How Bud Came To Be In The Blue Light
An original pre-quel to The Blue Light
By Atonia Walpole
Once upon a time there lived a wizard named SID who adorned himself with purple robes and considered himself the most handsome perfect male to ever have been wizardized. He had at his discretion many forms of magic but his favorite was the blue light.
He created the blue light from a white witch that he captured from a crystal cave during the War of Wizards and Witches of BKT (Before Known Time). So great was her beauty and so good was her cause that she glowed. Not satisfied with her white light he added a bit of stardust turning it blue and in doing so silenced her voice that had plagued him with her admonitions to do good. She was still visible in the light and he liked to look upon her and summon her to do his bidding.
The crystal cave where he now resided in wizard splendor was unfortunately located on the side of an inactive volcano. Until one day it became active and the rumbling and shaking sent the wizard fleeing from his cave and down the mountain. He realized too late that in his haste to leave he had left the blue light behind. Summoning a whirlwind he took himself far away to a distant land.
The townspeople below the volcano fled to the countryside taking what possessions they could quickly gather before the mountain exploded. Many years later a caravan of slavers was passing and a small boy chased a donkey into the woods. He stumbled and fell over a large boulder and, being a small boy, he picked up a stick and began beating the rock until it cracked open and a blue light began to glow in its core. He carefully gathered the blue light in his cloak and ran back to the caravan. Soon, however, darkness fell and the blue light glowed beneath his clothing.
“What have you there, boy?” asked his master.
“It’s only a light, a bit of fire,” he answered.
“Let me have it,” demanded his master.
The boy handed over the blue light and once his master touched it he began screaming and holding his hand, for the blue light had burned the flesh from it. The boy retrieved the light and hid it underneath one of the cages and then hid himself among the other boys.
On and on the caravan weaved its way toward a village. The cage under which the small boy hid the blue light contained a single man, so ill was he the slave master thought it a waste of time to transport him. The blue fire burned beneath the man keeping his vitals warm until one day his eyes opened. Out he came from the cold dark place as death was not ready for him…yet. Maximus would live and as he regained his strength the caravan reached the village.
The small boy seeing his chance pulled the light from the cage and hid it again in his clothing. He managed to lose himself among the people of the village. Soon he was on his way again with another caravan this one headed for the sea.
Time passed and the blue light was now in a light house. For many years the light guided ships through the rocks. The night was heavy with fog and slowly a ship came around the point. The waves picked up and tossed it about. Shouts were heard in the rigging and the sound of many footsteps as the ship came close to the rocks. Upon the quarter deck stood a Captain in His Majesty’s Service. He had with him his glass and he scanned the fog-covered sea trying to guide his ship to safety.
“It’s soup, sir. No way to see through this,” said the man at the wheel.
“Steady there,” ordered Captain Jack Aubrey and he looked up to the cloud-covered sky, no stars to guide them tonight. A loud scraping noise was heard and he winced as if he could feel it himself.
Captain Aubrey walked across the deck and stopped. A light reflecting from the sea had caught his eye and he followed the beam high above him to a rocky outcropping where stood a light house. Again he followed the beam to the water. It danced about on the waves, moving away from the rocks. He ran to his helmsman.
“Do you see it there on the water, the blue light?”
“Yes sir, I do!”
“Follow it! It’s guiding us out of these rocks.”
A while later... “Ah, you’re a lucky fellow, Jack. Lucky Jack has saved us again!”
Out in safe waters Jack turned back toward the lighthouse and the light shining against the fog.
Time passed and Alex was on a plane headed back to the states. He cannot write about what he has seen men do to men. He made some decisions about what he is going to do with his life and then drifted. He worked for a newspaper, picking up a story here and there and from time to time also picks up a blue and white cup seared forever in his mind with the events of war. Blue filled his dreams and he soon found himself in Mexico following a woman looking for blue. What is it with blue, he wondered, but he did not see it hidden there in the mountain. He was destined to seek but not find.
The blue was taken from the mountain across the border and sold to a witch who recognized it for what it was. She tried many ways to make it work for her but, alas, it was not to be. Placing it on her table, she used it to light her room. Soon an earthquake came and fire destroyed her abode. The blue light was lost to her, being looted along with her goods.
Time passed again and a police car was careening down the street, sirens blasting and blue lights flashing. Bud White was at the wheel and as he turned a corner shots rang out and his flashing lights were flashing no longer. Later that night after leaving the station he again rode down the street where the shots hit his lights. A bag was lying against a wire fence and it glowed. He stopped and picked up the bag. Opening it he saw a blue light and turned, looking at his police car. “Nah, couldn’t be from that.” Puzzled, he tossed the bag in the trunk of his car.
Once he reached his home, he took the bag inside and pulled out the light, holding it in his hand. Turning the light he saw the white witch inside and staggered to a chair, still holding the light. He knew nothing of what he held in his hand.
“What the heck is this?” Squinting his eyes, he looked closer and saw the witch mouthing something to him, but he couldn't make it out. He is amazed the blue fire did not burn his hand. Taking a cigarette, he patted his pockets looking for a match and then lit it from the blue fire as smoke filled the room.
The beautiful witch appeared. She stood in front of him and he reached out to touch her. “This ain’t happening,” he murmured, sitting back on the chair.
She smiled at him and mouthed something to him.
“I’m sorry, you’re gonna have to speak up. I can’t hear you.”
She indicated she had no voice.
“You mean you can’t talk?” She came and sat beside him, sadly shaking her head. “I’m sorry to hear that because I’d sure like to hear your story.”
The witch looked around and found a piece of paper. Bud handed her a pen.
“My voice was taken by a wizard. Sid is his name and he has made me reside in the light for many years.”
“A wizard! That’s terrible! Where is this wizard?”
She shook her head. She did not know where he is. “He is evil,” she wrote.
Bud narrowed his eyes. He didn’t like this unknown wizard. Anybody that could put this beautiful woman in a light and take her voice…he’d like to meet up with him.
Far away on a distant mountain a quickening in his body told him the witch was out of the light. Sid stood and walked around. It had been many years since he’d traveled to America and times had changed. Looking in the mirror, he transformed himself and summoned a whirlwind.
Bud stabbed out his cigarette. “What can I do to help you?”
“You can do nothing for me. What can I do for you?” she wrote.
Bud looked at her. “For me?” and shook his head. “Looks like you’re the one that needs help. I’m a cop, that’s what I do. Are you hungry? No? Well, I am. Listen, if I can find this guy, Sid, will he give you your voice back and let you out of the light?”
Bud went in his kitchen, made a sandwich and opened a beer. The witch had followed him inside the doorway and tilted her head. Smiling at him, she handed him a paper.
“I do not know what Sid will do. He is unpredictable and dangerous. Please do not look for him. I am happy to be with you. Tell me what I can do for you.”
“You can start by telling me who you are and how you came to be in the light.”
She wrote out: “I am called Cassandra and I am a white witch. Many years ago there was a war between the Witches and the Wizards. I lost.”
“A witch, huh? I don’t know about witches and wizards, Cassandra.” Bud took a drink from the beer bottle, “but I do know about women. Bad guys do bad things to women sometimes. Sounds to me like you’ve been victimized by this guy.”
Cassandra wrote again, “You do not understand, dear man. You have summoned me from the light. I am here to do your bidding.”
Bud smiled at the ‘dear man’ and looked up. “I take care of things myself, Cassandra. I wouldn’t ask a woman to do my bidding.”
“But you must act quickly! He will know I am out of the fire very soon and he will come!” she wrote.
Bud finished his beer and pushed the bottle away. “This is all a fantastic story, Cassandra. I mean really fantastic. Can I take you somewhere, hide you somewhere? I can do that now.”
Cassandra thought for a moment and wrote, “If you could find me a crystal cave I may be safe for I draw my strength from crystal."
Bud scratched his head. “I know of some caves but whether they are crystal or not I don’t know. Worth a shot. What do you think?”
She nodded her head and Bud took her out to the mountains to where he knew some caves existed.
Sid knocked on the door and receiving no answer, turned the knob ,unlocking it and walked in Bud’s apartment. He smiled, seeing the blue light on the coffee table and picked it up. The light was growing dimmer by the minute and he frowned when he did not see the witch in the fire. Turning his eyes up, he summoned his powers and looked into the night. The white witch still had a glow about her and it wasn’t long until he could see where she was. Turning around quickly, he disappeared.
Bud took Cassandra by the hand and led her into the cave. “Think this will work?”
She spread her hands and began to glow brighter as the crystals were pulled from thesurrounding earth forming the crystal cave.
Bud’s eyes got big. “You really are something, Cassandra!”
Sid arrived just as the witch’s powers were restored. “So you’re back in business, eh?”
Bud turned around and crouched, his fists ready, but for what? The man standing behind him was much his own size and dressed in a purple suit. His eyes had an unnatural glow about them.
“Are you the wizard?” he demanded.
Sid did not acknowledge him, speaking to the witch, “Are we to battle again or will you come to me?”
“The wars are long over, Sid, and I am no longer your plaything.” She felt herself growing ever more powerful and would not be taken again.
Sid looked around her cave but did not approach her, feeling he’d met his match.
“You leave her alone, Sid, whoever you are!” warned Bud.
“Do not speak to him!” Cassandra said.
Sid turned his attention to the man, his eyes glittering. “This…mere…man is of some importance to you?” he asked. “My fire grows dim.” He pulled the blue light from his coat.
“Leave him be! He is no threat to you!” Cassandra ordered.
“Ha not a threat but his importance grows, does it not?” asked Sid, turning back to the witch.
Bud made a mistake, and trying to charge the wizard, found himself flat on his back. He sat up, shaking his head, feeling like he’d run into a brick wall.
Bud had the wizard’s full attention now and the wizard raised his hand.
“NOOooooooo!” was the last thing he heard from the witch. He found himself in the blue light, looking out at the wizard who was now smiling.
“The blue light now shines again!” Giving the witch a gleeful stare he summoned a whirlwind and disappeared.
Back on his mountain top the wizard tossed the blue fire to the four winds. “Let it go where it will go and if those who find it discover its secret, so be it.”
The winds blew it back and forth until it settled deep in a forest where it was found by a witch who used it to light a path to her door.
