Light

It was a dark and stormy night. No, really, it was. The clouds hung low, their bellies full of rain, and they seemed to be dragging the very sky down towards the earth. The wind whistled through the trees, howling like a pack of wolves, tearing at the last few leaves that clung to their branches. Even the stars seemed to be hiding, afraid of the anger of the heavens.

But despite all this, there was something strange about the darkness. Something not quite right. It wasn't just the absence of light; it was as if the darkness itself had a weight to it, a presence that made it feel almost tangible. And as I sat there, huddled under my umbrella, I couldn't shake the feeling that I wasn't alone.

Now, I'm not the kind of person who goes in for this sort of thing. I don't believe in ghosts or aliens or any of that nonsense. But there was something about tonight that made my skin crawl, that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Maybe it was the way the darkness seemed to swirl around me, like a living thing. Maybe it was the distant rumbling of thunder, like the growl of some great beast lying in wait.

Or maybe it was the strange, eerie light that flickered in the distance, dancing over the treetops and casting odd shadows across the ground. Whatever it was, it made me feel uneasy. And when I glanced over my shoulder and saw the figure standing there, watching me, I knew that I was in trouble.

The figure was tall and thin, its features obscured by the darkness. It moved towards me with a grace that belied its otherworldly presence, and I couldn't help but feel as if I were a small, helpless creature caught in the jaws of a great predator. As it drew closer, I could see that it was wearing some sort of robe or cloak, billowing out behind it like wings, and in its hand it held a staff, glowing with an eerie, pulsing light.

"Who are you?" I managed to croak, my voice little more than a whisper. "What do you want from me?" The figure paused, the wind rippling through its cloak, and then it spoke, its voice seeming to come from everywhere at once. "I am the bringer of light," it said, "and I have come to grant you a wish."

Well, that certainly caught me off guard. "A wish?" I asked, my voice still shaking. "What kind of wish?" The figure raised a ghostly hand and pointed towards the sky, where a tiny pinprick of light was beginning to appear. "Look," it said, its voice softening, "the storm is passing. The darkness is lifting. And with it, a new beginning awaits you."

I must admit, I didn't know what to say. Part of me wanted to believe this strange creature, wanted to believe that it could grant me some sort of wish, no matter how impossible it seemed. But another part of me was still terrified, still trapped in the fear and darkness that had surrounded me just moments ago.

As I stood there, uncertain and afraid, the figure reached out a long, pale hand and placed it gently on my shoulder. "You have but one chance," it whispered. "Use it wisely." And with that, the figure disappeared into the darkness, leaving me standing there alone, the storm beginning to die around me.

I stood there for what felt like hours, my heart racing, my mind racing, trying to decide what to do. Should I take the chance and make a wish? Or should I run, as far and as fast as I could, and hope that whatever this thing was, it didn't come after me? In the end, I suppose it was the hope, the tiny flicker of light in the darkness, that made me decide.

Tentatively, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "I wish for..." I began, my voice barely audible even to myself. "...for happiness."

There was a moment of silence, and then the world exploded into light.

I opened my eyes, squinting against the sudden brightness, and looked around. The trees were gone, replaced by a beautiful meadow filled with flowers of every color imaginable. The sky was a perfect shade of blue, dotted with puffy white clouds. And in the distance, I could see a small village, its buildings made of stone and wood,