“Where am I?” Lythina hoarsed.
“That question is more important than you know, I think,” the woman said. “I’ll show you.” She gave Lythina the once over and rose to her feet with a gracefulness that was not reminiscent of her age. Lythina noticed that the woman didn’t have to brush the sand from her robe; it simply fell off, as if the fabric had dropped it back to the shore. Leisurely, the woman held out a hand to help her new guest up from the beach. Cognizant of the fact that she needed help, Lythina took it and found that it was unusually warm. Carefully, she stood to her feet. She rested for a second, allowing her spine to pop into place and compress with the weight of her body. She rolled her neck and caught in her sight the full length of the stone staircase. With a moan, she began toward the hill. The old woman intertwined her arm through Lythina’s and they both began to climb toward the sky.
Each step was a milestone for Lythina. After nearly succumbing to death, then being shot back into her cumbersome body only to throw up the sea, she thought she was progressing well. The people on the stones turned to watch them as they passed, and the woman stayed with her, preventing her from swaying as she ascended the stairs to some unforeseen providence. This brought a thought to Lythina…
“Thank you for helping me,” she quietly said to her caregiver.
“Absolutely, dear,” the woman smiled. “Soon, you’ll see that you will always find help here.” Her expression morphed into concern. “If I may, what is the last thing you remember before waking up on the shore?”
Lythina placed her next foot, pondering the question for a moment. “Darkness; I remember being part of infinite darkness.”
“Anything before that,” the woman asked.
“I remember my grandmother, Hildabrand. And how we met and gathered supplies for my voyage.” Her memories came flooding back to her, pounding the inside of her skull. “I set out to find the sealight, but it never came. I was so alone, so scared, so….lost” She wobbled a bit, but the woman held fast, steadying her. None of it made sense. She had to ask the question, to clarify it once and for all.
“Am I dead?” she tenderly asked.
The woman gave small burst of laughter. “No, dear, certainly not. If anything, you’re well alive,” she assured. They were almost to the top of the hill. The woman stopped short, and Lythina turned to her. “Do you think you can make it to the top by yourself?”
Lythina assessed the last few steps and huffed a sigh of perseverance. “I think so.”
With that, she let go of the old woman and steadied herself on the large stone step. She placed one foot in front of the other, like learning to walk all over again, and within a few steps, she and the woman beside her reached the top of the hill.
Luckily, the woman was there to catch her. As they crested the hilltop, the sight that graced Lythina’s eyes also loosened her knees. All of the land was vibrant with color, intense enough to overwhelm her senses. The hilltop that she stood upon was part of a huge ridge of connected hills that ringed around the entire landscape, circumscribing a giant crater. Various sets of carved columns, attached by an architrave of engraved marble, were scattered about the ridgeline. Inside the luscious green crater were elaborate stone buildings, surrounded by blossoming gardens, which reminded Lythina of an ancient philosophical era she used to read about. In the center was a large circular monument built from twelve gigantic columns, all coupled by a large ring architrave. And to Lythina’s left, off upon a distant hill, sat a circular marble pyre adorned with seven columns, and topped by another carved ring architrave. Inside it smoldered a pile of charred wood. She turned to the woman, her hands covering her lips, tears spilling over onto her cheeks. “The sealight?!”
“Welcome,” said the old woman, “to the Isle of Illumination.”
Lythina gazed out at the enormous island, sobbing with happiness. The woman stepped back to give her some time alone, and soon stepped forward again as Lythina reached out an unsteady arm.
“It’s so beautiful,” Lythina sniffled. “I’ve never imagined anything like it.”
“You’re not the first to seek this land, dear,” the woman said. “Many have come to join us, and many have perished trying.” Then she turned toward the young lady. “You were one of those who perished, yet you arrived anyway. That’s why the circumstances of your arrival are so remarkable. You went searching for the light, got lost in the fog, and lost your mind, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” she admitted. “I lost it. I’ve lost everything.”
“You’ve only lost that which was not important.” The woman looked upon her now with intensity. “You’re welcome here, but your stay will be productive, not to mention temporary.”
“Temporary,” Lythina gasped. “I don’t ever want to leave this place. It’s perfect!”
“Few things are ever so certain. You may find that your mind has changed some day.” The woman looked back out upon the land and pointed to a decorative set of buildings rich with stonework, all set around a brilliant courtyard. “Over there, you’ll find the residences. Take your time, but go to the main reception hall and someone will show you where you’ll be staying.”
“After I get situated, what will I be doing?” Lythina asked. She couldn’t think of anything to do here besides help out with tending the gardens.
“Your intuition will tell you what to do. Follow it, for it will not betray you. I assure you that the isle is ruled by perfect love. We have no laws other than moral equality. Everyone here will treat you with absolute courtesy. We ask that you follow your true heart and do what is right.”
The old woman peered into Lythina’s emerald eyes. “Those who don’t reach the isle do not truly believe in their hearts that they are deserving of such peace. Do you think you deserve this?”
Lythina sighed and eased her chaotic mind into tranquility. “Honestly, no, I don’t think I deserve to be here. But someone higher than me must think I do because He brought me to your exquisite land to learn from all of you, I’m sure. And in Him I trust wholeheartedly.”
The old woman grinned a sensational smile, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. She held out her hands, and Lythina slid hers into them at once, which was like a warm bath for her fingers.
“I look forward to seeing you again, Lythina,” the woman gently spoke. “I’m so excited that you’re here with us.”
An urgency to ask the woman to stay boiled up inside her, but she fought it back. This was the start of a new life, a life of temperance and integrity, and now was the time to start. She gathered up her gratitude and molded it into a meaningful smile. Then, she turned toward the crater to gaze out over the charming landscape once more as she asked a final question. “When will I see you again?”
Instead of the woman’s gentle, flawless voice, a whisper carried upon the back of the wind responded. “Soon.”
Lythina quickly turned around, and the woman was gone. Without the sound of footsteps, or even wings for that matter, she had vanished. And with a sigh, the newborn girl spun back to look upon the Isle of Illumination.
“Thank you, God,” she prayed. “Thank you.”
She slowly began the journey to the bottom of the crater. Another set of perfectly carved stone stairs led Lythina down into the isle. She descended slowly, making sure every footstep was firmly planted before releasing the other. Tumbling down the stairs was an embarrassing reality, but she began to feel better with every step toward the bottom. Her head started to clear of the nausea and the constant thoughts, and her body loosened itself with every subtle impact. She inhaled the fresh, gloriously fragrant air, filtered of salt from the grassland, and listened intently to the conversation of the birds.
Her eyes were adjusting to the sunlight. It seemed as if the