Red Light

[Aardvark]

The red streetlight had been there for as long as we could remember. For years, it had cast it's crimson glow on it's little part of the road, a mere sidestreet, but still a main thoroughfare for pedestrians. It stood proud and tall, alone on it's little stretch, the surrounding streetlights being afraid of illuminating themselves anywhere near it. In actuality, vandals had taken them out and more complaints needed to be filed before anyone in the council would think about having them fixed. But no need to spoil a good myth with something as silly as the truth.

 

My friends and I lived in Eastview. When I say friends, though, I really mean other kids on my street who let me play with them for fear their mothers would cut off their allowance if mine started complaining. This made me feel wonderful, as I was the quiet tagalong and they wouldn't let me forget it. We all lived in double income families, both parents off to work to keep the families going. Not a rich area by any standards, but a nice one. Medium density suburban housing, close enough to the city to cut down on transit times, but far enough away from both the outer and inner suburbs to escape the riffraff. The perfect neighbourhood to raise a family, really. But thanks to most people's parents working 'til late, it was usually well after dark before anyone was called in for dinner.

 

Some nights, we would all go to the street and stare at the red light. It was scarier during new moon, when the sky was pitch black and the glow seemed to creep up slowly on us. Many speculated why the light was red and why it was isolated like it was. Most stories involved murderers, vampires, genetic monsters and all sorts of fiction. Once, I suggested it could be merely because the council workers ran out of white lights. All this got were laughs, jeers and dares to go stand in the streetlight. Something I'd never done. Something none of us would ever dare do. Occasionally, one of us would get close, but then turn and run, swearing he saw something flitting about in the air nearby. We'd all laugh and taunt whoever it was, but all of us would sleep with the covers over our heads that night.

 

One day, I traveled down that street after school. Mother had asked I pick up a few things from the petrol station a few streets beyond it, in Westlake. I knew where the place was well enough, but I wanted to swing by the Oceanic Scene arcade. Most kids went there for the latest fighting games. I was one of the few who was addicted to pinball. This is where my pocket money usually went. Today was only an exception in that I finally earned the hundred million required for a replay. Then I hit the upper ramp 3 times on the trot and won another replay from the pick-a-box game I was rewarded with. This would've finished it for me, but on my last credit, I matched up the two numbers and got a third replay. When I'd used this one up, the sun had set.

 

Knowing my mother would be home soon, I walked with speed and purpose. First stop was the petrol station to pick up the milk, eggs and newspaper she'd asked me to get. I had enough left over for chocolate, which I also got, thoughtfully disposing of the incriminating receipt in a convenient bin. Then I set off on my alternate route. The long route. The one that avoided the light. It was before coming to this route that I encountered trouble.

 

Trouble came in the form of Westlake kids. All territorial bullies, they would mercilessly hound any of us in their turf alone. They'd never touch us in pairs or more, just give us deathstares from afar. But if we ever had the misfortune of crossing them solo... well, that's where our track and field prowess came from. There were three of them. Your stereotypical thug, extra chunky, was the "leader" (If you don't do what I say, I'll fump you). The other two were rather pathetic and wouldn't have given me a second glance if they'd been alone. One tall blonde kid, too skinny to be a threat, the other a fat little asian. But there were more of them than me. That was the important thing

 

"Oooooh, looky what we have here! A little Eastview kid, crossing our turf," Spoke the ogre. "And I don't think he's paid the Westlake tax, do you?"

 

The thug's asian companion replied,

 

"No, I think he owes money."

 

I kept walking, crossing the road to get away from them.

 

"Hey, get back here, you. We're talking to you!" The words from the blonde kid caused me to quicken my pace.

 

"GET HIM!"

 

At this, I broke into a full run.

 

The three kids chased me. I took turns I'd never seen before, diving into dark alleys I'd gotten good feelings about, jumping over bins in my way, smiling as I heard a crash and curse seconds behind me. I had no idea where I was going, just that I was going away from them. I didn't dare look back. They hadn't caught me yet, that was enough. I turned another corner, ran another hundred meters, then tripped. I never found out what I tripped on, but it wasn't important. Slightly more important was my grazed wrist and scraped knee. Greatly more important were the broken eggs (11 out of 12, I later discovered). Critically important were my pursuers. I turned and looked.

 

The fat little asian was nowhere to be seen. The bin must've got him. The thug and the blonde were there. Both had stopped on the corner. Both were staring at me. Both had looks of utter horror on their faces.

 

It was then I noticed the red glow engulfing me. I looked up.

 

I'd never been so underwhelmed in my life.

 

I stood, dusted myself off, picked up the bag and made my way home, ignoring the chattering of the two bullies.

 

Mum, after noticing my blood-coated arm and leg, didn't mind the broken eggs. Infact, she hadn't thought I'd get them at all, so had gotten her own on her way home from work.

 

The next day, everyone looked at me differently. Few people talked to me, but that was nothing unusual. What was unusual was they weren't ignoring me. Everyone I walked past stood and stared at me, whispering to their friends. I later found out from someone that one of my neighbours had seen the whole thing from the moment I turned onto the street, right to me tripping over.

 

That night, I returned to the street. The light was gone. In it's place, a proud white light shone, it's one more illuminated neighbours joining it in bathing it's portion of the street in a warm, comfortable glow.

 

And the Westlake kids who were standing on the opposite streetcorner turned and ran when they saw me.

[WrenWind]

Good story . I found myself running with you down the street .