The air was crisp and the grass full of dew. Young women with long dresses, flying in the breeze, dancing in the wet grass, ignoring the cold creeping up on their bare feet. There was no sound in the night, that was on a brink. On a brink to turn into the world of the light. It was coming soon, though, to sweep the magic away, to return it only in Autumn, in half a year.
Yes, there was magic everywhere, static in the air, seeping from each corner, every place. You could taste, smell and feel it without a doubt. It was a pitch black night, but your eyes saw better than ever. It was the one date of two in the year, that was full of magic, as beautiful as life itself. The one night of two, that was perfectly balanced, the night of Equinox, full of wonder.
A lone watcher, a tiny human, meant to be sleeping, hiding behind trees, was the only witness of something extraordinary, something pure. He saw the ladies dancing in the dark, he saw the men guarding the ruins. He saw the flashing lights and the darkness so pure. He wasn't afraid, he was just in awe of all the pagans dancing the night away.
There was a structure in the dark, reaching towards the sky, stone and metal joining in a dance, mixture of mystical, a passageway it was, a passage between darkness and light. The ruins of today where an anchor in a time long gone, an anchor of wisdom to enlighten the masses. Because the world can not live without darkness nor light, as if there was not one, we wouldn't know the other.
The women were dancing, moving towards the structure that formed a circle, the men were guarding each stone with their lives. Wearing masks that symbolized the fertility the night would bring, they knew to say thank you to the gods. They reached their hands towards the dancers, joined together in the move. It was not the time yet, but it was soon to come, morning was close and the doors almost open.
Just for a minute they wanted to reach in, grab all of the magic the world had to offer, some wanted to see, to feel the happiness of a new life starting to form, others were interested in the pain and darkness as they wanted to know what the world needed to be protected against, still searching for themselves and not having answers.
The dance continued until the sun started rising. The second the first rays touched the ground, everyone froze for a moment, they closed their eyes, they listened to the night, it was not quiet, not anymore. Thunder rumbled right next to them. A lightning bolt struck, dividing the world, pitch black it was at the same time as bright. The circled structure was gathering the energy, opening one door to two worlds.
)
What seemed like a lifetime, for the little one, was actually mere seconds for the crossers of worlds, the group of gifted returned soon enough, they seemed out of breath and full of thought. Some of their dresses had turned black, some of their pants crisp white, but all of their minds busy and shocked, nobody noticed the little boy.
The light disappeared as it had come, the thunder was gone without proof of ever existing, the sun was rising, the world was quiet, everyone left in a neat line. To share the knowledge, to return in Autumn, with lanterns and candles in their hands.
Part two will be coming next week...
Story by @lindahas
Illustrations by @juliakponsford
This is an entry for the Binary Stars competition: @accelerator/binary-stars-collaborative-contest-round-1-call-for-content-theme-equinox-prize-1000-sp