The Kingdom of Light

Chapter 4

The flight was uncomfortable; I hadn’t spent enough money on the airline, on the seats, on anything really. There was no leg space, I was uncertain whether or not I would ever see my suitcase again, and I thought for a second that we could crash before we could land. But magically, I ended up in Dublin, standing in the airport, and so utterly ready to experience something new and exciting.

My mother had been unfathomably jealous, but had driven me to the train station nonetheless, so that I could get onwards. I needed this trip, needed to be myself and figure out what I wanted to do with my life, what my dreams were like.

Happiness rose inside of me when I finally saw my suitcase on the conveyor belt. With that rolling behind me, I found the bus that I was supposed to get on. I needed to go to a smaller town, one that looked nothing short of idyllic Irish bliss, fortune, culture, and history.

The bus driver helped me get off at the right spot, which was something he didn’t have to do. But something rose inside of me when I saw the bus driving on without me. Like this impending doom washing over me. All I could see for miles around me were fields, and down a hill were a patch of houses.

I was left in the middle of nowhere.

The music flowed through my headphones as I pulled my suitcase after me, following the narrow pathway down the hill. It was so goddamn long, and so unbelievably uneven. But the nature was gorgeous. Every single field was in bloom, ready to spout and make seed—or whatever the hell it’s called. The sky was blue, and the sun was shining on me. It was positively lovely.

The gravel crunched beneath my feet, the small pebbles existing in every possible color I could imagine. I could find both gray, blue, red, green, and black among them. On both sides of the pathway was a little stonewall, like that was all the defence those fields needed. It was clearly old and was crafted during a simpler time, when you did what you could with what you had.

As I got closer to the small village, I could see more and more houses. People milling around, talking with each other, greeting each other. Kids were playing, clearly having fun, enjoying the fact that it was getting sunnier and warmer. Everyone looked as I passed them with my suitcase, so of course, I nodded back at them, greeting them kindly.

McBrian Bed&Breakfast.

The sign was made out of wood, and it announced my arrival at my destination. I went up the small stone steps in front of the stone-built house. It was beautiful craftsmanship; the large stones in different gray and brown nuances were placed on top of each other, creating a homey feel that you just didn’t get from newly built homes. The large front door was made of wood, looking very old, very beautiful, and it squeaked as I opened it.

“Welcome, welcome, welcome!” A woman’s voice sounded, her Irish accent heavy but so utterly charming at the same time. “Come in, come in, come in.” Suddenly, my suitcase disappeared from my hands while I was still trying to get it up the stone steps.

When my suitcase was put aside, I saw the woman behind it. She wasn’t tall, like not at all, coming up at about five feet or something. She was wearing a floral dress, wearing every color of the rainbow. Her hair was fiery orange and curly, exactly like you would want an Irish lady to look like.

“Hey!” My smile was reciprocated in her chubby face. “I’m Luna Jones,” I continued, walking with her towards the small desk perched right in the foyer. “I was supposed to be traveling with someone.” How did I explain that? “But something came up. Either way, I’m here now.”

“Hello, Miss Jones,” she greeted, so warmly and lovingly. “My name is Leslie McBrian, and this is my small piece of heaven,” she said, with a big smile on her lips as she widened her arms. “Actually, it’ll only be you coming this week,” she continued, rifling through some papers, “so if you have any requests for breakfast, just let me know, and I’ll whip us up something delicious.”

If I had to guess, I would say she was in her late fifties or early sixties. But she seemed full of life, full of energy, smiling, happy, and kind. Eating breakfast with her wouldn’t be a problem for me.

“Eggs and toast are always good,” I answered, a warmth coating my voice—something I reckoned she experienced a lot.

“Wonderful! I have hens out back, so I’ll make sure to have fresh boiled eggs ready for us tomorrow!”

I looked down at the piece of paper she handed me. House rules, was the headline on it. It looked doable, nothing that scared me or seemed unreasonable. Something about being quiet after ten o’clock at night, that breakfast was served at eight, and some different ideas of what to do in the city.

“Also,” she said, handing me a flyer, “you have to participate in our Summer Fest the day after tomorrow!”

The flyer was a bright pink color with a sun in the top right corner. It was nicely done and created a whole vibe for the theme they were going for. “Thank you, I might check it out,” I answered with a genuine smile. Lovely lady.

She followed me up to my room, up the tiny, narrow stairwell, where every single step squeaked as you stepped on it—so no one could sneak up on me at night, I would definitely know if someone was coming. She had insisted on carrying my suitcase, trying to basically push it up the small staircase.

At the end of the stairs was a hallway with four doors in total. The walls were covered in flowered wallpaper; big, bright, pink roses and a lot of dark green leaves. There wasn’t any light except for the window at the end of the hall, which let in the sunlight. The floors were made of a dark wood, giving it the feeling that it had experienced a lot throughout its years.

“The bathroom is through there,” she informed me, while she was pointing at the first door on the left. “The water gets cold pretty quickly, so don’t take too long in the shower.”

“I don’t mind cold showers,” I said, trying to reassure her.

At the end of the hall, she went inside the door on the right. “You’re getting my very best room.”

The room had a decent size, big enough to hold multiple furniture. It even had a small French balcony. It looked homey, giving off an almost country vibe. “It’s beautiful,” I said, sincerity floating through my tone.

A small blush floated through her cheeks. “There’s also a minifridge here,” she said, opening a small piece of furniture, which was on the right side of the bed. “There’s a small store a little further down the street where you can get a few different things. The inn is the only place that cooks warm food, and you’ll find the funny drinks there as well. But I really hope you’ll join our Summer Fest,” her green eyes met mine, the big smile back on her lips, “we usually nominate the travelers to be honorees, and it’s always a lot of fun.”

**

The inn was a shady place. It smelled like tobacco, and even if I smoked myself, I could still point it out and still find it a little too much. As soon as I walked through the door, everyone turned around to see who stepped inside. My thoughts drifted back to the pub at home, and how I would have handled it there. So I said a quick hey and sat down at a table with my bag filled with goodies.

A tired-looking man came over to me. He had on a dirty apron, a cigarette hanging off the side of his mouth, and a worn-down, dirty cap on his head. He looked at me like my mere presence was an annoyance to him. “What will you have?”

“I talked to Leslie McBrian,” I said, hiking my thumb over my shoulder towards the door. “She told me that you could get some food here?”

“I have the day’s special, it’s a stew with vegetables and lamb,” he answered tiredly, like he was the most depressed person on the planet.

“Then I’ll have that,” I answered, trying to give him a small smile. “Can you recommend something to drink that goes with it?”

He sighed, making the cigarette ash onto the floor. “We have beer or soda.”

“Then I’ll have an orange soda, please,” I answered, pulling my own cigarettes out of the pocket on my hoodie.

Completely automated, an ashtray appeared on the table, small, round, and black. I looked back up at the man, but he was already headed towards the kitchen. I shrugged my shoulders, fishing out a cigarette from my pack, while I tried to ignore the many eyes on me. Not unbelievable that a lot of people didn’t come here, since everyone seemed to treat you as a monster or freak if they didn’t know you. No welcome committee, that was sure. I clicked on my lighter, but nothing happened.

“Here,” and a flame appeared from my right. I leaned in, pulling on my cigarette to get it going. I looked further up the arm, and there stood a young man, probably a little older than me but not a lot. He had a buzzcut, something that looked like he did it himself, with impeccable green eyes. “Don’t mind Ed,” he said, a small smile playing on his lips. “He was born that way, and we can’t seem to change it.” His accent was so thick, I had to concentrate a little to understand what he said. “I’m Liam,” he ended, holding out his hand.

“Luna,” I answered, as I shook his hand. It was rough, calloused, but definitely a strong grip as well.

“Nice to meet you, Luna,” he said, putting his hand on the table. “Care if I join you?”

Before I could actually answer the question, Liam had already sat down across from me. He was wearing a worn t-shirt in a deep brown color. Across the chest had once been a logo or some kind of text, but it had faded after being washed too many times. He was wearing work pants, the kind that had a lot of pockets for tools and whatnot.

“What brings you to town?” he asked, leaning back in his chair, as he lit a cigarette for himself.

“I wanted to experience something different,” I answered, which was true.

“What are you used to seeing?” he asked, a smirk playing on his lips, which was probably easy to fall for. Definitely a player who could get these poor girls to do his bidding.

I chose to ignore his question. “Why did you sit down here, Liam?”

Ed came back with a plate and a bottle of soda. The food smelled amazing, but didn’t look all too appetizing. I gave him a smile as a thank you, but Ed simply turned around and walked back behind the bar.

“Why wouldn’t I sit down here?”

He was a true copy of Lucas; he had the same way to get the girls to lie flat on their backs and spread their legs as widely as they could. He almost provoked me. Why did I have to be a douchebag magnet? I tapped my cigarette with my finger, letting the ash fall into the ashtray, before I leaned back into my chair.

“So, you want to f**k me while I’m here?” I might as well be straightforward. Why play with your cards close when we both knew what would happen if he won?

He chuckled a little, tapping his own cigarette. “You’re honest, I like that.” His eyes slid down my front. “I mean, I won’t lie, Luna. You’re gorgeous, and what woman wouldn’t want to get down and dirty with a local like me?”

“Alright, listen up, smart ass,” I said, leaning forward again, making him do the same thing. “If someone’s stupid enough to fall for you, it’s their own fault. But even if I’m blonde, I still have plenty of functioning brain cells.” I pulled another drag, letting the smoke out through my teeth as I gave him the most sugary, fake smile I could muster. “But if they should stop doing that—functioning, I mean—I’ll let you know.”

His smirk disappeared from his smug face, and shortly after, so did he.