In The Dark Of The Night

Most of my friends had normal jobs during normal hours. But not me. I preferred working when most of the city lay sleeping. Of course I wasn't the only one on the "graveyard shift”, but it was a lot less "peopley" then being on dayshift.

I guess you could say that I was destined to be a night owl from the very first moment I entered this world, arriving at exactly 11:11pm on a quiet Sunday night. My poor mother suffered greatly through my insistence of needing to sleep all day, and up feeding all night. In the end she had to hire a nanny just so she could get enough sleep to function during the day.

My father was not much help as he was always away on long business trips. He made up for it by earning good money to help my dearest mother get the help she needed to ensure that Mum and bub were both happy and thriving.

Fast forward to 22.5 years later, and not much had changed in my world at least. I still slept all day coming to life once the sun went down. It didn't leave me much time for socializing, but that didn't bother me like it might other folks. I was happy in my own company. Period.

I kept in touch with my parents via zoom once a week, just so they could touch base with me to see that I was still breathing. They didn't try to change me even when some of their friends were insistent that I needed a normal routine in order to turn out right.

Never mind that their kids had been in trouble with the law more than a few times, and my record was squeaky clean.

What few friends I did have, supported me in my endeavor to work the hours and in an environment that best suited me. I tried "normal" for about a week and it quite literally nearly killed me! I was working some pretty gnarly machinery that required complete focus as any distractions (or in my case snoozing on the job) could lead to serious injuries or death. I almost died. So you might say it was a "wake-up call" not only for myself, but for the people that tried to normalize me.

There was something warm and inviting about the dark of the night. It felt like I was at home. My senses were heightened and my focus sharp. I worked with so much more precision and accuracy that I rose quickly in the ranks. My parents never felt more proud!

My job didn't require me to dress in fancy suits or a uniform as such. But I did like sticking to darker colors because they suited my line of work which required me to blend into the ink black world my career was built around.

I chose to work alone rather than in a pack. That way I didn't have to put up with any "alpha-type" behavior which could cause me to be off my game. I didn't close off from others completely, we still had a catch-up before daytime crept in forcing us back to scatter back to the dark embrace of our blackened domains.

The head honcho also liked to do a head count to make sure we were all present and accounted for. He didn't like to lose anyone. It reflected back on his managing skills. And it didn't bode well for the council to learn that our numbers were dwindling. Every single one of us were needed to keep order in this Godforsaken city.

Because I didn't hang out with the norms, I wasn't put in the position of having to explain myself and just what it is that I do to keep our City safe. The "Day lighters" as we liked to call them, just wouldn't understand. I'm telling you it would not be good for anyone if Day and Night came together, if you know what I mean.

My parents had educated me about the dangers of revealing too much about my night time activities , pretty much as soon as I was showing signs of being able to comprehend what I was a part of.

It was an easy transition for me as I was a natural right from the start. My folks constantly tested me, preparing me for what was to come. I passed with flying colors! Some might say I was advanced for my age, a genius in the making! My parents made sure I stayed grounded and would never hesitate to "burst my bubble" if my ego got in the way of my destiny.

Being an only child had its advantages. I never felt like I had to compete with or be like anyone else. My parents pretty much let me find my own identity, within certain boundaries of course.

I was dreading going on my first date in a few months. Only because I had never met this person before in my life! But I did trust my parents to have good instincts when it comes to picking a "life mate" for their only son. I mean their love story turned out okay didn’t it?

Clocking in tonight I felt like something was off, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Everyone else around me didn’t seem to notice or feel the same way I did. Which made me think that there was definitely something not right! We were all usually quite in sync when it came to our intuition. I made a quick mention of it to my supervisor, Guido. He said he would make a note of it and that was the end of that! Don’t say I didn’t warn you! Is all I’m sayin’.

I decided to give my folks a quick call before I headed out to my first job. I guess I just needed to hear their voices and gain some perspective from their years of accumulated wisdom. They both told me to trust in my gut instincts. They had never failed me before. If this meant going off the course set out by my supervisor Guido then so be it. I just couldn’t ignore the feeling of impending doom in the air any longer!

I suppose one of the perks of working alone meant that when it came to making a decision as if your life depended on it, and in this case I felt it did! I could do so without fear of anyone forcing me to do otherwise. Guido was not someone you wanted to mess with that’s for sure! You may not die as a result, but you would surely be scarred for life!

I headed off in the direction my senses were screaming at me to take. Instead of going left where it was originally intended for me to go, I headed right. By now my head was pulsating in pain as I tried to fight the urge to take the path Guido had set out for me earlier. The taste of bile and blood rising in my throat, almost choking me throwing me a little off balance for a millisecond. I swallowed hard as I continued with my mission into the unknown. It burned my esophagus almost to the point of wanting to throw up. I pressed on with a sense of urgency.

A wave of emotions struck me like a ton of bricks pressing down on my chest! I panicked for a moment as I struggled to breathe from this sudden shock! My eyes were stinging, and my jaw ached from clenching my teeth together so tightly. Never before had I experienced something so overwhelming, so frightening! And then as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone allowing me to gather my once scattered senses so that I could really tune in to my surroundings.

It was in that very moment that I heard her. A guttural scream that caused ones blood to curdle. And the hairs on the nape of my neck to stand on end! Like a wild animal under attack she fought hard for her life! Biting, kicking, and scratching, to no avail. She was fighting a losing battle and I could feel her “surrender” defeated and exhausted, ready to accept her fate.

I don’t know why I did what I did. I just knew that it was important for the human race, all races! To save this one wretched soul from her demise. I didn’t owe her anything, nor did I know her. Yet I felt a connection to her, a binding that crossed many life times. This compelled me to go to her aide no matter what the cost!

A strength I never knew was a part of me, coming from the very depths of my Soul overtook any thoughts of my own safety as I charged towards the unsightly beast that held the damsel in distress. The scene before me shifted, changing into a time that was of long ago. Where knights in shining armor fought with honor and valour.

I found myself yielding a long golden sword, etched with images and symbols empowering the weapon and its holder with magical strength and abilities. It was as though I had awakened from a long slumber, forcing me to remember my true identity and my real purpose.

The beast let out a high pitched screech, causing ripples in the air between us! Almost sending me flying backwards into the great oak tree with protruding, spiky branches on its trunk. I stood my ground, to the point of literally embedding me feet into the very earth I stood upon.

The hideous beast in failing to knock me off my feet, rushed forward in a fiery rage, knocking anything in its path sideways. Yet I stood my ground ready to strike once the opportunity arose. I had never felt so focused in all of my life! It was imperative that I did not flounder or go off course if I were to defeat this vile creature coming full speed ahead!

I was not expecting what happened next. Not in the slightest. When the beast was within an inch of my face, staring me down with its bulging, crust laden eyes, And I had my sword raised at just the right angle to pierce him through his head, it and everything around him got swept up into a mini tornado that had manifested from thin air!

Where the beast once stood, I was faced with a gaping hole that appeared to go on forever into an endless chasm of darkness deep beneath the earth’s surface. Peering over to where the Damsel had lain all crumpled and distraught was a shimmering, glowing portal with a constant swirling energy inside the entranceway.

I took one last look around me, before stepping through the portal back to the timeline I was familiar with.

Awaiting my return were my parents, Guido and some of my work peers. All of whom seemed to be cheering for me as I stood with a look of sheer confusion on my face. My Mother stepped forward embracing me to her bosom. Dad placed his hand upon my shoulder his face beaming with pride. Guido soon broke the silence as he congratulated me on how I had handled this unexpected test. A test that revealed that I was more than ready to take on the next part of my journey as a Time Lord in order to serve for the greater good  of all those in need from all timelines.

I had heard whisperings about Time Lords ever since I had first began my cadetship as a “nightling”. But never in my lifetime did I expect to become one! I was happy to get promoted to a “Darkling” which meant more freedom and more missions that challenged my well-honed skills. But this! Wow! Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to have such an honour bestowed upon me!

At the awards ceremony a few nights later, I stood on the podium dressed in my new Time Lord Cloak and attire, beaming with a sense of pride and achievement as I stared out at the small crowd gathered to welcome me into their folds. My Dad was right out in front clapping the hardest and the loudest! As I placed the small glowing orb handed to me by the High Priestess Magenta, directly onto my third eye region. Everyone grew silent as they stood transfixed at the sight of my orb melding into my flesh. It only hurt a little, as it sunk into my forehead no longer visible to the naked eye. Now that I had been inducted as one of them my dad could speak openly about his “business trips” to other realms. I suddenly felt closer to my dad then I had ever been. I was bursting with excitement over my new role and the adventures ahead. Most importantly I felt like I had finally found my purpose, a life that aligned with me.