Adele's Stories

I hefted my skirts to maneuver through the trees better. I was gaining more dirt by the day. Some people in my village would consider that a good thing. Some believed it was a terrible thing. Others were indifferent to the soiling while still others complained of never feeling clean. I was one of the indifferents. There was nothing that could clean us fully. This is the way it has always been. You’re born sparkling clean and as you grow older you acquire more and more dirt. Some faster than others until the point they were unrecognizable. Those people I tried to stay away from. 

As I entered the village I let my skirts drop and walked with purpose and confidence. I needed to get these herbs to the apothecary and didn’t have time to dawdle. I stepped around the dirt coated people who sprawled throughout the streets hoping none would try to stop me. I breathed a sigh of relief when I made it past the Mudd Quarter and into the Sod Quarter where the less soiled people lived. 

The apothecary house stood large in the middle of the village. I reached it quickly and shoved my way in through the heavy door. Physician Hayek looked up at my entrance. He breathed a sigh of relief. 

“Did you get them?” I held up the herbs and hurried over to him. He took them from me and began making the medicinal concoction as I went to the pallet in the corner where the sick little girl was lying. Lyra was only seven years old. A few days ago she had fallen mysteriously ill. These herbs were a last ditch effort to save her life. Hayek wasn’t too confident it would work. I held out more hope.   

Lyra took my hand and tried to speak. I shook my head and squeezed her hand. “Just rest. We’ll speak again when you’re well.” 

Hayek hastened over with the medicine. He swished it around a bit in the bottle before pouring a bit in her mouth. Poor Lyra could barely choke it down. I stayed by her side as I watched her breathing slow. I stayed as I watched her breaths come farther and farther apart. I stayed by her side when she finally took her last breath. 

I held back my sobs until I got home where I collapsed into bed. I cried myself to sleep where Lyra visited me in my dreams. I saw her laughing and playing in the streets the way she used to. When I finally woke up my pillow was soaked in tears. When the moonlight began to pour in through my small window I realized it was still night. I knew I would never be able to get back to sleep tonight so I decided to go for a walk. 

I lit a lamp and threw on my cloak before taking a step outside. When I did I nearly fell to my knees, the weight from skirts pulling me down. I had accumulated more dirt than I realized. I didn’t bother checking my face in the mirror like I usually would knowing what I would see. I didn’t care to see it right now. 

I began walking slowly until I got used to the weight and then walked easily. I walked to the edge of the forest and stopped. Do I dare go in at night? As I contemplated my next move a figure began walking towards through the trees. I froze, barely daring to breathe. 

The first thing I realized was it wasn’t a frightening figure. In fact it was almost welcoming. The second thing I realized was that the figure appeared to be glowing. The third thing I realized as the figure drew close was that it was Lyra walking towards me. 

Was I still dreaming? I must be. Only it felt different from my earlier dreams. Especially Lyra. She looked different. For one thing she was clean. Crystal clean. Not a blemish on her, no dirt to be seen. I had no idea her hair was so blond and curly. And her clothes. She was dressed in white. A white that is whiter than snow. I had never seen I white like this.   

Lyra smiled at me and held out her hand. “Come with me Nora.” I froze again. Lyra only smiled wider. “It’s going to be alright. Just follow me. There’s somewhere much better than here. And I’ve found it.” Before I could respond she turned and disappeared into the trees. I didn’t think before I raced after her. 

“Lyra! Lyra!” I called her name as I ran hoping to find her again. I ran and ran until I could run no more. I doubled over with a stitch in my side and breathed heavily. When I caught my breath I raised my lantern and looked around. I suddenly realized that I was in a part of the forest I had never gone to before. I had no idea where I was and I had no idea how to get back. A pang of fear struck my chest and I took deep breaths to keep from panicking. 

And then there was Lyra. I spotted her just ahead walking away from me. I raced after her calling her name until my voice was hoarse. I ran until the sun rose and Lyra disappeared again. 

I suddenly felt nauseous and my head began to pound. I collapsed to the ground. I placed the back of my hand to my forehead and this time I did panic. I had a fever. I bit back sobs and sunk onto my side. I was never going to make it out of this forest. My lids grew heavy and just before I lost consciousness I saw Lyra kneel beside me. 

“Rest Nora. You’re going to be okay.” 

I tossed and turned on the soft bed and let out a contented sigh. I don’t remember the last time I slept on a bed so soft. I shot up with a gasp. What was I doing on a bed at all? I looked around and studied the small room I had found myself in. The first thing I was shocked to notice was how clean it was. Not just organized clean, like there wasn’t a speck of dirt in sight. My eyes widened as I continued to look around. 

I’d heard of the myths of a white village. A village where the people were clean. But I’d thought it was just that. A myth. Suddenly the door opened and a boy about my age walked in. I couldn’t contain my gasp.  

The boy was clean. Not a blemish on him. He reminded me of Lyra only he wasn’t glowing nor was he wearing white. But he was just as clean. He smiled when he saw me. “Good, you’re awake.” 

“How-how did I get here?” I stammered. The boy walked closer to me and I froze. 

“Some of the missionaries found you in the forest and brought you here.” 

I wanted to ask what a missionary was but I had other things to worry about for the moment. “Where is here? And, I was sick.” Those were the only words I could manage as I was still in a great deal of shock. The boy nodded in what appeared to be understanding. 

“You’re in the village of Purus-tergo. And yes you were sick. But we healed you.” 

“How?”

This time he tilted his head and looked confused. “With the cure of course.” 

I shook my head. “There is no cure.” 

“Yes there is, we gave it to you. You yourself are living proof that there is.” 

I was stunned. “But. How come my village doesn’t have the cure?” 

He looked away from me. “The herbs needed can only be found close to our village.Your people don’t like to come near us.” 

“That’s only because most people think you’re a myth.” 

The boy gave me a look. “You’re leaders certainly don’t.” I was too shocked to answer. “They let you believe it’s a myth because they don’t like us. They don’t like our beliefs. How we became clean.” 

“I…what do you mean?” 

The boy only smiled and reached out his hand to me. “Let me show you.” I was more confused than I’ve ever been in my entire life. And while I knew that I just met the boy and shouldn’t trust him just yet, I couldn’t help but trust him. 

I took his hand and he helped me to my feet, then led me outside. The bright sunlight blinded me for a moment. And then my world turned upside down. It was the complete opposite of my village. Of course I had imagined what clean looked like, everyone had. But I never imagined it looked like this. The only dirt in sight was the dirt on the road. And even that didn’t stick to anything. I saw children running around barefoot on the road but the dirt didn’t even collect on their feet. 

And the colors. I never knew colors could look like this. I even saw colors I’d never seen before. As the boy led me through the village I couldn’t help staring at every little thing. “My name’s Hunter by the way.” the boy called over his shoulder. I was so enraptured with the village I almost didn’t hear him. 

“Oh. Nora.” 

Hunter looked back and smiled. “That’s pretty.” He led me out of the village and down the dirt road a ways until we reached a giant shimmering lake. I gasped at its beauty. Hunter smiled and waved a hand towards it. “This is how we get clean.” 

I was skeptical. “We take baths in my village too. It doesn’t clean the dirt.” 

Hunter laughed. “This isn’t just any lake. Many thousand years ago there was a man. A man so innocent he was the perfect human. But he was killed. He died so that those of us who were dirty could become clean. His blood spilled into this lake, and now if you truly believe in him and wash in this lake, you will be made clean.” 

Hunter’s story seemed a little too far-fetched. And besides I wasn’t eager to wash in a lake of someone’s blood. “Why would an innocent man die for us?” My tone was laced with skepticism. Hunter only smiled wider. 

“Because he loves us.” I gave him a look. He reached his hand out to me again. “Just try.” I didn’t know what possessed me to, but I followed Hunter into the water. I couldn’t explain what I felt when I first touched the water. But I knew in an instant that what Hunter had said was true. 

As I closed my eyes and let the water cover my head I expected to see darkness, like what normally happens when I close my eyes. But instead I saw white light. So much light. And then there she was. Lyra. In her cleanliness.  But she wasn’t alone this time. This time she was holding the hand of a man. 

I knew in an instant that this was the man Hunter had told me about. Because this was  no ordinary man. This man was made out of light. Lyra smiled at me. “You found it too, Nora! Isn’t it wonderful!” I couldn’t respond as tears filled my eyes. The man came towards me and placed a hand on my cheek. 

“You are clean, my child.” 

I couldn’t hold back the rush of tears as I came out of the water and the dirt fell away. I never felt so free.