The Daughters of Autumn
For everyone who at least once thought
they are too weak, shy or lonely.
Do not forget: you will always have a friend
who is ready to reach out to you.
Sometimes the storyteller has more than one story to tell. If both are equally important and their desire to come true is equally strong, none of them will be brought to life. Thankfully, it could also happen that these stories would intertwine, like two threads of different colours, and earn the right to be realized.
This is a story about two places, one with too much light, and the other covered in darkness. Though they could very well be one and the same, those who in them there only saw the parts they were willing to see.
This is also a story about two young girls. If they were to look in the mirror, it would show them the same reflection: a pale freckled face with wide cheekbones and bushy hair in all shades of autumn. Still, there are two girls and two names — and soon you will find out why.
One of them was called Alice, and the other — Kira.
Alice lived in the most dreamy city in the world. Let's call it Amber City. After all, amber is incredibly pretty, as are the unfortunate insects who drowned in tar before it solidified. But what is the point in thinking about these poor creatures? Their life ends in a blink anyway.
This city was a trove of the most exciting things, limited only by human imagination. It had everything: cobbled streets, tiled roofs, fountains made of turquoise and lazurite, carriages pulled by mechanical horses, narrow alleys, bridges hunching over the rivers, street lamps, towers and clocks, stained glass windows that remind you of dragonflies' wings — you won't believe how beautifully they sparkled in sunlight, dripping with thousands of colours! — and bookstores, cafes, workshops housing fascinating wind-up toys. Many people lived there, especially children: cute, funny, talented, adorable.
There were many small wonders in the city: streets that always lead you to the new places, houses that only appear once and you can't ever find them again. The owner of Amber City enjoyed playing with his little kingdom and its people.
And there was a Wall surrounding the city.
Nobody knew for sure what lies beyond that Wall, but many thought it must be the widest bellflower fields stretching all the way to the skyline. Or maybe other cities and countries. Amber City was perfect, so not even once any of its residents thought of crossing that Wall and leaving the city for another place.
Amber City is a bit of every magical place you saw on the pages of children's coloured books. Maybe you even tried imagining and drawing it yourself when you were little. Maybe missed it in your older years, when in a dark moment you felt like you were living in a wrong place, surrounded by wrong people, and your life consisted solely of sitting on your luggage, endlessly waiting to return home.
It invaded my dreams too, but please, next time you think about its cobbled streets and delicate towers, ask yourself — don't you think it is a bit too boring?
Also — think about insects drowned in amber.