The lights that lead us

“HOW close are we now?” Olivia asked impatiently, clumsy fingers slotting between the neatly organised envelopes, each carefully marked and decorated with swirly stars and innocent hearts, done by herself.

A gentle chuckle burst through the tense room as Kate laughed at her younger sister’s impatience, slotting the last dime into the royal blue tinted jar -the soft clatter of silver coins echoing symphonically among their shared bedroom.

Olivia never was patient, always eating the cake batter before it was cooked, smearing it down the slope of her nose and the plains of her cheeks. But Kate always saw it as kind of endearing?

Whilst their mum often scolded her younger sister for coming home with messy shirts and rumpled pants, Kate always looked forward to it. To hear the stories of havoc Olivia created whilst she was slaving away at her repetitive college for her diploma.

She and her sister couldn’t be anymore different, the dark blue coin jar marking the centre of two very different kingdoms. On one side, baby fuschia adorned the walls, matching perfectly with the light birch vanity and the endless amount of jewellery boxes and carefully placed achievements, of which Olivia called ‘cringy’. Which was a statement seeing as her half of the room consisted of dark violet and countless rock band vinyls that shone greatly when the light refracted through their window, sometimes blinding her as she diligently studied.

“half way?” Kate guessed, fingers rifling through their holiday journal, jotting down the new penny count under the current months title of “July 2019”, short pencil scratching eagerly against the aged parchment

“Maybe just under” she admitted with a slight frown, noting the drop of money she had put in across the last month, a blast of guilt rushing through her stomach after seeing that her younger sister had also put in her birthday money.

Olivia let out an annoyed groan, body flopping onto her midnight bedspread out of pure impatience. They both knew that their dream trip was going to take more than a pretty penny, having planned it for the last year and a half and cutting every corner they could.

In fact, Kate had picked up a second job in order to fund their dream trip, aswell as her usual university funds and Olivia had began to work at their parents convenience store after high school, even though it was a young age to start.

But even all of that didn’t quite give them as much money as they needed, even splurging Christmas and birthday money into the pot, hoping it would eventually be enough.

Yet a year later and they only had about $560...

Of $1200

“Are we ever going to have enough to see the northern lights?” Olivia whined childishly, Kate can already tell where she is going with this - tempted to pull her half out of the pot and splurge it on new shoes or games or whatever the new trend was in high school.

“At this rate.. we should have enough by December of this year” Kate announced, tightly screwing the cork into the top of the dark blue jar before placing it on its usual pedestal above her desk.

“That’s so long away!” Olivia whined, softly kicking her feet against the mumbling blanket, impatience creating a rotten stench that filled the room and made Kate feel a bit uneasy.

“It’s not I promise! That’s one more year, you’ll be starting college then” Kate pointed out, eyes scanning the others youthful face, the innocent shimmer in her eyes and the gentle smile that lingered on her lips, with no idea of real havoc.

“Fine”

————————————————————

“WHAT are you doing?!” Olivia shouted from her spot in the doorway, a quick glance noting the rage induced expression that spread across her turned down lips and pointed eyes.

Kate wasn’t expecting Olivia to come early from her shift at the family convenience, caught like a dear in headlights with her hand in one of their crisp money envelopes.

And both of them knew it was forbidden to take money out of the fund.

“I’m swapping a twenty for four fives, I need change” Kate quickly fibbed, for once glad that her tone came out monotonous. That didn’t stop Olivia’s eyes from squinting at her narrowly though, eagerly watching as she took four fives out of the envelope and placed in a twenty of her own.

“I better not catch you again” Olivia warned with a sour expression, slinging her school bag onto her bed before throwing herself on top.

Eyes darting to the mirror adorning her vanity, she caught a glimpse of Olivia’s face.

Still bursting with a youthful sheen, it was clear she had started college. Her eyes sunk in slightly, dark bruises laying under her eyes, traversing down her cheeks and taking the pink from them. But she still had that glimmer in her eye, the upturn of her lips that left her looking pretty and delicate.

Unlike herself, skin haggard and ivory, paper like. A hue of green washed over her skin like bad foundation and even when she forced it, the corner of her lips seemed to permanently slink downwards. Her cheeks dipped inwardly, the skin barely grasping to the Skelton like body she was becoming.

But it would all be worth it.

When she gets to see the lights.

————————————————————

November 2019,

Progress slowed down.

Kate knew she wasn’t putting in as much as she was, even though she was getting more hours then before.

It would make no sense looking inwards, having to use excuses like she was behind on rent or needed extra groceries.

“Are you alright?” Olivia questioned as Kate rested on her vanity, shoulders slumped tiredly, forehead setting into the birch exterior.

“ I am just tired. Long work day” Kate explained to the curious eyes, Skeleton fingers dancing a tiresome tune against the worn wood, the aged lines following from the marked wood to her aging veins.

She was exhausted, life hanging limply now off her bones like a set of excruciating weights. Constantly weighing her down, everything seemed to take more effort than it once had, each shift taking more of a toll on her weary heart and each essay turning her brain into soup.

“But we’re almost there, so s’ok” kate reassured, the corners of her lips upturning in lacklustre excitement. She was almost there,

almost there.

————————————————————

February 2020,

Iceland was colder than what Olivia had imagined, the low temperament picking at her skin eagerly - despite the gloves and scarves her parents had borderline choked her in.

Maybe because it was getting late, the night closing in on the day as the sun began its descent behind the flat, ivory land, leaving a wake of terrifying midnight in its wake.

Carefully out stretching her woollen legs out against the thick plaid, woollen rug, an unexpected buzz took up her lungs.

Here she was, after years of her watching videos and looking up photos of this exact moment, here she was, staring at the blank canvas which was soon to light with the most beautiful artwork.

But the real artwork wouldn’t be on the canvas. But would be in front of it, next to her.

Under the dark night, she stood out like some sort of angelic being: her pale, ivory skin shining greatly against the midnight background, her dipping features making her look absolutely ethereal, as if she was carved from bone.

Her hair was freshly shaven, a clean slate of white that contrasted greatly with the wondrous glimmer of hazel that danced in her eyes.

and then the bursting lights ignited.

A soft green light cast over her skin, roaming it and encapsulating the weakness that lurked within. It was when that lime light washed over her that she saw the heavy laboured breaths that left her lips, the heave of her lungs and the trembling of her lips as the cold seemed to beat her already beaten down state.

And then the lime cascaded into a flirting violet, washing away that weakness and casting a peony flush across her cheeks - a playful,innocent blush that ran across her supple nose bridge and her frost bitten fingers.

Eyes locking with her own she couldn’t help the euphoric grin that lit up across her lips, a similar, weaker one landing on Kate’s bitten lips.

because as the colour washed over their faces in beautiful waves, she couldn’t have been more grateful.

Her older sister would be able to see the lights, at last.