A day of light

In the city of Ever-loving. Sparing no room for the night, shadows are sometimes welcome. Still the lights are pulsing every day. Every time. Every second of the day. It gave hundreds of people health problems and headaches after a long while. Still the city kept buzzing with life, barely pausing.

Amia continued to gaze at Ever-loving. Her train speeding past skyscrapers and buildings. Bright fluorescent lights projecting from nearly every angle, colours bright, happy. Blinding. Amia shifted her elbows. Resting against the window sill for a long while was giving her red marks. She sighed through her nose. Today she was heading out to lunch by herself, so she would have to make a good impression of being a 'nice girl'. Or face the sudden shame of avoidance from everyone. Ironic really.

"Considering the name, Ever-loving..."

Amia rubbed her nose. Sitting by yourself and talking to nothing must be a first sign of madness or something. One dark green eye and one dark brown swerved again to stare at the tall buildings. Despite the name Ever-loving was a pretty stingy and mostly unforgivable place, you turn up at a park with a more than happy attitude, or even wearing wrong coloured socks. You could be banned and shunned from that part of the city for a whole month. Ridiculous, but it was her home. She averted her eyes for a moment to scan the train. It was designed like an overly large coach. Red velvet seats and polished hardwood backing. Thick curtains also remained tied on either side of the windows. In case you wanted to attempt a nap or rest your eyes for a few hours. Common practice. In fact, five of the eight windows in Amia's box were shut. Not just because the old fart in the corner wanted a snooze, but because it fascinated people to watch the shadows move about. Dancing from left to right, small flickers of light peeping through only to hide away again. Amia liked taking this train because of it. The other transports let the lights scream, no curtains, and sometimes no windows. She felt the train slowly judder, slow down. Scenery once flashing past began coming into clearer view. Houses and tall lamp posts lined the glowing streets. Train stops had no lights, thank god for that, small enclosed shelters are also available to hide in. Amia reached for her purse, silver clasp, very pretty purple leather well. Probably about the only few things of colour she allowed herself to own. Amia rummaged through for a moment and picked out her gloves. The part of town she was going to walkthrough was going through a particularly chilly spell. Hence her jacket and scarf.

"All passengers disembarking on platform 396, please prepare."

The clean clear twinkle of the conductor's voice echoes through the train cart. Some passengers themselves shake or begin to gather up their gear. Glasses already on and ready. Amia lastly picked out her ticket before closing the purse with a snap. Soon she'd be off the train.

"All passengers disembarking on platform 396, please exit through the following doors."

The train box Amia sat in lit up its two doors on either side of the box. Flashing blue and green. She waited until the final tell-tale shudder before standing up, her hand gripping the free support dangling from the ceiling. Amia among other passengers disembarked off the train, massing outwards into the full blaring light of train station Kerrytup. Odd name, nice train. Amia glanced around at her fellow people. No faces jumped out but they all looked the same with sunglasses and woolly hats. Her boots clacked across the marbled platforms until she reached the edge doorway into the service station. Her gloved hands pushed open the door, Only to get a face full of warm air. In here she pulled down her scarf a second and breathed it in. The crisp cold air would be a refreshing wake up call when she left. Amia handed her ticket over with a smile, the service assistant handed back her receipt with a tired wave.

"St Johns, I'm coming for you."

Amia laughed quietly to herself, vaulting out the door. Her favourite place to eat lunch at was St Johns, a refurbished church used for lunch and afternoon treats. Some call it romantic, old fashioned, or even out of date. Amia walked along the path, like anyone else she held her head slightly tucked under. But thankfully St Johns was only around the corner from the train station. She checked the streets three times before running across. No traffic bonus! Amia just passed the new Victoria's Secret store when a faint voice called out to her.

"Wait!..." she slowed and looked around, who in the world?

"Hello?... Amia!"

She jolted. Around these parts she only had one friend who knew her name. Andy. He went to the same university as her for four years before dropping out, he said he was going to find his fortune diving. She turned fully around. And saw Andy waving his arm frantically as he tried to push through the crowd. He was wearing a maroon sweater with a dark brown jacket. No hat or scarf. But a giant grin that could light up the world.

"Amia!" he managed to get through to her, arms coming done to rest on her forearms gently despite the rush he was in before. Amia allowed herself a smile, his ecstatic energy rubbing off on her.

"How are you?" his breath came out ragged. His once long hair now a grown out buzz cut. The years had been very kind to him, only a small scar to identify him, on his right cheek. Amia raised her hands to pat on his, twice before letting them drop.

"I'm well Andy, oop it's been a while" the over excited man scooped her up in a brief hug before letting go. She brushed away her hair and looked at him.

"That's good-no, it's great! hey do you want to grab a bite to eat somewhere and catch up?" Amia glanced over her shoulder towards St Johns, the signs were open.

"Actually I was going for lunch-" Andy brightened. Tossing and arm around her to seize her close.

"Perfect!! I know a place that'll knock your socks off" Amia nearly choked on her spit, hang on he was about to what? She opened her mouth to cut his party parade short when he put his mouth close to her ear.

"I'm being followed, please roll with me for a bit" Andy pulled back and she saw the clear desperation in his eyes, gleaming under the strain. Amia heaved in a deep breath, separating from her old friend. His smile dimmed drastically, and he looked about ready to explain everything then and there. Until she gestured her head and smiled sweetly.

"Sure, where do you have in mind?"

Andy, after a nice round of banter and conversation, guided her further into the city to this 'restaurant' he quite liked. They wandered through the mall for 45 minutes, found a quiet library suiting Amia tastes, then jumped onto trolley then off again before they paid the fare, all this running about started to make Amia feel rather cranky. By the time they had exited out of the second city skyscraper, she quite had enough. Being followed or not, Andy was going to give some answers.

"Andy just where are we going?! We've been running around all day and it's certainly past-'' suddenly he yanked her into an enclosed resting station, used for people more sensitive to light, he turned to her then. They both removed their sunglasses

"Shhhh...." Andy put his finger to his lips. Pointing upwards towards the warm hooded light in the center of the ceiling. It hummed gently. Amis huffed and ripped her hand out of his, which he had been holding the whole time, and scowled at his shh.

"How dare you-Mmpf!" his hand clamped over her mouth, cutting off her sentence. Okay not cool. She raised her hands to shove him away but he then again whispered.

"Please Amia just watch the light." with a great battle of her stomach and will she glanced up to the ceiling. Only to see the light had changed colours. Unusual. Her mismatched eyes looked back to Andy, who lifted his hand off her mouth and nodded. Gesturing for her ear again. Amia rolled her eyes and smacked his chest. He winced but spoke aloud.

"I'll explain everything now. Why I was followed, why I dragged you along, the whole thing" Amia snorted, folding her arms tightly across her chest. Andy sighed and ran a hand through his hair, glancing to her before taking in a deep breath.

"During University I studied the migration of sharks yes?" Amia nodded but Andy plowed on. "After a well brought on hangover from a wild night in the dorms, I came across a document I found in the library, underneath the seat where the snot kid used to sit? Anyway, I can’t show you here, but what it had written on it could very well bring the whole city on its head." He took in a deep breath.

"So you've been followed ever since because of it?"

"Nope. I've only started being followed recently, after a particularly nasty encounter with a parrot and a room full of wires..." Andy shook himself. "Bad week. Did you hear about the blackout in the south side of Ever-light?"

Amia nodded. Her family lived there, they said it was horrifying to be in darkness for a day. Nothing worked and they had to stumble around fighting for torches to see. The whole neighborhood had to fend for themselves, it didn't take very long before wars started over batteries. Andy sighed through his nose.

"I may or may not be the cause of that..."

"Andy!" Amia hissed, it was one thing taking her away from her lunch but lying that he was the cause of a mass panic? how could he?!

"I know! I'm sorry but I wanted to see if it would work” At this Amia inwardly took a step back.

"What would work?" he gave a lighthearted chuckle, shaking his head.

"Ah Amia, still cautious as ever. What if I told you what I know how to turn off all the lights in the city?"

"I'd say you're an overgrown gnome who ate something he shouldn't have as a child. Now he's gone mad trying to convince people he can control the electricity, of an entire! Freaking! City!!" Andy winced. Amia's temper rose higher and higher by the second. She had enough. Andy opened his mouth to speak but she jabbed her finger into his chest. Shutting him up instantly

"And if that ain't enough reason to get the hell out of here, I don't know what is!! but I'm," she thumbed her chest rather directly. "Leaving, Right, Now."

Amia forced as much authority into her voice as possible. The defeated and shamed expression on Andy's face only fueled it more. If he knew her well he shouldn't follow her outside. Amia threw open the little door and winced. She forgot to put on her glasses, still she strode onto the streets. Her mind now calculating the quickest route to find her beloved St Johns before they closed down for the day. Behind her she heard the tell-tale sound of the door opening again, and Andy tripping over himself to get out.

"Amia, wait! the lights they'll-"

He didn't have to explain any further. Immediately everything collapsed into darkness, it took a few seconds before the first confused screams began. Then the cars screeched and crashed. As the panic began Amia froze, terror crawling rapidly up into the throat for her own round of screaming. Till she felt a pair of hands latch themselves onto her, pulling Amia blindly through the suffocating darkness. All the while, Andy's familiar muttering echoing louder than anything.

"Should've put the damn timer on for longer... wouldn't have this..."