With sweat pearling on his forehead, Ben finally managed to push the heavy lawnmower to the side of the lake. He admired the heap of junk that he had managed to transform into something halfway decent and wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead.
So far, so good. Now all he needed to do was wait until the sunset. As he shielded his eyes from the low casted rays of sunlight, he peered over the mountain tops. The sun was definitely on its way down as the last rays coloured the mountain a beautiful hue of gold.
The young man smiled as he sat down in the dingy chair, sinking a couple of feet into the snow, but he didn't care. He had a goal in mind and was set on seeing it through.
It felt good to have a real purpose after all the days dwelling around like a zombie.
As he relaxed in the snowy landscape, he felt the warmth slowly leave his face as the last glints of sun disappeared behind the mountain side.
The lawnmower hummed as it came to life, the motor blowing cold air against his jeans. With a soft buzz, the assortment of spotlights flickered on and a soft glow illuminated the dark valley.
The biggest spotlight had an old pool cover thrown over it and acted as the base of his art. Over a bunch of smaller lights, he had taped an old raincoat from his grandmother for an orangey finish and another group of lights were coloured purple.
The last spotlight was wrapped in a grocery bag from the village downhill and gave him the final colour he needed. Green.
With utter concentration, Ben pointed the lights up into the sky as he cast a bed of blue. He followed the blue with waves of green and as he did, he manoeuvred the red lights so they were scattered throughout the ocean of lights. He gave the green lights a small push to the right, adjusted the smaller red ones, and changed the angle on the blue one. He grinned as he pointed the frisbee covered beams into the sky as well, adding flecks of a mysterious purple.
He took a step back and looked up to admire his handiwork. It wasn't nearly as beautiful or magnificent as the real deal, but that being said, he couldn't help the awe he felt as he stood under his own handmade Northern Lights.
They didn't dance or ripple like hers, nor were they as majestic or grand, but they resembled them close enough.
They did what they had to do. Send a message. And his message was clear.
Hello.
And so, with his own Northern Lights hanging above his head, Ben sat down in his metal chair. He hoped that Ym'e would see his message. A message only she would understand. A message for only her.
The cold teased his face, but he didn't feel a thing. He was too fired up to even notice the dancing wind.
As if the wind craved his attention, it blew a big gust towards the ground. As the snow rose, it expelled an endless wave of tiny snow crystals into the air and they fluttered through the beam of light. And as they did, all the colours reflected against the individual flakes, casting miniature rainbows through his light spectacle.
Not far from where he was sitting, the wind howled as it whipped the snow up in another small storm. The Earth hummed and small footsteps appeared on an otherwise spotless canvas.
Ym'e looked in wonderment at her hand. She was shaking and there was a tingling sensation that ran all over her new body. Was this cold?
How did she stop the shivering?
She carefully placed one foot in front of the other, like a newborn fawn taking its very first steps. A bit wobbly and uncertain, but as she soon found out, her two legs supported her steadily. Happy as she could be, she darted across the icy surface of the frozen lake, loving the feel smooth feel under the soles of her feet. Ben, I am coming.
A little further ahead, Ben's head nodded as sleep slowly overtook him, like a thief in the night stealing away his consciousness. The icy wind blew against his jacket, almost comfortingly. Flakes of snow were still being chased up in the air as they cast small rainbows as Ben's light hit them.
The young man felt his eyes fall closed and all his sensations dulled. How long he had been sitting there, he didn't know. But all he knew was that the wind didn't seem as cold as it used to be.
Ben... Ben. Ben... He sleepily opened one eye. It was almost if someone was calling his name, but as he looked up at the sky, he only found his own lights. No Ym'e...
His chin fell back down on his chest as the persistent sleep tried to overtake him again.
Ben. Ben... "Ben!"
His head shot up. He had heard his name, loud and clear. He was almost sure that this time he had heard it with his ears... But that was impossible, right?
The young man slowly opened his eyes, carefully, hoping not to startle anything... Or anyone...
"Hi." White clouds escaped from the lips of the young woman standing in front of him. Her skin was pale, pale like the icy landscape, yet she looked oddly out of place.
Actually, as he thought about it, she looked out of place because she seemed to fit right in. She was barefooted but she hardly seemed to notice the frozen ground underneath her feet. Her white hair fell delicately on her back, like fresh snow on thin branches, and her frame was delicate like an ice crystal. She didn't seem from this world.
"... Ym'e?" Ben cautiously asked as he rubbed his fists into his eyes. Was he still dreaming?
"Hi, Ben," the woman answered, her voice resembling the clarity of a babbling brook.
"Hang on... Wait. What?" he spluttered, jumping up from his chair as he inspected the girl standing in front of him.
This couldn't possibly be Ym'e, could it? After all, Ym'e was a voice in his head, a projection of colours in the sky, a light being. Born without a physical body or physical home.
But then who was this woman? What was she doing here by the frozen lake, scarcely clothed and how did she know his name?
"You seem confused."
"I... I... Yes... I am," he stuttered. This was the first time he heard the voice from inside his head out loud, and quite honestly, he was freaked out.
"I don't really know how to explain it to you, but I borrowed some of Earth's resources. Look, I got snow for hair." The girl, who was undeniably Ym'e, smiled as she twirled around, her locks dancing in the winter's breeze.
"I... Why?"
"For you... And for me... I wanted to see you. With real eyes," she whispered as she stood on her tippy toes to inspect his face. And as she looked at him, she didn't see his hollow eyes or his untrimmed beard. She paid no attention to the creases on his forehead or the tired look on his face. All she saw was the kind man who had broken her lonely streak and sent some of Earth's warmth to her. All she found in his eyes were the effort and energy he had pulled out of an energy-less body, just so he could talk to her again.
"Dance with me."
Ben stared astonished at the young woman standing in front of him, a broad smile on her face as she motioned for him to join her.
He forced himself to move and as he did, he carefully took her hand in his. Her fingers felt fragile under his own, but Ben couldn't help himself from tightly gripping her hand. He wasn't planning on letting her go.
Ym'e giggled under his touch, her first human touch. She swung their hands high up in the air as she darted around in the snow.
"Is this how my Lights looked from Earth?" she inquired, gazing up at Ben's imitation.
"Yes, but yours are even more beautiful," he whispered, still not believing that Ym'e was actually here with him.
Suddenly she stood still, a thoughtful look appearing on her face. "You know, I asked you to dance. But I don't think I know how."
Ben grinned as he took a step closer to her. "Allow me," he breathed as he softly brought her free hand to the nape of his neck. His hand found her waist and with their intertwined hands slightly raised, he guided her in their first dance.
The wind howled, but Ben didn't feel a thing. Ym'e made him untouchable.
"So what happens now?" she curiously asked as their dance came to a natural halt, their footprints an intricate design in the bed of snow.
"Usually, a kiss..." Ben swallowed nervously as he stared at the ground.
"Then kiss me," Ym'e whispered, her fingers softly pushing his chin up so he could meet her gaze. He stared back at her and to his surprise, found the whole Northern Lights hidden inside her eyes. The Northern Lights he loved so dearly.
A cloudling escaped his lips as he bent his head down, his cheek burning under her gentle touch. Their foreheads met at the same moments as the rest of their bodies did.
Hands meeting hands, skin meeting skin. Boy meeting girl, soul meeting soul. A timeless second passed. And then lips meeting lips. Ym'e was surprisingly soft under his lips as he shared his breath with her. Her first human breath.
The wind howled. The snow raged. Winter rampaged. But Ben didn't notice a thing besides Ym'e. All he felt was her.
His lips lingered on hers, reluctant to pull away from her. He felt her smile and he noticed how his lips did the same.
"That was wonderful," she muttered, her words vibrating against him. He nodded in agreement, smiling as he stared into the Northern Lights once more. The void in his heart was gone. But he didn't notice. He was too busy staring at the girl in front him.
His hand cupped her face as he tenderly stroked her cheek with his thumb. She was easily the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Especially with the golden hue illuminating her skin.
Gold?
Ben tore his eyes away from Ym'e long enough to look up into the sky. The first rays of sun had already found their way onto the cold ground and the two beings intertwined in the middle of nowhere.
"You are shimmering..." Ben noted, his mouth falling open as he stared at the glow coming from the girl in front of him.
"Oh..."
"What is happening?" he asked in panic, gently shaking Ym'e's shoulders, trying to grab her attention.
"I told you before. The Earth always takes back what belongs to her," she calmly spoke as she inspected her hands growing transparent.
"You are going back home?"
Ym'e smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "No... I am nothing but borrowed energy. And I took too much. So now I have to return back to the universe. All of me," she explained as she felt the strength leave her legs. The ground was cold as she let herself fall.
"But I'll see you again, right?" Ben squeaked, as he knelt down over Ym'e. She was slowly disappearing as she turned back to dust. She gingerly touched his face.
"No, you won't see me again."
"No! You can't leave me, not yet. I only just got you back! I still want to spend time with you. There is so much we haven't done yet. You can't run out of time before me..." he yelled in denial, cradling her in his arms like a mother holding her child. Ever since he was diagnosed with his terminal illness, death had been a part of his life. Not a day went by that he didn't think about dying, about leaving this planet, about what came next. But never did he think about other people dying. Never did he imagine that she would run out of life before him. Hot tears fell from his eyes but they were already cold as soon as they fell onto her cheeks.
"I can't stay..." Ym'e softly answered, gently running her fingers over of the stubble of beard. It felt so foreign to her, yet so comforting.
"But I don't want you to die. Tell me what to do..." Ben whispered as he buried his wet face in her hairs, planting a soft kiss on the side of her head.
"There is nothing you ca..."
"Anything!" he wailed, as he slammed his fist into the snow. 'Please, tell me what I can do.'
Ym'e smiled at the outburst of the young man she had come to love. His desperation was almost beautiful. She briefly touched his jacket, right above his heart and softly patted the fabric. His heart hummed under her touch and he could feel a warm vibration coming from his chest. Ben looked down and was overcome by surprise as he found a faint glow pulsating from underneath his dark vest.
"There is nothing you can do for me. You have already done everything I needed. Your heart is glowing with love. Love for me. That is all I ever wanted."
He stared down in astonishment at the warm light coming from his heart as it resembled the beautiful display of colours he had watched so many times in the sky. "Take it!" he exclaimed, as he grabbed her wrists and pressed her hands on his chest. "Take it!"
A faint smile played around Ym'e's lips as she could feel the warmth radiating from his chest. Ben was truly everything she had hoped for. Just feeling his heart beat with love made it all worth it.
He felt the strength drain from her hands as they fell back, so he feverishly pushed them harder against his cold jacket. "Take it! Please. I don't need it anymore. I am running out of time anyway. I beg of you. Take it!" he cried, tears flowing down his cheek as a young river in the beginning of spring.
He wasn't scared to die anymore. He had been preparing for this moment ever since he found out. He knew he was already a lost cause. But if his life could save hers, if what little he had left bring her back home, he would gladly say goodbye to the world with a smile on his face.
"Take my light and return home. I don't even know how much time I have left, but this could save you. This could give you more time. Take it, before it is too late."
As the light pulsated against her hands, she couldn't help but smile. It was small, but it so distinctively felt like home. Her real home. Not the empty universe she had been inhabiting. There was nothing for her to return to.
But as Ben sobbed and pleaded, she felt his light vibrate as it called out to her. Would it be possible...?
Ym'e couldn't believe she even considered it, but as she felt his light flicker, she knew all too well that his time was almost up.
Could she risk it?