Night Light

My eyes open to the random flittering of a broken street lamp outside my apartment. I tried to sleep past it, but its constant flickering was flashing red and black against my eyelids and sleep was not forthcoming. I needed to tire myself out, so I pulled on some socks and my running shoes, snagged my hoodie to throw over my bare skin, and dropped my keys into my pajama pants.

The door creaked to a close under my hand. I pulled out my keys and locked the door. The night air was damp and cloying, a whispery tendril of air tickled the back of my neck. I swung around prepared for anything, but found the street empty. The lights along the street were forcing the leafless trees to hunch ominously in the shadows.

I turned and walked into the street. Nothing was stirring around me, like I was alone in a vacuum. At least that’s how it felt in the relative safety of the street lights. In the shadows just beyond I could barely make out a mass of movements, much like an orchestra preparing to play.

A scream was carried on the wind. I squinted into the distance but couldn’t make out a thing. Caution winning out I walked with a steady pace towards the sound. Why as humans do we walk toward sounds of danger? I mean I know I was doing it, but in the back of my head a voice was letting me know that this was just plain silly. Was I going to beat off an attacker with my pajama pants? No. There was little I could do anyways, so perhaps I was just being a voyeur. After pushing my way through multiple umbras I found myself in a lighted patch of pavement. A girl sitting hunched over her legs.

“Hello,” I ventured, but she didn’t even attempt to acknowledge me. “Do you need some assistance?” I tried again, immediately realizing how lame it came out of my mouth. I didn’t really want to help her. Hell, I didn’t even want to be here in the first place. I looked around and found no one to be watching. She seemed alive enough, right? She’d be fine. I melted into the shadows and found myself back in another pool of light, much less distressed with people who clearly looked hurt.

With each light I passed under heading back to my home I felt less and less upset with myself. The situation was surreal, did it even really happen? I’m not so sure anymore. I mean, it could have just as easily been an owl hooting loudly, and the might have been a fallen branch of a tree that looked like a person in the shadows.

Back on my door step I pulled out my keys and unlocked the door. It shifted open with it’s usual creaks and strains. What a night I thought to myself, as I put my head down for the night. I didn’t even notice the flickering light outside anymore.

-V-