Where Lightning Drink in the Dark
Part 1: Subconscious
We are one-hit wonders. Nothing left for us to do now. In our prime, we lit up the sky so brightly, so spontaneously, that we made humans feel alive, connected to the moment, to each other, to what makes you human. There was a man once struck by three of us in his lifetime. Three times! And he survived them all. Charlie, Ruben, and Mark. Ask them, and they’ll tell you all about it.
That old-timer over there? That’s Ray—we call him Sparky. He’s the oldest strike in here. He fell when Jesus was still getting visions. Old Sparky set a bush on fire, and the rest is history. We’ve got stories, kid. Oh, we’ve got stories. Just ask.
- To be honest, - There’s Tina. She was a supermodel—hit the Eiffel Tower. A lot of us did, but a photographer caught her just right, and she became iconic. So, you’re the interdimensional reporter, huh? You knew that?
- I mean… Wait. Were you expecting me tonight?
- I was told by a Perceptionist that a tall, thin, handsome reporter was coming to see me. That must be you! Who else here isn’t a lightning?
- Who’s the perceptionist?
- A Riverbank Perceptionist, kid. They’re in charge of everything. We spark, we drink, we live and die because they let it happen.
- So they’re, what… gods?
- Guardians. Like in the movies but a lot weirder. Your kind doesn’t really get it. Never have.
- What about the guy hit by…
- Charlie, Ruben, and Mark.
- Yes. Did he get it?
- Eh, he lived long enough to become a president or something.
- Have you been to Earth?
- What do you think?
- I think you have.
- Damn right, kid. I went big. Big, big, big. Ever heard of Nikola Tesla?
- Of course! One of the greatest scientists.
- Well, I lit up his coil! Never touched the sky—just flowed through his genius, manifesting as alternating electric current.
- Wow. You kind of helped make this phone a reality.
- That’s an iPhone 13, right?
- Yeah. How do you know?
- We’ve got satellite TV. HBO, National Geographic, History Channel. Oh, this alien show—love it! You humans are something else. Stealing the seed of a planet?
- Seed? What seed?
- It's not even a conspiracy theory yet?
- Uh…
- Anyway, you snatched a seed from a planet beyond Orion’s Belt.
- How? We still have to land on Mars.
- From a wrecked spaceship! A few of us tried to help the Perceptionists retrieve it, but you had already struck a deal with some Lizards. It’s still in court.
- What court?
- The Interdimensional Supreme Court. That’s where some of the Perceptionists work.
- You’re right. I think this is too much for my human brain.
- It’s my job to inform you, kid. The Riverbank Perceptionists said you needed to hear it. Whatever you make of this—well, that’s up to them.
- Do you have beer?
- Which one?
- Black.
- Nah. Blonde.
- Good enough.
- On the house.
- Thanks.
- No problem.
Part 2: The Merits
The lightnings.
A bar.
The Perceptionists.
Beerbank. Shine. What does it mean?
Punk teenage screams drift through the wind. They tug at me. I’m aware of it. Aware of my body.
Which means… which means…
But as long as I don’t open my eyes, I can dissect the dream and remember it.
Part 3: Sunshine Breakfast
The alarm clock screams: 7:00 AM.
The Sun strikes—a SWAT team attack.