Ceaseless Night

1, The Brick

Alley Way, City, Night.

Jessica Perkins walked out of the antique shop for a smoke. She leaned on the dumpster in the alley way beside the shop and watched the bustling night city in front of her as she fumbled for her lighter.

Jessica liked watching people walk past, making up stories for the interesting things they might be doing this late. Was that man in the suit part of the mafia, and was transporting a million dollars in his suit case? Was that lady in scrubs on a mission to save the president from a deadly virus? Did that teenager with the tote bag carrying the blueprints for a cure for cancer? Jessica knew that the reality was likely more mundane, but, like Schrödinger's cat, as long she didn't ask them it was always a possibility. Jessica's love of making up stories was probably why she decided to work at the antique shop.

Jessica looked at the night sky, and noticed the complete lack of stars. She still missed that part of the country, looking at the stars, but that was a sacrifice she was willing to make to make it big in the city. Jessica was writing a historical romance novel, and she was only one edit away from it becoming a New York Times best seller.

Jessica glanced around the alley, noticing some empty plastic bottles on the ground next to the dumpster. She decided she might as well be a good citizen and went to grab the trash when her eyes were drawn to a black brick in the wall. There were plenty of dark bricks in the alley wall, but this one felt different. It was such a deep color, so deep it gave Jessica vertigo, and it had a glimmer in the light. Moreover, the brick seemed to draw her in.

The brick made Jessica feel good, it reminded her of starry night skies, the smell of old paper, warm covers. Jessica dropped the trash and her cigarette and began walking toward the brick, the wall surrounding it beginning to blur. The dark brick never changed its appearance, though Jessica felt that it had to change, she only had to get a little closer. Finally, Jessica slowly tapped the brick with her finger.

If only she had known.