Town of Relentless Darkness
Once a month, for an hour, in a town of relentless darkness, the sun rises in the east and lights up this dark place. And the old house on the hill, otherwise invisible in the pitch-black darkness, can be seen from the center of town.
During the hour of light, we also see an old man inside the home. He always sits by a window and smiles at us. Looking through my precious binoculars, I see his warm gold eyes and I’m filled with hope. We believe he is the key to our freedom. But we will only travel to him in the light.
Now, the sun is emerging, illuminating our eerie town again. One of us must volunteer to climb the hill, speak to the old man, and find a way to freedom. Perhaps there is a universe of light beyond the house. The old man will know.
We are trapped in a world of relentless, cold darkness, rain, and snow. During the day, which is indistinguishable from the night, we walk the streets with flashlights and candles when we go to work, or shop, or visit with our friends.
Last month, we lost electricity and heat. Wearing winter coats, we sit inside our buildings with flashlights and candles too. In our homes, we sit by the fireplace to keep warm and dream of a soothing world of light and the old man whom we believe is our salvation.
Shall I climb the hill and speak to him? Many have volunteered in the past. Yet no one has returned to save us.
I ring the church bell, letting the townspeople know that someone is about to climb the hill. The others look out their windows and wave to me as I begin my journey. The sun is rising in the east and soon I will bask in a sprawling sun. I take my first step and hurry off. There is less than an hour of light remaining before we are prisoners of the darkness again.
I climb the hill. In the distance I see glittering objects and suddenly, the smell of vomit wafts down the hill with a zephyr. I gasp for air. My knees buckle. I crouch. Slowly, I rise and take a few shallow breaths. And I continue up the hill.
The sun is beating down on me. It is a beautiful sun, but I am sweating profusely and breathing heavily. And now the wind carries the scent of rotting flesh to my nostrils. I bend over and vomit. Then I continue on.
Now, I see them–the familiar bones, skulls, and rotting flesh of humans who climbed the hill but died before reaching the top.
Beneath me, the pulsating, hungry earth, a seething cauldron, feeds on the human debris. Soon it will no longer hold my heavy body, for a brutal sun is transforming it into quicksand. Yet I continue on.
Near the top, I discover more bones, skulls, and rotting flesh. Where is the house and old man? My eyes flit and dart across the glittering structure. Oh, my God! What do I see? I hear a distant shriek. The horrific voice is mine.
Too late to retreat into the dark universe I left behind, I struggle to remain afloat above the melting earth. I stagger toward the imaginary house and old man.
Sweaty and breathless, my skin roasts beneath a relentless sun that burns and eats my flesh. I reel toward the town’s illusion. If I can pass through the gold eyes of the sun and survive, I may discover a world beyond the darkness and an unbearable sun where humans can live. If not, I will die beneath this monstrous sun.
