6 months ago…

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How had her life turned out this way? Why had God forsaken her? Why was her life now falling to pieces so hard? Was it really all her fault? Is it true what they said about dark magic? Was it really playing with the devil? And if so…

Was what happened to her mother… all her fault?

As she sat on the couch of her old living room, she thought back to the last conversation she had with her mother before she ran out of the house to invoke that ritual. The one that was supposed to grant her the powers of a real live witch. Her mother never supported her beliefs, and she knew that, yet for some reason it just hit a head this last time. They had a terrible argument, and she ran out of the house that night. She’d show her mother. She’d show ALL of them! She’d become a powerful witch, and then use her magic to create the life that she wanted! That was the plan at least.

Instead, she lost everything that she truly held dear…

Almost immediately after she did the ritual, she heard a loud crash. Her attention went to the source, and she was horrified to see her mother’s car toppled over. Apparently she had gone to search for her, and was in a terrible accident. An accident, that had cost her mother her life.

She had already lost her father to cancer, but that was back when she was still young. She didn’t know who he was, so she didn’t really grieve over his lose. Her mother though, she knew. When they weren’t arguing over differences in faith, they were really good friends. Best friends, even. She laughed with her, held her when she cried, took care of her when she was sick, all the wonderful things that a mother did.

None of those would ever happen again though. Now… her mother was gone, and it was all her fault…

She closed her eyes in a vain attempt to stop the influx of tears, but soon gave way to deep, heavy sobs. This was her punishment for running away. This was her punishment for turning her back on “God”, whatever the hell that was. God hated her now, she knew it. That was why her relatives didn’t step in to help her. None of them stepped up to help take care of her. Who could blame them though? She was already seventeen, and most of them all had lives of their own. They wouldn’t want to look after a cursed teen like her.

Still, knowing that she was now alone hurt.

The house was going to be sold to the state soon, so she couldn’t even stay here herself. She’d lost her mother, and her home, all in one night. She’d almost lost everything, but there was one last thing she still had. Something that she once held dear, but as of now, saw no use for it at all.

Her life was over now anyway…

She rose up, and walked up the stairs to her room. She took the time to look at the pictures on the wall of her and her mother, remembering all of the good times, all of the bad times, all of the conversations, the moments of silence, the arguments, and the times where she was in her arms. It was okay though, because they’d be together again real soon.

Wait for me Mother…

I’ll… I’ll be there beside you shortly…

She stopped at the door leading to her room, and felt out her emotions. She felt… numb. Empty. She had wondered how she’d feel when she got to this point, and was almost pleased to feel so empty. That meant nothing would stop her from carrying this out. It wasn’t like anyone would miss her. Not even Sunburst had contacted her about her mother’s death, assuming he even knew.

Well, it’s not like her life was worth saving anyway. She was nothing, no one. She’d never done anything worth while with her life.

She opened the door to her old room, which looked as if nothing had ever changed. Slowly she walked over to her bed, sat down, and opened her purse, revealing a vial of anti-depressants. These were her mother’s, and were only meant to be taken twice a day. They were meant to treat the illness of depression, but today they’d have another use.

Today… they’d cure the illness that was her life…

She pulled out a bottle of water, and then opened the vial of pills. She then began popping them into her mouth like they were candy. One after another, her world was becoming wavy. She felt her body getting weaker. Still, she didn’t stop taking the medicine. She needed to be cured. She needed to cure the illness that plagued her. She needed this.

She was becoming dizzy… She looked in the vial… twenty more pills… Would that be enough…? Maybe if she took a few at a time… This time she started taking two, and then drinking them down with the water… Her throat… was still dry… and it was becoming harder to… keep her eyes open… No…! She wasn’t cured yet…! She looked into the vial… two more pills…

Just two more… and she’d be cured…

She took the last two pills… laid down in her bed… and closed her eyes… She did it… she cured herself… of her illness…

Mother… I’ll see you… soon…

---

She opened her eyes with a start. She was now sitting in a chair. It looked like she was in an… office of sort? No, it was an elevator, but it wasn’t moving. It was really big for an elevator. There was a shelf that had a few alcoholic beverages on it, a few pictures that showed various characters on the desk, some cute, and some terrifying looking, and a few other ornaments on the walls. She even saw a wardrobe off to the side. It was something akin to an elevator and an office all at the same time.

After looking around a bit, she became aware of something even more terrifying. She wasn’t alone here.

Standing before her at the other side of the desk were too figures. One was a tall man standing off to the side, holding a large book. He wore a blue and white uniform like a butler, had long silver hear, and yellow eyes, making him look almost demonic.

The other man was just as terrifying, if not more so. He wore a black pinstriped suit, had long, yet oddly elegant looking hands, gray hair that was balding, and the longest nose she’d ever seen in her life. He held his hands thoughtfully under his nose, and had a creepy smile. When he opened his eyes, they were blood shot, like he hadn’t slept in days, and when he looked at her, she felt both terrified, and drawn in at the same time. He then spoke in a soft, almost elegant voice of an old man who had seen a lot, yet still had vitality for life.

“Welcome, to the Velvet Room.”

The Velvet Room…? Was this the first stop before death? Was this man… God? Was he the devil? Should she be afraid right now? Not that it really mattered at the moment. She was resigned to her fate. Still, she became aware of a soft melody surrounding them. It was both sad, and hopeful at the same time.

“Well, this is a surprise,” the old man said with a light chuckle, “In all my years, I’ve never seen one come to this place in a manner such as yourself.”

She tilted her head confused. Where was this place? How did people enter this place normally?

“My name is Igor,” the man introduced himself, “Do not be afraid, you are perfectly safe in this space.”

She looked down at her lap, “Am I… dead?”

“Not quite yet,” Igor explained, “This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a place of refuge for the soul. When you chose to end your life, something within you sought a place of rest.”

Wait, he knew that she tried to kill herself? But… how?

Igor chuckled, “This is truly a rare occasion. I’ve never met someone quite like you, in a manner quite like this. I’ve seen many people of many different types, all with their own different reasons for coming here. Yet this is the first time I’ve ever met someone after they threw their life away. Perhaps though, this is a sign that you're not quite ready to give up just yet.”

That didn’t make sense to her. She lost everything. What could she possibly have left?

“Tell me,” Igor said, adjusting his hands, “Do you have a dream? Something you wanted so deeply when you were still fully in the world of life?”

She thought back. What did she want so badly? There was something… but it was hard to remember. Wait, she did have a dream.

“I wanted to be a witch.”

Igor chuckled again, not mockingly but in good nature, “Someone in this day and age that still believes in magic. Truly a rare one indeed. It was that dream that lead you here, wasn’t it?”

It was, to a degree. Sure, maybe not here, but her desire to become a witch had cause her mother to…

“Would you mind, if I read your fortune?” Igor asked, a deck of tarot cards suddenly appearing on the desk, as if it had always been there.

The girl tilted her head, and asked Igor why he’d want to. Her life was pretty much over anyway.

“It’s something I’d like to test. You see, young lady, I am someone who is fascinated by life itself. Humans are an odd species. Half of them begs for death, but the other one clings to life. You yourself remind me of a young man I met a long time ago,” Igor looked around, “His Velvet Room had a similar appearance to yours. Like you, he was someone close to death. I wish to see if there’s in fact a connection between the two of you.”

Someone like her? Someone who was close to death? She wondered what happened to that boy. A bit intrigued, she nodded to Igor. It wasn’t like this was going to change anything, right? She was still going to die.

Igor shuffled the cards with surprising dexterity. Clearly he’d done this a lot, probably for almost everyone who came to this place. After a few seconds to a minute, he placed the deck down, and three cards shot off from the top in a line before her, all by herself. Igor turned the first card over.

“The Tower,” he said, “It appears you’ve lost something precious to you, and your life has fallen apart as a result. The very foundation you built your life upon has come crashing down, much like the tower itself in this picture.”

That sounded about right. Thanks to her stupidity, her mother was dead, and she’d lost everything.

“The second card is...” he turned it over, “Death. This card represents not just death itself, but transformation. Your present moment is crucial, as it’s a transitional period, in multiple ways.”

Well, she was about to die, wasn’t she? That made sense in the scheme of things. If she knew this spread, the next card was her future, but what sort of future did she have? She was going to die.

“The final card here is…” he turned it over, and everyone was surprised. Even the man holding the book, who had said nothing at all since she arrived. This card showed a naked woman pouring water into a small pond of water, a large golden star above her, surrounded by seven smaller white stars, “Well this is certainly a surprise. The Star.”

“The… Star?”

“This card represents hope, renewal, and realization,” Igor said, his expression somehow softening despite still possessing that creepy smile, “Your future is one where you could end up achieving the very dream you sought after, and possibly light the way for others.”

Wait… what was he saying…? Did that mean, that it might not be over yet…?

“In light of this odd occurrence, I give you a choice,” Igor said, “If you still believe your life is over, then you can pass onto the afterlife. I won’t stop you, and this will be the end of our interactions.

“Alternatively, if you wish to see what this future could be,” Igor said adjusting his hands again, “You can return to the realm of the living. Understand that this doesn’t mean your life will be happy, and it may yet still lead to tragedy, but with this, you’d have a chance at making a new life for yourself.”

She looked down at the card before her. She wanted to die before, but suddenly she wasn’t so sure. It might end up being for nothing, but… what if? What if she could become the witch she always wanted to be…? What if she could actually do something worth while with her life? What if… what if this card meant that her life…

“Is there really… a chance for someone like me…?” she asked hopefully.

“Most certainly,” Igor said, drawing one more card off the top of the deck, “After all, it’s when one has nothing that their journey can truly begin,” he placed the card onto the desk before her, revealing a picture of a young man standing on the edge of a cliff, holding a sack at the end of a pole, like he was going on a journey. Behind him was a white dog, and a bright sun. He seemed frivolous, naive, but at the same time hopeful.

“Are you familiar with this card?” Igor asked, the young girl shaking her head, “This card is called The Fool. It is the first in what’s often called the Fool’s Journey. It is like the number zero. Empty, yet filled with infinite potential.”

Empty… like how she felt moments before she…

“This… is me…?” she asked, taking the card into her hands.

“Should you choose it, you can make your life into anything you want. Truly the possibilities are endless. Magic does exist, you know,” that caught her attention, “I’ve seen it with my own eyes, many times. People like you have used the power of magic to cause great change in the world. I imagine, that that sounds appealing to you, doesn’t it?”

She nodded slowly, her heart beginning to beat faster. Magic was… real?

“Master, if I may offer my thoughts on the subject,” the man with the book said, his voice deep, yet youthful, “If you don’t know where the light is yourself, perhaps you could be the light for others.”

Be the light…? If what these two said was true, then perhaps… she could not only live a better life herself… but maybe she could… even help others.

Don’t give up now! Your life still has purpose!

Please, live! Live, and turn that small flame in your heart into a burning inferno!

That voice… it sounded like her own, but with much more power. A part of her… was still clinging to life…? She felt it. Her heart was racing. So much that it was beginning to hurt. Once again, the tears flowed freely.

“I… I DON’T WANT TO DIE!!!” she cried desperately, “Please help me! I made a mistake! I’m not ready to die yet!”

Igor closed his eyes, and a look of peace and… relief (?) came over his face, “In that case, I will aid you in your return to life,” a piece of paper appeared before her, “Simply sign your name on this contract, and will be done.”

She looked at the contract, and at first was afraid. But when she looked at it, there was only one line of text. She picked it up and turned it around, checking to see the fine print. Nothing. Just one term that was terrifying in of itself.

She then noticed a pen held over to her. She looked at Igor, who was looking directly at her with that same smile. It was odd, but somehow she didn’t seem afraid of him. In fact, she felt like he was honestly looking out for her. Like he wanted to help her.

Like he… cared about her.

She took the pen, letting her and Igor’s hands lightly touch, and she wrote her name on the line underneath the contract.

Starlight Glimmer

As soon as she finished signing her name, the elevator clicked. Slowly, it began to ascend upward, eventually picking up speed and moving at a steady pace.

“And with that, your life will continue,” Igor said, the contract disappearing, “We will meet again on the day your journey truly begins. Till then, take this as a sign of our new partnership.”

A small light descended down to Starlight, and she held out her hand to accept it. The light then turned into a small blue and white key.

“When the time comes, that key will bring open the door to this room,” Igor explained, “On that day, when you need us the most, we will come to your aid. Speaking of, I neglected to introduce you to my assistant,” he held his hand to the man holding the book, “This man is Victor. When the time comes, his purpose will become more clear.”

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Glimmer,” Victor said with a bow, “I look forward to our next meeting.”

Before Starlight could say anything, she felt the world become wavy again.

“It seems our time is up here,” Igor said, “Till next we meet, Miss Glimmer.”

With that, the room faded from her sight, as if it were all a dream.

---

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When Starlight opened her eyes, she was greeted by a bright sun beaming right on her face. She looked around and saw she was in a hospital room. The walls were white, and the window was large. The sun was shining brightly, as if to welcome her back.

“Oh good, you’re awake,” the nurse said, catching Starlight’s attention, “A neighbor brought you here after noticing the door to your house open. Had she waited a moment longer, you would have surly died.”

“So… I’m alive…?” Starlight asked, slowly sitting up. The nurse gave her a truly genuine smile.

“Through the grace of God, yes. You truly have angels watching over you,” the nurse said. Starlight held her head, wondering if she dreamed that room up. That man, Igor, gave her a second chance, and here she was. If that was a dream though…

Her attention went to the bed stand next to her, and her eyes were wide. On the bed stand were two items. One was a fancy silver ring with a pentagram on it, etched within an indigo colored gemstone. The other item damn near made her heart shoot out of her chest. It was the blue and white key that Igor gave her.

It wasn’t a dream…

“Are those yours?” The nurse asked, “When you were brought in, you were clutching onto those items for dear life. We had a hell of a time getting you to release them, so we figured you’d want to keep them.”

“Thank you,” Starlight said, taking the two items and looking down at them, eyes wide. That room, the two men who helped her, and the contract she signed. All of it was real. That meant… magic was real after all.

The nurse sat down on the bed and placed a hand on Starlight’s leg, “Life is a precious gift,” she said, “You shouldn’t throw it away, no matter what. Promise me you’ll cherish this gift you’ve been given.”

Starlight looked at the nurse, and nodded. She then hugged the nurse tightly, “Thank you! Thank you for saving me!”

The nurse laughed lightly, “I think you saved yourself, honey,” she said returning the hug, “With how tightly you held onto those items, it tells me you were planning on living from the start. I’ll come back to check on you in a bit, okay?”

Starlight released the nurse and nodded, her expression lightening. As the nurse left, Starlight looked up at the blue sky out her window. She placed the ring on her finger, and held the key close to her heart, silently thanking the two angels who came to her rescue. She didn’t know when she’d ever see them again, but until then, she’d live her new life to the fullest.

Watch me, Mother! I’ll become a witch, but I won’t use my magic for selfish reasons!

I’ll only use my magic to help people!

I’ll shine brightly Mother, so please… don’t give up on me!

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