Fear

The feeling creeps up inside him again. He glances at the distant sky that is darkening as the sun is setting. This happens to him with amazing regularity everyday. Every evening as the sun sets, something in him changes. It is as if he is a completely different person after darkness sets in. Courage is replaced by fear.
As always restlessness makes its way in and discomfort sets in. He quickens his pace. He wants to reach home fast. All along, he has a feeling that he is being followed. The streetlights are dim and every moving shadow plays a million tricks on his mind. He is walking faster, so fast that he starts sweating. In a few minutes, he reaches his house. To his disappointment, he finds the house in pitch darkness. He suddenly remembers that the landlord and his family aren’t in town. They wont be back until morning.
With trembling fingers, he unlocks the doors. The creaking sound of the door hinge makes his heart skip a beat. With amazing swiftness, he switches on the lights. There is a faint buzz after which the lights come on. Suddenly, he is a different person, his confident self, no fear in his heart. He laughs at himself for being such a paranoid about non-existent stuff. He dumps his office bag and proceeds to the bathroom for a shower.
He is whistling under the warm shower, enjoying himself. His mood is gay now, and he is busy planning his dinner. Zonk!! The lights go out. It’s a power cut. For a second, he is paralyzed. The same shower he was enjoying a second ago starts to sting him. He turns it off and gazes around, eyes adjusting to the darkness. Claustrophobia sets in and the bathroom walls seem to close in. He opens the bathroom door and rushes out to the kitchen. The headlights of passing by cars on the street illuminate the kitchen glass windows, which in turn cast strange shadows on the walls.
He is scared to death now. The water drops on his body blend with the sweat and drip to the floor. He lights a candle but the dim flame doesn’t provide much relief. Hurriedly he rubs himself dry with a towel and rushes to bed. He isn’t hungry any more. Once in his bed, he covers himself fully with the blanket. He shuts his eyes tightly and cringes in fear on the bed. Strangely this darkness seems as ghastly as the darkness waiting outside. He curls into a ball and start praying. The strange noises coming from the leaves of the trees outside make it impossible for him to sleep.
He shuts out the noises by pressing the pillow tightly on his ears. After a lot of twisting and turning in bed, he finally falls asleep. He sleeps fitfully and every time his eyes open, he shivers and soothes himself back to sleep.
Finally after what seems like eternity, he sees light filtering through the windows. Sunlight! It is day again. He curses himself for being afraid of darkness and promises that he will handle it better next time. In his heart he knows, there is no cure for fear.
Fear of the dark!