Jack of Harts

As some of you know, I work nightshift. It makes it easy for me to do many things, not the least of which is have some time to research stuff like…well…writing stories.

But the last two weeks have been different for me. I have been on jury duty. And jury duty doesn’t tell me if I need to come in until 4:30 PM. I go into work at 11:00 PM. That is not much time for my work to organize a replacement for me, and my position cannot go unfilled. So, I took time off. Two weeks. Paid because I have it. For the first time since I was in 9th Grade, I have taken two entire weeks off from work. That is over twenty years for those of you who are taking notes. In twenty years, I have never taken an entire two weeks in a row off. I’ve taken a week and an extra day or two on each end to give it some extra padding, but I’ve never taken a straight two weeks off. Sixteen days in real time without working. That’s half a month. It was enjoyable.

Now, I had jury duty, so it wasn’t entirely off, but I did not serve on any jury. I was selected for a jury pool, and went in, but all of the jury cases my particular pool was selected to see pleaded out and there were no trials for me. For my jury pool.

But for two weeks, I slept more or less when daywalkers sleep, and walked under the bright and shining daystar. The one that burns and such. It is an interesting world you daywalkers see. Stores are open while you are awake for one. There is more traffic on the roads for another. And you can usually return phone calls or text messages the moment you get them. Nightwalkers are asleep when most of you daywalkers send your calls and messages, so by the time we get them, you are asleep. So we try to wait until we think you may be awake and then forget about it because by the time you are awake, we are entering our coffins to seal ourselves from the evil daystar. It is an interesting world you daywalkers have.

But now I have returned to my normal world. I am a nightwalker again. I walk under the pale nightstar, the one that does not burn. I can walk without sunglasses again, and there are fewer cars on the road once more. Though the stores are closed now. Ah well. I don’t like shopping, so that’s a small price to pay for living in the night.

So rejoice, my fellow nightwalkers. One of your brothers has returned to this best of all worlds.

Nightwalkers unite!