What Was Not, Was

A child noticed the stone first, just hovering 60 feet off the dusty earth, glowing like a stoplight, an otherworldly emerald. The girl explained to the authorities that she had been playing hide and seek in the construction site when the light just, in her own words, “BUGHREW!” She spread her hands to imitate fireworks. She was especially upset as the light had given away her hiding spot. However, she could not explain where it had come from. It was not, then it was.

The incident became a verified phenomenon, drawing the interest of the entire city. Every woman, man, child came to see what all the fuss was about. Even a few of the stray cats paid their dues and sat politely, noses up in the air, pointed at the glowing, shimmering stone.

Within a day, the government had sent their specialists—a mix of scientists, military personnel, psychologists, even occult specialists (just in case)—to quarantine the area while they determined what this artifact might be and what harm it could cause to the populace. Despite any and all warnings, some people had been able to catch a glimpse of the thing while they waited for the military to finish their testing.

It was discovered that the stone was exactly 15 feet wide, 13 feet tall, and 14.25 feet long. Not quite a cube, but close.

Beyond that, the researchers found nothing unique about the stone in regards to the material or origin of the light. No radiation, no emittance of any kind was found, yet the light continued to cast out, day and night, with no sign of losing luminescence.

Whatever the material, it could not be breached. Cranes and wrecking balls were brought in; explosives were placed and detonated. Not a single scratch was found on what was quickly being called “The Monolith.”

Furthermore, none of the forceful acts against the structure caused it to move. The great metal ball designed to tear down buildings just bounced with a humorous “bwong!” leaving no mark on either The Monolith or the sphere that had crashed into it. The force seemed to have been absorbed completely, and the object remained fixed in the air.

I was sent out to report on the phenomenon the day it occurred. Every reporter was. After all, great glowing stones do not show up in the middle of downtown construction sites every day, at least not in my experience. Through us, the object garnered global attention. Article after article was written and published, brewing speculation as to its origins and purpose.

Still the world watched, eyes glued to the glowing emerald monument (which one online forum identified the color as “lime.” Yet another countered it was “harlequin” which raised even more debate as to its nature).

The only real change came from the increasing number of missing pets, though in truth, they were not missing, insomuch as we all knew where they had gone. Every day, more and more dogs, cats, birds, rats, and every other creature with fur or feathers, gathered around the stone, noses pointed upward (or downward from the buildings around), staring, in an unbroken, perfect circle.

This may have been the reason supernatural theories gained the popularity they did. Naturally, the concept of extraterrestrial visitors was the first suggestion to take hold on social media, though surprisingly, it wasn’t the most popular in the long run. The Monolith took on every manner of religious iconography, from the messiah, to Satan, to the ancient god Cthulhu. Some thought that this was some kind of Noah’s ark, or a preservation capsule of sorts.

Yet, upon a census of the animals, every pet was accounted for, and even the strays could be identified from traffic cam footage. The rats and birds’ origins were far more difficult to determine. One thing that all observers agreed on was that the number of beasts was growing, never smaller than the day before.

Eventually the government gave up on their attempts to uncover the mysteries of the stone and left only a small team to keep an eye on it. This allowed the amateurs to take another stab at figuring out what it could be used for. One group attempted to place a statue on top, but they could not agree who or what should be memorialized. Another group attempted to mark the site as holy grounds, but the churches refused, for they could not determine which saint would want to make a glowing green brick.

The only group that held any traction was a small tourist company, which began charging folks for a chance to see the “brick of destiny” as they called it. The rebranding didn’t stick, but people were willing to spend five dollars to take a walk underneath the floating behemoth. The team of government officials allowed this, presumably to see if the stone would have any effect on the populace.

I suspect they were just bored.

Days turned to weeks, turned to months. After a bit, the world started to forget that the stone was even there. The tourist company left their fences and signs but moved on to other intriguing events. My editor noticed that interest for the green stone was drying and suggested I report on something else, even hinting that any stories about it would be relegated to back pages at best. After all, it didn’t do anything but glow and float.

After six months, the city had returned to normal. No one stopped to see the stone, having been dropped from the city’s brochures and website as a “must see attraction.” People began actively avoiding the street it was on, perhaps in an effort to not injure the animals, who’s congregation had grown so large they were spilling into the sidewalk.

I want to be clear on one thing: the animals were not hypnotized. No one had been. We would stare at the stone but were completely able to walk away, as were the animals. They would walk purposefully to their spots, take a seat and stare for hours in perfect harmony. When they needed to relieve themselves, they would stand, walk away, and return once their business was done. When they needed to eat, the animals would disappear for an hour or two before returning to the performance only they seemed to have interest in. Owners confirmed that the pets were indeed returning home for food, but they never stayed longer than they needed.

In the seventh month, I decided to make one last attempt in understanding the purpose and began preparations for a “where are we now” essay. I chose to observe a dog, a brindle coated mutt wearing a blue collar who had made signs of needing food. I made sure to follow an owned pet, just to see the whole process as it transpired. Sure enough, when it was time, the dog led me toward its home, not three blocks from The Monolith’s location. I kept my distance but not once did the dog seem upset that I was tailing her, never quickening its pace or even looking at me. It just trotted along at a healthy clip toward a white house with the state’s flag fluttering in the wind.

On the porch, the dog found its bowl of fresh food and a dish of water, which it ate and lapped up gratefully. I assume that the owners had grown accustomed to this new way of life, uninterested in trying to change the dog’s behavior. Once it had had its fill, it gave a quick shake, then trotted back the way it had come, leading me back to the green glow. The other beasts seemed to have saved its spot, right next to a black and white cat and a lizard. The dog sat, with a little puff of dust coming away from its rear, and resumed staring.

I waited another hour, pen to paper, hoping against hope that something unique would come from it.

Then it was gone. The stone was just no longer there. No puff of light, no swirling vortex, no sound. It was, then it was not.

We never could determine what it actually was, nor could we decipher its origin or purpose. It was something special that was not. A few people in the town still talk about it, referring to the news articles. I even got nominated for an award for my second one, as I had been the only one to witness the stone’s dismissal, though I lost to someone writing about their grandmother’s memorabilia found in their attic.

Life moved on, as we all do from time to time. People grew older and talked less and less of the glowing green stone from the gods. In time, it will be nothing more than words on a page or a whisper of something once wonderful now forgotten.

But I remember watching as the dogs and cats and rats abandoned their vigil, their eyes, and ears, and noses all turning simultaneously watching as something I could not see moved slowly, steadily down the street. Then, with one accord, they rose and returned home, leaving the world and the site as empty as it had always been.