Diamond Dreams

        It was summertime and it was humid and sweltering in the outskirts of Redwick. The rough wheat huts that were set up barely provided protection from the sun. The villagers were lucky that they still stood. Sweat soaked through the villager’s shirts and did not evaporate. Dew condensed on the inside of the huts and everything was completely soaked. Fans did not work-they only blew hot air. Everybody in this village wanted to go to the Lustraea, the sparkling diamond city where superior technology existed but only the greatest minds were allowed to go.

“WATCH OUT!!” Lyx yelled as she sped down the hill on her skateboard. The wind blew at her hair and tugged on her loose t-shirt. The front wheels wobbled dangerously as she neared the bottom of the hill. For a second, Lyx thought of abandoning this mission but thought against it. I don’t want to seem like a coward, she thought, pulling her homemade helmet tighter. 

The skateboard flew up the ramp and into the sky. Lyx’s skateboard was very different from traditional ones. She used tree resin to stick dry timber to a small open box facing outwards on the back of the skateboard. Then, she set it on fire right before she attempted the ramp.

It didn’t work.

Lyx’s skateboard flew for a second and then crash-landed on the tall grass, breaking the skateboard into two pieces and shattering a wheel. Her helmet flew off her head and broke in pieces but she luckily landed in a cushion of moss. She painstakingly pulled herself up and inspected the damage. The fire burned out before her landing but the skateboard was beyond repair. One of the wheels were salvageable but the rest were trash.

She sighed. It took forever to carve and assemble all the pieces and she’ll need a new helmet with real protection this time. Next week, she thought. Playtime was over and it was time to work. To earn money, the people from this village worked in fields, cultivating crops because it was the exact temperature required for an expensive type of fruit, Lyra. 

“Lyx Quenra?” a light voice asked. “My name is Joe.”

“Who are you?” Lyx demanded. “And you’re not Joe.”

The figure stepped into the sunlight and she gasped. This was one of the famous professors at the Luminaria Academy, one of the best schools in the world, based in Lustraea. Lyx quickly bowed down exactly 75° as instructed by her teachers.

“Councillor Auris, I apologize. I did not see you or recognize your voice” Lyx quickly said. It was a bit more light and grainy than what she usually heard on the radio.

“I have come to offer you a position in the Luminaria Academy for your skills in architecture and engineering. You may only share this information with immediate family members. You will depart on the 69th at 4:20 at the speedrail station. If you have any questions, call me. My handle is 6767.” Auris said, handing her a communicator. 

“Wha.. how.. How did you know about me?” Lyx asked, dumbstruck. This was what everybody dreamed of but no one had been accepted in decades.

“We monitor all potentials from the age of 7. Of course, tuition is free and paid for so you don’t need to worry about that. Thank you and see you soon. And also, don’t lose the communicator. You’ll need it to enter the Academy and the speedrail station.” 

“Th..thank you” Lyx stumbled. Her heart was beating rapidly and her face spread in a wide smile. I must hurry back home and show all my parents. They will finally be so proud! Lyx thought. And then realized the real truth. Her parents wouldn’t care. They would throw the communicator out the window and tell her to work and not study. This was a secret to be kept until she was long gone.

Lyx slowly walked back to her hut where her parents were waiting.

“Why were you so late?” asked her mother. “We need every pair of hands possible on these fields and for that, no going out for a week. I’m sad the discipline hasn’t gotten to you.”

“I’m sorry, mother”

“Don’t sorry me. GO TO WORK!” she yelled, angry.

Lyx did a small bow and hurriedly exited the hut. Today, not even her parents could ruin her good mood and she desperately wanted to share it with someone. Spotting Stephen, her best friend. Lyx quickly ran over to his station. When she got there, she realized it wasn’t Stephen. It was Jarek, the Luminaria Coordinator. He was pulling the seeds out of the sticky Lyra fruit which took a long time but there was no faster solution. Lyx sat down on the dusty floor beside him.

Jareck was the Luminaria Coordinator for this this village and he knew all about the rules and procedures about it. He was the same age as Lyx but she didn’t really know him well.

“Hey Jarek!” she greeted.

“Hey Lyx.”

“Do you wanna hear some good news,” Lyx asked.

“Lemme guess-you got into Luminaria.”

“Actually, yes”

Jarek stood upright. 

“ACTUALLY?!” he cried out.

“Yes, shush. You know how my parents are.”

Something flashed on his face for a second. An emotion Lyx had never seen Jarek display before. Envy? Guilt? Then he got his emotions under control and became the calm and collective Stephen she knew.

“Alright,” he said in a slightly choked voice. “I’m very happy for you! Do you have your communicator?”

“Yes,” she replied, taking it out to show him.

“Can I see it? Sometimes its people pretending to be a Councillor.”

“No,” she insisted. “I know it’s not fake.”

“Are you keeping it somewhere safe at least? Can you tell me where so I can get it in case something happens to you?”

“Alright. I trust you. I’m keeping it under a loose floorboard on the fifth floorboard under my bed.”

Jarek nodded and stood up. He waved bye and walked away. His shift probably ended, Lyx thought. When her shift ended, she always left as fast as possible. Even if it meant that she had to leave suddenly mid-conversation.

* * *

After Lyx finished her work, she quickly claimed to be sick and went to her bed. As soon as no one was watching, she pried open the fifth floorboard and put her communicator in it. If someone was calling her, it would just vibrate until Lyx checked on it again.

Tired after a long and surprising day, Lyx collapsed on the bed and immediately fell asleep, dreaming about the wonders of Luminaria. 

When she awoke, there was a dark figure with a hood leaving her room.

“Stop right there!” she cried out. They turned around, holding her communicator, their face hidden with the hood. Lyx jumped out of bed and ran towards the mysterious figure but they turned and ran away.

Lyx was slowly falling behind as the thief was older and bigger than her. She put her hands on her knees to rest and realized that the thief was leaving obvious footprints. She slowly walked along, not wanting to tire herself until she came across a clearing. 

A loud electric static sound and then a crashing sound rang out for one second and Lyx’s heart dropped. The communicator was broken beyond repair, smashed into hundreds of tiny pieces. The dark-clothed figure stood, back facing Lyx.

“Who are you?” she croaked, her voice suddenly giving away. All her hopes and dreams - gone. Communicators were very expensive and there was no way her family would be able to afford it.

The dark figure took off his hood and turned to face Lyx.

“You took everything from me! You took my opportunity and everything! Only one person from each village can be accepted to Luminaria.”

Lyx gasped as her heart dropped, her mouth unable to form coherent words. She fell to her knees, suddenly numb.

“J..J..Jarek?”