Arianna McCormick “Spread Upon the Northern Lights” WoB Short Story Contest Submission 10/13/23
Spread Upon the Northern Lights “Ray.” A spectacle of blue and green dances in the sky, joined by an entourage of glittering stars. They swarm my vision, blue and green morphing into purple and back again, colors cluttering the sky, broken only as I breathe out small puffs of smoke that fade into nothingness. “Ray.” My fingers burn. I can’t remember when they started burning, but they’re burning now, hot and twisting as I raise them up to the sky. The grating sound of synthetic polyester simmers into the background, replaced by the beating of my heart. “Ray!” Pressure against my shoulder forces me to turn, meeting brilliant green eyes. Otto’s face is red, body shivering as he hugs his coat closer to his body. He’s got his hood up, although it causes him to tic, shoulders jumping up and down. Golden brown hair frames his face as he shakes me. “Ray, what the actual hell are you doing out here?!” “The northern lights are out,” the words fall, unfamiliar in my mouth. I can’t remember ever really hearing my voice, the way words tumble out of my mouth. It feels like someone has pressed cotton against my teeth, making everything I say come out slurred. “I’ve never seen them before.” His eyebrows crease. The freckles dotting his face remind me of the stars, sporadic and far away. “You need to get inside. It’s cold out.” “But the lights,” I turn away from him. They shimmer and glow, tangling together messily. “They’re pretty.” My bones feel heavy, and I take the time to ponder what would happen if I just took them out. I’d be a pile of skin, probably. A laugh rises from my chest at the idea. Otto’s eyebrows crease further. “You’re hypothermic, come on. We’re getting inside.”
“I want to see the lights.” He stands, and I stand too, snow crunching under our boots. He retracts his hand, and I take the opportunity to step forward. “They’re really pretty.” He huffs, but his voice turns soft. “I know, Ray. Now come on. Let’s get inside.” “I don’t think I want to.” The sound of snow crunching under my feet makes me cringe, but I ignore it. Otto’s face morphs from one of concern to one of panic. “Ray, come on.” His words hitch. Is he crying? I don’t know. “Ray, come here.” I continue forward, toward the lights. They reflect on the water, the still stream Otto and I used to swim in together. His voice fades into the background as the water consumes me. Bubbles flood my vision, breaking up the iridescent lights. It closes around me, and I breathe out just to watch the lights coalesce. It’s warm, everything is so warm. It doesn’t take long for the lights to disappear, replaced by a million freckles. The water darkens. Arms wrap around my waist and pull me up. Snow spreads across my back as Otto throws me down, gasping and shuddering. “RAY!” He shouts, staring down at me. “Ray, why would you even do that?! What were you thinking?!” Stars span out around his head. The lights flickered and danced behind him. They looked fuzzy now, and I blinked away water, watching Otto’s face morph between anger and worry. He’s always been the type to worry about everything. The world spins. Everything is too hot. “We’re going inside,” his voice is firm and determined. I know how weak he is, yet somehow he picks me up anyway. I try to stand, but my legs feel like lead. He doesn’t seem to care. The lights swim in my vision. A crow flits across them, darting through an array of blue and purple that illuminate his wings. Waves of warm air hit my face, the lights replaced by a pale yellow. Otto sets me against the couch, anger replaced by a warm concern. Outside, the lights fade away. I close my eyes.