“It been fifteen years since the sun had last risen” that’s saying on all of the surviviers minds, The endless nights take a toll on the remain humans, most of us lost our sight or completely blind, food is become it more of a memory then anything.” “Earth to Robin,” a man said, “What?” She said. “Do you have any ideas where we can get some food?” He asked. “We can always try you find a new place to live,” Robin said, “You know that is tricky,” another man said. “It’s worth a try, our people our dying, we are not going to last much longer the way things are going,” Robin said. “I know, but we are too weak to go anywhere,” he added, “What do you suspect me to do, just stand around and let our people die?” Robin asked. “Of course not,” the man said. Robin left the meeting feeling hopeless. “What I am post to do?” She thought looking up at her ceiling, “I need to go and search for something,” she whispered to herself. With a demente look on her face, she grabbed her gear and travelled out into the darkness.

It has been fifteen years since the sun had last risen, I rub my eyes because the light is just too bright. I look around and see my legs strapped down in a clear jelly-like liquid . Strapped down in a preservation pod that was set to open 20 years from 3030. We are five years early, what is going on? Looking up again as my eyes come into focus, this isn’t the sun. It’s the artificial sunlight helps the incubation process during these long sleep sessions. I immediately reach up and turn the dimmer knob to give my eyes a break. My mind is now racing with questions, but first things first. Let’s get something to eat. I release my legs from the restraints, rubbing my thighs and calfs to wake them from a fifteen year slumber. I do a quick scan around the room to make sure everything is the way I left it. To my right is my cherry oak desk that I received from my father. He was a lawyer and spent a lot of time sitting at that desk. I tend to sit back and say to myself “if you could see me now old man”. Behind the desk is a thirty foot in diameter round window, that was strategically positioned to be at the front of my spaceship. Giving me a perfect view of space and where we are headed. Pressing a button titled ‘drain’ the gelatin is flushed out. There is a touch screen on the ledge next to the pod. I begin to type in my captains code, which allows me to manually control the pod. Typing in another sequence, the pod raises me to a stand up position. To stop from collapsing I hang on to the side of the pod. Thinking to myself, “I’ve got to get these wet clothes off.” Stumbling to the robe that hangs to the right of my pod I quickly grab it and throw it over me. I hear over the rooms inter-com, “Captain Russel! May I come in?” That was none other than my right hand, a traveling cyber partner that was assigned to me when I was a cadet, H.O.P.E. This stands for, Humanoid Operative Projected for Exploration. “Come in Hope!” I respond. He walks in and we do our secret handshake that we made in our spare time as cadets. “Sir, we are coming up on the Vector solar system. We are about 5 years early” he says. Walking to the bathroom and jumping in the shower I say, “yeah when I saw the year on the outside of my pod I knew something was up, how’s the ship?” “Great!” He says while pulling out my spandex suit from the garment closet next to my door. “We have been getting pulled into the solar system quicker than expected” he said “ and we’ll be reaching planet E513 in about 2 months.” He walks over next to the bed where a chair was placed just for him. “Sounds good” I blurted, “was anyone else discharged early as well?” A I snatch the robe off the railing of the shower and step out. Hope reads from his electronic tablet that he carries with him everywhere, and says “No I made the decision to wake you early so we can strategize in peace.” He was right, we have a very important mission a 10,000 citizens and 300 crew members who are relying on us. There is a civilization at E-513, so diplomacy tactics and society protocols must be strategically implemented. This planet that we are approaching will be our new home.

The infinity of a rivers flow Belies a bed of ancient stones shaping the current The sound it upholds The drift of wood That once held a meadowlarks home A perpetual story being told Held by water the nearest thing I have to home

It had been fifteen years since the sun had last risen. I don’t really remember the last time when I or my family was happy. It felt, to me, that time stood still…that the Earth stopped moving. But it didn’t, life went on. Eventually some family moved away where the sun still shined for them. I couldn’t believe they decided to forget and run off. Christmas isn’t as magical, Thanksgiving is quiet, and Easter isn’t as fun anymore…. Have you ever wished that you could just hit the pause button or maybe rewind? That’s how I feel whenever the holidays come up. Before darkness took over the light…it was so much happier. It was less chaotic and a whole lot more love. Now my siblings and parents are either angry or have a lot of sorrow in their hearts. It’s only once in a while when I will see them smile…and that’s most likely fake. See…I hate change. Gosh, does anyone really like change? From the time I was born to fifteen years ago, my life was great. There were people who loved and cared for me. And they still do…but they’re not as energized or joyful like they were years ago. My Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Phil both moved to another city and they barely contact us. My sisters hardly ever come over for holidays and my brother is always locked up in his room playing video games and eating snacks. He’s the worst of all…he never comes out of his room and isn’t that fun loving kid everyone once knew. Ever since my cousin Jason passed away, life hasn’t been the same. When he was fifteen years old, he got killed in a car accident and it had been hard on everyone. He was the light of the world. The kind of guy to make you laugh and the kind to bring light into something sad and dark. He was like the sun…cheerful, warm, and he had a lot of dignity like the sun. Now he’s gone and everyone misses him…in their own way. I just wished he could’ve stayed instead of leaving so soon. The only reason why I’m okay is because I know he’s being taken care of by The Good Lord….

It had been fifteen years since the sun had last risen. It’s been fourteen years since the madness of this sun forsaken town started. On June 28, 8193 was the first morning the sun didn’t come up, for six months we kept hope, hope that light would come again. Then January came round and any hope we had was lost, the Town Elders declared we should adapt, and adapt we did, we brought I lights to amplify what we got from the moon, found how to continue cultivate our crops without the use of the sun, and a lot of things we discovered to keep living without the sun coming back. By 8194 the Elders had become so obsessed with the moon, using the moon for every thing they could. To present day they worship the moon “ut luna provide anc protegat” they cry. The moon is on flags, churches, Elder approved establishments, uniforms, things aren’t what I’d call normal anymore. There’s people who rebel, we call ourselves the ‘filii solis’, ‘children of the sun’ we don’t start riots or anything, that kind of stuff would get you killed. We do what we can, study what was of the sun, we were all 5-6 when the sun went away but life was much better then. We’ve done research, how to get the sun to rise again, and until now no one knew about the research. Until tonight. That’s why right now, I’m on the chopping block.

It has been nearly two decades since the sun had last risen. Two decades since the Moon Queen claimed our planet as her own and shed her light on our homes. She destroyed the Sun Kingdom like it was an ant hill, banishing warmth forever. Today marks eighteen years. Of what, I’m not really sure. To the Moon Queen and her people, it means a successful eighteen years of another planet conquered. To us, it means eighteen years of imprisonment. An eternity left to spend in the cold. Neve is one of the only planets that the Moon Queen has left to take over. But Lady Snow and her court will not go down easily. She will put up a hell of a fight, and probably get the other five (considerably weaker but still helpful) free planets to fight with her. I wish we could ally with her. She’s one of the only rulers left with enough reason to make a good argument. Everyone else—including our King—is blindsided by the Moon Queen’s “good” intentions. If only I could help. No one besides me in this universe knows about my power. I can bat an eye and a man will cripple at mere thought. I can snap my fingers and stop a heart or tangle windpipes. I could clap my hands and end the Moon Queen once and for all. But that’s just my problem. I can only handle one person at a time. If I kill her, I get to deal with her angry army of men that have been tampered with and inserted with all sorts of microscopic technology that is borderline dangerous even to my power. And that’s not even considering her guards. But I will find a way, I will make a plan. Because if no one else is willing to do it, then I guess I am.

It had been 15 years since the sun had last risen. Summer was a as cold as winter. Yet, it was not as cold as humanity’s future. Ever since that day, the people of earth had been living with the lights off. The evil people no longer worked in the shadows, because one large shadow had consumed the earth. 15 years ago, Nimue Kratos made a deal with the moon god. Before that deal, her name was Alexopoulos, which was not righteous at all. The only thing she wanted since she was young was power. Everyone she knew looked down upon her; even her own parents. She always wanted to be a queen and god dammit she was going to get what she wanted. For two years she worked to create a ritual to summon the lord of the night. Once she had succeeded, they offered a deal to her. She would have rule over the whole damn world if she traded her soul to them. If she gave them her soul, they would have enough power to destroy the sun god forever. Then Nimue would have absolute control. Nimue knew what she wanted and didn’t give up. As she now looks up at the start sky she remembers the days when there was light. Was it really worth it? How many lives had she ruined. Unfortunately, it was too late to feel bad. She had already sacrificed her parents for this new world that she helped to create. Nimue knew that one day karma would come and bite her straight in the ass. But that day had not yet come, so she would abuse every bit of power she had. She had already destroyed the earth. Hell, she had really destroyed the whole solar system. But thinking back on her question, she could confidently say it was worth it. Every day until her miserable death would prove that. She was a bitch after all.

It has been 15 years since the sun has last risen. The world has fallen into total darkness. It all started in 2025. The world had decided to harness the energy of the sun by connecting it to a device that drains all the power from it. It worked well for a couple years, the sun still thrived while we drew the energy out of it. That all changed in 2030, the sun started to stop glowing. There was still energy to power the Earth but the was no more sunshine. It was like the lightbulb burned out but the power was still flowing from it. Scientists tried for a decade to boot the sun back up but nothing was sucessful. We are trapped with eternal darkness in the sky, all because of the greed of the wealthy in hopes they could better power their ambitions.

It has been fifteen years since the sun has last risen. People got used to living a life in darkness. In this short amount of time the human race has developed scotopic vision, the ability to see in the dark. Even though the world once held cities filled with dazzling lights, now no one even dares to hit a light switch. With their scotopic vision comes a price. The brightness of unnatural light makes them blind. The only time artificial lights are used is when they are growing crops for the community. Even then the people working with the crops require such heavy protective gear to protect their sight. The sun no longer exists. It was destroyed by two planets colliding. Even with the sun destroyed the Earth still rotates around the spot where the sun used to rest. People hold onto hope that one day a new sun will form lifting the darkness that has settled upon them.

It had been Fifteen years Since the sun Had last risen Age comes and goes; but those moments in life make it seem as if time were just another part of travesty. I remember the sadness in her eyes which were also filled with rage and acceptance My reality was shifted — One mistake Caused a difference Between us A blade’s dance caused our deaths