Sun’s Last Hope

Chapter 1: Willow

The Sighting

Life is Dark. I am about fourteen years old. The sun has not shown over any of the planets for many years. So many years that some people are getting…sick. So sick they die. Personally, to be honest my life is pretty…boring and uneventful besides the quick and painful epidemic of the Pla:gue. Speaking of Pla:gue, it’s how our language has changed from the world that you knew. I live in a nice planet and have a…well I would be seeing a guidance counselor if I was on the Dark: Planet a couple hundred years ago (More on the Dark: Planet later). I was about to release the string when a bright light I had never seen before rose from behind the trees. I raised my hand instinctively in front of my face trying to block the blinding light from my eyes. I glance anxiously at the deer silently praying it didn’t run at the sight of this light. We are running out of food at my house and the stores are always closed on…whatever day it is. The people of the past called it Sunday but there is no sun so what’s the point? The Deer pricked its ears and ran away to its den. I cursed loudly and turned on my heel. I stormed out of the forest and into my house throwing my bow onto its hook and plunked my quiver noisily underneath my bow. I scowled as my older brother giving my younger brother a noogie as he put it. It was from the past, or so I’m told by my father and brothers. I smiled at them as Bransten kept messing with Nikko’s hair as he was groaning but they were obviously having fun. I laughed and tackled Bransten. “Hey!! Stop that,” I laughed as Bransten moved onto me. He tousled my hair playfully and then stopped. “Hey…where’s that nice heavy deer you promised huh Willow?” “Ugh…some bright light chased it away…I couldn’t keep up,” I growled. “Aww it’s okay Willa we can just…have some bread for morning breakingfast,” said an optimistic Nikko. I smiled and tousled his hair. “You better believe it,” I told him. “Right now…where’s Dad? Hmmm?” “Er…ask Braners,” said Nikko. Nikko had these nicknames for all of us and we didn’t mind it too much because he couldn’t say our names when he was little so he said what he could and well…the names stuck pretty much forever and ever. My Dad clambered down the stairs and I thought he would be all depressed as usual, but his face was bright and he had clean clothes on for a change. He was always…depressed for some reason but…we never could figure out why. Anyway He was NOT depressed so we were all happy to see him in a good mood.

“Willow…Bransten, Nikko did you see it?!” he asked excitedly. “See what Dad?” asked Bransten. “The…the sun. You DID see it right?” he asked suddenly concerned. “Ugh,” I groaned. “That bright light that scared our supper was the SUN?” “Oh yes Willow I haven’t seen it in YEARS! This is certainly a very important occasion,” my father says. Seriously though, this doesn’t make much sense to me All I can understand right now is that we lost our dinner because some glitch in the M.I.B.O’s reign. I picked up my gear to attempt at some dinner when as soon as I was leaving Nikko doubled over and I dropped everything and caught him before he hit the ground. “Nikko? Nikko what is it? Answer me!!!” I shrieked. “Sun, sun…wasn’t there a sun?” he muttered deliriously. I parted his bangs and felt his forehead. To my horror it burned like the fever I had felt in the village from the illness. I held Nikko close and struggled to help him to our padded chair Bransten called the Sofa. Bransten helped me and I snapped my fingers at my dad and he came with a bowl of cold water and a clean cloth. I murmured softly to Nikko and I put the cloth into the bowl and onto his forehead. My heart dropped as the second the cloth touched his forehead it heated up. “Branners?” I asked scared. “I’m right here” he said. I leaned against him wetting the cloth then putting it on Nikko’s forehead. I stroked Nikko’s head and looked at Bransten. “He needs help…” I said my voice catching on every word. “Who would help him? He might get better for a few weeks…under your care but…he wouldn’t last-,” he started. “NO!” I screamed. “He is NOT going to die” I shrieked. Nikko opened his eyes and looked at me with those huge eyes and blinked up at me sadly. “Willa?” he asked weakly. “Shhh Nikko” I said as I stroked his forehead. I stood and looked at Bransten, “watch him till I get back” “o-of course Willow”, he said. I picked up my hunting gear and ran out the door just as my tears slipped down my cheeks.

I drew back my bow string again, barely breathing and released it finally hitting a bird then silently loaded my bow again and knocked the arrow and hit another bird. I was about to hit another bird when another bright light chased away our dinner. I was about to start yelling when I broke down. Nikko, Sick. Mom, unknown or worse dead. Dad, Unreachable. I started to sob. It was all over I looked at the light that burned my eyes then looked down and picked up my kill and ran back home. Nikko looked a little bit better and when he slept he wasn’t as restless. I sighed and cooked the kill and cut it up into a soup for the rest of us and prepared a broth for Nikko. I brought it to him and fed it to him and he fell asleep while the rest of us had our dinner of wild turkey and rice. I sighed and went to Nikko’s side and told him stories I made up and true stories until I guess I fell asleep when I woke up to be lying next to Nikko on my bed. I sighed and felt Nikko’s forehead and couldn’t believe it. His fever broke. I kissed his forehead falling asleep again.