The Undercover Bad Boy

Chapter Thirteen - Afraid Of the Dark

Chapter Thirteen - Afraid Of the Dark

It was the following day and the sun was still slowly rising over the eastern horizon. I was up earlier than usual - already showered and dressed.

I couldn't hear the sound of cars honking their horns in the morning traffic jams, just the sound of birds singing melodies to one another. The streets were unusually empty. Now, this was a rarity. When you've grown up in a busy, polluted city all your life, it was shock to the system to see such a change.

I found it strangely enchanting. The emptiness.

There were no middle-aged people walking their dogs, no students waiting for their school bus, no joggers or sport enthusiasts, no newspaper runs - it was just empty. I stared outside of my bedroom window for a couple of minutes, taking in my surroundings.

It was almost like I had woken up in a different, quieter world.

I was so used to staying awake at the early hours of the morning, when the sky was painted with the darkest shades of blue, and the moon and stars came out to shine - not before the break of dawn, where the sun shone bright as it rose and when the sky was covered in so many contrasting colours; yellows and pinks, pale blues and oranges. It was too optimistic. Too bright and cheerful for my liking.

There were many reasons why I preferred the night compared to the day. One reason was my love for the to the city lights, how they transformed a building and illuminated everything within reach, and how the cars looked like neon blurs as they sped down the highways. How it proves that a city never sleeps.

Because I had the sleep schedule of a nocturnal creature, I was able to witness it with my own eyes.

I liked the idea of the dark. It was this impenetrable force that was simply inescapable, something that was always there, in places, in homes and even in people. And without darkness we wouldn't be able to see the bright city lights.

We wouldn't be able to see the stars.

The stars which impacted our lives immensely. The same stars which gave us an idea about how insignificant we actually were, a tiny fraction among the endless constellations and planets. The same stars that we wished on, clinging onto the vain hope that they would come true.

All of the night creatures came out when it was dark and that was something that always intrigued me. As a little kid, whenever I was asked if I was afraid of the dark, I would always respond with a firm no and continue to stare up at the sky, wondering what was actually up there.

But as I looked down at the peacefulness below me, I had to admit that the mornings definitely had a certain beauty to them.

My parents were currently loading their bags into the back of the car, we seemed like the only people awake in the whole city. Obviously, I knew that was untrue.

My brother was sitting in the back seat of the vehicle, fiddling with his portable gaming device. Because he was younger than me, he went to a different school - his holiday dates were different than mine, he started winter break today. His headmaster was much more generous compared to mine. I still had a few weeks of term left.

I wrapped my fingers around the handle of my mug and sipped the coffee intently. The familiar buzz of the caffeine was already working its way into my system.

"We're leaving now," Dad said, poking his head around the side of the car.

I nodded in response and placed my mug onto the table. I stood on the front porch until they gave me a final wave goodbye, reversed out and drove off into the distance.