Death to the Perpetual 0000

I lived in room 203 in an underkept weekly motel. My family and I weren’t close, but we lived close. My parents and brother lived below in room 105 and 107. I was laying in my bed asleep when it happened. I woke up to screams and peered outside to see utter blackness. I felt weak and powerless, so I crept back into my bed.

The only timeframe I’m certain about for my story, is the first couple of days. Because of my battery-operated alarm clock. The rest seems to run together but I’ll give my best estimate. I was left alone those first two days. During that time is when the loudest screams occurred. I curled up in my blankets and wrapped my pillow around my head.

On the night of day two I listened while I heard my family plead for their lives. No gunshots, just screams. I could only imagine what happened. After the screams stopped, I was attacked. I barely escaped. As I ran down the dimly lit stairwell, I saw my brother at the bottom. I cannot bear to describe what I saw so I will not. I stumbled outside and through the dark for a couple of hours until I came across a truck trailer. That is where I stayed.

I remember the days preceding that I spent locked inside my room, praying for the sun to die. Now that it has happened, I can’t help but feel the guilt of responsibility claw at my throat. I didn’t realize how cold and terrifying the world would be without its bursting rays. Fluorescent lighting still worked. It was such a rare commodity though thanks to power preservation and people busting them out. We all know what happens to rare commodities. They are no longer affordable or even accessible to the poor.

I couldn’t tell you how the sun died. I don’t think anyone could. The world was in such a panic the media didn’t even provide an explanation. I laid awake many nights thinking if we knew how, maybe we could resuscitate it to its previous splendor. Science has accomplished so much, why couldn’t it accomplish that?

I spent most of my time in my trailer, curled up in some moving blankets to try and stay warm. There was too much violence to be outside. Evil has always reared its ugly face in the darker corners. Since every corner of the world became dark, evil was the only face that could be seen.

I thought about starving myself to death for a while, but two things stopped me. One, I cannot stand the pain. Two, I am a coward. I know what lies within the darkness of my trailer, but I do not know what lies beyond the other side of death.

I slept often. Sleeping was the only time I could experience the light. Even though I despised it at the time, I dreamt about the days I spent in Arizona. The sun felt hotter than anywhere else I had ever been at in the world. There were no trees or any other vegetation, but I could feel the sun beat down on my face like hell was ascending down on me.

Through this miserable, joyous sense of nostalgia a soft feminine voice whispered in my ear, “together we’ll bring the light back to life.”

I startled from my slumber. “Who are you?” I looked around to no avail. Just to give you an idea of how dark it was, I don’t even know if my eyes were open.

The voice, almost in a melody replied, “I am the all-consuming means of your redemption.”

Before I had a chance to reply I felt soft, perfectly shaped lips fall upon mine as my chin was pulled to her. She tasted like green apple. My favorite. Unlike everything else in the world, she smelled magnificent. She smelled like cedar after a spring rain.

I couldn’t help myself. I pulled her in closer, kissed her deeper. I started to unclothe her, but it was already done. Our hearts knew each other’s intention. We made love and when we climaxed, we fell asleep in each other’s firm embrace.

When I awoke, I expected her in my arms. I couldn’t feel her. “Hello?” I whispered. “Where are you?”

I felt around the trailer to try and find her. My heart raced as my fingers ran along the cold steel of the metal box. “Please,” I plead aloud, “I don’t even know your name. Where are you?” I started to scream, “Please! Don’t leave me!” I took a step outside of my haven. Then I took two, then three until I was up to ten steps outside. This is the furthest I had been for a long while.

I walked even further outward, I walked for hours until I knew there was no way to find my way home. I walked for what I assumed to be days, sleeping wherever I felt tired. I started to become sick. The cold damp ground is nowhere for a sleeping body to reside.

I knew my expiration was coming soon. I was going to meet my doom because I wasn’t going to live unless I was accompanied by the warmth of her company. I had lost hope until I saw a light flicker in the sky. Then it grew brighter and flashed more illuminate. It was lightning dancing across the sky.

I heard the joyous screams of people around me. I almost wanted to join in until the light shone upon my flesh. I was pale. My skin in some places was almost transparent. There were sore’s all over me. I fell on my knees. I was a corpse of who I used to be. I hung my head and wept. Even if I found her, she wouldn’t want me.

I looked up at the sky to cry to God to ask him, “why,” when I was interrupted by a flash of light so close to me the hair on my arms stood up on end. Thunder soon followed as a completion to an answer. A small flame arose in the middle of the field I was in. Never in my life had lightning struck so close. I sprinted to it and pulled grass from around it to keep it alive. I nurtured the fire as it grew.

I let it spread to the forest nearby, then the town, until I found a gas station nearby, I directed it to. This is where the fire really started to spread. I helped it as far as I could until everything around me was being consumed by fire. I could finally see. Trees burnt to a crisp, buildings collapsed from the heat of the flame and people fled their houses to escape.

All the meanwhile I searched for the woman that smelled like cedar. I had almost given up when I had an epiphany, I had found her again. She was exactly who she said she was. The all-consuming, means of my redemption. I was responsible for the death of the sun, now I was responsible for the death of darkness. May be the first time she came to me was merely in my dreams.

Now that I’ve written this and told you my story, I must once again, meet her warm embrace.