A Trick of the Light

The boy laid there snug in his bed, as warm as could be, when a bright light shined through his window. It illuminated the street while it bounced against the window. Tap, tap, tap.

He tossed and turned, his blanket stretching every which way, until he finally sat up and threw one of his pillows at the window.

With his eyes still closed the boy shushed the light as loud as he could, "Shh! It's bedtime."

The tapping stopped as the child collapsed back onto his bed trying to find the same warmth he had before with limited success.

Soon though, the pillow that he had thrown against the window hit him in the head.

He sat up immediately, fully awake now, his eyes darting around wondering what had happened. He looked at the door. His dad wasn't there. He looked at the closet. None of the monsters he was afraid of had come out.

But then the tapping started again. A bright, yellow light bouncing against his window.

The boy's eyebrows furled in anger and with all his might he threw the pillow again. To his surprise, the light caught it. Caught it straight through the window. Then the light tossed it back at the child's head.

He was fully awake now. And he knew they were playing a game. The blanket was tossed aside and fell onto the floor as the boy collected both his pillows and pounced onto the ground.

He crouched down and smiled at the light and throw a pillow. Then he threw the second one immediately after.

Right as the light caught the first pillow, it threw it back and then the light did the same with the second pillow.

The boy smiled as the game continued for a few minutes. He'd throw a pillow and the light would throw the pillow back.

Eventually, the light stopped catching the pillows and kept tapping against the window. Tap, tap, tap. The boy looked around confused until he noticed where the light was tapping. The window locks.

The boy rushed the window and stood on his toes. He slumped his left shoulder and raised his right hand as high as he could. His middle finger could barely graze the handle of the window lock, but the boy was determined. He was going to play with the light.

Time passed by as the boy would get tired and take a little break. Then he would go back on his tiptoes, reach, and move the handle a small amount. Soon, it unlocked and the boy did what he had seen his dad do many times. He pushed the bottom of the window until a cool breeze hit against his forehead. He toppled over.

And the ball of light came rushing in. It bounced all over the place. Against the walls, the ceiling, the doors, and finally rested on the boy's bed. The boy got up and collected his pillows. And the game began again.

Cool summer air filled the room as the boy and the light both bounced on the bed and tossed the pillow to each other.

But after a few tosses, the light went from a warm, soothing color into a ominous red. Not that the boy noticed. He was all smiles and laughter as he threw the pillow.

And the light seemed all the more happy to keep throwing the pillow back.

Throwing it in a different direction, but it didn't matter. The boy always caught the pillow. He looked proud when catching it too.

The first throw was low and the boy had to stop jumping on the bed.

The second was off the bed entirely. They were playing on the floor now.

The third throw forced the boy to have his back against the window. The light turned a darker red.

Finally, the fourth throw was too high. Way too high for a poor child to catch. But he did try. Reached out his hands, stood on his tiptoes. He did his best.

And though the boy was too short, although the window pane should have stopped him, even though the window wasn't all the way up...

The boy fell threw the window onto the ground below.

And the red light flickered a warm, yellow once more time before it all went dark.