(My inspiration for this: Air)

And there he stood; Night, his demeanor as brilliant as Day, but in a darker way. His hair a shimmering black, like the abyss of the universe's backyard glittering with the tiny lives of the stars that littered it. His eyes the deepest blue you could ever imagine, deeper than the color of the sky that was named for him. And to contradict the rest of his appearance, his skin shone pale, as pale as the full moon reflected off a black lake. At first glance you'd think nothing, because you'd have to do a double take. It was then that you would see his true beauty. But still, many fear him, because of what he hides; because of the unknown dangers that lurk in the depths of his personality. But not I. I saw the true him. Not only did he hide dangers, but he hid the greatest beauty of the world beneath his demeanor: kindness. I approached him, but he did not move.

I had not called for him. And he looked almost like any other man. So...how do I know it is him? Instincts, maybe. A gut feeling, some might call it. I don't even know what's driving me to approach him. I do not know this man called Night. I have no business with him. But, he is, mysterious. He holds such an intriguing air about him that I cannot help but to approach. To see what he will do. "Hello?" I call to him. His only response is a light tilt of the head. Can he speak? I think. He must be able to, right? I move a bit closer, but out of something that felt like fear, I stop before I get too close. "Are you the one they call Night?" I ask. Still, he does not respond.

How is it that such a creature could come to roam this earth? Though he looked the part, I knew that he was not human. No man could hold the air that this one did. Silent, mysterious, dangerous; Yet calm, cool, and kind. Everything about this man contradicts itself. I want to know more about him, but he doesn't seem to want to speak with me. As if he sensed my hesitation, and my lack of fear, he approaches me and kneels down so that he is at eye level with me. And as I see his eyes, they remind me of the never-ending boundaries of the universe. They seem so...empty. I cannot help but feel bad for this soul, because I can sense his loneliness. Others must have avoided him in the past, because he does not seem to hold an air of familiarity with humans about him. Aside from that, he did seem confused when I first chose to approach him.

"Do you not fear me small one?" He asks suddenly, after having looked into my eyes silently for a good few seconds, as if he'd been trying to read me. I shake my head with the same silence he held before. "Why?"

I blink. This confuses me a bit. "Why should I?" I respond.

"I house the great dangers that live in this world. Do you not fear such dangers?" At this point, he looks about as confused as I feel.

I do not understand this creature. The thought of what he just said had crossed my mind earlier, but I had to rethink it after I realized why he was treated as he was. "You do not house the dangers," I say. "They invade your home."

This seems to amuse him, as suddenly he smiles at me. "You are a naive child. How do you know that I did not invite them in?" he retorts.

"Invite them in? Why'd you do something like that? You don't look dangerous, why invite danger into your home?" I ask. So, perhaps I am a little naive. Well excuse me for thinking the world can be a good place.

"Looks can be deceiving," he tells me. I've heard that line before. Many times before actually. He stands up, and I notice as he does so, how he towers over me. "But you are right. I am not a very dangerous person, and danger does invade my home. Sadly, there is nothing I can do about this." He is still smiling as he tells me this, as if he was at peace with that little fact.

Though, as this encounter drags on, I start to wonder something. If this man is not human, what is he? I suddenly realize something astonishing. I am standing in front of a god. Rather, there is a god standing in front of me. And up until this moment, I had not realized it. I should have realized it. "Why can't you kick it out?"

"Because, it will keep coming back." I don't understand it. Why can't danger invade Day's home? Again I realize something. Night is making a sacrifice for the good of his counterpart. He is feared so that Day can live being loved. Though, I think he is unaware that he is also loved, for the beauty he brings to the world.

"You are very brave," I say. "To allow danger to stay in your home."

He shakes his head. "No. I am doing what is necessary, nothing more." He pauses. "Why are you here?" he asks.

"Why am I...?" I look around and understand what he means. I am in the middle of a forest. And...I don't remember how or why I came to be there. "I...don't know." The sky is still dark, but there are coming signs of light in the distance as I hear what sounds like birds chirping.

He sees this also and turns away from me. "I must depart. May you find peace in the day," he says. I try to run after him, but when I blink he is gone.


The phone rings, waking me up. It's a chirping like ring, not unlike what I heard moments earlier. I answer and am informed of a murder downtown, and told that I should get to the crime scene right away. I look at the clock after hanging up. It's three am. I look out my window at the stars and remember my dream. And like that, I forget my fear of the night.