingshan with Jin, and so much more. Lin realized how badly she missed Taiwan. She pushed down the grief that threatened to spill out of box she shoved it in. It whispered in her mind, offering relief. She stared at her cold, empty eyes again.
“I wish this nightmare would end,” she whispered, while her reflection blinked back. Too late, she noticed a tiny curl of Darkness slither along the floor and up her calf. It was ice cold, and she screamed, kicking and falling into the unforgiving water. Just grab the artifact, and you can end this. Flailing, she dragged herself to the center of the lake, which she realized was much, much deeper than it looked. Lin shot lightning at her foot, heaving a relieved sigh when the burning cold left her leg. She dove down, swimming deep into the never-ending waters. She reached out desperately, the tiniest sparkle flashing from under the sand as the moon lent her its light. Her fingertips scraped a smooth surface before something gripped her ankle, yanking her upwards.
Lin thrashed, managing to grab the small stone with her fingertips. She tried to swim back up – her chest felt tight with the absence of air. Water filled her lungs while the Darkness seeped into the water, holding her down. The grip on her ankle tightened, to the point that she knew her circulation had to be cut off. Lin could feel her body shutting down, tired of running, of fighting, of everything. No! It can’t end like this…it can’t…where can I hide it? But she had no pockets or pouches, so there was only one possible option. Inside her body. She raised the glittering stone to her mouth and forced it down as her last little gasp of air left her gaping mouth. It floated up cheerily, a sparkling little bubble, and popped at the surface. Her throat burned as the artifact lodged there, blocking her airway. She choked on water as the Darkness slid under her skin. It tunneled to her mind, carving, clawing, consuming. Lin’s eyes rolled up in her head as she sank, drowning, wrapped in Darkness. I…have failed. I’m sorry. Her mind went dark.
——————————
“Many witnesses reported a strange vibration in the ground last night, and police have deduced that sabotage at Lake Obsidian was the cause. Officers arrived at the scene, where they noticed the lake was shaking and causing extremely strong waves of…well, no one is really sure what kind of waves those were. Scientists have confirmed it was not electromagnetic waves – it was beyond anything we have experienced. Experts are at a loss to why the strange sensation occurred, but they have informed us we are still perfectly safe. The culprit, who was found at the scene of the crime, is arrested and will face the consequences. There is no need to worry. I’m Scarlet Johnson, and this has been WBC.”.
“Oh, I am so glad we are alright. It really was strange to feel the ground trembling under my feet, given that the Department of Stability, Solidity, and Balance is so great at their jobs.” A foreign female voice simpered. The girl didn’t know what was going on. Her whole body hurt, and her brain felt fuzzy. A sharp pain pierced her leg, and her scream stuck in her throat like a thick drizzle of honey as someone jabbed a needle into her shin.
“Oh yes, I was quite worried myself. Emily and I were just enjoying a quiet dinner with the Charlestons when I noticed. It really is quite dreadful that someone would want to harm our community with emotional instability.” A deep male voice responded. Two smooth fingers peeled back one of the girl’s eyelids, and the man groaned. “Her eyes just won’t turn blue! I don’t understand why it doesn’t work.”
“That really is quite strange.” The girl could see blurry outlines of two people leaning over her. But the man removed his hand, and her eyes snapped shut once again.
“Do you think we should try the eye-lightening serum? If Ocean Blue doesn’t work, I don’t see how something much weaker like an eye-lightening serum will work. How do we tell the Convention that her eyes won’t change correctly?” The women fretted.
“I’m not sure. Maybe we should just wake her and go from there. We’ve already tried everything, and the Committee was very firm when they told us she needed to be altered in utmost secrecy and greatest urgency. ” The man replied. Someone grabbed her shoulders and shook her quite roughly as she forced her eyes to open.
“Huh? Wazzappening?” She groaned, her voice hoarse and ragged.
“Hello!” The man began pleasantly. He had sandy hair and a neatly trimmed beard with gray eyes. It reminded her of something. A thunderstorm. “It seems you fell and hit your head, so we patched you up. You may not remember anything, as you took quite a nasty blow, but your name is Rose Williamson and you live in the Eighth Province – street 6, house 88.” The girl – Rose – blinked. She couldn’t remember anything, but these doctors must be right. After all, they helped her. She nodded and they looked relieved, although she wasn’t sure why. Maybe they just wanted to make sure she could understand them. Her whole body hurt, and it was exhausting to merely haul herself into a sitting position. The doctors must have seen her wince, because the female told her,
“You need to rest. Drink this,” she said, offering a cup of foul-smelling liquid. She had fiery red hair with green eyes. “It will ease the pain.” She tipped the cup towards Rose’s lips like she had done it millions of times before. People must hit their heads often here, Rose thought. Instantly, her mind cleared, and her muscles relaxed. She slumped back into the pillows.
“Sleep,” the man said, and she did.
When Rose woke again, the sky was a darker-than-midnight black. There was only a tiny glass panel that allowed her to see outside. Shadows softly crept along the walls, a small glowing lamp offering the only source of light. As her eyes adjusted, Rose took in the room. It was white and bare; it only included the cot she was lying on, tucked against the wall, and a small table beside her. Machines beeped, and she noticed many monitored typical health like heart rate and blood pressure. But one monitor displayed something called her “Alter Rate”. It read “95%” as it flashed, the bar below it almost filled full with green – only a sliver of red remained. Does that mean…alteration? Why do they need to change me? I am insignificant – just another person living in this community. She sat up, noticing that she was feeling much better – except for her throat. It continued to burn, so she searched for a glass of water.
Opening the door of her room, she noticed that it took her to a cramped hallway that led to a metal door. On either side of her, situated perfectly in the center between her room and the metal door, were two smaller wooden doors that looked similar to the door to her room. Since the metal door wouldn’t budge no matter how hard she pressed against it, she decided to try the other two. Hearing soft snoring from one room, she tried the handle of the other door. It opened with a click, and she slipped inside. This is much nicer than my room, she thought.
It was furnished quite richly, a space that looked temporary but comfortable. A soft queen-sized bed hugged the far wall, with a desk and bookshelves stuffed with books. A square of glass opened up to the crisp night sky. Stars were scattered over the soft velvet of the night sky like an overturned bottle of glitter overhead, and Rose allowed herself a moment to stare before turning away. She entered the bathroom, and her eyes widened when she saw herself. So this is what I look like, she thought, taking in the soft golden waves of hair framing her face like a halo of sun. She had tan skin, and big eyes. Big dark brown eyes. Eyes so dark brown they looked black. She frowned, squinting at herself. A flash of gold flitted across her iris, and Rose blinked in surprise. Suddenly, she was afraid. An unsettling feeling had settled over her, making her itch to run, to get away – although she didn’t need to. She was safe here. Disturbed, she darted back to her room, laying limp in her cot and staring out the panel of glass as she watched a scraggly cloud limp by.
The next day, the female doctor came into her room, carrying another tonic. Her red hair was up in a bushy ponytail, making it look like her head was on fire.
“How do you feel? Did you get a good night’s sleep?” She asked as she handed Rose the bottle. Gulping it down, she plastered a smile on her face.
“I slept great! My throat just hurts a bit though.” Rose said brightly. The doctor smiled, satisfied.
“It will be fine in a few days. I got some good news though! I talked to the House and Committees, and they say you can be discharged!” She replied enthusiastically. Rose’s heart thumped. She wasn’t sure why, but she felt an odd sense of…terror. Something in her gut told her not to move, to run while she still could. And yet, she allowed the doctor to lead her out the door. The female – Sandra, her ID badge said – typed an intricate and complicated password into a pad by the metal door, and it swooshed open. Rose stepped out to a bustling hallway full of doctors wearing the same forest green uniform as the Sandra.
The doctor handed her a change of clothes and a set of contacts that she instructed Rose to put on. Going into the bathroom, Rose pulled on garments that were similar to what all the doctors were wearing, but without a heart over the chest. She poked the contacts into her eyes and glanced at herself in the mirror. Her eyes looked like the deep, blue ocean now, and her clothes only made the color pop. Do they not want people to know I have brown eyes? Did I have to wear these every day before I hit my head too?
She stepped out and warily regarded the two men who were standing with Sandra. They both wore the same clothes as her and the doctors, but their uniforms were black with a thick white stripe wrapping around their shoulders. Sandra looked uncomfortable, her body tense – as if these men could ruin her life if she so much breathed the wrong way.
“Ms. Williamson, please come with us. We are Representatives, and we are here to escort you to the treatment facilities on behalf of the Committee.” One man said in a smooth, deep voice.
“Treatment facilities?” Rose asked. Sandra smiled tightly, her jade eyes blank.
“Yes,” she said, nodding. “They want to see if they can cure your dark brown eyes. That was a side effect of the blow you took to your head.”
“Oh,” Rose said quietly. “Okay.” She walked with the Representatives out the building, a bright summer sun warming her face in the most perfect way. The sky was a solid cobalt color, and fluffy white cotton-candy clouds tumbled lazily against the blue backdrop.
“All days are perfect.” The other man said to her, answering her unspoken question. She nodded and glanced around at the busy street around her. Everywhere she looked, she saw blond waves, chocolatey curls, and crimson braids. Everyone had blue, green, gray, or golden-brown eyes. But no one had dark brown eyes. They were all wearing the same clothes, only varying in colors. Some had different symbols over their chests. Others had stripes of different thickness and colors.
Rose couldn’t breathe in this sea of perfection. Her fear gripped her heart. Something was desperately wrong. She shouldn’t – couldn’t – be here. The two Representatives led her towards a run-down building. It looked like it hadn’t been used in years. They’re going to kill me. I know it. Her throat started to burn as she shook, fear spilling out of her heart and flooding through her body in a wave of fire. Light flickered across her skin, bolts of lightning arcing into the sky. The heaven’s crystal blue was now pitch black. Darker-than-midnight black. It started pouring, droplets slamming into her skin. Each pearl of water stung, but it felt good. She welcomed the pain. It awoke something inside of her that she hadn’t known existed. The determination of a samurai fighting its last battle. The grit of an emperor at war. The quiet grace of a moon goddess separated from her love.
Fragments of memories returned to Rose. Visions of night markets and beaches, cities and feasts. The gold in her hair washed out, revealing her glossy, dark waterfall of hair. Her skin paled, the fake tan bleeding away. Suddenly, Lin remembered who she was. She gasped as her eyes glowed, darkening her irises with power. Lightening crackled from her fingertips, and, gathering all her energy, she shot her strongest bolt of lightning yet at the sky. The sky glowed white and the rain shimmered and sparkled as it hit the people around her. They had started to change. Their hair darkened and skin lightened, and some fell to their knees as their memories flooded back. She spotted friends helping each other up, coworkers embracing, kids finding parents.
“Lin!”
Lin raised her head and smiled with relief as she saw her parents in the crowd with their arms around Jin and Mei. A-gong and A-ma hovered next to them, and their tear-stained faces shone with love. Her heart felt full…everything was right again. Her body glowed she reached out for them, and they stretched their arms out for her. As Lin faded to nothing, her light set them free.
Triona is a current 8th grader living in Pennsylvania. She lives with her parents and sister (and their two foster cats) and loves to read. She plays the piano and violin, codes, and is part of her school’s writing seminar. She loves Taiwan and goes back every summer with her family, and she absolutely adores Taiwanese cuisine. You can tag her on Instagram at @treeboba.
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