From Darkness It Comes

That Yesterday

It was Friday afternoon. The sun was shining. It was the week before classes started and there was a feeling of hope in the air. The campus of Northern State University, NSU to locals, was full of activity as students and teachers alike prepared for the start of the quarter. The quad was a bustle of activity, although a number of those around were just enjoying their last moments of freedom before the rigors and stresses of class began. One such student was Darrin. He was going to enjoy the sun and his freedom.

This was Darrin's first time away from home and first time he ever truly felt like he was the master of his own destiny. Already this place was starting to feel like home. Like he belonged here. He moved into his dorm room two weeks ago and has been acclimating himself to the campus ever since. How the place works and how to work the place. Right now, however, all he cares about is laying out here in the sun and catching some rays.

Since he started high school all Darrin ever dreamed about was becoming a professional photographer and going to NSU. Not only did both his father and mother go there but it has the best photography and visual arts programs in the state. The only stipulation his parents put on his enrollment was that he had to "Get a real major" in addition to the photography, so he signed up for Business as well. His thinking was that it could help him get his future in photography off the ground as well, especially if he goes into the magazine business.

Now all he is thinking about is how nice the warmth of the sun feels on his skin, trying not to think about the onset of responsibility. The constant buzz of others around him becomes nothing more than background noise against the music of the wind and the heat of the sun. Nothing could make this moment any better and Darrin can't think of anything that could ruin it either.

His room was not quite was he expected and was much smaller than he would have liked, but he did what he could with it and made it his own. Although he had a room to himself it was part of a four room suite that shared a single bathroom. He already met his three suitemates, but hasn't had much of a chance to set his opinions of them yet. But there's time for this over the next month, year, or even four years as it may turn out. Who knows, perhaps one of them will become a friend forever.

Unfortunately nothing lasts forever and neither does Darrin's nice moment laying in the sun. One moment he is feeling the radiated heat on his skin and the next he is cast into shadow. At first he passes this off as a cloud crossing the sky but he soon realizes that this shadow is much closer. This is the shadow of somebody standing in his light. He opens his eyes and at first sees nothing but a corona of light surrounding the form of a person. Within moments he becomes accustomed to the light and can make out who it is that stands before him.