Nyctophobia - Week 14
“SILLY BILLY IS AFRAID OF THE DARK!!”
The entire bus is singing as Billy clutches his backpack waiting for his stop.
“It’s called Nyctophobia.” he mumbles under his breathe.
Jason, the tallest boy in their fifth-grade class (and the biggest bully) looks around with his finger pressed to his lips.
“What was that little baby?” everyone has stopped chanting as Jason leans over Billy’s seat waiting for a response.
“Nothing,” whispers Billy.
Jason laughs, knocking his backpack onto the floor. He goes back to chanting with the rest their classmates.
“SILLY BILLY IS AFRAID OF THE DARK!!”
_________________________________________________________________________________
Billy gets off of the bus and runs to the library to escape the group of children. This has become his ritual ever since he went to that birthday party.
He has always had a fear of the dark, but ever since Jason’s party, he’s been having severe panic attacks that cause him to pass out. His mother took him to specialists and he was officially diagnosed with Nyctophobia, a fear of night or darkness. Even though the doctors knew the diagnosis, they still couldn’t find a concrete reason for his extreme reaction. They tried medication, herbal and pharmaceutical, but neither worked. His only comfort was light. That and the many books at the library.
“Why did they have to turn ALL of the lights off? Why did they have to close ALL of the curtains? Don’t they know what hides in the dark? It’s not like you can’t sing ‘Happy Birthday’ with SOME light... Stupid monsters… Stupid panic attacks...” Billy mumbles to himself as he climbs the steps of the town library.
Once inside, he is greeted by Ms. Grace, the librarian, “Hello Billy. Another afternoon of reading?”
“Yes ma’am.” Billy smiles. She has always been nice to him. His mom says that Ms. Grace has the kind of smile that lights up a room and that’s why Billy likes her so much. She even lets him turn extra lights on when its dark and stormy. But most importantly, she doesn’t make fun of him.
Billy is in the science fiction section engulfed in a large book on monsters when suddenly Ms. Grace startles him,
“I think I might have just the book for you.”
He sets his book on the table and follows her down the hall to a locked door. He has never been in this section of the library before. Partly because you need to ask permission, and partly because there isn’t any light in this hallway. She opens the door and motions for him to follow her. Billy hesitates,
“Ms. Grace? Can you turn on a lamp please? I can’t see anything.”
Suddenly the room is filled with a bright light. Billy walks in and realizes that this is the room he has always been afraid of. The one room in the library that never has the light on. He has looked at the window from the outside almost every day that he’s come here, imagining the things that lurk in here, but not once has he ever seen the inside. It’s always too dark and the shadows play games with your eyes.
“Hello Billy.”
He whips his head around to see where the unfamiliar voice is coming from. Standing across from him is a Being made completely of light. He searches the room for his librarian.
“Ms. Grace?” His voice cracks in fear. As if reading his thoughts, the Being speaks again,
“Don’t be afraid child. Ms. Grace is just one of my many forms. I am a traveler of realms. I have visited thousands of places in my time, but I have never met anyone who loves the light as much as I. Until I met you.”
Billy’s mouth drops open, but he isn’t afraid. In fact, he actually feels comforted by this Being. He takes a moment before saying anything,
“You’re a traveler?”
“Yes.”
“Where are you from?” Billy asks, fear being replaced with curiosity.
The being motions for Billy to follow. They go up to the library roof. Billy looks at the Being waiting for a response. Finally, it speaks,
“I come from a place where there is only day. Only light.”
“I wish I could go to that place!”
The Being smiles, “All you have to do is ask.”
Before he even has a chance to think Billy blurts out, “Can you take me to the place where there is no night and no darkness?!?”
“As you wish.” The being says and Billy feels a rush of wind as he closes his eyes.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Billy opens his eyes and is shocked to find that he is still on top of the library roof,
“It all looks the same. Are you sure we went somewhere else?”
He turns to the Being.
“Yes, indeed. Look around you.
The sun does not move. Never rising, never setting.
Look in the library window. There are no lamps or lightbulbs, yet it is still bright throughout.
Look at your feet. You no longer cast a shadow,” the Being glances around and makes a sweeping gesture with its arm.
“Nothing does,” it whispers.
“I can’t believe this!! No more monsters hiding in the dark!!” Billy’s excitement turns his voice to a squeal.
The being looks at him for a moment and starts to smile,
“Oh, no silly child, monsters still exist. You asked for a place with no night… no darkness, not a place with no monsters.”
Billy is speechless for a minute. He hadn’t thought to ask that.
“But it will be ok because it will always be light out, so there’s nowhere for them to hide anymore…” he trails off. His excitement is replaced by a hint of fear as the Being’s smile broadens.
“You’re right, there IS nowhere for them to hide…” The Being’s teeth gleam as its grin stretches from ear to ear. “But they’ve never had to in this place, and they will notice you soon enough. Remember, child, just like there is nowhere for THEM to hide anymore, there is also nowhere for YOU to hide.”
It laughs as Billy’s eyes widen and scan the ground. He turns to beg the Being to take him home, but it is already gone. Its laughter now a faint whisper in his ear.
Billy’s panic returns as he realizes that he is now alone in a new world…
A new world where the monsters are more real than ever…
A new world where the darkness he feared no longer exists…
A new world with nowhere for him to hide…
A new world full of light…
The entire bus is singing as Billy clutches his backpack waiting for his stop.
“It’s called Nyctophobia.” he mumbles under his breathe.
Jason, the tallest boy in their fifth-grade class (and the biggest bully) looks around with his finger pressed to his lips.
“What was that little baby?” everyone has stopped chanting as Jason leans over Billy’s seat waiting for a response.
“Nothing,” whispers Billy.
Jason laughs, knocking his backpack onto the floor. He goes back to chanting with the rest their classmates.
“SILLY BILLY IS AFRAID OF THE DARK!!”
_________________________________________________________________________________
Billy gets off of the bus and runs to the library to escape the group of children. This has become his ritual ever since he went to that birthday party.
He has always had a fear of the dark, but ever since Jason’s party, he’s been having severe panic attacks that cause him to pass out. His mother took him to specialists and he was officially diagnosed with Nyctophobia, a fear of night or darkness. Even though the doctors knew the diagnosis, they still couldn’t find a concrete reason for his extreme reaction. They tried medication, herbal and pharmaceutical, but neither worked. His only comfort was light. That and the many books at the library.
“Why did they have to turn ALL of the lights off? Why did they have to close ALL of the curtains? Don’t they know what hides in the dark? It’s not like you can’t sing ‘Happy Birthday’ with SOME light... Stupid monsters… Stupid panic attacks...” Billy mumbles to himself as he climbs the steps of the town library.
Once inside, he is greeted by Ms. Grace, the librarian, “Hello Billy. Another afternoon of reading?”
“Yes ma’am.” Billy smiles. She has always been nice to him. His mom says that Ms. Grace has the kind of smile that lights up a room and that’s why Billy likes her so much. She even lets him turn extra lights on when its dark and stormy. But most importantly, she doesn’t make fun of him.
Billy is in the science fiction section engulfed in a large book on monsters when suddenly Ms. Grace startles him,
“I think I might have just the book for you.”
He sets his book on the table and follows her down the hall to a locked door. He has never been in this section of the library before. Partly because you need to ask permission, and partly because there isn’t any light in this hallway. She opens the door and motions for him to follow her. Billy hesitates,
“Ms. Grace? Can you turn on a lamp please? I can’t see anything.”
Suddenly the room is filled with a bright light. Billy walks in and realizes that this is the room he has always been afraid of. The one room in the library that never has the light on. He has looked at the window from the outside almost every day that he’s come here, imagining the things that lurk in here, but not once has he ever seen the inside. It’s always too dark and the shadows play games with your eyes.
“Hello Billy.”
He whips his head around to see where the unfamiliar voice is coming from. Standing across from him is a Being made completely of light. He searches the room for his librarian.
“Ms. Grace?” His voice cracks in fear. As if reading his thoughts, the Being speaks again,
“Don’t be afraid child. Ms. Grace is just one of my many forms. I am a traveler of realms. I have visited thousands of places in my time, but I have never met anyone who loves the light as much as I. Until I met you.”
Billy’s mouth drops open, but he isn’t afraid. In fact, he actually feels comforted by this Being. He takes a moment before saying anything,
“You’re a traveler?”
“Yes.”
“Where are you from?” Billy asks, fear being replaced with curiosity.
The being motions for Billy to follow. They go up to the library roof. Billy looks at the Being waiting for a response. Finally, it speaks,
“I come from a place where there is only day. Only light.”
“I wish I could go to that place!”
The Being smiles, “All you have to do is ask.”
Before he even has a chance to think Billy blurts out, “Can you take me to the place where there is no night and no darkness?!?”
“As you wish.” The being says and Billy feels a rush of wind as he closes his eyes.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Billy opens his eyes and is shocked to find that he is still on top of the library roof,
“It all looks the same. Are you sure we went somewhere else?”
He turns to the Being.
“Yes, indeed. Look around you.
The sun does not move. Never rising, never setting.
Look in the library window. There are no lamps or lightbulbs, yet it is still bright throughout.
Look at your feet. You no longer cast a shadow,” the Being glances around and makes a sweeping gesture with its arm.
“Nothing does,” it whispers.
“I can’t believe this!! No more monsters hiding in the dark!!” Billy’s excitement turns his voice to a squeal.
The being looks at him for a moment and starts to smile,
“Oh, no silly child, monsters still exist. You asked for a place with no night… no darkness, not a place with no monsters.”
Billy is speechless for a minute. He hadn’t thought to ask that.
“But it will be ok because it will always be light out, so there’s nowhere for them to hide anymore…” he trails off. His excitement is replaced by a hint of fear as the Being’s smile broadens.
“You’re right, there IS nowhere for them to hide…” The Being’s teeth gleam as its grin stretches from ear to ear. “But they’ve never had to in this place, and they will notice you soon enough. Remember, child, just like there is nowhere for THEM to hide anymore, there is also nowhere for YOU to hide.”
It laughs as Billy’s eyes widen and scan the ground. He turns to beg the Being to take him home, but it is already gone. Its laughter now a faint whisper in his ear.
Billy’s panic returns as he realizes that he is now alone in a new world…
A new world where the monsters are more real than ever…
A new world where the darkness he feared no longer exists…
A new world with nowhere for him to hide…
A new world full of light…