From Light to Darkness

Chapter Two: The Night

The day had continued on as normal. I went out to feed and water the chickens and Betty. I cleaned the coop, watered the garden, tended to the flowers, and baked some bread. The market days would be beginning again soon as the spring slowly thawed the winter months. The greenness of the surrounding trees was thick with fresh rain and the ground was damp with fresh dew. I sat and crocheted some mittens and scarves that I will sell at the market.

I had almost forgotten that Lucca slumbered in my husband’s room. The one he died in. I had been thinking a lot of Alex today, probably because of the strange man that stumbled across my humble abode. He looked like Alex with his dark hair and eyes and pale skin. But all Night Crawlers looked that way, she supposed. She hadn’t seen many her life. There were strict rules in place for those who live during the Day to never mingle with those at night. She hoped that Lucca would not look too closely at the photos in the room where he now slept.

Alex had done a good job of fitting in the Day Walkers. They had used skin tint to give his pale face and arms a healthy glow, they lightened his hair with hair dyes, and he wore contacts when he was in the public eye. He still had a hard time sleeping at night with her and would often nap during the day for a few hours.

But if Lucca found out that Alex had been a Night Crawler and they were once married, he could report her and her homestead. The government would take everything from her and she would surely be put to death. It was a grave crime to mingle with those who did not live during the day and especially to marry someone who was a Night Walker.

At the end of Alex’s life, he declined trying to hide who he was. We hired Night nurses so I could take care of him during the day and they could care for him at night. They were paid to be quiet and they were mandated to sign “Non-disclosure Agreements” before taking on the job. Luckily, Alex’s parents had been multibillionaires and had left him plenty of digitals in a trust fund. Upon his death, his fortune was transferred to me.

I had lied to Lucca earlier about not having any digitals. It was true that this was Alex’s great-great grandmother’s home and we had restored and built it up. But we had plenty of digitals to take care of and the future family we had planned for in years to come.

I had also been lying to myself. I tried to tell myself I was afraid of Night Crawlers and afraid of their differences. I lied that I had never seen one before. I lied to protect Alex and myself. If I slipped up once then everything we had built would be lost. And I refused to lose my husband a second time.

___________________________________________________

I awoke as the sun was falling in the west. The light was fading in the white bedroom, but the night vision my eyes had allowed me to see just as clearly. That was an advantage of being a Night Crawler, we had lived so completely in darkness that we have developed a sort of Night Vision. It was one of the many reasons Day Walkers called us creeps and “vampires.”

I stood up and walked to the door where I heard light singing coming from outside. I walked down the short hallway and looked outside the sliding door. This is where I found River hanging laundry on some sort of wire. I had no idea what the woman was doing- where were her cleaning bots?

I looked around for my shoes or any shoes in general and saw them with my clean clothes neatly pressed and folded on the table. I slipped on the hiking boots and slid the door open. The sound of the door caught River’s attention. The sunset caught the red in her hair and set it on fire. And the blue of her eyes sparkled like sapphires as she turned to look at me.

“Oh good, you’re up.” She used these weird pins to grab the white sheet she had hung on the wire. Her hands brushed the fabric before she bent down to pick up the next sheet and flung it over an empty portion of the wire.

“What are you doing?” I asked her, I’m sure my face revealed my confusion. This woman made no sense. Why would you put your laundry outside? I couldn’t make sense of this woman that had captured my curiosity. Every move she made wanted me to question her and find out more about her.

“Oh, I’m putting the laundry out to dry. The forecast says no rain for tonight. I like the smell of the night time on my sheets.” She says with a shrug. So nonchalant, like what she just said didn’t make me even more confused.

“But I don’t understand? There are bots that do that now. Full robots that look like humans, that wash and dry and fold our laundry. There are bots that cook our food beads and set out meal packets for us. We have home systems that gauge the perfect temperature for your body and its needs and preferences. You can even customize them now so it detects different bodies and each person can live in comfort. You tell me you have no digitals, but yet have a brand new Tesla HoverSport in the driveway and you live a lifestyle that is expensive to uphold in today’s world.” I almost yell at River. I am confused and weirdly angry. I feel like this is too strange but this woman is too beautiful for me to not want to understand.

I can hear my heavy breathing as I try to calm myself. I watch as hurt flashes across her face, then anger, then resignation. Finally, this strange yet beautiful woman starts to laugh. “I understand Lucca.” She giggled a little harder. “I had the same reaction as you.”

I relax just a little as I listen to her laugh. It’s infectious and makes my lips almost twitch into a smile. But I am also even more confused. Why is this woman laughing?

“Let me explain,” she says to me between her peels of laughter. River pins the sheet and grabs the wicker basket. I follow her as she returns to the dining room and sets the basket on the table. Bots come crawling from their hidey holes and swipe the basket from the table.

“Sit down.” River instructs me as she sits in the chair she ate her breakfast in. “Alexa, two cups of tea please.” She looks at me, “Sugar, milk, or honey?” She asks. I have no idea what she is talking about. Tea is a luxury only few can afford nowadays. River rolls her eyes, probably understanding I have no clue. “Alexa, both with two cubes of sugar and a smidge of milk.” The robotic voice replies with a confirming order to which River confirms.

___________________________________________________

I study Lucca a little bit before I begin talking. I am going to be slightly honest with Lucca. Telling him the basics so his questions are answered. But I will also have him sign a “Non Disclosure Agreement” I had my lawyers draw up while Lucca slept. I do not need anyone looking my way now. I enjoyed my life the way it was and I want it to continue the way it has been.

“My husband, Alex, was older than me. We met when I was 19 and he was 34. I was in university and he was a visiting Professor. He spoke about ancient worlds and the wars that scarred the Earth. The stories he told were fascinating and the treasures he had brought in to show were incredible. Have you ever heard of an iPod Nano?” I ask him, off task. Lucca’s eyes are a little wide, eyes black lakes.

I shake my head, shaking off the last question. “Anyways, I attended one of his lectures and met him afterwards to talk to him about his book. And we just clicked. We sat in this library talking for hours about the world and what it was and what it could be. We spoke of politics and our global governments, we spoke of the separation between the Night Crawlers and the Day Walkers, and we laughed about life and what it had brought us so far.” I was reminiscing about that afternoon, it had been 12 years since that afternoon. His young face smiling at me in my mind's eye as we spoke of people long gone.

I paused for a few moments as I didn’t want the tears I could feel in my eyes to spill over. It has been 4 years since Alex left me here, alone. I still miss him everyday. It was like my heart broke every time I thought of him. “He left the university so we could begin dating. I was 20 by then. He started showing me this new side of life. Living like they did long ago. Relying on your own hand to cook and clean and collect food. Using appliances like they did that required a little more work than just having robots do it for you. It taught me to respect what I have and that I do not need excess.”

I could see Lucca get uncomfortable as he shifted in his seat. A low flame of guilt flared in his pale cheeks. “Alex showed me this community he had built with thousands of others who were like him. They range all across the new world. They existed before Alex but he helped connect us.” Again, memories flooded my brain as I remember the new sounds of people talking to each other in stalls at the markets, people were trading items like food and drinks for sweaters and decorative items. It was there I was taught to crochet.

“There was this stress that had suddenly lifted off my shoulders. I didn’t feel alone anymore. I had friends that actually cared about me and not what the newest sound wave was or what new bot had been upgraded. I felt like I was accomplishing something, instead of feeling lost- like what was my purpose?”

“Alex showed me a new part of myself that cared about animals and people and what was happening in the world and not just on the screen in front of me.” Again, the flames of guilt fired on Lucca’s pale cheeks. He knew what I was talking about, he probably did nothing but have his hologlass on at all times. “Where is your hologlass?” I ask him, realizing I didn’t see the holographic screen flashing in front of his face.

_______________________________________________

I was silent during River’s story. I let her talk because it seemed like she didn’t get the opportunity to talk much to people. Now she had asked me a question but I was still processing her story. “I’m sorry. What did you ask me?” I snapped out of my reverie. I was thinking about how I was exactly the person River described herself as. Lost, wondering what my purpose was. But I just buried my head in the sand and focused on what was “in.”

“I asked you where your hologlass is?” She looked a little panicked. Hologlass had a built-in GPS that could pinpoint your location. Everyone needed to know where you were at all times. If you weren’t taking photos and posting the next cool “in” thing, you were lost in the crowds. A loser in the dark.

“I have one.” Her eyes widened a little bit more. “But, I left it at home. I use my hikes as a way to disconnect a little. I get tired of the constant noise and posts flashing across my face. I would just like to blink without taking a photo and automatically posting to every social media website. It’s annoying.” I say with more vigor than I mean to. I hadn’t even realized how much I disliked my hologlass at times. I could see River relax when she heard me say I don’t have it on me.

“Are you in trouble or something?” I ask her, a little suspicious. Something isn't adding up and I can’t figure out what it is missing.

“No.” She says quickly, her face almost looking a little betrayed. Offended I would even suggest such a thing. “The way I live life is very different from our world and I do not want to become some ‘Destination’ for the population to gawk at. I live my life with purpose and love and happiness. I have my needs met by the modern technologies I need.” She goes quiet for a moment. “Plus, I don’t want the government peeking their nose in my business.”

I could understand that. If I didn’t return soon, my absence would be reported. Then I would be grilled for hours as to where I was and what I did and why I disappeared. If my answers weren’t sufficient, the local government could hold me in a detention center for up to 30 Nights.

“Thank you for your help River.” I stood up and grabbed my clothes. I headed to the bedroom I had been occupying during the day. I changed into my clothes and left hers on the floor. Bots had already picked them up before I left.

“I am intrigued by you River. Do you mind if I return here sometime?” I felt like I was rushing this goodbye and also pushing the edge a little. However, night had fallen and she would soon need to lower her lights to not be found awake by the wardens. They could fine her thousands of digitals for her not following the lights out laws. ‘

I felt like she understood why I was rushing to leave. “I’m not sure.” I could see hesitancy but also sensed that she liked me being there.

“I’ll be careful. It was wonderful to meet you.” I kissed her forehead, near her hairline. She smelled like crisp apples and salt. “Next time.” I ran out the door. The lights inside her home dimmed immediately, I heard Willow bark once in the night. I ran up the side of the hill that lined the west side of her property. At the top I could see her little outpost.

I could see her little home, with 3 little chimneys puffing white smoke. There were soft lights that lined a fence that kept Betty her cow in a field of green grass and small white house where chickens could be heard clucking. Her driveway was also lined with soft lights that lead to a dark street. I decided to stay in the shadows of the trees but to follow the road and follow that to the trailhead.

About 4 hours later, he found where his car had been parked. Luckily it hadn’t been tagged so no Night Wardens had been out this way this morning. He thanked his lucky stars and waved his hand in front of the door. Its door slowly slid upwards, its sleek black paint reflecting the moon’s light. A Nissan Hover Trellis, an older model but he loved it. He liked how the vibrations made color waves under his car.

He drove home in silence. Not bothering to put on the autopilot and not tuning his music waves to the cars’ surround sound. Lucca wanted to drive like a man, not letting the robotic driver take over. It felt good to drive himself, it felt unfamiliar but also like he had been doing this forever. Once he arrived home he felt a wave of accomplishment come over him. It had been a long time since he had driven himself home. The noise of the city life around him startled him from his thoughts as the door of the car lifted.

Lucca walked the elevator. A holographic butler stood at the entrance, “Floor?” He asked politely. “52nd.” I said to him. His light flickered a little as the elevator's smooth glide began to shoot us upwards. This town was small but the population was still huge. Lincoln City had once been a small coastal town until the population had exploded across the world. Then high rises had to be built to accommodate the ever growing population.

Lucca lived in the second tallest building in New Dark Lincoln City. His work as a divorce lawyer had given him a life of semi-good luxury. Divorces were huge in today’s world, many getting married just to go through a divorce. Divorce was the newest thing that people got together and celebrated- usually with lots of booze and lots of drugs. His business was HOT. He made a fortune off the dumb people who married just for the glitz and glamor of a divorce.

He never understood why people did that. Lucca had just finished his last case with a woman who had been married and divorced 10 times. The two children she had been allowed to have were by different fathers, but they were so close that we had to run paternity tests on 4 of the men to figure out who was whose. What a nightmare of a case that was.

The night had been fading quickly it seemed. It felt like only an hour ago he had been in this fairytale land. River was intriguing but she was beautiful. He felt his hiking pants tighten a little. Her brunette hair was littered with red streaks that glowed like fire under the setting sun. The freckles on her face and chest told him that she enjoyed being in the sun. He had never seen a woman with tan skin before. River was the first encounter he had ever had with a Day Walker.

Lucca decided that another shower was in order. This time maybe a little cooler than the one previously at River’s home. His bots were all working to keep his apartment clean and tidy, he threw his clothes at them and they silently cleaned up behind him. Lucca felt like he had a lot to think about. He had irrationally asked if he could come back and she hadn’t really given him permission. Should he go back? And how will he find her again? He wasn’t sure he could find her again in the dense Oregon forest.