I stood staring into the distance.
Three months had passed since Elonyah and I had first emerged from the caves. We had sunburnt, fire-burnt, burnt our tongues, every kind of burnt. We were starting to match the rosy tones of the people of Chiaran.
Despite how much I loved this world, the sun, the light, I missed my people. My friends. I mourned that they still lived in darkness. I mourned that the Leaders would lie to cover our disappearance and that our people would believe it.
Elonyah fit right in here. Cave life had never suited her. She missed her friends, but didn’t spare any extra time dwelling on it.
I couldn’t help thinking about it. I wanted everyone to find this, this light, this life. There was so much more vitality here. It felt selfish to keep it to ourselves.
I sighed, then turned to find one of our new friends, Carlyth, standing behind me.
“Surely there is something I can do to help my people,” I said.
Carlyth pursed her lips. “You could…go back.”
I winced. “I could.”
“You could take a torch with you, show them that there is a world out here,” she suggested.
“What if they don’t believe me? I might be killed.” I twisted my hands together.
“I suppose that is the risk you must take. Not everyone will believe. That is…life.”
I nodded slowly. “Then I think I must go.”
* * *
I shivered. The caves were as miserable as I remembered them being.
I lifted my torch aloft, marveling again at how much it lit up the space. I glanced over my shoulder at my sister and the rest of our companions. We had decided to bring five extra people to validify our claims.
I scanned the riverbank as we walked. We were moving back the way Elonyah and I had first come, and I hoped I would recognize the tunnels back to our colony.
Elonyah was skipping happily along, her torch gleaming in her hand.
I shook my head. I hope this light in her never goes away.
“I see it, Leah!” Elonyah called. “It looks like our tunnel!”
I found the spot she was pointing at. “Yes, that looks right. Let’s cross here.”
El and I had also learned how to swim in the last weeks, so crossing the river proved much easier than the first time, even with the added difficulty of the torches.
Then we were wandering through the tunnels, leaving a rope trailing behind to map our route, with Elonyah and I stopping here and there to scratch our heads at the many routes through the caverns.
Eventually, though, we made it back to a familiar place—our old home.
Throat tight, I surveyed the tunnels we had grow up in. My eyes skittered from door to door, noticing features we’d never been able to see in the dark.
Elonyah took my hand. I didn’t shake her away.
A sudden scream jolted me out of my reverie. Someone—a neighbour—had stepped through their door. I…had no idea who it was. I needed her to talk to recognize her.
“Hello! It’s…Ceceleah. And Elonyah!” I stepped forward, holding out my torch. “We found a bigger world with light! Come and we will take you there!” There. My first call to follow us.
The woman stumbled toward us. “What? What? Ceceleah, this light…?” She reached me, her hand stretching to touch my torch.
“Be careful! It’s hot! It will burn you!” That’s when I recognized her. Brena. Our old friend. “Brena! Look! This fire…it heats food! Like you have been trying to do!”
Her mouth dropped open. “I…don’t believe it. I…can see you! And this fire! It…the Leaders have lied to us!”
I swallowed. “Yes. And now we come to break those lies to pieces and bring any who want to come out to the world.”
Brena’s eyes shone with tears. “I am coming.”
And so it began: us going around, gathering people to come with us. Many join, but there were also some who…were not eager to leave the only world they had ever known.
They rejected the light. And it hurt. But there was nothing we could do except leave the invitation open.
We soon had made our way through the whole colony, and had a band of people trailing behind us, muffled voice marveling over the torches.
I glanced behind me, over a sea of people clutching their possessions close and trusting us to lead them forward.
I smiled. And we would. We would lead them into a lightness they had never known.
And for those who didn’t come? We would come back. To try again.
And we would leave the rope marking the way. That way anyone who changed their mind could still come.
I smiled at my sister. Sometimes to find truth, you must take an utterly blind leap of faith.
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.
Isaiah 9:2
The End
