DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS

31

Kevin shook his head. “No. I just want to eat.”

I smiled. “Well, I’ve got a surprise.” I grabbed the beautiful chocolate cake from the range and placed it in the middle of the island. “Ta-da!”

Kevin’s eyes rounded, and Sabrina’s jaw fell open.

“You made this? For us?” Sabrina asked, sounding a little touched.

I snorted. “I wish. If I tried, I would probably burn the house down. No, I bought it from the store, but for you nonetheless.”

I couldn’t explain, not with words, why I felt so drawn to these two kids, why I wanted to help them, why I wanted to buy them cakes and new clothes with the little money I had. Every time I looked at them and saw a ripped notebook, or a new bruise on their faces, or their dirty clothes, or their skinny arms and stomach, my heart hurt. Thankfully, Lia felt the exact same way. She was happy I had not only Carol as a friend now, but Sabrina and Kevin too.

And Devon.

Lia wasn't into younger guys, or I would have thought Lia was in love with Devon. There was no other explanation as to why she kept inviting him to dinner, or was so glad to hear when I bumped into him outside.

The siblings devoured three thick slices of cake before settling down to do their homework. I wanted to go back to my book, but I pulled out my GED book and studied beside the kids.

Not long after, Carol arrived from school. She had stopped by her house, as usual, to drop her book bag off and sort through her homework, then she came to my house. She had brought one notebook and one book with her, but this time she had something else too.

“Look what I have here.” She waved something in her hand.

Sabrina looked up from her books. “What’s that?”

Kevin’s eyes shone. “Tickets? Are those tickets?”

Sabrina gasped. “For the light festival?”

Carol’s smile was brighter than a lighthouse. “Yes!”

Sabrina reached for the tickets. “How did you get them?”

“I think my parents got them,” she said casually. “They always receive a bunch at work. I saved one for me, and there’s five there.”

“One for each of us,” Kevin said. “And the fifth?”

“For Lia,” Carol explained. “If she wants, of course.”

The confusion went on for too long. “Wait.” I raised a finger, as if asking for a time out. “What’s going on? What festival?”

Sabrina stared at me with a furrowed brow. “The light festival.”

“Oh my God, you’ve never heard of the festival?” Carol asked incredulously.

“Hm, I’ve been here for a month.” I shrugged. “Of course I never heard about the festival.”

“The light festival,” Kevin said. “It’s a big festival in Willow Grove.”

That name wasn’t strange. Wasn’t that town forty minutes from here?

“It’s the biggest festival in the region,” Sabrina said. Her smile died. “We only went to it once, a couple of years ago, but I remember it was the best thing ever.”

I looked at the remaining two tickets in Carol’s hand. “What’s this festival about?”

“Oh, there’s food and games,” Carol said.

“And dance!” Sabrina almost jumped from her stool. “They have dance demonstrations. It’s always so cool. One day, I want to participate in one.” Her face fell. “I love dancing.”

Something tugged in my chest. What I wouldn’t give to go back in time and dance again. I barely remembered my life before Slater, but I did remember dancing. I had studied classical ballet, jazz, and tap, and I remembered loving it all. It had been many, many years since I last danced.

“But the best part is the lights,” Kevin said, bringing me back to the present.

“Right.” Carol clapped her hands. Was she excited too? “After it’s dark, they have a light parade. People in beautiful costumes, wagons, cars, all with hundreds of tiny, colorful lights on them, walk and dance by a long street.”

“Then there’s the fireworks,” Sabrina added. “After the parade, they set off lots of fireworks while people cheer and dance some more.”

Kevin let out a long sigh. “It’s awesome.”

It sounded great, but too crowded. Maybe one day this would be my kind of thing, but I lived in hiding, even if lately it didn’t feel exactly like that. I had to avoid places with too many people.

But with Kevin’s big eyes, and Sabrina’s excited smile, how could I not go?

I grabbed the tickets from Carol’s hand. “I’m not sure Lia will come, but I’ll take you two to the festival.”

The screams that came from those two little kids almost made me deaf. They shot up from their spots and crashed into me, embracing me tight. I was the cheese in their sandwich, and I could count on my fingers how many times I had felt this happy.

I hugged them back.

Carol laughed. “You know I’m coming with you, right?”

I rolled my eyes. “As if you’d let me forget.”

Past

Kianna

The scents washed over the village, reaching Kianna’s nose even before she was close to the main street. Warm sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and other spices. People milled the streets from every side, all of them following the same direction. This was the one evening that the entire village stopped—poor, rich, old, and young. They all celebrated together at the lamp festival as friends. Finally, the smaller street opened to the main street and Kianna’s heart warmed. In bright contrast with the night sky, colorful lamps and ribbons lined the streets. Stands with food and jewelry and games were spread out along the street, and musicians gathered at every corner, playing songs that ranged from sorrowful to happy ballads. People strolled up and down the street, stopping to buy food, to look at the necklaces and hairpins, to play the games, or simply to talk to each other.