The Old Barn

“Come on Delilah, we’re going to be late!” He looked back to see her holding up her night dress awkwardly as it snagged on all the fauna around them, he chuckled as he sighed jokingly, deliberately loud enough so that she would hear him above her own heavy breathing.

She lifted her eyes from the ground as she struggled for air, she wasn’t used to being this active, not since her illness took hold of her, ravaging her body from the inside until it showed in her frailness and paper thin, pale skin. She had been on the mend over the last twelve months, but her body was still weak, and her mind was no longer the beacon of positivity that it used to be. “What’s the rush Reuben, where are we even going? This had better be worth it”. She pushed on through the cramping in her calves and the stitch in her side. If it was just her by herself, she would never have dared to come out this far for fear of not making it back, but Reuben had been by her side throughout the whole ordeal and he had promised to fill her heart and soul with magic tonight, how could she have refused him…

“We are only going to the most magical place you could ever dream to go; did I mention ever? it’s only here for one week of every year but it’s never in the same place for more than one night, I overheard some guys at the bar talking about it at the bar, it’s here…right now, tonight!”

Reuben backtracked and clutched onto Delilah’s hand tightly, his whole hand encasing her bony fingers easily as though she were fragile glass needing to be wrapped up as he half dragged her up the overgrown, weed stricken hill. Upon reaching the peak they dropped to their knees panting from exhaustion and froze, standing in the middle of the fields was the barn. It stood alone, looking out of place, yet perfectly at home at the same time, it looked like the sentry of the field.

Delilah wrinkled her nose as she looked upon the old, dilapidated barn before them, “Are you sure this is it Reuben? It looks….old”. Her eyes looked quizzically towards him as she glanced back to the barn, her face clearly showing her disdain.

Reuben looked upon the barn in wonder as though it was the most beautiful thing that he had ever seen. “This is it, I can’t believe it… finally, after seven years, we’ve found it”. His grip on her hand faltered for a second as he laughed in a mixture of disbelief and relief before he turned towards her, clutching her cheeks tightly with shaking hands as he kissed her firmly, excitement filling his eyes. Delilah laughed nervously as she was yanked to her feet, she had to run to keep up with him, almost stumbling as he outpaced her.

“Reuben, slow down!” she laughed, her feet were as light as a whisper upon the ground as they lost control of their bodies running downhill, almost flying as they laughed in delight. Reuben looked towards Delilah with total adoration in his eyes, tonight was the night, he would show her wonder like nothing she could ever dream of, he would rekindle the light in her soul that had been stolen from her.

Slowing down, Reuben looked at her for a moment before leading her towards the old barn. Its roof was falling in; the walls were covered in ivy, the smell of damp, rotting wood was wafting towards them in the slight summer breeze and the door was barely hanging on to its hinges but he looked upon its structure as though it were a palace made of diamonds. Lifting her delicate hand to his lips, he kissed it tenderly before placing her hand upon the old door, his hand covering hers as he winked at her, pushing it forwards until it creaked open, almost like it was protesting about the intrusion.

The light blinded them for a second, making them gasp as the overpowering smell of incense, cinnamon and spices hit them, Delilah closed her eyes and just breathed for a moment, her hands coming up to clasp together tightly at her breasts as she inhaled deeply, the sweet smell filling her lungs. Slowly opening her eyes, she could see that the room itself was dim, but firepits burned brightly in the corners of the room. The barn was a giant space, it was much bigger on the inside than it appeared to be from the outside, it was still old and rustic, but it was mostly an illusion. Her heart skipped a beat as she looked up and saw beautiful white doves flying high, white sparks falling with every beat of their wings, little lights like stars were attached to their legs, it looked like shooting stars in the nights sky if she didn’t concentrate too hard on the birds themselves.

Stepping into the barn, she instantly felt warm, she felt home. She went to take another step forwards but was lifted and spun around by the tallest man she had ever seen, his hands engulfed most of her sides as he gripped her firmly yet gently. She laughed in delight as he smiled at her, instructing her to be careful and look where she was going, but she wasn’t listening, she was looking into his warm, friendly eyes which were as green as the leaves on a tree, and his intricately painted face. He looked surreal, like the most beautiful painting come to life. Putting her down, she was soon wrapped up in amongst a flurry of fabrics as a troupe of dancers came at her from every direction, spinning her, lifting her and fussing over her, she felt like she was being tugged at every angle as the dancers all grinned and laughed with her, their excitement was contagious and no sooner had they come, they left. It took her a moment to realise that she was no longer wearing her night rags but the most beautiful, soft feather dress in a brilliant shade of Azure. It was softer than a new-born lambs’ wool and smelled like the fresh sugared almonds her father used to buy for her once a year at Christmas, she spun on the spot and watched it puff out, rippling and dancing like flames as she moved, the feathers caught the light creating blue sparks which rained from her dress, crackling, and popping to create shimmering patches of glitter around her.

Reuben watched on as she looked at herself in wonderment, his heart was taken with her and he couldn’t even appreciate the scene around him properly, his suit which matched hers perfectly stitch for stitch, or the top hat sat regally upon his head, he only had eyes for her. She looked up and met his eyes just for a brief moment just as a trapeze artist swung down and put a bunch of beautiful pink orchids into her hands, lifting them to her nose, she smelled them as she slowly looked back up to Reuben, a serene look on her face and a tear in her eye, in that moment she was more beautiful than anyone or anything that he had ever laid eyes upon, and she was happy.

A loud bang startled them both, pulling them back to the present as the drums started to beat, reverberating through the floor. Several winged ladies, fairies flew up higher than everyone else in the room and hovered momentarily before lifting their wands up in unison, the crowd parted, creating a large, perfect circle in the middle of the room. Following everyone else’s lead, they stood beside one another as the room cleared and a tall man took centre stage, except he wasn’t a man at all; his skin was blue, his hair as white as ivory with eyes to match which were much larger than normal eyes. He had tribal markings across his arms and torso with a thick staff made of ebony coloured wood wrapped in kelp held firmly in his hand. He spun slowly with his arms outstretched, looking each person in the eyes until he had completed a full spin before slamming the staff onto the ground hard enough to create a dent, the echoing of the slam only broke the quiet for a few moments before high pitched inhuman shrieks consumed the silence, the sound of hoofprints and waves followed as six horses raced towards the crowd, running alongside the edge of the circle.

Delilah held out her hand as they ran past, touching their bodies, feeling the cool kiss of water as they cantered past her. This close to them, she swore she could hear the ocean, feel the pull of the tides and the swell of the deep in their bodies. They passed her in seconds and left nothing behind but wet footprints on the ground, they slowed to a trot as they completed another lap, this time, she could see that their manes and tails looked like mini waterfalls, their eyes were just swirling white sockets like whirlpools and as they snorted, they sent salt spraying out much to the delight of the children in the crowd, these were creatures of the sea, she had no doubt about that. While the horses ran around, the fairies in turn flicked their wands in intervals, showering the room in various sparks of colours, like multicoloured rain.

Dancers spun between the crowds handing out drinks and taking tips, an amber coloured liquid was pushed into her hand as a dancer passed by, winking at her. Delilah nodded and smiled gratefully as she lifted the cup to her nose, it smelled sweet and floral, she lifted the glass to her lips and took a small sip, it tasted like honey, spice and rose water all at once, warming her and making her feel as though she were floating as she swallowed it. She wasn’t just feeling like she was floating though, she actually was… at first she panicked, but the minute she looked around to see that she was floating amongst all the coloured sparks she felt euphoric, she was flying, she was free… this is what it felt like to have no worries or cares in the world, the only things surrounding her were colour and light, her entire world was a multicoloured magic show, and she was enjoying every second of it. She didn’t question it or try to wonder, she just let herself be in this moment, in this space which was her own.

The room began to dim as the coloured showers ceased and the flames became just burning embers, she descended to the ground, her eyes closed and stumbled slightly into the arms of Reuben who was always there to catch her. When she reopened them, they were surrounded by straw and haybales, the embers replaced by cobwebs and dust. The sweet smells had dispersed and were once more overpowered by rotting wood and old, sour animal feed. Her dress was gone, leaving only her rags remaining. The only reminder she had of this night were memories which would last for a lifetime, and a single blue feather which had become entangled in the hem of her nightdress.

Reuben picked her up gently, holding her beneath her neck and knees as he carried her from the barn, he produced a bag of sugared almonds from his pocket and walked them back home, never once taking his eyes from her.

Delilah would never forget this night, she felt so alive, happy and free, it had been seven years since she had felt like she was actually living, now all she knew was this boy loved her, and this night had rekindled the fire inside her, once more she believed. She believed in life, and she believed in magic. She believed in hope.