A/N- Midnight ramble. Born of working alone on the night audit shift and wanting to visit Bob ;)
Disclaimer- I own nothing.
It was nearly time.
In the darkness of early morning, Bob materialized outside of his skull---orange tinted gold and smoke coalescing into the image of the man he once had been. He no longer needed air to breathe, but he inhaled deeply nonetheless, his mind providing the sensation of his lungs expanding. He closed his eyes, trying to remember the feeling of energy that fresh oxygen in the bloodstream would bring. He held his breath for a moment more, and then, with the care that came with years of meditation, slowly exhaled.
Keeping his eyes closed, Bob listened to the sounds within the store. A clock ticked by the seconds, the refrigerator in the kitchen hummed, a breeze outside made the windows rattle. Bob concentrated. There it was. The one sound that he listened for every morning. He smiled as the sounds of Harry's breathing reached him. Like a father who checks on his sleeping son before work each day, Bob never left the building until he was sure Harry alright.
Bob opened his eyes, and glanced at the windows. Not long now, he thought.
He walked to the back of the store, and paused as he reached the door. Slowly, he poked his head through the solid wood and looked around. Not another soul in sight. Perfect. He walked all the way through the door, stopping just outside the entrance. He turned eastward, and gazed at the brightening sky. He waited.
With each passing minute, the dark night sky gave way to the warm pinks of dawn. Stars that could be seen, even in the light-polluted Chicago sky, faded into the golden light of the rising sun. The shadows that haunted the buildings shortened and began to disappear.
Bob's eyes never wavered. It was time.
The first sliver of sun broke the horizon. Pure, golden light made its way through the city, caressing each tower and building. It made its way through the streets and alleyways, chasing the final fragments of shadow into the deepest corners. At last it came to the back of the store, the brickwork sparkling in the light of a new day.
Bob stood in the sun light, closed his eyes and basked in the glow. He could feel the warmth on his skin; as gentle as a breath, as comforting as a benediction. This was the one thing his curse had never been able to take away. The one time he was allowed to feel alive. He savored every moment, every sensation. All too soon the sun would rise fully in the sky, and Bob would feel nothing but the cool nothingness that was to be his constant companion until the end of time.
A/N - Hope you enjoyed. Please review. I get inordinately excited when I get a review alert in my in-box. Cheers!