Story Contest 2018 #1 Results » Highly Commended - The Lights

“The Lights” by Ella Sibelius, Austria, is the Highly Commended story in the junior category of the first biannual Short Story Contest 2018.

The Lights

It was the 1st of June, I believe, and yet there was no blood coming in to the tips of my now blue fingers. Not too long before, I was dropped off by a helicopter with nothing by my side other than myself. I walked towards the ocean. I realized I couldn't reach my destination without crossing the crystal-clear water in front of me. I looked around but I could see nothing but whitest white sand. It was the day I both regret and love most in my life!

I moved one step closer, hoping that some sort of magic would happen to get me across the ocean to see those lights I had dreamed of my entire life. I could not feel anything in any part of my body. It was just 30 minutes ago and I was all alone. I saw a few Narwhals swimming towards me but I could not tell how many there were. The only thing that popped to my mind was to try to tame and ride on them all the way to the place where only dreamers go. It turned dark and I believed I stared into those dark blue eyes for hours and nothing had happened. I moved a step closer and slowly moved my hand towards its face. I touched the creature that just seemed to magically trust me.

I climbed on its back and looked forward and saw a bright and blindingly beautiful star that would take me to where I wanted to go. I pointed at it and instantly the creature started moving in that direction. As time went by, I could not feel my hands or feet, so I had to rely on my heart. It felt like a dream, but I knew it was real when I saw a small part of the light I had dreamed of. I would be there for a few more hours. I tried so hard to not get too excited but I couldn’t. And I regret it to this day. I jumped up, just a second later, I could feel my body touching ice cold water. It felt like I was going to die but I made it to a small Iceberg looking out of the water.

With all the power that I had left, I dug deep and lifted myself on the little island made out of snow and ice. I crawled up on it and I am sure there was no blood running through my veins anymore. My dream was over. I knew for a fact this was where I would die. I saw a piece of paper on this island, a pair of binoculars and a piece of chalk. I lifted myself up and stood on my feet for the last time in my life; I grabbed the binoculars and looked through them. I forced myself to open my eyes, to see the lights I had never seen before. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life. I kneeled down to the clear ice water and drank a little to drown out my pain.

I sat down on a block of ice, thinking to myself that my life had been art. Shouldn’t I be proud of it? I could not go back, knowing I was trapped in a mind that was fighting to survive, and knowing my body was going to die. A tear dropped down my face. I thought to myself that I would be so sad if I lost anyone that I appreciated, but I knew for a fact that no one would have the same feelings for me. I knew that I was smiling and I had lived my dream, but my soul was just dying. I could barely feel my fingers. In fact I could tell, my heart was about to stop. I lay down and looked up into the sky. I had my eyes open and looked up to those lights. I wrote “My name is John Arctic. People like me always make sure everyone else is happy, yet I end up dying alone. This is the last breath I will ever take. God bless the last beat of my heart.”