The Sky Effect by Oksana Holoborodko

We can turn lead into gold.

That was one of the allegorical phrases that my roommate Kate used to say in some awkward and complicated situations. And that is not surprising, she was always that kind of person who stays optimistic. Dreamy girl looking like an angel, romanticizing each minute of her life, believing everything around her is a fairytale where she is an author. That blond girl with fluffy hair and those bright blue eyes, which reminded drops of rain falling in the deep lake, who always wore those weird green glasses, always inspired me, but I never was like her.

We got acquainted with each other last year when we both entered the same university and were randomly registered in the same room. I have to say, the first week was so exhausting. She was definitely an extrovert, an outgoing person who would always stay being the centre of the attention. People would enter our room without a permission and put their legs on my favourite carpet that my mother gave me as a reminder about home. Anyways that was the only person who saw me and excepted me as I am. “Something magical is about you”,– she would always say and leave me blushed.

Kate would spend so much time on the nature doing some wired stuff like hugging trees or laying on the grass watching the sky. That was a really interesting part about her that I could never understand. Every day, she tried to drag me outside with her to go watch the sky. She said: “Life won’t be that hard if you just watch the sky, try to look up with me”. Of course, I declined all these invitations, which would always irritate me so hard that I start hesitating my existence.

I hate people, I hate the happy endings in films and especially in the books, I’m not a fan of fashion, I’m not into finding new people and I don’t believe in the good future for myself. You would call me a pessimist and of course I would take it as a compliment, because even my appearance is asking for it. If you are wondering, I’m not that cliché who wears only black clothes and dark make up, but people around me would sometimes compliment my eyes on being as dark as the night as if a darkness is coming out of me. And my curly brown hair would sometimes give me a look of a witch. My favourite time spending is reading books in our university library, which always reminded me the one from Hogwarts. The vibe in it is so good, all the shelves are tall and made of dark wood, the walls all brown and panoramic windows up to the ceiling, which were always opened and made a draft throughout the hall, creating an atmosphere of autumn wind. I liked that it had long dark curtains that barely let the light through. It wasn’t needed as the space was filled with lamps that illuminated warm orange light. I leaked to hide there, it was my comfort place.

Today I woke up because of Kate. She was screaming at me, nervously throwing things around, creating mess. I already knew something was happening as she was the person who kept her side of the room ideally clean and couldn’t stand my clothes all around. And her voice… something about it was different as if she wanted to cry.

– Kate what is going on? Is everything alright?

–Alright? Yeah it could have been, but I couldn’t find my glasses. It is the first day of the week with the good weather, and I’m staying in this room while I could watch the sky for at least two hours.

–Kate, dear, I’m not sure you would see something new in it … so don’t worry, you lost some time.

–You don’t know what you are talking about. You never joined me for at least one walk outside. And you are my only one real friend among all those people. I’m lost, I need to go outside.

–Okay look, I see you are confused and nervous, and I’m really sorry, I never saw you like that. Let me help you find those glasses, and maybe I could join you today.

I watched her tired face which was gaining a smile and I knew I was doing everything right, today I need to be here for her.

–I guess you may have left your glasses on the shelf in the shower, let’s go search for them,– I offered her.

–Wait, you may be right, thanks Ellie.

We headed to the shower room.

— Here!

We took those weird green old-fashioned glasses, that reminded the one that some elves or fairies would wear. The eyepiece brackets looked like ivy wrapped around the branches of an old moss-covered tree. The glass inside the glasses was yellow, which resembled sunlight.

We left the chummery and haded towards the alley which led to the “Hill park”. All week, our dark English city suffered the summer rain season, which I could not have enough of. I don’t like leaving my room, l’m not a big fan of spending time on the nature and I don’t believe in the strength of it. But Kate got very depressed, it’s really hard for her to get used to this weather and to stay this long inside.

-Look! Here is my favourite hill! – Kate shouted to me and ran towards it with the loudest laugh I ever heard.

I saw her off with a calm smile, knowing that this is the only person who does not cause in me terrible feelings of hatred, and I was very happy to see her like that.

–Ellie come here.

I went to her side, and together we fall on the soft ground covered with the green, fragrant grass.

–Ellie I have to tell you something, you know it’s not a coincidence that we meet and watch together. I know it may seem weird, but imagine I’m a fictional character from one of the books you like to read in your library.

–Haha Ellie what are you talking about.

–Those glasses, we were searching for in the morning, only some people can actually see them, if people is the right word. I know it sounds scary, but for instance miss Landra and teacher Herald and Tom and Aisha, no one actually seem them, besides you.

–I don’t really understand.

I felt my heart started racing, but I actually took this conversation as a joke.

–Ellie you have noticed that I’m close to the Nature Mother. You have to take it seriously, I’m not only lying on the ground resting under the sun for hours, I’m watching the clouds with these glasses. Take them on.

I watched her face, trying to understand if she is being serious or her joke has come to forward.

–I find answers with them, this is the thing which helps me to understand and find the solutions. The clouds are the map which send me to the right thoughts. The key to any closed door. Some people guess on coffee grounds, and I do the same on clouds. But you will never get it If you don’t try to look up,– Kate was really proud to say it, and her eyes screamed in silence for the understanding.

I took the glasses and carefully put it on. Nothing really changed.

—You have to be patient, lie down for a sec, and let the sky speak to you. You may ask something. Ask them for a sign that might help you.

She convinced me to wear magic glasses, I lay on the ground and looked at the sky. The thought crossed my mind that I wanted a sign if I was really special like Kate. I spent fifteen minutes exploring everything around. All of a sudden, I saw the dragon which was formed from wisps of loose clouds, visualizing a majestic magical creature.

–Kate the dragon! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Are we kind of witches? Am I really special? THE SKY TOLD MY I’M A MAGICIAN.

She laughed.

–Thanks god you understood that, Ellie. Now, would you join me tomorrow for a walk?

The head of Tom, our friend, peeked out from the bushes.

–Hi Kate! Hi Ellie! Why are you wearing her glasses?

I instantly turned to Kate. It all was a lie.

–Listen, they really are magical, they showed you that you are an outstanding special person. And that was the first time you understood that. – Kate smiled.