Zeitgeber

(noun TSYTE-gay-ber)

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Never go out after sunrise.

It was our most important rule. Along with lock the doors. Shutter the windows.

The house had gone to bed, but I lay awake as I often do, thinking about what could be going on beyond the stone walls of our home. What happened out there during the day? Why couldn't we even look out the windows? I'd asked mother many times before, but her answer was always the same.

"I'll tell you when you're older."

My teachers would say the same.

"You'll learn later. You're too young now."

The kids at school had their theories. The daywalkers were hideous. They were monsters. They were violent. They ate nosy children.

A faint click down the hall, the front door closing, familiar footsteps. Slipping out of bed, I opened my door as quietly as I could and collided with the person now passing my room. They returned my hug.

"What are you still doing up, young lady?" Dad asked. "It's nearly moonrise.”

"What did you do today? What was it like? What are these for?" I produced a pair of odd glasses I found under a side table. They had dark lenses for some reason and made the artificial lights shine rainbows when I looked through them.

He chuckled. "Do you actually want answers or do you have more questions to ask?"

"Sorry." I gave a sheepish grin.

"Well, to answer in order: I did my usual work, it was normal, and those are for blocking out sunlight to protect your eyes."

Sunlight. They'd told us about sunlight in school. It fed the plants we grew and warmed our planet. I'd marveled at a shaft of sunlight once, breaking through a small crack in one of our shutters before mother repaired it.

Before I could comment on the vagueness of his other answers, he led me back into my room.

"Now go back to bed before your mother finds out you've been up all night."

"But I want to know." I whined.

"You'll find out when you're older."

I folded my arms with a huff as I sat on the edge of my bed.

"Everyone says that. When will I be 'old enough'? It's not fair that you get to go between day and night and I never do."

He sighed, crouching before me. “I know it’s frustrating. You just need to be patient.” I shot him a glare as he stood again. “Now get some sleep, at least. You have school tonight.”

Grumbling, I flung myself backward on the bed, my arms still folded across my chest. It was lying there in the dark, listening to my dad go through his usual routine getting ready for bed, that the decision settled in my head.

If no one would tell me about it, I would find out for myself.

It took me nearly a week to gather all the supplies I believed I needed, written down on a paper I kept on me at all times. It had five things on it that I deemed most important.

First: Snacks, carefully half-eaten and meticulously hidden in a plastic baggie in my backpack each day.

Second: A map. There was one in my history book that showed the layout of the city when they built it back in the day, long before I was born. Back when the world flipped. I knew my way to school and the surrounding area, but once I got into the ruins, I would need something to guide me.

Third: A notebook, to document my findings. Of course, I would have to hide it when I got back, but I had that figured out already. There was a loose floorboard in my room and inside I kept a small box of random things I’d found, things that Mom wouldn’t like for me to have. Like my lucky snakeskin.

Fourth: The glasses with the dark lenses. I had no idea how they would keep the sunlight from hurting me, but it was better to be safe than sorry, or so they say.

Fifth and most importantly: The keys.

I wouldn’t get very far if I didn’t have the keys.

Dad had a set, since he worked with Daylight Research and Co. They spent their days researching… something in the daytime. It was all very secretive and Dad would never tell us anything about what he was doing. Only that it was very important.

Finally, the day had come. Everything was ready. My backpack was stuffed with my half-eaten survival food, the page I’d ripped from my textbook was folded neatly in the cover of my notebook with a pen hooked to the front, and the glasses were tucked away in a side pocket. All I needed now was the keys. I’d chosen today for a very special reason.

Today was Dad’s day off. The only day I could snag his keys without him noticing their absence.

I just had to wait out the night.

It was not easy. As the night dragged on, I would get antsy and have to get up to walk around. My homework couldn’t keep my attention and it took me twice as long as normal. I didn’t take in a single word at dinner. After, we played a game like we always did. And while that did take my mind off the impending expedition, the hovering of my adventure-to-come caused me to lose. Twice.

Finally, it was time for bed.

I had to go to bed first, of course. Apparently, children needed more sleep, but I had to disagree. Mom and Dad were always tired. I always took a good hour or two to fall asleep. And then I often woke up before everyone else. If you ask me, it should be the adults that go to bed early, and the kids that can stay up and play. I watched the clock as I lay in bed, fully clothed, and waited until I could be sure that they were both asleep.

One minute passed.

Another minute passed.

A third minute passed.

So I went, watching the minutes on the clock change, each minute seeming longer than the last. I was sure that time was slowing down, trying to stop me from doing what I had to do.

Ten minutes in, I slipped out of bed and double-checked my bag. Snacks, check. Map, check. Notebook, check. Glasses, check.

I followed this routine about every ten minutes until the clock read 1100. Mom and Dad would surely be deep asleep by now, as would the rest of the Night World. Opening my door as slowly as I could, I tiptoed into the hall and paused.

Silence.

Setting my bag by the front door, I made my way through the house, maneuvering through the minefield of squeaky floorboards until I stood before my parents’ bedroom door. Putting my ear against the wood, I listened.

Silence.

As I lay my hand on the door handle, I ran through the plan in my head. Dad kept his keys on a lanyard that he wore around his neck. He would set them in a little glass dish my Mom had placed on her dresser to keep it from being scratched. All I had to do was sneak across the room, pick them out of the glass dish without hitting the sides, and get out without waking my parents. Simple.

Turning the handle and pushing the door open, I froze almost immediately as a small squeak came from the hinges. Every muscle tight, I glanced at the bed. Mom and Dad were still asleep. At least near as I could tell in the darkness. Swallowing back my sudden doubts, I took a step into the room.

Then another.

And another.

So far so good. I had made it about halfway across the room, right in front of my parents bed, when I stepped on a loose floorboard I hadn’t known about and it let out the loudest squeal I’d ever heard in my short life. Dropping like a rock, I curled up on the floor at the foot of my parents’ bed.

“Mm?” came my mom’s voice. There was a long pause. At one point, I thought maybe she had fallen back asleep, but then the bed creaked.

Covers whispered as they were pulled back.

The floor creaked slightly as she set her feet on the ground.

Footsteps.

Closer.

Closer.

I hugged my knees to my chest, trying to disappear into the darkness of the shadows.

She appeared before me, standing there for a moment, staring at the open door to her bedroom. Would she turn around? Would she see me?

But instead, she simply slipped out of the room, heading down the hall. I waited for the bathroom door to click closed before I dared to peek over the end of the bed. Dad was still fast asleep. Good.

Moving as quickly as I dared, I crossed the rest of the room to the dresser. There they were.

The keys.

As delicately as I could, I grabbed the lanyard.

I raised them a little.

They clinked on the side.

I checked over my shoulder to see Dad still sleeping.

Three more times I had to pause and check if Dad was still asleep, but finally, the keys were clear of the glass dish. Carefully wrapping my hand around the keys themselves, I hurried to make my way out of the room again before Mom came back from the bathroom. I heard the bathroom door open and dove around the corner. She came up the hallway and went back into her room, closing the door behind her.

Taking a relieved breath, I could finally begin my expedition in earnest.

I slipped my backpack on, put on my shoes, turned the lock, placed my hand on the knob of the front door and paused for one last moment.

Don’t go out after sunrise.

Lock the doors.

Shutter the windows.

This was my last chance to turn back. I thought about every warning, every rule that I’d been told. And then each sidestep, each topic change, each ‘you’re too young’ popped into my head. No one was going to tell me. I had to find out for myself.

So, with renewed conviction, I opened the door and stepped out into the bright light of midday. Squinting, I closed the door and slipped the glasses on. I marveled at the colors around me, more vibrant than I’d ever seen, even through the dark lenses.

The clock in town chimed the top of the hour, reminding me I had limited time and I hadn’t taken even one step away from my front door.

Making sure no one was around, I began making my way through town, the empty streets echoing every step I took. My shoulders grew tense. I’d never seen the world so empty before. And certainly never so quiet. When I went to school, there was this constant din, conversations lingering at the edge of understanding, vehicles crunching along the roads, merchants trying to get your attention. Now it was as if the whole world had decided to hold its breath, all at once.

I made it to the fence without a problem and began walking along it to find the gate. I had stood at the fence before, staring out into the world of ruin beyond. In the dark, you could only make out vague shapes in the distance. Now, I could see the rubble clearly for the first time. Stone and metal and wood jutted from the earth in shapes reminiscent of buildings. But there was plant life, too. Spots of green were taking over the debris, creating a new kind of jungle.

The gate was a few feet ahead of me now. Pausing to check again I was alone, I pulled out Dad’s keys. I didn’t even have to guess which key it was. Every other key on the lanyard was normal, brass or iron or something in between. The gate key, however, was bright blue with a red line running along the side. An electronic strip, I assumed; something to help prevent someone from unlocking the gate via lockpick. As far as I knew, no one had ever snuck out before.

I slipped the key into the lock, vibrating with excitement as it turned. The gate swung open and I stepped through.

A little disappointed that nothing felt different the moment I walked through, I made my way into the ruins. The walls were slimy, the air smelled musty, and the rocks were hot from the sun. Deeper and deeper into the ruins I went, looking through empty doorways and climbing over collapsed roofs. I would pause every once in a while to mark down a landmark on my map, which was woefully inaccurate so far, and sketch some of the ruins.

As the town clock chimed another hour in the distance, I stopped with a huff. Aside from a few critters I’d startled, there was nothing here. I was sitting on an old stone bench nibbling a chocolate chip cookie and contemplating going home when I heard a low moan.

Tracking the new sound, I turned a corner and froze.

At first I thought it was a man, standing in the middle of an overgrown courtyard. But then it swayed a bit and shimmered. A human-like body made entirely of black goo, see-through enough I could almost make out the shapes behind it. It turned its head with another low moan and I saw that it didn’t really have a face. Instead, there was a white splat, as if someone had taken a cup of paint and tossed it at the creature’s head.

I shifted my weight, making a twig snap. The creature’s head snapped up, ‘looking’ at me. It took a step towards me and I backed up, bumping into a wall. It stopped, tilting its head as it analyzed me.

What would I do if it attacked me?

Was I fast enough to get back to the gate before it got me?

It let out a little chirp that made me jump.

“H-hey, there.” I said, my voice shaking. Another chirp, another step forward. I threw my hands up in front of me. “Hold on! Just stay there, okay?”

It tilted its head the other way.

My heart was pounding in my ears. Now what? If I moved, it might follow me. If I shouted, maybe I could scare it off. But then, the courtyard was closed in and I was standing by the only entrance.

A small snap pulled me from my thoughts and I jumped, returning my attention to the creature. It was holding a hand out to me, a flower delicately pinched between its pointed fingers. When I didn’t move, it stretched out a little more.

Cautiously, I reached out and took the flower. It let go and crouched down, watching me.

“Are you giving this to me?”

It chirped, swaying back and forth a little as if happy.

I rolled the flower in my hand for a second. “Thank you.”

Another chirp.

When I was relatively sure it would stay there, I dug my notebook out and tried to do a quick sketch of it. Unsatisfied with the first one, I did another. Finished with my rendition, I turned the notebook around for it to see. It tilted its head and chirped again.

In the distance, another hour chimed.

If I stayed out too much longer, I wouldn’t get back before my parents woke up. I straightened, the creature stood.

“I have to go, okay?”

It cocked its head.

I slipped my backpack back on and stepped back around the corner. The creature started to follow.

“No, no. You can’t follow me. I have to go home.”

A chirp, but I don’t think it really understood what I was saying. I continued walking, it continued to follow. After the first couple of tries, I stopped trying to talk to it.

A growl stopped me in my tracks. Looking back, I saw the creature scramble away. If it hadn’t been the one that growled, what had?

The clack of pebbles falling to my left.

Then behind me.

Then my right.

Something was circling.

I could see the fence through the ruined buildings. I wasn’t far, if I took a shortcut though the ruins themselves instead of taking the broken roads.

Another fall of pebbles.

I decided to take the chance and bolted, levering myself through a broken window. Whatever it was followed, easily keeping pace with me as I ran for my life. I launched through another window only to find the road several feet farther away than it should have been. Instead of planting my feet on solid ground, my shin slammed into the top edge of a wall. I bounced back and landed hard on my butt at the bottom of a ditch.

My pursuer landed safely above me on the road, coiling around to gaze down at me.

Unlike the creature that gave me the flower, this one stalked on all fours, sharp claws digging into the cement. Where the other seemed smooth, this one was sharp, the edges constantly shifting around. And instead of the white paint splat, its face was nothing but a giant mouth full of jagged teeth.

It looked like it was smiling.

With a snarl, it opened its mouth and showed an inky nothing inside. It launched itself off the edge of the road.

I screamed.

Something flew in from the side and slammed into the monster. It took a moment, but I realized it was the creature from before. My friend wrapped its long arms around the monster, raising up its struggling form and slamming it against the ground. The monster got a few good cuts in.

The loud thump of heavy boots made me yelp and I struggled against the strong arms that scooped me up.

“Shh, it’s okay. It’s just me.”

I looked up through tears to discover Dad, carrying me and running through the remaining ruins. I looked over his shoulder as we headed for the fence. The ruins that had been nothing but bland stone and regrowing plants when I entered them, were now teeming with creatures of all shapes and sizes, watching us. All of them were that same see-through black.

Back on the other side of the fence with the gate locked, Dad slowed his pace.

“Dad, I…”

He shook his head. “Wait.”

We stayed quiet the rest of the way home. I didn’t even dare to speak as he set me down at the table and locked the front door. Mother stood nearby, watching with fear in her eyes. Dad kneeled down before me.

“Are you hurt?” His voice was even, almost calm. I would have preferred him to yell. At least then you knew precisely how angry he was. “Did you touch any of them?”

The question caught me off guard and I shook my head.

“Are you sure?”

I nodded. I had been very careful not to touch the creature when I took the flower, too scared to risk brushing against its skin.

Dad nodded and retrieved our first-aid kit. He began bandaging my bloody leg without another word. As he finished, I finally found my voice.

“What are those things?”

“They used to be people and animals.”

“What?” I thought back to the man-like creature and the monster, which thinking back, seemed rather like a giant cat. “What happened to them?”

He leaned back on his heels with a sigh. “We don’t really know. Some say it’s a disease, others claim it’s a bioweapon. There used to be a few who believe it to be evolution, but they aren’t around anymore.”

“Why does it matter if I touched them?” I asked, suddenly doubting myself. Had I brushed against it?

“We think that’s how it spreads.”

“Can we help them?”

He gave me a small smile. “That’s what I research. We’re trying to figure out where it came from, how to cure it, and, failing that, how to get rid of them.”

“How come I’ve never noticed them before?”

Mom placed two cups of water on the table. I couldn’t help but notice her avoiding touching me. Dad sat at the table and took a drink before answering.

“They only seem to come out during the day. And even if they were out at night, we couldn’t see them.”

“But what about the fence? If it keeps them out, why do we stay in during the day? Wouldn’t it be better to be in the light?”

“Sometimes they’re able to get in the fence. We can’t risk an outbreak.” He turned back to me. “Which is why the three of us are going to stay in this house for the next week. We have to make sure you’re not infected.” He took my hands in his. “Listen, you can never tell anyone what happened. We’ll report that we’ve all come down with the flu. If they find out, we’ll all be thrown out of town.”

My heart raced. We could lose our home, have to leave. I didn’t want that.

I nodded.

“Never speak of it again. Promise?”

I nodded.

“Good. Now get to bed.”

I nodded.

In my room, I curled up on my bed, staring blankly at the wall, imagining the creatures in the shadows. Each throb of my shin reminded me of the monster, its snarling teeth and sharp claws. The memory alone was enough to make me shiver. But then I thought of the creature that gave me the flower. It had been curious, kind.

It had once been a human being and it had saved me.

And over the years, no matter how hard I tried, I could not forget that creature. My friend, who gave me the simple little flower I now keep pressed between the pages of a faded old notebook.

The source of my new interests.