Chapter 1
The world had been dark for years. The veil of hopelessness and despair came on over time. Though it was something people had talked about, warned about and said was certainly inevitable, nobody noticed until the weight of it was upon them. It came on in such a way that it was nearly unnoticable to those not paying attention, but to those who saw and recognized the signs and warnings that were too sutble for the majority, it was not a surprise at all.
Our lives had been driven by an apathy and self-centeredness that left our world uncaring, unfeeling, and, nearly no memory of what the meaning of love is. Most painful and frightening was the darkness. Left in the darkness with no promise or even a glimmer of hope that we would one day bask in its glow, the poplulation grew agonized and despondant. The looting had stopped long ago. Nobody cared. People began to forget who they are and lose any sense of purpose. They struggled to perform their daily functions and the really bad ones wanderd aimlessly, milling around always searching for the light.
There were some of us that were stronger, that held on tighter to hope. We could sense each other but did not know yet the significance. Still...we knew that is was for a reason and thus rumors of a savior was born, someone to save us as we knew not how to yet save ourselves.
My name is Victoria. I have a daughter that is almost 13 and only has vague recollections of real light. She listens to my stories of the sun shining through the windows and how I had to wear sunglasses to protect my eyes from the brightness of it. She has never witnessed the Light in most people and fears that she will become as those wandering aimlessly, looking for something that doesn't exist any longer. She is also hopeful though. She believes me when I tell her that darkness cannot exist without the light and that it has just been hidden from us, that we will someday warm ourselves in the heat of it again. I pray that I am right.
Nobody works. At least most don't work. There aren't anymore jobs to be had, no more duties to perform, nothing to inspire ideas. The world is ending. The apocolypse upon us, only this is a long, torturous apocolype that we must endure over many lifetimes. Many pray that it will end, that it will reach its destiny and destroy us all. Nobody prays for hope, or strength or miracles, nobody believes in them any longer.
I am different in that regard. There are a few of us this way. We feel the glow inside of us, we stoke the flame with memories and faith. We know that the darkness is an elaborate lie. We believe in miracles, we believe in absolute love, and we believe in each other. Hopefulness is hard to come by and so we keep close to it when it can be found.
My daughter and I are alone. We've been separated from our loved ones so long we don't know if they are lost, or looking for us or even alive. I made a promise long ago that should anything ever happen I would come for the people I love, I would find them. Now I can only find myself filled with despair that I haven't, that they might be waiting for me, that it may be too late and they are gone like the others. But, since it is dark and we cannot see I don't know how to look for them.
Chapter 2
It is dangerous to go out alone. We have a rope tied from what used to be someone's home to a filthy makeshift outhouse. The remaining animals and people have become so hungry that they will eat anything they can. I do not let Lily venture out alone, and so we make the trip together, holding tightly to my daughter and the rope that guides us.
It was while we were inside the outhouse that it began to happen. Thru a crack in the wall I could see faint outlines...I could SEE and so I looked to the sky. At first it appeared to be stars shining in the night sky, but as I looked I could see the lights falling toward the earth.
The closer they got, the better I could see around me. There were people looking toward the sky, arms stretched upward as if to pray, others on their knees. The lights appeared as small beautiful golden leaves brightly glowing. It looked to be raining sunshine and from the crack I could see them lifting their faces upward. I heard cries of joy as the light landed on their bodies. I could see the tiny leaves glow white as they were absorbed into their skin. We watched as their bodies began to glow softly, first white, and then almost to green before it changed into what looked like sunshine.
Lily, squinting her eyes at the view outside tried to pull away and run to join them. I held tightly to her because if we could see them then they more than likely could see us. Fearful that
she could easily become dinner I held her inside and peered through the crack. "No Lily, stay here, be quiet."
"Why?" She asked.
"Because we don't know what's happening. They might see us." I responded.
She reluctantly complied and crouched down to peer through the crack again.
"What's happening? What is that?" She inquired.
"I don't know." I answered. "But it feels weird."
Chapter 3
We watched and watched, until it had become nearly as dark as it had before the event. As the people dispersed and disappeared from sight, the darkness found its way back into our eyes and the green glowing light was gone...nearly gone.
I decided this was the time to head back to our make shift home and took Lilys hand.
" I'm not a baby anymore!" She said and tried to yank it away.
"It's not about being a baby, it's about being safe...now, lets go...move fast." I retorted.
I clung to my daughters hand and held tightly to the rope that would guide us safely back inside.
Nearly to the house, a person caught my eye and moved toward us. Fearing the worst I scrambled to move faster, hurrying to get inside.
"Wait!" He called. "Where are you going. Can't you see me?"
I did see him, he was glowing like the green colored night lights my mother used to buy me when I was small. Did he see my daughter? Could we make it safely inside?
"Don't run!" He called. "Everyone is gone, I don't want to be alone."
"Stay in the outhouse til u see me coming then, and when u do see me you better bounce." I was frightened but hadn't spoken to another person other than my daughter in so long I was overwhelmed by the memory of companionship.
"What are u holding onto?" He called after me.
"A rope." I called back.
He replied "No, I meant with your other hand."
I moved faster.
He DIDNT see my daughter, but he saw me. Why?
