ONE
“Hey, you wanna stand there forever or you gonna move your ass to the couch and watch some Buffy reruns with me?”
At the sound of her roomie’s voice Stella snapped out of her daydreaming. Well, nightdreaming would be more accurate, given the fact that the sky was pitch-black outside. She had been staring into the darkness calling to her from beyond the kitchen window for…for how long, she didn’t know.
Seeing Bianca shaking her head at her with a smile on her lips as she came into the kitchen, Stella guessed it had been quite a while. Her roomie was wearing pajama pants and a long-sleeved top, and her thick, dark blonde hair was up in a messy bun. “I know that look on your face. Geez, you and your darkness. You could give Buffy a run for her money.”
“Oh, stop it. I’m not like her at all . Though I wish I could kick ass like that. Me, I just…” Stella shrugged her shoulders helplessly as her gaze was drawn to the window once more. It felt so much better than the lights inside the house. Her voice going soft, she said, “I just like the night.”
“I see . You’re in one of those moods again.” Though her voice was light, Stella could see in the reflection in the window that Bianca’s eyes had lost their smile and were watching her with a hint of worry. “You sure going out all alone now is the best idea? It’s almost eleven.”
Turning around, she gave Bianca a reassuring smile. “I’ll just go for a walk. A short one, promise. And when I get back we can watch those Buffy reruns you’ve been mentioning for the last week.”
“ Fine. I know from experience that nothing will change your mind, so I won’t even try.” Bianca was about to go back to the living room, but then halted. “Take your pepper spray with you, okay?”
She knew her friend mostly found her habit of staring into the darkness funny, but tonight it seemed worry definitely won out. “Will do.”
After a nod and a wave Bianca was off, the TV calling her back and Stella went to pull on her shoes. She was still wearing her black jeans and just added a sweater. The weather outside was getting warmer and today had been a perfect spring day, the balmy air not letting itself be ruled by the quirks of the sun and flavoring the evening air.
The moment St ella stepped outside their door she inhaled deep and sighed with relief. Breathing the night, there was nothing more exquisite. Deciding quickly to head towards the park and then circle back into the city so her eyes would get used to the lights again, Stella disappeared into the darkness of the night.
Breathing it, feeling it along her skin, inside and out, she soon felt reborn and soothed under the starless sky. The night, its solitude and peaceful silence filled with the small sounds of ever present life, was beauty and balm for her heart and soul. Its darkness a relief for her eyes which felt as if they had been sandpapered after her day at work.
Artificial lighting, especially the cold light often used in administrative buildings, was the worst invention ever as far as Stella was concerned. She had always thought the boring repetition of working a register would be the death of her, and not the lighting at her working place. But what had started out as something innocent when she was fourteen and felt drawn to the night, had, with the years, indeed become more and more…worrisome. Alone in the dark, she could admit that much. Now, at twenty, she had to wonder…if it did go on like this, if it got worse, she wouldn’t be able to do her job one day soon.
Every day she came home from work with a throbbing headache and eyes that were of no use after being tormented all day. She had passed light sensitivity and had entered the world of freaky a long time ago. Friends called it her funny ‘moods’, like Bianca did, but only Bianca suspected that there was more to it and worried about her. Though Stella believed most of the worrying came from her going out and walking
“Hey, you wanna stand there forever or you gonna move your ass to the couch and watch some Buffy reruns with me?”
At the sound of her roomie’s voice Stella snapped out of her daydreaming. Well, nightdreaming would be more accurate, given the fact that the sky was pitch-black outside. She had been staring into the darkness calling to her from beyond the kitchen window for…for how long, she didn’t know.
Seeing Bianca shaking her head at her with a smile on her lips as she came into the kitchen, Stella guessed it had been quite a while. Her roomie was wearing pajama pants and a long-sleeved top, and her thick, dark blonde hair was up in a messy bun. “I know that look on your face. Geez, you and your darkness. You could give Buffy a run for her money.”
“Oh, stop it. I’m not like her at all . Though I wish I could kick ass like that. Me, I just…” Stella shrugged her shoulders helplessly as her gaze was drawn to the window once more. It felt so much better than the lights inside the house. Her voice going soft, she said, “I just like the night.”
“I see . You’re in one of those moods again.” Though her voice was light, Stella could see in the reflection in the window that Bianca’s eyes had lost their smile and were watching her with a hint of worry. “You sure going out all alone now is the best idea? It’s almost eleven.”
Turning around, she gave Bianca a reassuring smile. “I’ll just go for a walk. A short one, promise. And when I get back we can watch those Buffy reruns you’ve been mentioning for the last week.”
“ Fine. I know from experience that nothing will change your mind, so I won’t even try.” Bianca was about to go back to the living room, but then halted. “Take your pepper spray with you, okay?”
She knew her friend mostly found her habit of staring into the darkness funny, but tonight it seemed worry definitely won out. “Will do.”
After a nod and a wave Bianca was off, the TV calling her back and Stella went to pull on her shoes. She was still wearing her black jeans and just added a sweater. The weather outside was getting warmer and today had been a perfect spring day, the balmy air not letting itself be ruled by the quirks of the sun and flavoring the evening air.
The moment St ella stepped outside their door she inhaled deep and sighed with relief. Breathing the night, there was nothing more exquisite. Deciding quickly to head towards the park and then circle back into the city so her eyes would get used to the lights again, Stella disappeared into the darkness of the night.
Breathing it, feeling it along her skin, inside and out, she soon felt reborn and soothed under the starless sky. The night, its solitude and peaceful silence filled with the small sounds of ever present life, was beauty and balm for her heart and soul. Its darkness a relief for her eyes which felt as if they had been sandpapered after her day at work.
Artificial lighting, especially the cold light often used in administrative buildings, was the worst invention ever as far as Stella was concerned. She had always thought the boring repetition of working a register would be the death of her, and not the lighting at her working place. But what had started out as something innocent when she was fourteen and felt drawn to the night, had, with the years, indeed become more and more…worrisome. Alone in the dark, she could admit that much. Now, at twenty, she had to wonder…if it did go on like this, if it got worse, she wouldn’t be able to do her job one day soon.
Every day she came home from work with a throbbing headache and eyes that were of no use after being tormented all day. She had passed light sensitivity and had entered the world of freaky a long time ago. Friends called it her funny ‘moods’, like Bianca did, but only Bianca suspected that there was more to it and worried about her. Though Stella believed most of the worrying came from her going out and walking
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