Nightfall

 

 

 

A phenomenon is an act of wonder usually formed by a prodigy. The prodigy, in the story that I am about to relate, is named Gabriel Wood. Mr. Wood was indeed a prodigy. Not in the sense of him being monstrous, such as the Hunchback of Notre Dame, or in the sense of one having great talent, but one in the sense of something marvelous. Now, the tone of "marvelous" seems to be more of a positive term, used to relate a joyous thing, but this story is not one in which joyous things occur.

Our story begins at Gabriel's home. Gabriel is sixteen at the time, and the time until the phenomenon starts is thirteen hours. Mind Gabriel has no idea of this phenomenon nor will he know of its existence until many, many years later. Gabriel seemed happy at this time, for he was. He had most of his favorite classes on this day and thought of a girl in his calculus class who he thought was very attractive, and with that he began this school day. His day was fine, and he had struggled to answer his mom's basic question "What did you learn at school today?" He continually stated that the school is stupid and he learns nothing he didn't know already.

Now, it has been thirteen hours into his day, and he prepares to retire as I prepare to explain to you of this phenomenon I stated many times earlier in the story. I will describe this event as Nightfall for that is what it was. The next day came naturally as did the phenomenon. Gabriel's mother noticed that her son failed to wake up. As she came to tell him of the time of the morning, Gabriel said "Oh no. It is still night time." As he glanced at his alarm clock he then said "There must be a power outage, too." Soon Mrs. Wood realized that this phenomenon made Gabriel Wood blind.

 

 

Night

 

 

Gabriel Wood remained blind almost for his entire life. And in that entire time he refused to believe it. His family told him time after time and he would return with "Oh no, it is just night time. How can I be blind?" As he would look out the window, he said, "And the street lights are out. There must be a power outage. I'm surprised it has been out for such a long time."

Later, when Gabriel was forty, a young boy, with the name of Tim, noticed, at the house just down the block where no one seemed to live, something very odd. There were rumors of it being haunted, but as he walked up the road from his friend's house, he saw an elderly couple walk into the house. He refused the thoughts of them being ghosts since they seemed to be as normal as his own parents, and continued to his house. That night at dinner he asked, "Who owns the house that is next to my friend's, Jimmy?" He then learned of the state of Mr. Wood, and in a way felt sorry for him. He started to visit hoping that the man wouldn't be lonely. Mr. Wood said to Tim every time he entered, "Be careful as you come in, it's so dark I fear you may trip." Tim never did need him to say that. And there he felt the sadness of how he must be to be blind, and the only way to cope is to say it's night. It was this sadness that made him agree that it was night.

 

Dawn: Part 1

 

It wasn't until Gabriel was 92 that he received his sight back. He got out of bed to look for his family, but no one was there, for they had all passed away. As he looked in the mirror he wasn't the young boy he was before, but an elderly man. As he would look for his friends, they were no longer there. Tim left as well many, many years before. Outside the world was so different, he thought he was somewhere else. But he was where he has always been, in the same house for 76 years. And he believed it was one night.

With no one to be with, the only thing he had were his memories. 16 years of memories he had, and stood here with 92 years. He was filled with the sadness that Tim had felt for him. And also like Tim he thought that it would be best for him to believe life was only one night. That way, he could die in happiness.

 

Dawn: Part 2

 

Out on the countryside, away from Gabriel, and Tim, and this story, a small goldfish, in a small pond, would swim around its little home. The fish would do nothing besides swim around in that pond, for the fish had no memory. Every time it would swim, it forgot it did so. So it needed to learn about its home, and would swim around it again, only forgetting that it did so. And a couple of years later, the fish would stop swimming, and float on the surface of the water, never to move again. As it would reach its last movement of its tail, it would think of its life, and it never would have thought of the meaning of its life and have nothing but the hope to learn of its home.

Soon it would sink, and rot, and the fish would be nothing.