Sunlight & Soul Light

Guest WriterTim FoleyjuniorPart 1: A Promise to KeepI step out of the subway tunnel and onto the grimy street. There isno moon tonight, the clouds shroud its light and leave the sky black, the onlything that illuminates these streets are the dim lights that hang like willowtrees above. The air is cold, a harsh wind sweeps through the midwinter nightand I pull my coat tighter to shelter myself from it. I begin to walk down theempty streets. Eerily, my own footsteps create the only sound aside from theblowing wind itself.Suddenly, I hear a crash in an alleyway nearby and I turn, terrifiedof what I may see. A black cat crawls out from behind a knocked over rubbishbin. I breathe in deeply and try to slow my racing heart. I am on edgetonight, I am in a dark part of a dark city, a place forgotten by moral men andrun by those who see only to make profit from the misery of others. Thestreets are littered with filth, people too lazy to throw anything away and I seenewspapers and other pieces of rubbish blow through the street. I can see acar with its front window smashed to pieces, vandalized probably just out ofboredom. For a second, I think about going back to the subway. For a secondI think about giving into my fear and crawling into my bed. For a second Ithink about forgetting her but I know I cannot. So I continue, ignoring all fearand anything that tries to hold me back as I walk through the soiled streets.A homeless man begs be for any spare money I have. I ignore him,not even giving him a second glance. He calls me foul names as I walk awaybut I do not care for him, I do not have time for him. I have a promise tokeep and not much time to do it. So I continue, staying focused on what Ihave to do.After rounding a street corner I check the instructions on my phoneagain: “Walk three blocks after leaving the subway, then turn right on Alan’s.Walk down Alan’s street until you see a metal door with a sign saying ‘TheLower Basement.’ Go down the stairs and you’ll see a bouncer standing infront of a door at the bottom. Let him check you then go in. You know whatto do next, don’t fail us. – L”I look down Alan’s street and see the door. As I open the door Ibegin to doubt myself again. Stop it, do it for her. I open the door.14(former WSGCstudent, currentlyliving in Australia)