Ladies and gentleman, it has finally arrived. The post you all have been waiting for. (Well, maybe not, but hey, it sounds cool).
I present to you... My short story!
Like Night And Day
By Emma Miller
Being moody was Liel Night’s favorite past time, and a past time in which he frequently indulged. In fact, it was his only pastime, because that’s just who he was.
On this Tuesday eve, in San Diego California, he had created a soft night. A night that made all who looked on it smile, including Night himself. Night let his fingers slip into the waves as he flew steadily toward the shore. He loved how Moon’s light filtered through Sky and touched his beautiful masterpiece that the mortals called night. He loved how somewhere, no matter what, there was always darkness. Night tugged at his earring and watched the waves moving slowly, rhythmically.
A noise - laughing - scattered his thoughts and he was brought unpleasantly back to the task at hand.
"Ah, fudge." He muttered. Where was Moon? Night searched the sky and found that Moon was at the end of her cycle around Earth, which could only mean one thing. Day was coming, and he was late.
Night snatched his hand from the water and sped East, hoping against hope that he could make it on time. To be late to this brief meeting would change the balance of the world, which would upset quite a few people. Especially Universe. Night really didn’t want to do that again. He lowered himself from the air, straightened his sport coat and stepped carefully onto the cool sand, uttering a small sigh. He wasn’t too late.
The laughing got louder and Night’s stoic facade strengthened. Soon he could see her, Day, skipping toward him, sending a smile to some children she was leaving. Day’s hair and light flew out behind her while she ran, leapt, somersaulted, and cartwheeled.
Night observed her quietly, attempting to run his hand through his overly stiff hair. He concluded it must have been one of her extra sunny days. He was glad she was happy. He didn’t like it when Day was dark, gloomy, and cloudy. Sometimes, he mused, she could be just about as moody as he was.
“Goodnight, Day.” He said as he had since the time he’d been created and placed on Earth.
Day stopped cartwheeling and stumbled to her feet, giving him a sparkling smile. “Ah! Good morning, Night.” She replied with a dramatic bow. Night nodded and continued on his way. This was natural, this was normal. This was the order of things.
But, for some reason, today was different. Today wasn’t normal. Today some part of him protested her leaving, and he was forced to look back on her golden, auburn red hair. Today he noticed that Day was very beautiful in her flowing green dress, with her smile and laughter carrying themselves through the air. He noticed how decidedly blue her eyes had been in the brief moment he’d seen them, and what a lovely figure she had. He saw that she was happy and he wanted to be a part of that happiness. Today, his heart skipped a beat when she left, which was not normal, not normal at all.
Night shook his head. What was this nonsense! Could he be... Was he... Falling in love? Night abruptly stopped and turned back only to watch Day pluck a flower then lift off of the ground with grace, and speed away across the sea.
No. Universe had explicitly told him that he could not fall in love, for that was not the way of things. He was Night. No one was to love him. Universe could not have been more clear about that. Night looked up at Moon and began to twirl his earring furiously.
“Goodness gracious,” He muttered, “What is wrong with me?”
* * * * *
12 hours later, Night was still puzzling about his mixed emotions, and wondering how he should react when Day came around again. His neat little rows of thoughts and feelings were tied into strange knots that he couldn’t seem to untangle. He felt as if the meaning of his existence had suddenly been pulled out from under him.
A small chuckle escaped Night’s lips and he shoved his hands in his pockets, meandering slowly through Central Park, in New York City. What a weird phenomenon that he, Liel Night, Master of the Night, creator of beauty, and personification of moodiness... Should be in love, of all things.
He wondered, vaguely, if she might love him back, and how long he had loved her. Obviously this deep of a feeling couldn’t simply be a fancy of his imagination, nor a flippant flop of the heart. It had presented itself to him suddenly, but Night knew that he had loved her for a very, long time.
Night looked to Moon again, and took a deep breath. Day would be here any minute. He needed to make sure that he looked as normal as ever, even if he didn’t feel the same inside. Black jeans, black sport coat, black converse, and perfectly styled black hair were all in order. All as they should be. He wished he could say the same for his heart.
The ground at Night’s feet started getting brighter and he whipped his head up. Where there is light, there is Day. She should be here any time, she should- Oh... oh, no. Night could see her now, but she was crying. The day she had created this time around was the dark, gloomy kind. With gray clouds, and unfortunately gloomy light.
Night’s heart felt like lead, but he forced his legs to move forward, his lips to echo the familiar greeting. All the while his heart yearning to know what the matter was. Yearning to ask the forbidden questions, the one’s that really mattered. How strange, that he should care so much for one person.
“Good morning, Night.” Day muttered under her breath, trying desperately to cover her tear stained face. She slowly pulled herself along, attempting to wipe away the tears still falling down her face.
She was getting away. He had to do something.
“Day, wait!” Oh, he was an idiot. Yep. He was a complete idiot. Day looked back at him with surprise written all over her features, a tear slipping down her cheek.
“Yes?” She seemed to whisper.
Night couldn’t even meet her eyes. “Um... Ahem...” Night cleared his throat and rubbed his neck, wondering what on Earth had possessed him to do such an entirely stupid thing. “Are... Are you alright?” He managed.
Day brushed a tear off of her cheek and gave him a small, sad smile. ‘“No. No, no I’m not very alright right now. Thank you for asking.”
“Well. Um. Are... Erm, is there anything I could do?...” Night forced his hand through his hair and swallowed hard.
Day’s eyes widened even further than they already were. Ah crap. Had he said something wrong? Ugh, he was an idiot. He didn’t know what he was doing! Why was he even trying this? It must be that stupid emotion. Love. The one that was-
“Night,” Day interrupted his thoughts with an almost imperceivable whisper. “Could I tell you what’s wrong?” My goodness was she lovely when she looked at him like that.
“Yes! I- Yes, please do.”
Another small smile. “Thank you. Can we,” Day sniffed and let out a deep breath. “Sit on the bench?” Day asked.
Night only nodded. Fervently so, but still only nodded. This had to be the oddest, yet most rewarding thing he had ever done. He watched her determinedly make her way to the bench, hugging herself the whole time.
Day took a deep breath and fixed her sparkling blue eyes on his, but this time, they were sparkling only because of the tears.
“Night... On my way here Universe came to visit me. He... He...” Day’s voice quavered and she briefly closed her eyes. “Sorry, sorry.” Her lip was trembling. “He told me that I would... That I would never have friends, or, or be loved and- and I just- I can’t-” Day broke down into sobs, taking sharp breaths, and almost convulsing.
As Night watched her with brow furrowed and a deep frown on his face, he felt a great big pang in his heart. This was horrible, absolutely horrible! Why had he ever said anything?
Day was shaking and her breaths were shallow but long, her hand covering her mouth again. Night wanted to wrap her up in a hug, push away all of the crying. But, he knew that would be stupid. Not to mention it would probably scare her away, as he tended to have that affect on everyone.
“Night, I...,” Another deep breath and a few moments of biting her lip and looking down at her hands. “Universe told me I had to stop loving someone. That I couldn’t think like that, that I couldn’t hope that he loved me back, and I just... I can’t even begin to bear that thought.” Day was staring at him. At him. Almost as if that message was meant... For him. Maybe that was just Night’s wishful thinking, but... But what if it wasn’t?
Just when he thought he couldn’t do anything more irrational than be sitting on that bench with Day wasting his time, he found himself blurting the most ridiculous thing he had ever said. “Day, who was the person?”
For only a moment, she hesitated. Then with equal conviction and fear she whispered, “Oh, Night. Night, it’s you. It’s always been you.”
Night felt that his eyes would pop right out of his head, and his heart would burst completely from his chest. Or maybe melt it’s way through his stomach. She... She loved him? But no one loved him, Liel Night, the one that children feared... No one loved Night, the man who controlled darkness. He was unloveable. Universe had said so... But, Universe had also told him the he couldn’t love anyone. How right had he been about that?
“You... You love, me?” He stuttered.
Day smiled so brightly at him, that he thought maybe, just maybe, what she said could be true. “Yes, I do Night. I really do.”
Night looked at his hands. Then at hers. Then he brought his eyes to her face, and felt, as he looked at her, that a part of him had been healed. A part that he hadn’t known was broken. He took Day’s hands, squeezing them lightly. “Day, you can... You can call me Liel. I love you, too. More than I ever could’ve imagined.”
“Liel,” Day’s eyes sparkled when she said his first name. “You can call me Zarah.”
* * * * *
As the hours and days went by, their meetings became steadily more desired than Liel had ever anticipated. Who knew this emotion of love could be so hard? Liel felt that their time together was simply not enough. He knew that they still had to complete their cycle’s around Earth, no matter what. But it was so difficult to leave her! For the thousandth time Liel wondered what it would be like to be a normal human being. Someone without cyclical responsibilities, and the ability to choose one’s own future, and- Ah. It was dangerous when he was in one of his particularly contemplative moods.
“Liel...” Zarah began, speaking into the silence of the twilight that they had created. “What if we could change?” Liel started and glanced in Zarah’s eyes briefly. It seemed he wasn’t the only one in a dangerously contemplative mood tonight.
“What if there was some way," She continued, "Some possibility that we could see each other more than we do? What if we could, I don’t know, become someone different!” Here hand gestures were getting more animated as she got excited about the idea, but Liel remained quiet. Those thoughts were dangerous. Really, there wasn’t anything that could be done about their love. The world kept chugging on around them, their jobs were getting done, and they did get to see each other even if it was just for a little bit. Right?
* * * * *
Liel had been sitting on their bench for a good twenty minutes now. His back straight, hair perfect, darkness all around him, and a thoroughly puzzled expression on his brow. He couldn’t help wondering what if. What if Zarah was right? What if there was a way, and they just had to find it? What if he could be with her forever and make Universe happy at the same time? Liel had never really considered actually coming up with an original idea. An idea that he, himself and him had created. It was absurd! Never had the thought even crossed his mind until now. But if ever there was a time to break the rules, it was now.
So Liel took a deep breath, and began to think of ideas... Or at least tried his hardest. The only things that went through his brain were the things that Universe had taught him. Every little detail. Had he honestly never had an original idea in his life? Liel stood and punched the bench, feeling his anger beginning to boil in his insides. He attempted to run his hand through his hair and racked his brains.
Slowly, ever so slowly, a small smile crept across Liel’s face as he remembered that he, Liel, at the beginning of his life had created a happy night. Universe had never told him to do that. Purely, of his own invention, he had made something that mortals could love.
And suddenly, there it was. Night jumped up from the park bench, his eyes widening. Yes, that could work!
“Yeaaaaaah!” He whooped. He didn’t care what Universe had to say about it. Liel punched the air and clicked his heels. Oh, and Zarah! She had to know! Night cast aside the fact that she had just left, and searched through his brain again. What could he do? He had finally found a solution, and gosh darn it, no way was he going to wait 12 hours to tell Day that they could be together.
And so, Night began running. Running in the absolute opposite direction he was supposed to. Running West. Running towards a destiny that he, himself, and him had created. Who cared if he was upsetting the balance of everything that had ever existed? Who cared if Universe would be angry with him? Who cared if it would make everyone on Earth confused? The only thing that mattered right now was Zarah.
He skidded past some civilians marveling at the sudden darkness, jumped over a few cars, and wove through buildings. Liel was aware of his conscience screaming that this was against his nature, but he chose not to heed it. This was his decision, and no matter how painful it was to go against everything he knew, Liel felt deep within his heart that it was the only way to get to Zarah before she reached the ocean.
It felt so foreign, so unnatural to be going West. Everything looked different, a little brighter. Sure, he’d seen all of these things a dozen times before, but now he could see them through Day’s perspective. He could see why she loved going West. He could see why she stopped at the little merchant shops to take a look. He could see why she loved the children. Going West was fantastic! Everyone was awake and lively!
Liel suddenly felt different. New. Improved. Better. No, he felt whole. There was a strange sense of freedom accompanied with being whole, and going West, and probably, he mused, with making his own decisions.
Night had finally come to the end of the city and was running across a beautiful wheat field that matched Zarah’s hair, when all of the sudden he slammed directly into something big, blue, and starry. Both of them went grunting and moaning to the ground.
“Mmph. Sorry.” Liel mumbled, massaging his head and stumbling to his feet. He still had to find Day, he still had to- Oh my. Liel’s eyes fixed on the person he had just bowled over, and he almost had a heart attack.
“Universe! Sir! I-I, um... Sorry sir, I have to go.” Liel stuttered, bowing and turning on his heels to begin running again.
“Liel Amaya Night, stay right where you are.” Universe’s almost hysteric, booming voice stopped Liel in his tracks.
“Liel, what on Earth are you doing?” Universe gasped, clumsily getting to his feet. “You're upsetting my beautiful balance, changing the course of Earth, and running West of all ways to go! What- Why... Don’t you realize what that is doing to my perfect world?” Universe’s arms were everywhere, gesturing here, gesturing there. It was almost as bad as the first time Liel had been late to his meeting with Zarah.
“And... And don’t you see that the mortals are confused, and the balance is completely gone? Everything is not as it should be, Liel, and it’s all your fault!”
Liel hung his head, then knit his eyebrows. He wouldn’t be backing down. Not this time. Not today. “Universe, sir, I respect you and your wishes, I really do. But sir, I’ve finally found a way for me and Zarah to be together, and we-”
“Zarah?” Universe’s eyebrows rose two inches higher than they already were. “How, Liel, do you know Day’s first name?”
Liel turned away, ashamed and frustrated. He was losing precious time.
“Sir,” he said, tugging on his earring, “I know her name because she told me. Sir, we love each other. Your balance won’t be upset for long if you will just let me leave.”
“What?! You... You... Liel. Haven’t I told you, in the strictest confidence, mind you, that you would never, ever, fall in love? Gah! This is not who you are, Liel. You’re better than this. You’re Night, my one child that I could always count on to keep things the way they are. You’re the one that I knew would never disobey me, and here you are, doing just that! Liel, you go East, you’re moody, you create Night, and you do not fall in love. That is just the way things are.”
Universe was wrong. For once in his life, Universe was totally and completely wrong. Liel did have the power to change. That wasn't just who he was anymore, and Liel would not tolerate it.
He looked directly into Universe's eyes. "No, Universe. That is not who I am, and that is not the way of things." Universe blinked and took a step back. Liel's conscience was burning, but he had tasted that freedom! He knew that there was more to life than simply mindlessly obeying everything that Universe said. Zarah had shown him that. "My plan, sir, is that instead of one of us going East and the other West, both of us will go North, and simply switch sides when it comes time. Then, sir, the different sides of earth will still be getting Night and Day, and me and Zarah can be together! It’s perfect!” Liel’s grin had gotten out of hand and he tried to contain it. “Please sir, let me go tell her.”
Universe blinked a few times, then frowned and stared at the distant mountains for an eternity. Liel rocked back and forth on his feet, tugged at his earring a little too hard and forced himself to fold his arms. He hoped Zarah wasn’t getting too far away.
Finally, Universe snapped his head down and stared at Liel for another eternity. Then, at long last, he spoke.
“I suppose your plan works, Liel.” He cleared his throat. “Now, ahem, let’s go find Zarah. Quickly, so as not to spook the mortals anymore.” Universe declared, giving Liel a condescending glare. Liel let out a sigh of exasperation and relief, shrugged his suit sport coat up higher, and turned West. Now, he had to find Zarah.
And so, together, Night and Universe ran across the world to find Day.
* * * * *
Liel took Zarah’s hand and grinned at her as they walked slowly Northward, darkness on one side, light on the other.
Zarah’s head was resting on Liel’s shoulder, causing sparks of happiness to blast through his body. Suddenly, Night missed her voice. Her laughter. She had been quiet for quite some time.
“Zarah, what is it that you’ve been thinking of these last few minutes?”
Zarah looked up at him with a smile on her face.
“I’ve only been contemplating our love, Liel. Do you remember when I wondered if people could change?”
Yes. Yes, he certainly remembered that. How could he not? It was the moment he had changed his destiny, after all. “Yes, I do.”
“Well, Liel, I’ve just decided. The possibilities are endless. Everyone has a chance to make their own destiny: Night does, Sky does, Dark does, Moon does. Even Universe does. If he chose to.” She giggled. “And that sense of possibility connects everyone. Even, if they’re as different as Night and Day.” She gave his hand a squeeze and and ran ahead to some children, and Liel knew that what she said was true. Nothing was just as it was. There was no one that was just who they were. The possibilities were endless.
