The Triumph of the Light

The garden would be no less impressive if anyone could actually pin down the date it first appeared. Visitors claim having heard tales of it for decades, always from third or fourth hand sources, never anything truly specific about its location or the wonders held within. The first verifiable account of someone having visited the garden happened almost five years ago, though the visitor claimed the grounds were just as packed with people on that day as there are now.

Every day hundreds of people roam the paths under the perpetually darkened sky, staring at the ever-glowing, constantly shifting patterns of light. Many of those people are scientists, attempting to uncover the secrets of the garden. Experts on bioluminescence, psychology, light manipulation and even a few stage magicians wander for hours, searching for the wires, the projectors, the hallucinogenic spores, the smoke and the mirrors. None have succeeded so far, but doubtless someone will someday claim the growing bounty put up by the skeptics to explain it all away.

A growing number of believers of all faiths flock to the garden on pilgrimages. They claim that the garden must be proof that we are not alone, and that we are loved. The lights calm the raging storms of emotion held inside the most troubled person, allowing them peace and enlightenment, or so the pamphlets claim. The same pamphlets advertise bus rides for $50 and inner peace certifications for $100.

Not matter the angle, almost every admits there is a strange calmness to the garden. Barely a whisper is spoken, fists are never raised in anger. Some say there is something else,  a sadness to the light mingled in with the feelings of peace. The garden could very well be a memorial to a battle never seen, a triumph or defeat that may never be understood by those that gaze upon it.

No matter the true purpose, the garden of light, shadows and gossamer threads stands as a reminder that the world is wilder than most people suppose, and even in the heart of civilization mysteries abound. Even in the darkest night, there is light, and peace, and even if it is just for a fleeting moment, everyone is loved.