There was something strange about the man living next door. He's been very quiet, which all seems to be normal around these blocks. We've exchanged a few words at times, and nothing's seems wrong with him. However, I woke up this night, to what I thought was the lightning. A flash was, coming from the neighbor's window. I looked towards his windows, to make sure it wasn't just a bad dream. It took at least five minutes before it came again. This time it scared me senseless. A flash so bright it came out, through the walls of his house. It took me at least another five minutes, to regain sight. I could not move and, I could not think. For hours I looked out the window. Sleeping was out of the schedule at this point. I would have to wait for the next night to come. The first thought I remember was to call the cops, but I'm not that much of a coward. I would have to ask my friendly neighbor about the event last night, before action.
As a standard treatment for sleepless nights, I made myself some waffles the next morning. My neighbor usually wakes up quite late, and you'd never really see him leave for work. All that he's been saying about it is that in another life, he might have been more fortunate. Unemployed as well, which is quite strange for this area to be. But he's been getting a lot of money from his long-lost parents when they died, making it less strange. Apparently, his parents used to be working for the NASA, and it runs in his family to be working there. His latest assignment backfired, and his boss fired him for it. This invention was, understandably classified for the public, so I would not know anything about it. Maybe it had something to do with the light that I saw? Was he an alien? No, he could not have been! I'm not a superstitious person, but even I began to have my doubts about reality after last night.
The day passed by, and finally, he went out to his backyard. He had this usual routine to have one beer before turning on the lawnmower, you know, like regular people. I decided to fetch a beer from the fridge and join him, for another daily talk. Regus only talked to me. It was hard not to feel bad for him. For his dead parents and all. For being fired, and god knows what else.
"Hey there, Regus!"
"Howdy Mike! Spying again, are we?"
"Haha, you know me. I'm a curious guy, you know?"
"Oh well... Anyway, you look like shit, man! What's happened?
"That's what I wanted to ask you, man."
"Ask me what?"
I collected my senses and my thoughts before I decided to tell him everything. The flashes I saw, coming through his walls and how it scared me senseless. How I was blinded and how I couldn't sleep or move from the same spot by the window, where I was standing. I even told him about my initial thought to call the police and I also told him why I did not do so.
"...And this is why I was waiting for you to go outside, Regus.
Could you explain this to me? "
"To make a long story short, Mike... What you saw, was much
brighter than the sun. I am surprised you're still able to see."
"It sure as hell was brighter than anything I've seen, but what was that?"
"The question you should be asking is: Why? You explained to me
that you weren't able to see for five minutes. Have you ever wondered why?"
"Because it was bright as hell?"
"Yes, but more importantly what happened when you were blind?"
"I don't know...?"
"All electricity was wiped out. And not only here, the whole earth felt it.
If you don't believe me, watch the news or ask your microwave."
He was right. We walked into his house, and he turned on the television. It was all over the news. Billions of people who had to reset their timers. The banks were having, a not so minor crisis. The NASA interestingly blamed the sun and its solar winds. A lot of people having a day off from work, because its systems required electricity at all times. It was hard to take it all in. We sat on his sofa for a while after the news. He looked at me attentively and asked me this question that I'll never forget.
"Do you want to travel faster the time, to the second earth where you once lived?"
"..."
"This is the last invention they never destroyed.
I am going back to see my parents. Do you want to see my invention?"
"No thanks, Regus. No thanks"
Shaken and confused I walked home and went to bed.
In retrospect, I wanted to say goodbye.
That was the last time I saw him.
This is my entry for the twentyfourhourshortstory contest by @mctiller.
Have fun and keep writing =)
