Light

I would ask that before you read this you switch off all the lights in the house . As you will soon find out, you are perfectly safe.

We have always found comfort in light. For early man it provided security and protection from nocturnal predators and, in the form of fire, a source of warmth and sustenance. Even now it has the ability to make the unknown known, banish doubt and extinguish fear. So essential is light to the human condition, that its imagery has saturated biblical and secular works alike, inspiring countless philosophical and religious movements since time immemorial.

Over time though, our relationship to light has changed. From an animalistic dependence upon the day/night cycle, we slowly began to manipulate light and its sources, first through fire and then later on via electricity. Manipulation soon became mastery and, before long, it was possible to flood an entire room with its warm glow at the flick of a single switch. As this relationship changed however, and as light became more readily available and easily created, no-one ever thought to consider the implications.

There has always been a tentative balance between light and darkness. Manifest in nature as night and day, it was never simply the case that one could extinguish the other so totally as it can now. Even fire, which slowly creeps into existence and blossoms only as the sparks alight, never disturbed this balance. When a fire burns more fiercely the darkness may ebb and slink away, inhabiting corners and crevices, but it is never truly gone – only awaiting the fire’s inevitable decline and return to embers. Such sources of light always allowed time for denizens of the nocturnal hours to slink away and hide themselves. With electric lights and the advent of instant illumination however, such time no longer exists. In a literal flash, all darkness in a single place can now be dispersed and the things lurking within revealed.

For most nocturnal predators this is of course an inconvenience, but for one it is an opportunity.

It’s more than likely that, from time to time, you’ve seen it. If you’ve ever turned on a light in a completely dark room then certainly. For a split second, as the light flashes into existence, whilst your eyes are still adjusting, you may see its awful, gaunt figure and long spider-like limbs standing somewhere within the room. As quickly as it appears though, it disappears, blinking back into non-existence. It happens so quickly that you may have thought it a trick of the light, a chance interplay of furniture and fleeting shadows. Rest assured though, once the creature disappears it is gone and you are safe. Do not misunderstand this timidity, it is not so much the light which it abhors, but rather being seen. On the contrary, it is in fact drawn to light. When shrouded by darkness, it may cause the hair on the back of your neck to stand up, or give you the feeling of being watched, but in its present state it cannot act. It is only through light that it is given a form.

Of course, more often than not, when you turn a light on in a completely dark room, you will see no such spectral figure. As strange as this may sound, this is when you are in the most danger. The reason, you see, is that by turning on the light you have given it form but, unless you catch a glimpse of it, no a reason to leave. In such cases, especially if late at night or during the small hours of the morning, it is imperative that you check your surroundings completely, as the creature will not disappear until you catch sight of it. If you do, it will vanish just as before and you will be safe once more. If you do not however, it will stay there in the light, unseen.

If, for example, you where to go about your usual nightly routine without properly checking for it, perhaps read a few ghost stories on your laptop before bed, it will silently wait for you to once again switch off the light, only this time it won’t be so harmless.

Now then, it’s time to turn the lights back on.

Credit To – The Wanderer