The Sound Of The Night

A story I wrote one night. My friend was keeping watch in his house,which became the inspiration to the story.

The Sound Of The Night
Written By Jonathan Iglesias
I watched from above as midnight was drawing near. The day had been cold, food had been non-existing,I only wish they would come for me. Nothing had prepared me for this moment, I always felt deserted in my life, but now, I knew what true loneliness was like. It had probably been 3...no was it 4 years since I last saw another human being. Not just humans,I had really seen anything alive whatsoever.

I’ve waited, and waited, and waited, I wonder what’s taking them so long. The ground below the tower was at rest, no noise, not even the sound of the trees rustling against winter air. At least I thought it was winter, I’ve lost track. The trees some nights, it was almost as if they were singing.

Midnight finally rolled into bed, the worst part of any day. Sleep had been little to non-existent, like everything else,I’ve lost track. I always had to focus on something more familiar in order to feel safe, as I was thrown into a world that was alien to me. I remembered the songs mother used to sing for me when I was child, how much I loved that song. I don’t know how it went, though the rhythm is all familiar.

I felt a cold moisture on my face, no realization that I was crying. It had been all to long since this last happened. It was the third day into this hell, the journal has it all documented, that is until day 58, but yes the last time I remember crying was on day 3, this was after I realized no one was coming to save me, something which has stuck to me till this day.

Do they hate me? Am I forever destined to be without anyone? It was always these really impractical thoughts that came to mind, they serve no purpose, but to stall me. I can’t really help but let them get the better of me at times though. I can’t help it....at this point I don’t care I just want to die, though I can’t this isn’t the end....this can’t be it!

Let’s recall what happened all the way back to day 58. A day like any other really, I was “enjoying” what I could. The day was sunny, the air was cool, I had something to keep my energy up, something was terribly Of though. I looked through my journal, noticing each day I was coming closer to the very end. Writing down what had happened like any day, everything was normal, just that one difference though, just that one thing. I had lost one of my only ways of staying sane. No pencils either, always preferring to use pen was my downfall.

For old times sake, I might as well look at the journal again. Day 1 was when I got to this place. A tower very far away from civilization, what remained of civilization at least. It was the only day I genuinely smiled throughout this whole period of time. The reason I stated was,”It’s nice to see wildlife, the innocence it contains, what we used to perceive the world as when we were children, which was violated when we neared adulthood.”

The fact I wrote this reminds me that I also wrote poems, made sketches, and tried to replicate art I’d seen before. I was never really much of a writer, being in absolute isolation made all the ideas come to mind I presume.

At first I was absolutely horrified of being out here in the wild. I was a scary thought to many, but it’s how we originally lived before we all decided to settle down.

I like looking through these pages to see what I can catch. Ah, day 6 was my first day hunting. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to taking the life of any creature to survive.

Day 6
Today has been very productive, the water in the nearby stream is safe for consumption. Made a makeshift bow, and a couple of arrows, I knew the knife would come in handy. Unsuccessful when trying to go after the deer I kept seeing. I lost most of the arrows except 2. Finally it was time, I found my prey, a wild turkey, it’s screams of pain made me feel like I had murdered one of my own, even though the meat was great.
Surprising I didn’t cry when I killed my first turkey, it was almost like if I would have. Not much changed from day to day, but when they did, it wasn’t a big difference, but at least it felt like something else.

I only recently started watching overhead on this tower. I just wanted to get a better look at the outside world, and how they live like at night. It’s interesting how much we mirror these creatures. In the end though we are just like them, we just think differently.

Flipping through more,I drew starry night, though it turned out to look horrific. Like something out of the deepest of someone’s nightmares, It should have come out that way in all honesty. I HAVE been living that nightmare.

Wild Dogs barked from below, they probably sniff my scent. I don’t have a strong odor, but it’s different than mostly everyone else’s. I wonder if I stole their prey.

Day 58
I collected the rainwater that has fallen over these last few hours. Enough for a week. Better cover them well though, mosquitoes have breed in them before. I caught a bird that was eating some berries. I’ve been thinking about breeding, it’s not safe though, not with those things out there.

I had tried to forgot about the,”things.” No real use though, if I stayed up long enough I always heard them, whatever they were,I’ll probably hear them tonight as well. I can only describe them as familiar, yet so unknown. I caught a glimpse one night, I stared at it for long. It was normal until one of them looked back.

The downstairs door, it sounds unhinged. I better go down and have a look.

A bobcat enters the area, mostly harmless to me. The door was unhinged, the lock had been opened. This was only for emergencies, but I took out the rifle that had been stocked away, some ammunition for it remained.

The Night,What an interesting sight, some call it romantic, some don’t care at all, I just wish one day, something similar would happen to put an end to us all.

I’m not sure what was worse, living with the population or without. Either way, you’ll always end up the same way.
I rambled on about with these thoughts, part of me felt as if the were ridiculous and unnecessary. The other part of me made me feel important when I said these, I always wanted to be a somebody.

The further I went down the path, the more paranoid I grew. It was logical, out in the wilderness anything can happen. It was then when I heard it.

The shriek of a human voice, or at least I thought, could it be? Could it not be? I tried to be cautious, the flashlight I had with me grew dimmer. The darkness, I felt it MOCKING ME, I wanted to escape, but not before I found the source.

Then I stopped, there in front of me was the source. A boar, being decapitated, by those....things. I wanted to run, I wanted to scream, I felt like shooting.
One of them inched its way towards me, my heart, it was racing faster than any point in my entire life.

Forgetting everything I ran, I didn't care anymore, I ran for the only place I knew as home. Home, the only place where you truly feel you belong. I had arrived, I felt like it was the best feeling I've had in forever, the feeling of safety.

Before I closed the gate, I heard a deer run away. The innocence of the creature, at least it will retain it even until death, unlike me. It felt like an eternity since day 58, maybe it had been.

One thing I never was, was grateful for what I had. I had a tower I found after trying to find shelter. A small tower, the tools I found, the plastic barrels. It felt to convenient, even though it didn't contain everything necessary to live off.
One thought that raced through my head all of a sudden, I'm not insane, am I? Locking the door, checking around for anything that might seem out of the ordinary.

I went up to where I looked down upon the land. Even though it felt like mere seconds, Dawn was drawing near. It was ready to enlighten upon me. I see the bobcat from earlier, sitting close to the edge.

My journal, flung face down on the ground. No worries for now. I pet the bobcat, could this be the first companion I'll have in a longshot? I do not know.

I remember once again the song my mother used to sing for me, it was to put me to bed. It wasn't memorable, but I think I'm starting to remember some things.
Don't you worry little one, for the sunlight will come, all the fright around will be gone, on this lovely day, but before the day, we must pay our due to mrs. Lune.

The final part seems to make no sense, but it's for children, its for our imagination not our knowledge.

Like milk inside the coffee the used to drink, dawn came in, a bit of sunlight could be seen. The day was still, no birds singing, no trees humming, simply no sound at all, but the sound of the earth.

I picked up my journal after overthinking all of this, I flipped it over and their was the page, the page were I drew those things, I thought I’d gotten rid of this page, how could this be, chills went down my spine, as the picture felt so familiar.
I closed the book. I remember drawing them some nights after I saw them. The picture felt real, as if I was staring at them directly into their eyes, if they were eyes.

The sound began again, the ear piercing sound from below, the sound if those things, I wasn't sure if it was pain, a call to return home, or simply them saying their location. What I know was that it's not a pleasant sound. Like the sound of torture upon people who don't deserve such villainy.

I refrained from thinking to much about that either, the bobcat lay asleep. The night still felt present as if it never left. Maybe it was still night, for that is when those things still roam.

I lived in the moment, and i knew one thing, that the sound I was hearing, was my only indicator to know what time it was. That was The Sound Of The Night.

Author's Note

This was something I did for fun,I didn’t mean it to be professional work,any feedback would be nice though.