Sunshine Times

• Savannah Fuller, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2022

Night dominated over the pristine, ocean-blue sky. A gentle breeze swayed, encouraging all nocturnal animals to enjoy the cool night away from the harsh summer heat. Even the humans awake at night and sleep during the day. No one could survive the intense pain of the extreme day climate. Or so it is said.

My eyelids felt heavy as I realised the sun was leaking into the horizon, signalling the time to awake. Fumbling, my hand reached for the top of my chocolate-brown nightstand. Finally, I obtained a cool, misty-grey box, encrusted with small diamonds: an heirloom from my grandfather, the former town mayor. Running my fingers along the splinterless surface, I located the rusted metal flap and unfastened the box. Expectantly, I saw the familiar blue goggles; ‘to protect us at eve and dawn’ the mayor had announced. A growl escaped my stomach. I fastened my uncomfortable goggles around my head, (the worn elastic was on the brink of snapping), while racing to the kitchen. I caught the last shimmer of gold on the horizon before the “monster" set.

5 am is always a bad time. It’s too early to sleep but the sun rises around now, so everyone obsess over closing their blinds. But I watch the sunrise. From my window, with my goggles on. No one else does this, due to irrational fears inhabiting every household. It’s safe, due to companies fishing money from people with ‘sunlight-proofed’ windows, to go with the goggles. I sat in my beanbag watching through the thick glass as the golden orb arose from the lifeless beige ground. It illuminated the sky with a mixture of purples, pinks and blues. In a moment of tranquillity, I heard the ‘SNAP’ of my goggles breaking. I gasped, prepared to be blinded by the radiating gold light….but nothing. Confused, I looked out. A person- in the empty streets. I paused. How was this person out in the day? A horrific thought dawned on me: was the sun truely dangerous?

I raced to the door and stepped outside. Embraced by the sunlight, I saw the blazing ball of fire rise high in the sky, and enlighten me like I could finally see. Sickened, I saw the figure and recognised the over-gelled hair of the mayor. Tears violently raced down my face, while I held a hand over my mouth to stop the loud sobs. Suddenly, the mayor turned around, his glaring eyes bursting at me like two fireballs. ‘Gemma?’ He formed a deceiving smirk. Two steps were taken towards me. ‘Y-yes dad?’ I stuttered, shaking like a twig in a storm. ‘I knew it wasn't long til someone found out, but I never predicted it would be you…’ Anger bubbled in my blood. ‘ Why are you lying?’ My emotions were flooding out. ‘Don’t you get it?’ he scowled clenching his fists. ‘We need to sell all these so-called “protectors” to starve money from the terrified townsfolk!’ The truth was out.