He's blind throughout his life, but he can see perfectly. OneShot. For the Madrigal's Prompt: Light.
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Bright but Blinding
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It's a warm day when Jonah is introduced into the world under the cold, bright lights of the hospital room. He is surrounded by people he does not know but will come to. His father, who will be his one and only true friend for a very long time, is there, but others surround him. No face is sincere nor kind; all cold and stiff.
He would become used to it in a few years.
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It doesn't take very long for him to be pushed into the spotlight. By the time he is eight, he has starred in over five films and twenty commercials. He's enrolled in music classes that take more time out of his life than regular school does, and the boy next door invites him over everyday to play basketball but he always has to say no (even though he'd love to say yes).
At the age of ten, he is introduced to someone who promises to make him a star. But all Jonah knows of stars are those in the sky that only come out during the night when everything is so dark and scary, and he is ecstatic to know he will soon become one of them. He asks how he will get up there, but is ignored by the man who's suit is pressed too neatly and his tie tied too perfectly. So instead he wonders quietly to himself, and on the ride back home, he looks out the window and thinks to himself of how beautiful he will be once he is a star.
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He is fourteen only, but his name is known all around the world. Everywhere they scream, Jonah, Jonah, Jonah, and he can hear them perfectly, but he cannot see them. The lights are in his way as the camera flashes over and over, and he tries desperately to look past them but he can't and is pushed along into the limo before a single face can even be seen.
He asks his dad when he can have a break, but all he can see is a sad look as his father whispers an unsure answer hidden behind a beautiful lie. Jonah knows it all too well, but he ignores the truth and continues to live in hopes that one day, the lights will go away, even if it's for a day. That's all he really needs: one day.
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The sun is shining through the clouds as Jonah sneaks out of his room at the age of seventeen and off towards the nearby theater so he can watch the Shakespeare play that he has heard so much about. He reads it and breathes it, but never has he seen it.
And, oh, how beautiful it is.
The costumes are splendid and the acting magnificent. The lines are executed in the way he himself imagined it in his head, and as he leaves with his hoodie on tight over his hair and glasses covering his tired eyes, all he can think about is the beautiful girl who played Juliet and how the stage light hit her perfectly in every scene.
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They are screaming his name and snapping photos of him as he takes a bow onstage. He looks to the side where his father is standing, just as tired but just as proud. Then, confidently, he takes a step off the stage and falls into the crowd below him. He embraces himself for the impact, but all there is is a rush of excitement and safety as a wave of hands carry him away into the darkness.
He thinks this must be how death feels like and allows his eyes to close as he enjoys this short moment of peace.
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He is tired but content as he leans his head onto the cool glass and gazes outside. He catches his father's look in the reflection and knows, but he doesn't say anything. He just continues to gaze out at the starless night sky and thinks to himself of that day when he met the scary man who did not smile who told him he would be a star.
Jonah thinks he must be awfully bright if he is outshining all of the rest of the stars.
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There's a light festival in a town he is touring nearby and he escapes with his father's help with attend it. Hiding his face, he makes his way through the crowd and stares in awe at all of the lanterns decorating the night sky. As he escapes from reality and returns to his childlike state he lost so long ago, he sees a face in the crowd and his heart stops.
But before he can look again, she is gone. (But not for long.)
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She is so perfect and she is all his. Nothing could be better for this young man who is so helplessly in love with a girl who is, in reality, far from perfect. But not for him, as she is everything and anything he could ever want in a woman. He secretly plans to marry her, and the ring in his pocket - the one that shined the brightest in that jewelry store - weighs him down with anxiety.
The time is nearing and he moves to cross the street towards her and his future. The restaurant is so close yet so far as the red sign in front of him starts blinking, but he cannot see it. He is blinded by hope and love, and the thought of it tastes so sweet.
That last thing he sees is the light of two headlights as they come rushing towards him, then the darkness engulfs him one last time.
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It was a dark night when a new star appeared in the sky. No others could be seen as this one stole the spotlight from the rest, a permanent spot that it cannot remove itself from, no matter how hard it tried.
(It's awfully burdensome to have to light up the whole sky by yourself.)
Even though other shooting stars come across and it wishes to hop on and run away, it cannot run from fate.
So it stays there and brights up the entire world with its light, but on the inside, it is so terribly dark and cold. It was promised so much, yet given so little. All it wanted was a break so it may lie in the sun and have a little fun, but even that was forbidden for it.
And in the end, that beautiful star ended up blinding itself before it fades away.
A/N: I don't know what's wrong with my brain. I have a ton of unfinished ideas, but when I go to write them, my brain goes, "Oh, did you want to write for that story? I thought you wanted a new story! Well, that's too bad now, isn't it?" Honestly, does anyone just want to trade brains? Mine is simply unfair and very rebellious.
You know, Joyce, I've written so many stories about light -.-" Of course you'd have the prompt be light, though. Of course. (But I love you anyway, Joyce!)
Anyway, to sum this up, Jonah lives in the light all of his life. From the moment he is born under the hospital lights, to the camera lights, and to even the sunlight he yearns for, he cannot escape it. Even though he can see perfectly, the lights are constantly blinding him until they finally kill him.
The last scene shows the night Jonah was born, not killed. Just to make that clear. It fades when Jonah dies.
Hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading! Please point out any mistakes as this was written in about thirty minutes and very late at night.