Posted:
2022-11-15 At:
5:30 am:
Table of Contents
Keywords: Light Throughout The Night, Table Of Contents, List of Chapters, Books, Book Fiction, Off Grid Living, Homelessness, Wealth Inequality, Wealth Distribution, New Sports, Futuristic City, Competitions, Free, LTTN
Posted:
2023-01-02 At:
5:30 am:
If you've reached this blog post via a search engine or through social media, I'm posting the complete book for free here as blog posts. A summery is located here.
Light Throughout The Night is a complete story with many twists and turns. The only way to feel the essence of the story is to read it from beginning to end.
Even though I'm posting the book as blog posts, the eBook is still available for sale. As a result, please don't post the book elsewhere.
Chapter 1: Slammed Shut
Sometimes a person’s life goes exactly as planned. They’re born. They go to grade school. They graduate. They go to college. They get a good job. They marry a good husband / wife. They have kids. They make plenty of friends in the neighborhood and live a good life.
Glow’s life didn’t start out going exactly as planned. Her early life wasn’t average, nor was it good.
Glow’s mother died a few months after giving birth to her. Glow wasn’t wanted by her father. He was only dating her mother for a couple months before she got pregnant. Six months after her death, he married another woman.
Glow’s father and stepmother put up with her, yet, didn’t throw much care in her direction. From the beginning, Glow was an accident. That’s how she was treated.
Glow’s father didn’t stay in touch with her birthmother’s side of the family. When her father and stepmother visited their own sides of the family, they usually left Glow home. The few times they did take her, she wished they hadn’t.
Their relatives teased Glow mercilessly, often making fun of her name, making tackles, snide comments about her birthmother, while laughing.
None of them cared, not even slightly. Glow was very young. There wasn’t anything she could do. She sat at the table, fuming in anger, with her mouth clamped shut.
The only time her father and stepmother paid attention to Glow was when she got in trouble. They didn’t care if she did things wrong. That didn’t bother them. Neither cared about what she was doing or wasn’t doing. Her parents only became irritated when the trouble she caused interfered with their lives.
During those instances, they released a wrath of hate and disgust towards Glow, rooted from deep within their souls. The depth of their anger and genuine displeasure, ensured Glow kept those memories for her entire life. The punishments following their wraths were harsh. She learnt at an early age, not to mess with their lives, ever, for any reason.
Glow’s most daunting memory was when she was ten. She decided to skip the last day of school. Her father and stepmother were called to her school as a result. They happened to have a social gathering the same night. Both were irate at the fact they had to miss the gathering.
Glow’s parents were cool and calm during the meeting, holding in their anger until they got home. When they got home, Glow’s father and stepmother let their fury loose, getting in Glow’s face, screaming.
“YOU CAN’T DO ANYTHING RIGHT! YOU’RE LUCKY YOU HAVE A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD! WE SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN RID OF YOU YEARS AGO! YOU’RE NOT NAMED LIKE THE OTHERS! YOU CAN’T GO TO SCHOOL LIKE THE OTHERS! YOU’RE A WASTE OF OUR TIME! ALL YOU DO IS CAUSE US PROBLEMS!”
Their tirade went on for hours, with many curse words included. Once they enter into a rage of anger, Glow doesn’t dare speak back. She slowly backs to the furthest corner of the room, flinching when they get to close, waiting in fear, in tears for their wrath to end.
When her father and stepmother did finally finish yelling, Glow was vanquished to her room for a month. She wasn’t allowed to leave for any reason.
Her stepmother opened Glow’s door to feed her breakfast, sliding the dish along with a drink into the room. She only opened the door wide enough to leave a plate of food. She didn’t want to see Glow. She didn’t want to hear Glow. Later in the evening, Glow’s stepmother collected the plate and glass, while leaving dinner. Neither parents said a word to Glow the whole month.
Glow spent the first few days crying. Typically, when she’s vanquished to her room she sits on the floor, staring at the wall for weeks at a time, withering away with every second that passes.
Glow lived in a rural area of a small city. Occasionally, she opened the window to listen to other kids playing down the street. The sounds were faint, regardless, they usually eased her suffering, every so often adding to her suffering, knowing she couldn’t go outside to play.
The length of her punishments caused Glow to become secluded from others. By the time Glow was let her out of her room, most of her friends found new friends. They weren’t around any longer.
When her parents were home, both expected Glow to stay away from them, and stay quiet. If Glow disturbed them in anyway, she was sent to her room. She didn’t learn much growing up. The little she did learn was from watching others.
Her parents were well known throughout the city. Most of the locals figured Glow wasn’t being treated humanely, yet, simply turned their heads. Eventually, Glow learnt how to do things wrong without getting her parents involved.
Both Glow’s father and stepmother worked full time jobs, while putting their social appearance first, living life almost as if they didn’t have a child.
As Glow grew older, she was expected to follow in her parents footsteps. Glow’s parents tried forcing her to work at a young age and in their same field of employment.
Having Glow work in their same field of employment created a better social appearance and gave them more control. When Glow refused, her parents tried to get her out of the way and out of their house.
Glow wasn’t interested in living their life. She wanted her own life. She wanted options. Glow wanted her own life as much as her parents didn’t want her to have a life. Glow didn’t want their mentality rubbing off on her. Glow feared, if she stuck around, she would become like them.
At a young age Glow walked out.
That day, just as Glow got to the door, she turned to her father and stepmother, saying, “Going forward, there may be plenty of things that cause me problems and misery throughout the rest of my life. Neither of you will ever cause me another second of misery!”
She slammed the door behind her and didn’t look back.
After leaving, Glow felt great. Two people who caused her a great deal of mental anguish, weren’t a part of her life anymore and couldn’t ever hurt her again.
At the same time, Glow knew her life was going to get tough. She didn’t have any money or a place to go. Glow didn’t have many possessions either. The only things she took with her were a few DVD’s and a portable DVD player.
By ninth grade, Glow dropped out of school. She was out late every night, partying, enjoying life. She slept wherever possible, frequently sleeping on the beach. She loved the soft warm feel of the sand. When Glow woke, she took a quick shower via public beach showers.
The beach where she stayed wasn’t well known. Nevertheless, it was a decent place to spend time, located towards the outer boarder of the city, surrounded by a small boardwalk, with a few stores. During peak season, the beach was somewhat crowded. Most of the time, very few beachgoers visited.
While at the beach, Glow tried to keep to herself. In general, people simply smiled as they walked by. Once in a while guys hit on her. Sometimes, a lonely dude wandering the beach who seemed to like Glow tried flirting with her. Other times, a group of guys looking for ladies to join their party tried to entice Glow to join them.
Even though Glow was homeless, she was seeing someone she met at a nightclub a few months after she began living on the streets. His name is Logan. Their relationship wasn’t always steady.
Logan lived on the other side of town and traveled for work. His travels often kept them apart for weeks at a time. Regardless, she liked him and wasn’t looking to meet anyone else. When someone hit on her, she brushed them off without a second thought.
Every now and then, workers patrolling the beach, who saw Glow regularly, question her. If Glow felt the questions were too intrusive, she changed her routine. She took local train or bus rides when she got tired.
After boarding, Glow found an empty seat in a vacant section. She turned her head as if she was looking out the window, before passing out. A couple hours later, she woke to exit when the train or bus reached the last stop. From there, she boarded the next train or bus, repeatedly, until she got enough rest.
Once in a while, Glow stayed at friends’ houses. She was best friends with a chick named Becky. She mostly stayed at Beckie’s house. Regardless of the friend, or how much she enjoyed their company, Glow was always very considerate, never staying more than a couple days.
Despite the fact Glow didn’t have a place to sleep, she wasn’t completely broke. Occasionally, she worked odd jobs. Without having to pay rent, she stretched even a small paycheck for at least a month.
Many people didn’t realize she was living on the streets. Others didn’t care. After seeing Glow on the streets, they went home, ate dinner, before going sleep, without giving Glow a second thought.
Every so often, Glow gathered a little extra cash. With the money she gathered, she purchased cross country, round trip bus tickets. Long distance bus trips were an inexpensive way for her to catch up on sleep. The bus trips took about two weeks and were mostly via highway.
Glow slept during the majority of the ride. When she wasn’t sleeping, she looked out the window. Sometimes she daydreamed. Sometimes she felt sorry for herself. Other times, she just enjoyed the scenery.
The buses stopped at different cities for layovers. The longer layovers were between five and six hours. Glow usually exited the bus to stretch her legs, while walking the city’s streets.
While traveling across the country, Glow spoke with plenty of different people. Typically, she kept the conversations to small talk. She was often asked the usual questions. “Where are you going?” “Where are you from?” Glow didn’t always have a good answer.
She tried telling the truth a few times. “I just felt like hopping on the bus to view the scenery and catch up on sleep.” After a few bewildered looks, she just shrugged when asked those types of questions.
Occasionally, Glow introduced herself. Frequently, she received complements due to the uniqueness of her name. The complements were almost always followed up with questions asking about her name. How and why Glow’s birthmother named Glow, is one of the few highlights she remembers from her early childhood.
When asked about her name, Glow’s eyes brightened. They grew wide, sparkling, followed by a smile, a smile bright enough to light up an entire room. Immediately thereafter, she told them the story about her name. She loves telling that story.
When Glow was very young, her aunt (her birthmothers sister) told Glow why she was named Glow. Even at a very young age, Glow remembers the story like it was told to her yesterday.
Her natural birthmother was a professional wrestler for an independent wrestling circuit. After she got pregnant, she stayed with the circuit to train rookie female wrestlers.
Shortly before Glow’s birth, her mom flew to Las Vegas for a wrestling event. While in Las Vegas, she found out the G.L.O.W. Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling were filming their 100th episode at the Riviera Hotel.
The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling were the reason her birthmother became a professional wrestler. With the success of G.L.O.W., her wrestling circuit added females to their wrestling events.
Glow’s mom was staying at a hotel a couple blocks away. Even at eight and a half months pregnant, after working eight hours, in the dark, by herself, and with swollen feet, Glow’s mom decided to take a walk down the street to see the Riviera Hotel.
Neon signs lit up the whole street. When she arrived in front of the Riviera Hotel, a huge neon sign illuminated the sky, displaying the acronym G.L.O.W.. The very second Glow’s mom looked up at the sign, she went into labor. She knew at that instant, she was naming her daughter Glow.
When Glow wasn’t taking bus trips, the few things she owned, she kept in lockers. Lockers were available at the beach to rent by the week. Whenever possible, she stored her stuff in those lockers.
Other times, Glow stored her stuff inside gym lockers. Often, workers who saw Glow visiting regularly, bent the rules, allowing Glow to keep her lock on a locker. Gyms were another place where she showered.
Sometimes, Glow stayed at her boyfriend’s house, often cuddling with him in front of the tv. Logan didn’t know she was living on the streets when they weren’t together. Neither asked the other many questions.
Most of the time they spent together was a rush, enjoying the glory of parties and clubs, enjoying being young, carefree, enjoying each other’s company and simply enjoying life. That’s all Glow ever wanted, someone to enjoy life with.
Nevertheless, their time together always ended. Without fail, every few weeks, Logan was scheduled to travel for work, causing Glow anguish. She didn’t like when their time together ended. Glow viewed Logan’s business trips as a sign he didn’t want to spend as much time with her as she did with him.
While they were apart Glow thought about Logan. She wondered if he met other ladies during his travels. She worried he might not come back. Though, when he did, things were like he never left. Glow and Logan always clicked when they were together.
Eventually, Logan started taking longer trips. The two did have differences. Logan was raised in much the same way many others are raised. He spent a lot of time with his family. He was very proper.
Glow was the opposite. She always declined when Logan invited her to have dinner with his family. The only thing she knew about family was the way she was treated. She didn’t want anything to do with that.
Over time, Logan decided he wanted something different, something better, at least in his mind. Glow was ecstatic just to have the basic necessities and ecstatic they were enjoying life together.
In many ways, Glow and Logan didn’t understand each other. Just like Glow couldn’t understand why he liked spending time with his family, Logan couldn’t understand why she didn’t have his same ambition.
As Logan’s trips got longer, the two stopped clicking the same way they did earlier in their relationship. The good times weren’t as good. With his travels, his interests changed. Logan began keeping his distance, even when he wasn’t traveling.
The couple stopped staying in touch and seeing each other all together.
Glow was 22 years old. Logan was the only guy she ever dated. While the two were out together at clubs, she was fiercely possessive of him. Glow’s mentality caused her to get into a few scuffles if other ladies crept to close.
After their breakup, Glow went through difficult times. Her life spiraled into a downward disaster. Most would think, just the fact she was living on the street was the bottom rung. It wasn’t. Glow withdrew herself from society. She was angry all the time. She lost interest in anything and everything going on in the world.
Whenever Glow earned money, she bought alcohol, while spending the majority of her time alone, drunk and broke. She often reflected on her life. She felt sorry for herself and in many ways her feelings were justified.
After leaving multiple jobs, Glow couldn’t even afford alcohol. Life on the street became much tougher. Her best friend Beckie moved away for college. She didn’t have any way to escape the streets.
Glow didn’t make things easier for herself either. She refused to ask anyone for money. Workers began interrogating her when they saw her at the beach or on trains.
Finding places to sleep became much more difficult. Some days Glow walked miles, in direct sunlight, searching for a place to sleep. Hours later, bewildered, dehydrated and exhausted, she passed out wherever she was located, usually a sidewalk.
When someone woke Glow, she simply apologized, saying she just needed a rest, then, walked as far as she could before passing out on some other sidewalk.
Glow rarely ate. Most days she scavenged a few bites here and there. Some stores gave out free samples. She ate as many of those as allowed. Needless to say, her hunger wasn’t satisfied.
After days only eating morsels, pain from the emptiness in her stomach increased substantially. After a few weeks, the pain subsided slightly. Glow’s body adapted to less food. She lost a significant amount of weight.
Her stomach sunk inward, tightly stretching her skin over her ribs, exposing the bones in her ribs, before curving into an almost nonexistent mid-section.
Malnourishment took its toll. Her muscles became weak and frail. Dehydration also took its toll. Glow was drenched in sweat all day, she couldn’t drink nearly as much as her body needed. Dehydration, combined with malnourishment, beats down the toughest people. In order to walk, Glow needed to use all her strength just to lift each leg up and forward.
After many very brutal months on the street, Glow began to pull herself together. She learnt different methods to stay out of the limelight and sunlight, while still staying out of societies grasp.
She cleaned herself up somewhat. Then, found a part time job. After working a few months, she purchased a used pickup truck.
Before Glow found a job, her thoughts were of immediate necessities for survival. She usually spent hours trying to figure out where she could find her next meal. Then, where she could sleep later at night. Working and having the pickup relived some of those issues, at least to a lesser degree.
Glow spent the next year and a half of her life on the streets, going from part time job to part time job. At the same time, Glow began spending time at libraries, reading books, thinking about things other than immediate survival.
Glow discovered different, interesting parts of life. Yet, she still couldn’t find her niche. She couldn’t find another guy she liked, and she couldn’t find another group of friends. Eventually, she couldn’t find another job.
Today, Glow sits in her pickup. Thoughts, quickly pass through her head as she tries to figure out how to find peace within herself.
Keywords: Light Throughout The Night, Chapter 1, Slammed Shut, Glow, Child Abuse, Neglect, Runaway, Yelling, Punished, G.L.O.W. Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, Riviera Hotel, Peace Within, Fiction Book, LTTN
Posted:
2023-01-07 At:
5:30 am:
If you've reached this blog post via a search engine or through social media, I'm posting the complete book for free here as blog posts. A summery is located here.
Light Throughout The Night is a complete story with many twists and turns. The only way to feel the essence of the story is to read it from beginning to end.
Even though I'm posting the book as blog posts, the eBook is still available for sale. As a result, please don't post the book elsewhere.
Chapter 2: Desperate Measures
Years earlier, before Glow dropped out of school, the area started changing. A number of large corporations opened businesses. People from other cities and towns moved in for employment. Sufficient local housing was lacking. Corporate executives paid premium prices for housing. The cost of living quadrupled, rapidly.
Many elder residents living on fixed incomes couldn’t afford to live in their hometown. Most sold their homes. Previous politicians who were also longtime residents, were voted out of office. The focus of new politicians was towards corporate growth and development. Laws changed. Some of the new laws made living off grid difficult. Others increased the cost of living. The town wasn’t the same.
Previously protected large plots of forest reserved for wildlife and parks were getting developed. These weren’t the type of developments the majority of the citizens could afford. They weren’t in the best interest of current residents, the earth or the planet.
By this part of Glow’s life, she wasn’t paying any attention to the changes. It wouldn’t have mattered if the sky was falling. She didn’t want to know about it. She just knew, she wanted to get away.
She wanted to get away from society. She wanted to get away from her past. And she wanted to get off the streets. The lifestyle Glow was living caused her many years of suffering.
Glow began reading about self-sufficiency. She gathered information from wherever possible. She read articles online and posts via message boards. She spent many hours at the library, gathering information from magazines and books.
Glow already possessed a diverse set of survival skills, partly from an upbringing where she was forced to deal with life on her own, partly from spending much of her young adult life on the streets. Beckie’s parents lived off grid. Glow learnt numerous off grid survival techniques when she visited Beckie’s house.
Glow remembered a place still out of the limelight. A place deep enough in the woods where she could find peace. A place where she could get away from things.
An older lady owned a large plot of land. Her families been living in the town since it was first incorporated over a hundred years ago. The old lady always treated Glow decent.
When their town was taken over, she was pressured into selling her property. She refused many very generous offers. After turning down their offers, the old lady received intimidating phone calls, almost daily, as part of an effort to bully her into selling her land.
The old lady still refused. She knew developers would level her land. Her properties’ been passed down through her family for generations. She wanted to leave her daughter something of substance when it was her time to go.
Glow drove to a piece of the old ladies property she visited as a kid. She got out of her truck. She sat under a tree a little ways from a river. The sky was a stunning bright blue. The air was crisp.
Glow sat under the tree watching squirrels play nearby. They jumped from branch to branch, from tree to tree, playing, chasing each other, looking for food, burying acorns. They seemed happy. They were enjoying every second of their life.
Those squirrels didn’t have million-dollar apartments or internet, yet they were happier than most people she’s ever met. They were also much happier than she’s ever been.
In the background, Glow listened to rushing water from the river and birds tweeting. She felt at ease. She felt alive. Glow yearned to turn the field where she sat into her home. She didn’t want to continue living a lifestyle killing her soul and body with each passing day.
Glow looked further down towards the river. She said to herself, “That’s a great spot to set up a tent. That’s a great spot to turn into my home.”
The old lady was very laid back. Camping on her land wasn’t an issue.
Glow camped in the field with Becky as youngsters. As the two friends reached their teens, sometimes they threw small parties by the river. Party goers lit a campfire, downed a few brews while sitting on beach chairs, chatting away. During a few of the wilder parties, they did shotguns, sang, and danced before passing out next to the campfire.
The field was difficult to find. It was located at the end of a series of dirt roads with no trespassing signs along the way. The dirt roads were long and narrow, nothing like the dirt roads seen in movies. The ones where a car whisks along as a cloud of dust follows.
These roads were filled with ditches, crevices, and large rocks. Drivers needed to maneuver their vehicles carefully and slowly, making the field an ideal spot for someone seeking seclusion. During previous camping trips, Glow didn’t see any other vehicles enter the field or travel down the dirt roads.
Glow looked at the opportunity as a win win. The cost to live in the field was minimal. At the same time, she would get a chance to experience a different side of life. A side of life she hadn’t experienced before.
The sights and sounds were majestic. Glow couldn’t stop thinking about waking up to the sound of rushing water, birds tweeting, and crickets chirping. She imagined stepping outside her tent to see squirrels playing, the forest, and water flowing down the river.
Glow’s been working the same job for almost ten months. She earns decent money, while saving most of the money she earns. She put together a list of the items she needed to live in the field. She thought about hundreds of different scenarios.
Glow thought about how she’d fix the tent if it started leaking. She thought about different ways to cook food. She thought about how she’d wash dishes, along with plenty of other issues she needed to overcome.
After settling in the field, Glow planned to stay in the field for at least six months, without leaving for any reason. She needed to stay away from anyone and everyone for at least six months.
Glow needed to straighten out her head. The only way she could better herself, was by staying away from the life that kept her on the street. Glow also figured, she would attract much less attention if she didn’t have to take multiple trips into town after she was settled.
The same day Glow visited the field, she began putting a plan together. The first thing she did was tie up loose ends. Due to the type of life Glow lived, she didn’t have many loose ends. The only two things she thought of doing were filing her taxes and calling Beckie.
Becky moved away years ago. Before Beckie moved, Glow and Beckie each made the other promise to stay in touch. As a result, Glow and Beckie spoke every couple of months. Since Glow was completely removing herself from society, she decided to give her friend a call.
Whenever they talked, Glow always told Becky she was doing good and everything was ok. Then, she enjoyed listening to all the things going on in Beckie’s life. During their phone conversation, the two chatted about the old ladies field.
Becky was the only person Glow still trusted. She decided to let Becky know, nonchalantly, she was moving into the field. She also asked Beckie to keep her whereabouts on the downlow.
As soon as Becky heard, she gave Glow plenty of great advice. Glow diligently took notes.
Once all of Glow’s loose ends were tied up and her list was complete, she began taking trips to different stores. With six months of food and supplies needed, Glow had a lot of work ahead of her.
The first thing Glow purchased was a very large army green military style cabin tent. The tent was the most expensive item on her list. She wasn’t going to let the cost stop her. Glow found a tent on sale for a great price.
The canvas was thick, ensuring it would endure outside elements for many years. A large screened in porch was built into the front, giving her an extra layer of protection from bugs.
The inside was very spacious, allowing room for furniture and enough open space for Glow to walk around, stretching her legs during days it rained.
Before Glow set up the tent, she decided to build a foundation. The spot where she planned to set up her tent was already elevated. She didn’t need a thick foundation, just something high enough off the ground to keep small puddles of rainwater from entering the living quarters.
She filled the back of her truck with 2 inch thick, 1 square foot cement squares. Cement squares are inexpensive and very durable. They would also serve as sturdy flooring.
Needless to say, the cement squares were heavy. To prevent water from entering during the worst storms, Glow decided to stack them two deep. Due to their size, she needed hundreds of them for the base of the tent.
Laying out the cement squares was her toughest task. Even though Glow was somewhat healthier than she’d been, she was still very thin and frail. Most people need years to recover from just a few months of living on the streets. Glow’s been living on the streets for years.
She took two trips back and forth to the store, just to get them all to the field. Before Glow was halfway done setting up the first layer of cement squares, her muscles were aching, her knees were swollen, and her back was sore.
As weak as she was physically, living on the streets has a way of toughing up even the frailest of people in different ways. Their bodies adapt to pain. Their bodies learn to take more punishment. They become immune to pain.
Glow was already tough by nature. She kept going until she couldn’t possibly lift another cement square. Tired and sweaty, she stopped and sat in the passenger seat of her truck to rest. She took many rests throughout the day. The day Glow set up the foundation was hot and humid. Her body often gave in to exhaustion and dehydration. Regardless, after every rest, she immediately went back to work.
Glow pushed herself. She wouldn’t let herself permanently succumb to the pain ailing her body. She spent almost the whole day setting up the foundation.
Early the next morning, sore and groggy, while moving very slow, she put the tent together. Putting the tent together wasn’t an easy task either. Assembling a 200sf tent is usually a two person job. Glow used ingenuity. She took her time and figured it out.
Now with the tent together, Glow began gathering all the things she needed for her stay. Her list was very long. She would have to take multiple trips back and forth to the field.
First, Glow decided to pick up the items needed for inside her tent. She purchased a sleeping bag and a small futon. When she took the futon to the field, she didn’t put it together. She removed all the pieces from the box and tossed them inside the tent.
Glow was looking forward to the next chapter of her life. She wasn’t about to waste time setting up something she could setup later. Glow’s been sleeping in the back of her truck for years. She could put the futon together after she was settled in the field.
Glow did the same for everything packaged inside a box, partly to ensure there weren’t any missing parts, partly to ensure she didn’t leave any unnecessary garbage at the field. With all the items removed from their boxes, Glow could drop off the boxes and packing materials at a recycling facility during her next trip to the store.
During Glow’s next trip to the store, she purchased a single burner electric stovetop. Knowing she would have to deal with rainy days, cooking inside was essential. To go with the stovetop, she bought a small stainless steel table with a stainless steel backstop, giving her a safe place to cook inside the tent.
Glow specifically chose stainless steel because of potential rust issues. Becky taught Glow about the potential dangers of steel items rusting in moist, small environments, telling Glow, “Steel can rust very quick in moist environments, especially if not properly coated. The dust emitted from rusted steel probably isn't great to breaths in”.
Glow picked up a small grill grate for outside. She planned to eat outside as much as possible, getting the most out of her new surroundings.
For her toiletry needs, she went with a porta potty. To complement the porta potty she picked up a composting bin to keep outside, well behind the tent.
From there, Glow purchased dividers to create a separate area for the bathroom. She bought plenty of biodegradable toilet paper and paper towels. TP’s something she didn’t want to run out of during her stay.
Glow desperately needed storage. Keeping a six month supply of food inside a tent required serious organization. She picked up two footlockers to keep her food secure from the elements. She also purchased a standing shelf to store miscellaneous items. Between the shelf and footlockers, the kitchen would take up the most room.
To give her tent the feel of a real home, she dropped cash on a decorative rug and a dust buster.
She purchased a portable camping sink with a faucet powered by a foot pump. The foot pump siphoned water from an attached bucket, pumping the water through the faucet into the sink, allowing Glow to wash dishes inside the tent.
Glow went with biodegradable dish soap, made from 100% natural ingredients. She was very cautious of the environment. She did the same for all the cleaning supplies. Becky always said, “Don’t return anything to the land that didn’t come from the land.”
With the purchase of the electric stove top, Glow needed power.
Becky dropped some serious solar knowledge during their previous phone conversation. She designed and provided Glow with instructions for a simple, yet sufficient and inexpensive solar system. From there, Beckie asked Glow to repeat everything she said, ensuring Glow understood the design, the parts needed, and how they go together.
With the solar system Beckie designed, Glow wouldn’t have any issues powering the stovetop. Furthermore, she would have electricity, off grid, for years, without any additional cost.
Glow purchased two 100 watt solar panels, two 100 amp hour batteries, an adequate power inverter, a charge controller, and the necessary wires and fuses.
She purchased plywood to build a vented battery box. The battery box would sit just outside her tent and also serve as a place to mount the solar panels. Glow planned to attach the inverter to the back of the shelves in her kitchen.
Glow didn’t buy any additional appliances. She didn’t buy any electronics either. Glow didn’t want to know what was going on in the world. She lived in that world for to many years. Nothing good ever came from there.
The only electronic device she took was a tiny portable DVD Player with a built-in monitor. She kept the DVD Player and a few DVD’s with her everywhere she went.
She was given the DVD Player as a gift when she was eight, the only gift she’s ever been given. Glow was in the same place she spent most of her childhood, locked in her room. She was being punished for two weeks during summer vacation.
Glow had been trapped in her room for the last two days, without anything to do or anyone to keep her company. She was sitting on her bed, looking out the window.
All of a sudden she saw Beckie’s head peering out from behind a tree near the neighbor’s house. When Beckie saw the coast was clear, she darted across the yard towards Glow’s window.
Quietly, Glow opened the window. Beckie slowed as she approached, cautiously looking down, trying to avoid stepping on any leaves or twigs. When she arrived, she whispered in a very low tone, nervously looking around, afraid she might get caught, yet keeping the courage to see her mission through. “Glow, I got this for Christmas. I already have a DVD player. Here.”
She shoved the DVD player, and a couple DVD’s through the window into Glow’s arms. Immediately thereafter, she took off running. By the time Glow had a chance to thank her, Beckie was halfway across the yard.
The DVD’s were filled with Saturday morning cartoons from the 80’s. Glow always enjoyed watching Saturday morning cartoons when she visited Beckie’s house. The cartoons were in addition to a couple DVD’s Glow already owned. Glow owned a DVD with two of her mom’s wrestling matches. She also owned a couple episodes of G.L.O.W. Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling.
What she didn’t have was a DVD player. She rarely got to watch her mom wrestle. She was absolutely thrilled at her friends jester. She couldn’t stop smiling the rest of the time she was punished.
Glow ducked down real low on the other side of her bed. She put on her headphones, keeping the volume low, allowing her to hear if someone was walking down the hall. Then, she began watching the DVD’s. She must have watched the episodes at least fifty times each. Now, every time she thinks of that week, she smiles.
Next, Glow hit up a home and garden store. A vibrant, healthy garden was essential for her long term survival in the field.
She snagged a bunch of fence stakes and screening to build a fence around the garden. The screening would prevent even the smallest critters from getting to her veggies and fruits. Extra fence stakes would serve as supports for taller plants. She also tossed a mallet and shovel into the cart.
From there, she entered the greenhouse. The second Glow entered, she took a deep breath, inhaling the scents from the plants, knowing she would wake up to those very same scents every morning. She couldn’t wait to arrive at her new home.
Glow shortened her list with the purchase of a variety of different plants and seeds, including Watermelons, Squash, Green Beans, Garlic, Corn, Onions, Potatoes, and Carrots to name a few.
The climate where Glow’s located is very mild. Due to the variety of plants and seeds, she would have a sufficient harvest during all four seasons. The seeds from each harvest would keep Glow’s garden growing for many years, without any additional cost. With a year-round food supply, she could stay in the field indefinitely.
Glow dropped off multiple carts filled with gardening supplies at the front of the store. Next, she headed to the lumber section.
The lumber section is where Glow stacked a modest supply of lumber, bolts, and screws onto a large dolly.
Before leaving, she found a steel barrel with an airtight lid to serve as a trashcan. Other than a few plastic food wrappers, Glow didn’t anticipate having much garbage. The size of the barrel was adequate, while keeping garbage safe from racoons and other critters.
Glow also picked up a couple gallons of paint, paint brushes and a vintage style manual push mower. With the mower, she could keep a landscaped yard in front of her tent.
By the time Glow finished her latest shopping trip, it was late, she was tired. She drove to the field, then passed out in her truck almost immediately after her arrival. Early the next morning, she unloaded all the supplies.
The shopping trips were taking much longer than Glow expected and they were wearing on her. Nevertheless, she stayed focused on her new life. After each shopping trip, the excitement at the thought of a new, better life, kept building.
Having already purchased all the larger items, Glow began shopping for food. Shopping for six months’ worth of food isn’t an easy task, especially on Glow’s budget. She didn’t want to spend more than a grand, about five dollars a day for food and drinks.
If Glow stuck to her budget, she would have enough money remaining for the following six months, if needed. Eventually, she hoped to get all her food from her garden. Luckily, plenty of different types of food last at least six months.
Aisle after aisle, with tenacity and diligence, Glow began filling her cart.
She purchased cases of oodles and noodles, peanut butter, soup, pork and beans, cans of veggies, boxes of cereal along with a number of other food items. She bought a large cooler and filled it with bags of rice.
While making her list, Glow tentatively put together a menu of what she would eat each day. Next, she figured out how much of each item she needed for a six month stay. If her shopping list wasn’t sufficient, within a couple months, her garden would provide plenty of extra food.
Glow didn’t need water, the river provided an endless supply. She just needed a way to carry water from the river to her tent and jugs to store water inside her tent. Glow purchased a couple five gallon buckets as a method to fetch water and airtight jugs for storage. Before consumption, she planned to run drinking water through a filter for purification, then boil the filtered water.
Coffee was a different story. Coffee was one of the few non-essential must have items on her list. Glow purchased a six month supply of instant coffee. She indulged with the purchase of a couple cases of beer. Even though the cases of beer wouldn’t last six months, she figured, what the heck, why not.
She was about to move off the streets into a new home. She had a good reason to celebrate.
By the time Glow finished shopping for food, she was way under budget. Food prices were much lower than she expected. She didn’t know why and didn’t give the lower prices a second thought.
Glow’s next stop was a local department store where she notched off a variety of different items from her list.
Glow grabbed flashlights, a small desktop light, a miscellaneous supply of rechargeable batteries, battery chargers, two extension cords, bungie cords, zip ties, slider bags, garbage bags, rope, duct tape, and a Swiss army pocketknife.
To alleviate potential moisture issues, Glow snagged a few bottles of mildew remover and a fan.
She didn’t forget about kitchen utensils either. Sluggishly, as the length of the shopping trips wore on Glow, she pushed her cart to the opposite end of the store to purchase a coffee cup, a pot, a pan, a couple forks, a couple knives, a couple spoons, a can opener, sponges, and plenty of towels and washcloths.
The department store was also where she purchased backup and emergency supplies. Her list called for a variety of miscellaneous tools, a fishing pole, fishing lures, an ax, matches, a lighter, lighter fluid, biofuel cans, a first aid kit and a few tarps. She intended to use the extra tarps to keep firewood dry.
With thoughts of her truck sitting in the field for at least six months, Glow purchased an automotive battery charger and an air pump.
After shopping for over a week, Glow was as determined as ever to finish her list without forgetting anything. As the end of her list neared, she began to get a second wind.
She found a sleek looking table and chair for her porch. She also tossed a set of Christmas lights in the cart to serve as lighting inside the porch.
Glow purchased a beach chair to use during the days she wanted to sit outside in the field. Glow picked up a can of mace and a stun gun. She didn’t think she needed either of those items, however, she figured, better to be safe than sorry.
With Glows reprieve in the field, she planned to take better care of her health. She purchased a few toothbrushes, many bottles of toothpaste, mouthwash, flossers and multi vitamins.
To go with her healthier lifestyle, she picked up plenty of womanly beautification items to help her feel good about herself. She bought nail clippers, nail polish, perfume, hairbrushes, and shavers.
After making several trips between different department stores and the field, Glow stopped at a local farm. She purchased a couple hens and bags of grain to feed them. Fresh eggs in the morning sounded delicious.
Lastly, Glow desperately needed clothes. For the first time in years, she went clothes shopping.
Glow only owned a couple items of clothes. They were old. They were dirty. There wasn’t any cleaning them, regardless of how many times they were washed.
Glow spent money on a new pair of sneakers and a pair of hiking boots. She dropped moolah on jeans, summer dresses, leggings, tees, sweatpants, sweatshirts, shorts and plenty of undies. She snagged a few thick sweatshirts and wool socks for the winter months as well.
Before Glow broke up with Logan, her style was cultish casual. She usually wore 80’s style gym shirts. The type where one of the sleeves hangs off the side of the shoulder. She wore sweatshirts or tees with either sweatpants, jeans, leggings or soccer shorts.
Her style was influenced by her birthmother and the 1980’s. There wasn’t any doubt about that.
Now, she’ll look a little more like herself. And when she moves into the field, she’ll feel like the Glow for whom her mother gave birth.
Naturally, Glow was adventurous. She was a free spirit. She liked to explore, experience and learn about life’s exciting intricacies. She was born like that.
The adventurous, free spirited Glow disappeared. She disappeared when Glow was very young, before ever having a chance to live. Now, Glow could enjoy a little part of her natural inner being.
Glow’s absolute final stop, before disappearing deep into the woods, was the gym. She wanted to shower and change into some of her new clothes before she arrived at her new home.
The instant she finished, showered and clean, wearing new clothes, Glow immediately walked to her truck. She opened the door, climbed into the driver’s seat, shutting the door as she sat. She took a deep breath, sat back in the seat and smiled. A genuine smile. For the first time in years, she felt somewhat good about things.
Glow started her truck and headed towards the field. As Glow slowly drove down the dirt road towards her home, she felt like a new woman.
Keywords: Light Throughout The Night, Chapter 2, Desperate Measures, Glow, Escaping The Streets, Homelessness, Off Grid Living, Self-Sufficiency, Survival Skills, A New Beginning, Fiction Story, Free Book, Preparation, Malnourishment, Lack Of Sleep, Shopping Spree, Bulk Purchases, LTTN
Posted:
2023-01-14 At:
5:30 am:
If you've reached this blog post via a search engine or through social media, I'm posting the complete book for free here as blog posts. A summery is located here.
Light Throughout The Night is a complete story with many twists and turns. The only way to feel the essence of the story is to read it from beginning to end.
Even though I'm posting the book as blog posts, the eBook is still available for sale. As a result, please don't post the book elsewhere.
Chapter 3: Home Sweet Home
When Glow arrived at the field, she was exhausted, both emotionally and physically. She leaned over, resting her head against a stack of new clothes sitting on the passenger seat. She took a deep breath, inhaling their wonderful scents just before falling asleep.
Glow had a backup plan for all the necessities. In some cases, a backup plan for her backup plan. If the stovetop stopped working, she could cook on the grill. If there wasn’t any dry wood for the grill, she could use the biofuel cans.
If the tent leaked, she could cover it with a tarp. Otherwise, she could either patch it with duct tape or sleep in her truck.
If something happened to the food she purchased, she could eat food from the garden. If something happened to the garden, she could eat eggs from the hens or fish from the river.
Even with all her preparation, Glow did have fears. She was worried she didn’t purchase all the essential miscellaneous supplies. She knew, regardless of her diligence, encountering a situation she didn’t take into consideration was a real possibility.
While living on the streets, Glow survived for years with almost nothing. She didn’t have any doubt she could survive in the field. She was tired of just surviving. She’s been in survival mode her whole life. Glow wanted to strive. That’s why the miscellaneous supplies were important. They’ll take her from surviving to striving. They’ll improve the quality of her life.
The type of life Glow lived took a toll on her mind and body. During the course of her life, she developed plenty of personality traits most looked at as flaws.
Glow started thinking everyone was her enemy. She became antisocial and withdrawn. Sometimes abrasive. She’s overly emotional, stubborn and takes things very serious. Glow’s self-reliant, to a fault. She almost always deals with problems on her own. She holds in her anger, sometimes until it reaches a boiling point. Then, she either has a fit or breaks down, crying for hours.
Even with all of Glow’s issues, preparation wasn’t one of them.
Glow slept soundly through the night. Late the next afternoon, she woke to the sound of hens clucking in the back of her truck.
The weather was absolutely perfect. The temperature wasn’t hot. It wasn’t cold. It was perfect. The sky was a deep blue. There wasn’t a cloud in sight. The trees were motionless, picturest. Birds were chirping, singing harmonious melodies.
Glow sat up in the seat, still clinching a new sweatshirt she used as a pillow. She leaned back, looking out the window, seemingly in disbelief. She sat in her truck for at least a half an hour, taking in the scenery. She was finally starting to find peace and peace within herself.
The morning she woke in her truck, in the field, knowing she didn’t have to worry about finding a place to sleep later at night, was a great beginning to the next chapter of her life.
Nevertheless, Glow was anxious to revamp her little neck of the woods. She arranged a stack of extra cement squares into a square to form a fireplace.
Glow walked to the edge of the forest to gather firewood. She found a sufficient supply of decent size downed branches. After gathering the branches, she stacked them inside the cement squares. She lit a fire, placed the grill grate over the cement squares and began boiling water for an afternoon cup of coffee.
When the coffee was ready, Glow took the beach chair to the middle of the field. She took a seat, and enjoyed her cup of coffee like she never enjoyed a cup of coffee before.
The life she was living on the streets, a life of misery and near starvation was in the past. Glow knew her past would always haunt her. Regardless, at the present time, she found a way to enjoy a few minutes of her new life.
Eventually, Glow pried herself up from the beach chair. She had plenty to do.
The hens were at the top of her to do list. Giving them safe and suitable living quarters was important. She grabbed a few pieces of plywood, a few 2 X 4’s, a saw, a hammer, nails and began building a henhouse.
When Glow finished, she gave the henhouse a coat of paint. She grabbed some fence stakes and fencing to build the hens a yard. She built their pen in the shade near her tent. At night she would secure them in the henhouse for safety.
The very next thing Glow did was set up her futon. After her futon was together, for the first time in years, she wouldn’t have to search for a place to sleep.
Glow’s new bed would provide her with a greater form of luxury than most people get from the beds found at five star hotels.
The majority of people who stay at a five star hotels, do so after sleeping on a fairly comfortable bed. To them, the beds at five star hotels are a decent, luxurious upgrade. However, they’re nothing compared to the upgrade Glow was going to get when she goes to sleep.
Glow was about to go from sleeping on the streets, hard, cold sidewalks, bus stop benches, crunched up inside her truck, without enough room to stretch her legs, to a bed. A bed alone is a substantial upgrade.
Her futon is all black. Even the mattress is black. The mattress is thick and soft. Glow was already thinking about going to sleep later at night, slipping into her new pj’s, just before sinking deep into her new mattress, under warm clean covers, falling asleep to delightful dreams of her new surroundings.
When Glow finally went to sleep, she was exhausted. She slept all night, and all day the next day, only waking up for a few hours to grab a snack. Then, slept all night the next night, waking up early the following morning, rejuvenated, ready to start her new life.
After breakfast, Glow organized the items she purchased for her new home. She prioritized them in order of importance. Storing her food safely and securely was her top priority. She put the shelf together and filled it with the food items she ate most often. Next, she filled the storage chests with the food items she wanted to keep safest and dry.
From there, she began putting together the solar system. Glow was a little worried she wouldn’t get the system working. However, knowing the effort Becky put into the instructions helped her feel much more confident.
The first thing Glow did was build a vented housing box for the batteries. She mounted the solar panels to the top of the box. She put the batteries inside the box and began wiring the system. Glow attached the necessary fuses and ran wirers from the battery box to the power inverter inside her tent.
She instilled the same amount of thought and effort into setting the system up as Beckie did with her instructions. Glow took her time, carefully checking, and double checking the wiring.
When Glow finished, she took a look at the charge controller. The solar panels were charging the batteries. The batteries were almost fully charged. Glow flipped on the power switch for the inverter and plugged in her stovetop. Presto, she now had power.
By the time Glow finished arranging the inside of the tent, everything was neat and organized.
During the next few weeks, Glow’s life turned somewhat normal. She woke up, fed the hens, ate and enjoyed the outdoors. Sometimes in the afternoon, she wrote, played her guitar or exercised.
She went to sleep to crickets chirping and frogs ribbiting. She woke to birds singing and squirrels playing.
Once in a while, Glow woke up early. She stepped outside to a thick fog, growing thicker as it stretched across the field. The grass was entrenched in fog. The forest was dim, distant, seemingly hovering above a dark gray mist. Those mornings were mesmerizing.
A few months after moving to the field, Glow began making friends with some of the local animals.
A lizard turned a small stump near her table into his home. She threw the little fella small bites of food when she ate.
Every morning while she was cooking breakfast, a small group of squirrels visited. She purchased large bags of peanuts for snacking. While she was cooking breakfast she shared them with the squirrels.
She only fed them small amounts of food and only food they ate naturally in the wild. Glow was cautious about how much she fed the squirrels because of another of Beckie’s sayings.
“If a person feeds a wild animal in the same spot for an extended period of time, the animal starts relying on the food they’re fed. The animal loses the ability to find food on its own.
If the person feeding the animal stops leaving food, the animal keeps visiting the same spot looking for food, sometimes going hungry, not knowing how to find food on its own, putting the animals survival at risk.”
Beckie’s saying was also the reason why Glow didn’t ask for money while she was living on the street. She didn’t want to become reliant on anyone other than herself. Glow knew, if she became reliant upon others, she might not find a way off the streets.
Over time, Glow got to know the squirrels. Each squirrel possessed their own unique personality. Some of the squirrels buried the peanuts she gave them. Later in the day, they dug them up for brunch. Others ate their peanuts immediately.
After the squirrels ate, they played on a large Oak Tree near her tent. One of the reasons Glow picked the spot where she set up her tent was because of the Oak Tree. The tree was very old. Its branches spanned into the woods and out over the field. The Oak Tree gave her a sense of serenity.
Every so often, towards the edge of the woods, Glow saw a little fox. He just sat there most days, watching her from a distance, just like she was doing to the fox, from the other end of the field. Once in a while she saw him jumping around, playing in the tall grass. Though, always cautious. At the slightest sound, scurried into the safety of the woods.
Twenty five feet down from the Oak Tree stood a Walnut Tree. When Glow felt like having an afternoon snack, she walked to the Walnut Tree to grab a few Walnuts. She took a seat under the tree, cracked the Walnuts open against a rock, sharing them with the squirrels.
One morning Glow slept in. Just as she was waking, she heard loud definitive chirps from the birds. Panic ridden squawks from the squirrels.
Glow bolted out of her tent, still in her PJ’s. She looked up towards the far end of the field. Vultures were circling low, just above the tree line where the forest meets the field, stalking the squirrels, waiting for them to enter the field, looking for an easy meal.
Glow sprinted across the field, yelling, waving her arms, making herself known, making sure the Vultures knew they weren’t welcome. Before Glow was halfway across the field, the Vultures were scattering.
Sometimes, Glow enjoyed watching them fly high in the sky. They seemed like part of the sky. The wind, an extension of their wings as they glided effortlessly above.
Nevertheless, she only enjoyed watching them when they were high in the sky. Vultures are predators, and the squirrels were her friends. Their presence was a problem.
Glow saw a Vulture take down a prey in the wild. It was gruesome. A Vulture was slowly circling high above. Glow calls their slow circles, high in the sky, their circle of death. A smaller bird was flying almost fifty feet below. Without any hesitation, the Vulture darted downward into a rapid dive. Within seconds, snatched his prey out of the air.
Then, flew to a nearby tree where he slowly picked the little bird apart with his beak, while the bird was still alive. She wasn’t about to let that happen to any of the animals keeping her company.
From time to time, Glow saw raccoon tracks near her garden. She did a good job enclosing the outside of the garden and installed netting above.
Nevertheless, the raccoons were persistent, sometimes, trying to dig their way under the fence. If Glow heard them while she was sleeping, she woke, grabbed her flashlight and a broom, before going outside to scare them away. After seeing Glow run outside with her broom and flashlight, the raccoons usually didn’t return for months.
Even though predatorial animals weren’t known to occupy the area, Glow was cautious. She usually kept her bottle of mace within reach.
She also closed the tent door tightly after she entered or exited to prevent pesky bugs or small snakes from entering when she wasn’t looking.
Frequently, in the evening, before going to sleep, Glow sat out in the patio to watch the sun set behind the forest. The trees slowly turned into silhouettes. The orange sky turned black.
Glow spent a lot of time thinking. Depending on the situation, a person’s mind is their best friend or worst enemy. People don’t stop thinking. A person’s mind doesn’t ever stop working, whether sleeping or awake. Thoughts are always going through a person’s mind.
With Glow’s past, most of the time, her mind is her worst enemy. Her head is filled with bad memories. She can’t stop thinking about them. She can’t stop thinking about all the pain she’s been through.
Now, with her new life, sometimes Glow thought about different things. Things that don’t fill her soul with hate. Sometimes, she even thought about good things.
Often, after breakfast, Glow laid out a beach towel in the field near her beach chair. She laid on the towel, on her back, looking up at the sky. She lifted her legs, resting her feet on the beach chair. She felt more relaxed with her legs resting on the beach chair. Then, she’d just think, while staring up at the sky. She thought about all types of different things.
Many times the things she thought about helped her feel better about her herself. After years on the street, a person starts to think they’re not worthy. They start to believe the things people say. “Look at that looser, nearly passed out on the sidewalk.” “Uuggh, we can’t let you in here looking like that.”
Glow thought about the things people said about her and all the things she did wrong. Without much structure, she found plenty of things to do wrong. Then, she began thinking about travesties man created. Some of them made her feel like a saint.
She thought about the person who created the nuclear bomb. While most people were thinking about their husbands, wives, kids, family, friends, supermodels and supercars, some jerk was thinking of a way to build a bomb large enough to blow up an entire city.
Even though Glow wasn’t proud of many of the things she did during her life, when she compared herself to people like the person who invented the nuclear bomb, she felt much better.
It only takes a few individuals to ruin things for others. If a hundred people were in a room, and a few were rude, loud and obnoxious, those few people would ruin the atmosphere for every other person in the room.
The same could be said for the person who developed the nuclear bomb. Except, he or she put the lives of an entire planet at risk.
Glow believed in God. She thought about the things he created and how they meshed together.
She watched the squirrels carry acorns in different directions away from trees to bury them. A few months later a tree sprouted. The squirrels spread the forest, preventing trees from growing too close to each other, without enough sunlight or soil to survive.
Squirrels were given the natural ability to climb trees. Squirrels ate acorns and buried them out of instinct. They meshed with nature. That’s how God designed them.
Glow possessed a deep understanding for the importance of wildlife and the resulting devastation when even a single animal species becomes extinct.
She thought about what would happen if squirrels ever became extinct. Squirrels are responsible for the growth of millions of trees each year. Trees provide homes and food for billions of animals, including birds, lizards and insects. Trees provide oxygen to all life. The devastation would be astronomical.
Those were the days Glow was delighted to live in the field, watching nature as intended.
If the squirrels visited while Glow was thinking, she began conversations with them. Glow didn’t have anyone to talk with. She liked voicing her opinion and sharing her thoughts.
“Ya got it good here little squirrel. You were born here. You have a piece of property where you can do whatever you choose. You have a home, a place where you sleep at night.
If a park was nearby, you could enter and leave the park whenever and however you choose. You’ve done a lot of things right. You don’t bother anyone and haven’t invented anything destructive enough to destroy the planet. As a result, you got it better than many humans.
Us humans, we haven’t done as good of a job protecting our liberties. We were born in this country just like you. Though, millions of us don’t have a home of our own. Many have to work over twenty years, at a minimum wage job, just to afford the down payment on a piece of land like this field.
We can’t enter or leave most parks at our own leisure. There are lakes and parts of the Ocean where we need a fishing license just to catch food. Some forests require a us to purchase a license before we’re allowed to take a walk through the forest.
We’ve caused the extinction of thousands of animals and did a good job taking away the same liberties you squirrels enjoy in this field.”
Glow thought about how various things man invented were similar to the human body. Man invented computers. Computer hard drives work in a similar fashion to the human brain. Camera’s work in a similar fashion to the human eye.
Often, Glow imagined her life as if her mom were alive.
She thought to herself, “I might have someone who’s there for me. Someone to teach me things. Someone to teach me about life.
Maybe, I would have followed in her footsteps. Perhaps, I would have become a professional wrestler. Maybe, even a good wrestler. Possibly, at this very instant, I’m in the ring, wrestling, with the crowd cheering.
I’d have aunts, uncles and grandparents. Perhaps, today, instead of laying here by myself, I’m visiting relatives, eating dinner with them, being a part of something. I wouldn’t be alone. Maybe, I wouldn’t have spent the previous five years on the streets. Maybe, my life wouldn’t have turned into a disaster.”
Glow was naturally very emotional. When Glow thought about her mom, the core of her soul saddened. Her eyes glossed over. She used all her inner strength to hold back tears. She couldn’t. Glow broke down in tears as she laid on her back by herself, crying in the field for hours.
Glow even thought about how she thought. Years ago, Beckie mentioned, “Running helps people think better.” Glow did sprints as part of her weekly exercises.
Glow sprinted for both physical and emotional reasons. Running across the field as fast as possible was a great way for her to release anger. Sometimes when she ran, she yelled, screaming at the top of her lungs, trying to let her inner anger out.
Even though Glow removed herself from her past, she couldn’t rid herself of her past. The memories from a lifetime of mental abuse and neglect severely scar a person. Glow’s memories of abuse frequently suffocated all her other memories. All the awful things done to Glow by those who were supposed to have loved her, took over her thoughts.
If Glow ran during the days she was able to block out her past, she thought of the best ideas, either while she was running or a short time thereafter. Without much education, Glow tried to figure things out herself. She thought about why she thought better after sprints.
Glow looked at the brain as an engine, in a similar way to an automobile engine. Then, she looked at blood as a type of fuel.
When a person’s heart pumps faster, it sends more blood to the brain, just like a car, when it gets more fuel, the faster and stronger the car runs.
Glow thought about how she laid on her back in the field, with her feet up on the beach chair. She usually felt more focused. She figured the reason was because blood flowed better to her brain.
She never knew if she was right or wrong. That didn’t matter. She liked trying to figure things out. The things she was thinking about occupied her mind with thoughts other than thoughts about her past.
Somedays, Glow wrote for hours. She grabbed a notebook, pulled up a chair next to the table and wrote whatever was on her mind.
She wrote about the squirrels. She wrote fictional stories with wild plots and creative characters. She wrote different songs.
Having lived most of her life on the streets, Glow often wrote about the way she felt while living on the streets.
Christmas morning, a few hours after Glow woke in an alley, she wrote about the sights and sounds she saw and heard and the way she felt.
“She sits in an alley.
Today's Christmas.
The streets are as cold as ever.
She sits in a place where Christmas Trees and gifts don't exist.
A place where Santa doesn't visit.
Christmas lights decorate the trees and businesses of a nearby street.
Kids play on the sidewalk with gifts.
Christmas music echo's from an apartment.
She sits in an alley.
The streets are as cold as ever.
A place where Christmas Trees and gifts don't exist.
A place where Santa doesn't visit.
She sits in an alley.”
Glow wrote about the way she felt while living life on the street.
“She walks the streets at night,
under the stars and city lights,
in the rain and in the heat,
alone without nothing to eat.
There she stands, all alone.
She ain’t mad.
She ain’t sad.
Tired, hungry, looking forward to bed.
A blanket.
A covered entry way.
That’s where life led.
Wake up to a resident.
Lady, ya gotta go.
Rain comes down.
She gets wet.
That’s what happens when ya ain’t got a roof over ya head.”
Glow took a guitar with her and a few how to books. Glow messed around with Beckie’s guitar when she visited. Ever since, she yearned to learn how to play.
She practiced almost daily. Soon thereafter, the sounds of plucking strings turned into rhythms. She played the songs she wrote for the squirrels. They hopped up on the table, listening attentively until she finished.
From the time Glow moved to the field, she began doing a lot of things right. She seldomly got sick. She’s somewhat young. Her immune system is still strong. Maybe her body developed a higher tolerance to illnesses while she was on the street.
Glow’s daily habits are also a benefit to her health. She always boils drinking water after running it through a filter. She doesn’t let anything food related touch the ground and she bathes regularly.
Glow devoted herself to exercising. She began eating healthier and taking vitamins. She stopped living a life of simply surviving, she was striving.
The weakened and diminished muscles in her body, due to malnourishment and lack of sleep were regaining their strength. Her energy level rose. And the anger she keeps within from years of suffering, eased.
The hens enjoy the field. They have plenty of room to run around and lay eggs often.
Glow’s garden blossomed into a thick vibrant source of food and nutrition. She waters the plants and checks their health every evening.
Glow harvested Corn, Watermelon, Zucchini, Onions, Potatoes, Green Beans, Tomatoes, and Lettuce along with other types of vegetables and fruit.
Before moving to the field, Glow wasn’t much of a cook. Other than watching her ex-boyfriend cook a few meals, she didn’t have any experience. She’s been simply surviving for years, without a kitchen, eating whatever was available. The few meals she did put together weren’t much. She called them grub.
When Glow arrived at the field, she did the same. She threw a can of vegetables or Beans in a pot, let them boil, and ate them a few minutes later. Regardless of her cooking skills, she built from those meals. She added Eggs, then, Fish. Soon thereafter, plates of grub turned into delicious healthy meals.
For breakfast, Glow almost always ate Cheerios. She poured them in her Coffee and added a scoop of Peanut Butter. She purchased cases of Cheerios. They’re healthy. They don’t go bad for years. They’re inexpensive and serve as an excellent afternoon snack.
Glow figured out different ways to eat Cheerios. Sometimes she poured them into a jar of peanut butter and ate them out of the jar. Other times, she ate them out of the bag in the same way she ate chips.
Overall, Glow took better care of herself. A few days a week, after she bathed in the river, she ravished herself with beauty supplies. She brushed her long dirty blond hair all the way down to the small of her back. Then, painted her nails. She slid down on the beach chair, threw her feet up on the table, letting her nails dry as she basked in the sun.
From time to time, Glow encountered the occasional storm. The wind howled, whistling as it blew through her tent. The canvas flexed in and out. Thunder boomed shortly after a bolt of lightning lit up the sky. Trees bent. Wind surges snapped branches. Weaker trees fell along the outskirts of the forest.
Glow was always fascinated with storms. Watching their wrath was thrilling. Nevertheless, she respected their fury. When lighting struck to close, she sat in her truck to wait out the storm.
Glow was determined to stay in the field, regardless of the storms severity. During the worst storms, she grabbed her sleeping bag, ran to her truck, curling up in the front seat until the storm passed. She knew a bolt of lightning has the potential to cut through her tent like a hot knife through butter.
Other times, when the storms weren’t as formidable, she opened the windows to let the breeze blow through the tent. She laid on her bed, looking out the window in deep thought.
Sometimes it rained for days. She laid still, listing as the rain pounded the roof of her tent.
Occasionally, the field was the quietest, most peaceful place she could possibly imagine. The wind didn’t blow, not even a slight breeze. The tall grass didn’t rustle. The river slowed. The sounds of rushing water disappeared. The animals stayed quite. The silence was the silentest silence she ever experienced.
Eventually, weeks turned into months, months turned into years. Glow rarely left. The land provided her food. When she did have to go food shopping, she kept to herself, picking up just what she needed, as quickly as possible, before going straight back to her home.
During those years, other than the cashier at the store, she didn’t have any interaction with human beings. She didn’t leave the field. Glow was already use to being alone. Staying in the field by herself felt natural.
Keywords: Light Throughout The Night, Chapter 3, Home Sweet Home, Glow, A New Beginning, Living In A Tent, Self-Reliant, Peace, Solar System, Wildlife, Nature, Field, Forrest, Self-Sufficiency, Squirrels, Lone-Soul, Inner Anger, Grub, Fiction Book, LTTN
Posted:
2023-01-21 At:
5:30 am:
If you've reached this blog post via a search engine or through social media, I'm posting the complete book for free here as blog posts. A summery is located here.
Light Throughout The Night is a complete story with many twists and turns. The only way to feel the essence of the story is to read it from beginning to end.
Even though I'm posting the book as blog posts, the eBook is still available for sale. As a result, please don't post the book elsewhere.
Chapter 4: The People’s Army
During the time Glow’s been away, the United States changed drastically. Truthfully, the country began changing years before Glow checked out of society.
While Glow was on the streets, uninterested in the world around her, many people were getting fed up with the very same world.
Technology eliminated hundreds of thousands of jobs. Wealth inequality climbed to staggering heights. The Government didn’t react quick enough. The current system stopped working.
The quality of life for many people dropped abruptly. They weren’t happy. They wanted a better life for themselves, a better life for their loved ones, not just for today, for future generations. Those people took action.
A new president ran for office. He saw a country of equals. He ran with the notion of equality for every American.
He wanted all American citizens to live a better life and didn’t think the status que adequate. He took out unconventional tv ads. An example of one of his ads is below:
“Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”
Then, an image of thousands of homeless Americans sleeping on the streets was shown.
“Maybe it’s time we ask what our country can do for us.”
People bought into his vision. Thorough, informative information was displayed on his website showing how he planned to improve the country.
People took to his speeches as well.
“Our great great grandfathers were given their land by simply placing a steak in the ground. Our grandfathers fought with their lives, many losing their lives for a free country, a better America.
Today, to many people aren’t getting to experience a better America. They’re the homeless, poor and working poor. They don’t have a chance to strive or even survive. People are held hostage by their bills. That’s not why our forefathers risked and gave their lives.
If we achieve equality, we could educate more people. Those people will have the opportunity to innovate, create, strive, and live a quality of life worthy of an American.”
With 95% of the votes, the largest margin of victory in history, a new president was elected. In fact, the people didn’t just elect a new president, they elected an entire supporting cast, giving him what he needed to get things done.
That he did. Within months after winning the election he began taking action.
He started with his most radical idea: The implementation of a new army.
This was a different type of army. It was an army for the people. An army by the people.
The army wasn’t implemented to fight against anyone. They were implemented to fight for America, to fight for American citizens.
Regardless, their motto was similar to the motto used by the military, “Leave No Soldier Behind.” Except their motto is for citizens, every single citizen in the United States, “Leave No Citizen Behind.”
The Army For The People, By The People wasn’t just some publicity stunt. They were given power, real power to get things done.
They wanted to go to war. They were fighting for themselves. They were fighting for their country, for a better infrastructure, for the environment, and for equality.
The People’s Army was implemented to greatly reduce wealth inequality; to expand, improve and reduce the cost of education; to provide enough housing to ensure every American has a roof over their head; to take public transportation to a level most couldn’t imagine; and most importantly, to ensure every American is given the opportunity to obtain a quality of life worthy of America.
Previous Government administrations allocated and stored a variety of different materials. They began storing them shortly after World War II to prevent shortages during emergency situations. Inventory accumulated. Massive stockpiles of supplies were available.
Huge underground storage facility’s housed thousands of bricks, cement blocks, pallets of plywood, 2 X 4’s, steel beams, along with many other types of materials.
The People’s Army used the supplies to build houses, condos, apartment buildings and improve the infrastructure of the country.
The People’s Army purchased abandon factories, warehouses and vacant lots.
They purchased bulk lots of foreclosed properties from banks at discount prices. The purchase allowed banks to write off millions of dollars in bad debt. A stipulation in the purchase agreement alleviated those who lost their properties due to foreclosure, of the debt owed to the banks.
What wasn’t readily available was donated. People and businesses donated building materials, land and supplies worth millions.
Subsequently, a draft was held. A draft of Americans, for Americans. Americans who would work to ensure the quality of life for citizens improved tremendously.
The people drafted were required to serve two years. They were of all ages and all walks of life. Though, the Government only needed to draft a minimal number of citizens. People volunteered by the hundreds of thousands.
These were everyday people. They were mechanics, retail workers, engineers, farmers, manufactures, teachers, Doctors, and technology experts, to name a few. Many were paid at a much lower rate of pay than if they were working for a private company. Some were paid with land or housing.
In contrast, and in reality, these were people who weren’t asking what their country could do for them. They were doing what they could do for their country with materials provided by their country.
Very much like the draft for the military, exemptions applied. Single parents with children under the age of sixteen were exempt from the draft. The People’s Army could only draft a specific percentage of people from any individual business, depending on the size of the business.
Many of the draftees and volunteers were housed at military type barracks. Hundreds of barracks were setup throughout the country.
During summer months, schools were used as barracks when students were on vacation. When the People’s Army went through a town or city, truckloads of cots and bunk beds were brought into the schools.
During winter months, The People’s Army took over large open fields, setting up military style tents in the fields, doing whatever was necessary to get the job done before moving to the next location.
In many instances, some of the wealthiest Americans were sleeping in bunks next to some of the poorest Americans.
Convoys of camouflage vehicles traveled from location to location, transporting workers, building equipment and materials. Flatbed trucks carried bulldozers and cranes.
Local residents loved what The People’s Army was doing for the country, often running outside, cheering, as convoys drove through their neighborhoods.
The People’s Army built housing in both urban and rural areas. Skyscrapers were built by the hundreds and the skyline of many cities were turned into impressive feats. Thousands and thousands of houses, condos and apartment complexes were built, enough for the next two generations of citizens.
The projects were well planned. The People’s Army moved efficiently and quickly. Skyscrapers were designed to take up less land. Forests were preserved, and a sufficient amount of land was reserved for parks and farms. Rural houses were designed to fit in with their surroundings, minimally impacting the environment.
Skyscrapers were built without rooftop pools or gyms. The People’s Army left floors open incase residents decided to add a pool or gym at a later date on their own. Their priority was to ensure every citizen had a roof over their head.
Nevertheless, all the housing was built with the latest safety and green technology.
Housing was looked at as a human rights issue. Limits were placed on the number of houses, condos, apartments and acreage a single individual or entity could own.
When privately owned condo complexes are built, developers are now required to list all the units for sale at once, preventing price gouging. Purchase limits prevent any individual or entity from having to much power over condo associations.
The same was done for apartment complexes. With all available apartments listed for rent, market value is the actual market value, based on the supply and demand theory.
When the Government decided to limit the amount of acreage an individual or entity could own, they placed the following ad, simplifying the issue.
“What if there were only ten people in this country, and only ten acers of land? What if one person owned all ten acers? Would that be fair? Doesn’t this country belong to every single American?
We haven’t reached those extremes yet. Though, we are headed in that direction. Today, many Americans are without land, without a part of their own country.”
Limits were also placed on rental leases, capping the amounts landlords could penalize tenants. If a tenant moved before their lease ended, the amount the landlord was allowed to penalize the tenant was limited to a small percentage of the tenants monthly rent.
Residential rental properties were viewed as extra income. Landlords should expect the possibility of a vacant rental property and have previously planned for the financial burden in such cases.
Lastly, limits were placed on zoning laws. Limits communities, towns and cities could place on residents was now limited.
Previously, parts of the country implemented zoning laws making it difficult to build affordable housing and sometimes any additional housing in a specific location.
The laws were implemented to keep the area exclusive and the value of the properties high. Other areas built plenty of housing, using designs and materials lower in cost. However, their values stayed at a minimum.
The Government put an end to unreasonable zoning laws. If a person owned a plot of land, he or she could sleep on their land, for the most part, regardless of the style of structure.
After zoning laws were limited, the value of previously expensive homes in exclusive neighborhoods dropped, sometimes causing a great deal of anger. Regardless, the majority of citizens knew the policies significantly improved the lives of Americans.
These actions helped lower the overall price of housing. People previously living in places they could barely afford, could move to a similar place at a much lower rate.
These people include the elderly and disabled, who either live on social security or disability, while paying most of their benefits towards rent. They’re the working poor, who often spent most of their income on housing.
The lower housing prices even effected many wealthy citizens positively. Plenty of citizens earning a decent income spend the majority of their income on housing, either by choice or mistake. Regardless of the reasoning, they now could obtain the same quality of housing at a much lower cost.
Other types of human rights issues greatly decreased as well. The days when Americans needed to take extreme measures to expose human rights issues ended.
Situations leading to travesties similar to the travesty Rosa Parks endured were identified and resolved before becoming a travesty. Sit-ins via different groups and colleges became rare. Protests simply weren’t needed as much.
The United States was taking action before human rights issues became issues.
Recycling technologies evolved, simultaneously improving the environment and lowering the cost of materials.
Manufacturing companies were required to obtain materials used to make products from recycled materials, as long as the price of the recycled materials was within 15% of natural mined materials.
In some areas, citizens are required to pay a civil penalty if they don't recycle discarded items. The same was now required of businesses, except when acquiring materials, materials usually obtained from the earth, draining the planet of natural resources.
Previously, companies were taking resources from the earth, then charging the very same people who were born on earth to use those resources.
When the policy was implemented, the value of recyclable materials increased substantially. Citizens instilled much more effort into recycling. As a result, much of the money previously going to corporations was now going directly to the people. At the same time, the earths valuable resources were reserved.
When the resources of an entire country are pooled together and used to fight for good, the possibilities are endless.
Revenue sharing was implemented. Income generated from machines, automated teller machines and robots used to replaced human positions was capped and taxed.
The money generated was substantial. Corporate technology advanced and was widely implemented during previous years.
Stores opened offering only products via large vending machines housing 3D printers. Large touch screen monitors sat just outside the vending machines.
Customers selected an item via the monitor and paid. Then, the 3D printer instantly printed the item selected. A door on the vending machine opened and the customer took their item.
3D printing technology eliminated the need for many employees, warehouse space and store shelf space. Warehouses previously used to store inventory weren’t needed. 3D printing technology saved businesses billions of dollars. Empty warehouses were sold to The People’s Army at bargain prices and turned into housing.
Much of the money taxed was deposited directly into the accounts of the homeless, poor and working poor, without question. If their tax return was legit, a check was deposited into their account.
The Government placed the following ad before depositing checks into the accounts of those living an unsubstantial quality of life.
Life isn’t a game of Monopoly. However, many of the same terms apply. When playing Monopoly, two people usually end up with all the property and money. Two others don’t end up with any property and money.
Life is very similar. If a few are in possession of all the property and money, many are without. Sometimes, it’s the result of luck, very much like Monopoly. Life isn’t a game. All humans deserve decent lives.
Many people simply didn’t have to work anymore. In accordance, plenty of people had a lot of spare time.
With the recruitment of thousands of teachers, The People’s Army leveled the playing field for education. A quality education became available to every single American.
Millions of American citizens who either couldn’t afford a quality education or didn’t have the time, were now armed with the knowledge needed to contribute to technological and medical advances. Education provided citizens with options, giving them the knowhow to improve their lives and the lives of others.
Businesses offered The People’s Army space from their establishments, when not in use, to teach trades or use for storage. Thousands of Libraries volunteered spare rooms, allowing The People’s Army to teach college level courses.
Often, educational courses teach new students the same or very similar material taught to students the previous year. The People’s Army digitized repetitive course materials and taught those courses for free online and at Libraries.
The online courses give students access to private message boards where qualified teachers answer questions posted. Actual teachers from The People’s Army teach classes at Libraries.
In both cases, homework is assigned, and credits are earned when a student passes a course. The credits are equivalent to credits received from accredited public or private collages. Students can transfer them to a college of their choice.
Recreation centers were built in previously unused or abandon buildings. They provide residents with a place to play boardgames, cards games, pool, table tennis, read books, and serve as a place to socialize.
Parks are required to allow citizens access 24/7. The land is owned by the people. At no time, for any reason, is their land off limits.
Food distribution centers were built. Gardens were planted at thousands of locations throughout the country and their crops are offered at food distribution centers.
Lack of employment wasn’t the only consequence of the technological boom. Cybercrimes advanced technologically and increased in numbers.
The country took responsibility for cybersecurity.
Wireless encryption advanced. New encryption technology prevents even the most sophisticated systems from accessing a network, at an affordable cost to the public.
Software makers are now given the opportunity to pass a series of Government tests, in the same way automobiles are given Government safety tests. If their software passes, a certificate is issued, saying the software is safe from hackers.
If the Government determines a program or application isn’t secure, the software company must revise the program or application before a certificate is issued.
Computer hardware was improved as well. Previously, hard drives retained data, even after deletion. Sometimes the data deleted is personal or of confidential corporate documents. Eventually, many hard drives are either sold or discarded, leaving cybercriminals with the opportunity to take advantage of previously stored information. Hard drives, along with their software are now designed to permanently remove data when deleted.
Internet providers are held partially accountable for cybersecurity. Internet providers are now required to work together, letting every citizen know the route and origin of any IP Address sent to their electronic device.
Knowing the origin of IP Addresses helped dwindle many forms of e-mail spoofing, and malware viruses. E-mail recipients know immediately the origin of e-mail’s received. The route is shown in much the same way as driving directions.
The limited number of cybercrimes balanced the scale in favor of authorities, making it easier for them to peruse and apprehend the few cybercriminals still in existence. Most cybercriminal corruption was uncovered and eliminated.
Improved cybersecurity saved citizens millions of dollars previously lost to hackers and fraud.
Most of all, The People’s Army took the lives of the poor very seriously. Even the smallest expenses negatively affect the homeless, poor and working poor. The People’s Army looked at the implication of previous policies, both Government and corporate, resulting in a lower quality of life for the poor. Previously, the majority of payphones were removed from public spaces.
Americans who couldn’t afford cellphone service or a landline, relied on payphones to place emergency, or necessary calls, without having to pay a much higher monthly fee. The monthly fee is in addition to the cost of the cellphone.
To many, the fee is simply another click of the mouse button when they pay bills. To the poor, the fee is a very difficult obstacle to overcome. The removal of payphones placed an unfair financial burden upon their lives. The Government required all phone companies install and maintain a specific number of payphones within their area of business.
Even though the number of poor Americans decreased, the Government still looked at the lack of payphones as a security flaw. During emergency situations, if cellular phone service went down, Americans who only own cellphones couldn’t place emergency phone calls.
The privacy of every American was another area The People’s Army took seriously. During previous generations, if a person made a mistake, their mistake was usually forgiven or forgotten by society within a few months.
Before the digital age, when a person was accused of committing a crime, their accusation and name was probably printed in a local newspaper. Chances are, within a few days, most tossed the paper in the trash without remembering the name of the accused. Innocent or guilty, eventually the accused could move forward with his or her life.
Today, mostly due to the internet and search engines, even the smallest mistake a person makes can haunt them for the rest of their life.
One of the toughest hurdles The People’s Army overcame was figuring out how to protect those who paid their debt to society, without limiting freedom of speech.
If a person or groups use of their freedom effects another person or groups freedom negatively, is the country still a free country for every citizen?
The People’s Army vehemently fights for every citizen. “Leave No Citizen Behind.”
In some instances, freedom of speech greatly limits the freedom of other citizens. Laws were changed to level the playing field, insuring all Americans live in an equally free country.
Criminal laws were intended to hold a person responsible for the crimes they commit. If a person commits a crime, they pay for their crime in accordance with the law. When their debt is paid, they are forgiven, in accordance with the law.
However, in today’s society, and by society, many pay for their crimes with the rest of their life. That wasn’t the intention of the law.
Today, when newspapers print arrest records, those records become digitalized. Sometimes they’re plastered all over the internet, almost like a marketing campaign against the accused.
Companies specializing in personal background information store citizens criminal records. Then, sell their criminal records. These practices make it very difficult for those who paid their debt to society to contribute to society as free individuals.
To prevent these types of practices, the Government eliminated loopholes in the law. When a person finishes paying their debt to society or is deemed not guilty, any, and all documentation of their crime or accusation is erased from public records.
From there, if a paper or website previously printed an arrest record, and versions of the newspaper or website are still circulating, the victim can sue the newspaper or website for deformation of character.
Without public records backing the information printed, courts side with the victim. After losing the first few lawsuits, most papers stopped printing arrest reports and search engines stopped showing the results of those still printing arrest reports.
Credit is now offered equally to all citizens, based only on their income and positive credit history. Finance companies aren’t allowed to request information affecting a person negatively. They could only request documents showing a debt was paid.
If a person doesn’t payback a debt, finance companies either go through the court system to collect the debt or don’t issue any additional debt until the previous balance is paid.
However, unpaid debts are rare. With wealth distribution, unpaid debts dropped steeply. Now, if a person doesn’t repay a debt, the reason usually isn’t because they can’t afford to pay their debt. In those cases the courts take action.
Civil court systems eliminated many formalities, simplifying the system. Banks don’t need to spend years making collection calls and hiring attorneys before filing a civil case.
As soon as a debt becomes past due, banks go online, provide evidence, and file a lawsuit through the local civil courts website within minutes. From there, defendants are given a short time to refute the evidence.
Civil courts base their decision on the information filled electronically. Verdicts are given within weeks.
The same was done for citizens in need of the civil court system. Things like restraining orders and small claim lawsuits were streamlined and now filed from a computer.
Civil laws were also changed. Many civil cases, previously bypassing the criminal justice system, are now tried as criminal cases before going to civil court.
Individuals who were previously allowed to, and could pay their way out of trouble, are now tried as criminals before civil court hearings are permitted.
New regulations require employers to hire employees based on a potential employees accomplishments, not their downfalls. Background checks are limited to a minimal amount of information. Background checks were found to put employees at a disadvantage.
Additionally, noncompete agreements are now limited to one year. A fair and completive marketplace benefits all citizens. “Leave No Citizen Behind.”
The Government has access to a tremendous amount of data. Much of their data, The People’s Army used in multiple ways to improve the country.
The People’s Army coordinated with every employer reporting the hiring of employees to the Government. Together, businesses and The People’s Army implemented a website displaying every job opening reported to the Government.
If the Government showed 200,000 jobs were created during a specific month, all 200,000 of those jobs were previously listed on their website as job openings. Those job openings were available for every single person in the country to apply.
Businesses also benefitted from the employment website. Due to the website, businesses don’t have to spend as much money advertising open positions.
The Government regulated employers audio and video surveillance for authenticity. Larger companies owned custom programed video surveillance systems. They possessed the technology to alter video footage without any sign the video was altered, even to experts.
Employer owned video surveillance systems are now encoded, and their video files are stored as a specific Government issued file format. Editing employer owned video footage is difficult, if possible at all.
Citizens and employees are given the opportunity to purchase DVDs of footage recorded by business’s in public areas. The DVD’s are sold in eight hour intervals, per camera, at a dollar each.
Limits were placed in regards to the number of DVD’s a person could purchase to prevent stalkers and things of that nature. The person purchasing the DVD must be in the footage or provide a reasonable explanation for the purchase.
Employees could view surveillance footage from nonpublic areas for any reason, within reason, and are allowed to have an attorney present. However, employees can’t obtain copies of the footage, except for legal disputes.
In the view of a jury, sometimes individuals have a difficult time proving either themselves innocent or another guilty, especially without video evidence. These regulations help employees and citizens defend themselves during legal disputes.
The People’s Army spoke out against companies using immoral practices. They ran marketing campaigns in much the same way the “Just say no to drugs” marking campaign was used in the 1980’s.
The People’s Army paid thousands of dollars for advertising campaigns, explaining the dangers of internet marketing tracking techniques. Catchy campaigns were used, while offering informative information.
An ad showed a parade of cars following a shopper from store to store. Then the slogan, “This is what happens when you’re shopping on the internet.”
The People’s Army didn’t just publicize issues. They offered solutions. Following the slogan, a list was displayed showing companies who’s websites didn’t use tracking cookies to track internet users outside of their own website.
The ad finished with the following saying, “We take the privacy of all Americans seriously, The United States of America.”
The Terms of Service agreements used by many ecommerce companies was another area where stricter regulations were implemented. Often, internet companies require customers to agree with difficult to understand, multiple page TOS.
Brick and mortar stores have been in business since the 1800’s, without asking customers to sign multiple page documents. Courts found the use of multipage TOS agreements used by ecommerce companies as unreasonable.
A sophisticated economic computer simulation program was created specifically to emulate the U.S. economy. The simulation worked in much the same way flight simulator computer games emulate flying. However, the simulation provides results from data input.
Financial data accumulated from all parts of the world was input. The computers running the simulation are the most advanced in the world, possessing the ability to calculate trillions of bits of data within seconds.
The simulation outputs data regarding financial policies. The results are simplified, yet look at, and offer thousands of variables depending on any given financial situation. The results show how different financial policies effect the country. The Government uses those results to determine how to distribute money efficiently to benefit all citizens.
Before the Government implements a new financial policy, they already understand the most likely results.
The economy boomed in ways most couldn’t imagine. Within years, millions of people didn’t need to work. These were people of all ages. Many elderly workers retired early and cashed out their retirement plan. Their money added to the economic boom.
When a person knows they’re guaranteed a check, then another the next month, and another after that, so on and so forth, financial stability has been achieved. The cost of living in the U.S. was lowered significantly. Citizens didn’t need to save as much of their income.
The money citizens previously saved was often spent to improve their current quality of life. Trillions of dollars entered the economy. Many people invested spare time in education. Others used spare time to spend with family and friends, go to parks, travel or stay in shape.
Even though the U.S. workforce shrunk, jobs were available. Plenty of people chose to work. Many took advantage of the lower cost of education to obtain a career in a field of their choosing.
At the same time, many citizens felt a void.
The People’s Army planned for that as well. Part of their plan to build the infrastructure of the country included the creation of two new sports, sporting events and a massive set of arenas to house the sports.
The arenas were built in a very large, uninhabited area in the center of the U.S.. Surrounding the arenas, an entire city was built. The city was designed and built in much the same way Times Square was built for New York. Except the city was built for the whole country.
Eight ultramodern highspeed trainlines were built to take American’s from all parts of the country, to and from the arena’s. The city itself was designed with the latest technological innovation.
States became mostly geographical locations instead of their own entities. The country became whole, as originally intended. One nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all.
These changes put America on a course to not only become the greatest country in the world, the greatest country in the history of the world.
The People’s Army added value to the country in much the same way a person adds value to their house by adding a garage. Though, the real value wasn’t monetary or material. The real value was with the improvement of the lives of American citizens.
Wealth distribution almost instantly improved the lives of the homeless, poor and working poor. Crime rates dropped. When people have food, affordable housing and something interesting to do with their time, they’re less likely to commit crimes.
The People’s Army implemented a tremendous amount of change within a short period of time. Even though the projects were meticulously planned, they still came with plenty of kinks and controversy. Some areas, companies and fields of business lost out on billions of dollars. Those entities raised their share of havoc.
The People’s Army worked through the issues. Most people started believing in a country previously sustaining years of regression.
The People’s Army gave Americans options they never experienced before, and Americans were making the most of those options.
Additional Notes
Internet providers are held partially accountable for cybersecurity. Internet providers are now required to work together, letting every citizen know the route and origin of any IP Address sent to their electronic device.
Knowing the origin of IP Addresses helped dwindle many forms of e-mail spoofing, and malware viruses. E-mail recipients know, immediately, the origin of e-mail’s received. The route is shown in much the same way as driving directions.
Sometimes my current situation affects what I write. At the time I wrote the above, I was receiving a lot of spam mail. I was only thinking of different ways to stop receiving spam mail. Obviously, there are privacy concerns for those who are not sending spam mail, privacy concerns I possess myself.
Keywords: Light Throughout The Night, Chapter 4 The People’s Army, Equality, Wealth Inequality, Quality Of Life, Fiction, Book, Homeless, Poor, Working Poor, Human Rights, Revenue Sharing, Wealth Distribution, Economy, Economic Boom, Cybercrime, Economic Computer Simulation, LTTN
Posted:
2023-01-28 At:
5:30 am:
If you've reached this blog post via a search engine or through social media, I'm posting the complete book for free here as blog posts. A summery is located here.
Light Throughout The Night is a complete story with many twists and turns. The only way to feel the essence of the story is to read it from beginning to end.
Even though I'm posting the book as blog posts, the eBook is still available for sale. As a result, please don't post the book elsewhere.
Chapter 5: Visitor
Late one night just after dusk, Glow saw headlights approaching from deep in the forest, bouncing up and down, flickering as the car slowly maneuvered down the dirt road.
Panic set in! Worry overwhelmed her thoughts. Did they find out someone was living here? Were they going to tell her she couldn’t stay in the field? Were they locals exploring the area? Would they let others know she was living in the field? Were they troublemakers who might cause her problems? Maybe they were thieves?
Instinctively, immediately, Glow sprinted towards her tent. She grabbed a large stick and can of mace before hiding in the shadows just behind her tent, tensely watching, waiting for the car to arrive.
As the headlights neared, growing brighter, sounds of loud squeaks from rusted suspension filled the air.
She knew that sound. She heard the very same sound many times in the past. “Phew.” Glow let out a deep sigh of relief.
“That’s Beckie’s Car!” Becky was driving up in her jalopy.
Glow and Beckie haven’t talked in years. Beckie’s been away. She wasn’t even sure Glow still lived in the field.
Glow dropped the stick and mace as she walked to the front of the tent, awaiting her friends arrival.
Beckie’s the type of chick who radiates goodness wherever she goes. Her personality gives Glow a sense of ease. Just the thought of her visiting put a smile on Glow’s face.
When Beckie pulled up, she was a little unsure of things. She asked if she could stay for a while and talk. Beckie was going through tough times of her own. She needed to get away for a few days.
Glow didn’t waste a second before enthusiastically saying, “Of course you can stay!” Glow hasn’t had a visitor or even a conversation with another person since moving to the field. Now her best friend was visiting.
Glow was literally glowing. Her eyes were sparking; a bright smile lit up her face.
“Ya still got that old rust bucket?”
Beckie answers, “Heck yah, kept her at my parents’ house. Charged the battery, she started the first try.”
Beckie gets out of her car with a bag of goodies. “I come with gifts!”
Beckie pulled out a bag of marshmallows, a box of Graham Crackers, chocolate bars and a pack of hotdogs.
Glows eyes opened wide. The last time she ate that type of food was years ago. Even though Glow wasn’t a vegetarian, due to her new lifestyle, eating meat, other than fish, was rare.
“Whoa, I haven’t ate that type of food in years.”
The two ladies began chatting immediately as they prepared their meals over a campfire.
Beckie snagged a case of beer from the trunk of her car. They grabbed a couple chairs, and a couple beers, before quickly devouring their food. After eating, they grabbed a couple more beers and kept chatting away.
Beckie was every bit as thrilled to see Glow as Glow was to see Beckie. Anxious to see how Glow was doing, Beckie asked to see her pad.
Both ladies entered Glow’s tent. Beckie was impressed. “Wow, way better than I imagined.” The inside of Glow’s tent didn’t look any different from the inside of large studio apartments.
Next, Glow showed Beckie the solar system, letting her friend know how appreciative she was for the instructions provided. “Beckie, having power out here has been a tremendous benefit. I can’t thank you enough. I can use a fan to prevent moisture from accumulating, otherwise causing all types of unhealthy toxins.
I cook in here with a small stovetop. I don’t wanna brag, but I’ve been putting together very tasty meals. I’m sure you remember, I wasn’t the best cook.”
Beckie laughs, “Yah, I’d say that’s an understatement.”
- Both ladies laugh. -
Glow keeps talking, “We’ve been friends a long time. You always come through in the most important ways. I would have liked to have made as much of a difference in your life as you’ve made to my life. You’re the only person I’ve ever known who takes the time to teach me things. And not just anything, things that make life much more enjoyable. Things that make life better.”
Beckie gives Glow a warm smile. “I wouldn’t have drove to a vacant field, after dark, by myself, almost a thousand miles away if your friendship wasn’t important and didn’t make my life much more enjoyable.”
Each put an arm around the other’s shoulder as they walked out of the tent. Both grabbed another beer, before taking a seat by the campfire where the two friends talked for hours.
Glow and Beckie talked about all sorts of things. They talked about life. Beckie talked about the issues she’s been dealing with. They also talked about different things they did while growing up together.
“Glow, remember we use to leg wrestle.”
Glow responds, “Ha, I remember. You were always stronger. I bet I could give ya a run for your money now.”
Beckie answers, “I bet you could. Wanna give it a go?”
Glow wasn’t the weakened stick figure she was when she first arrived at the field. With her much improved health, and natural inner desire to compete, answers, “Sure.”
The two ladies walked a few feet out into the field. They laid down on their backs, on the grass, side by side, facing opposite directions. They raised their legs, tangling them together. Beckie starts the count. Then yells, “Go!”
Simultaneously, Glow and Beckie unleash all their strength, straining to drive the others leg down. Both ladies evenly matched, struggling back and forth.
After a few minutes, the exercising and stretching Glow’s been doing starts to show. Slowly, Glow pushes her friends leg to the ground.
Beckie smiles, “Now the grasshopper becomes the master.”
Glow responds, “Healthy food and exercise does wonders.”
The two friends stayed laying on their backs, in the field, with their beers at their sides, under the moonlight and stars, yapping away. The second one stopped to take a breath, the other immediately started talking.
Glow and Beckie always meshed that way. Though, without having talked in years, neither could get the words out quick enough.
The two gals joked and laughed deep into the night. As the beers kept going down, they started getting silly. Beckie began singing, “99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer. Take one down, pass it around, 98 bottles of beer on the wall, 98 bottles of beer.” Glow quickly joined in. They sang the song many times with friends when they were younger.
Within hours the two ladies were stumbling around the field, joking and laughing.
Of course, Beckie caught Glow up with the latest gossip. Beckie mentions someone they knew as teens. “Remember Penelope?”
Glow remembered her vividly. “Oh ya. That chick was the most self-absorbed person I’ve ever known. I’ve had a lot of time to think about her. It’s funny the things a person doesn’t realize when they're younger.
She always bummed money from us. I didn’t think much about that at the time. We were all friends. At times, it seemed like we’d do anything for each other.
Now that I think about it, we were all always working part-time jobs, struggling for every penny. She didn’t work. She didn’t work a single day when we were younger. Somehow, she always drove the nicest, newest car.
Whenever we went somewhere to eat, she always tried to get out of paying. I imagine we were the only reason she could afford her car.”
Beckie anxiously adds to Glows viewpoint. “That’s only part of the story. In her early 20’s, her parents purchased a house for her and paid for her college education. She couldn’t afford a bite to eat around us, yet, she had more money than all of us combined.
Here's the worst part. She almost got someone killed while she was away at college.
A bunch of students from her fraternity were drinking late at night behind a mall. A friend of hers was sitting on the hood of her car. Penelope thought her friend scratched her car. With everyone watching, she had a fit. Then, got in her car and took off with her friend still on the hood, holding on to the back of the hood with all her strength.
Penelope was trying to show off as much as anything.”
Knowing Penelope’s mentality, Glow adds, “I’m sure Penelope put the value of her car above her friends life.”
Beckie keeps going, “She reached speeds of close to 60mph. Then, slammed on the brakes! Her friend flew off the hood onto the pavement. Penelope took off, leaving her friend laying on the pavement. Her friend was shaken, and suffered numerous bruises, otherwise, she was ok.”
Glow responds, “Wow, that sucks!”
Beckie continues, “That’s not all. You’ll enjoy this part. A few friends of the chick who was thrown from Penelope’s hood, tracked her down at a college party.
They surrounded Penelope. With everyone from her fraternity watching, each of them poured their beer over Penelope’s head. Just as they finished, they all yelled loud enough for everyone at the party to hear, This is what happens when you don’t know how to treat people! A few weeks later, Penelope switched colleges.”
Both ladies laughed. Glow replies, “At least some justice was served, though, I’m sure she deserved much worse. All that money and education, yet, she doesn’t know a thing about life.”
As the sun rose and the beer ran out, Glow and Beckie began to sober. The conversations continued, now touching upon more personal topics.
Beckie knows Glow’s mentality and knows not to interfere to much with her life decisions. She also understands the tragic upbringing Glow suffered through. Beckie wanted Glow to remember she was Glow. The Glow for which her birth mother gave birth. Sometimes life sends a person adrift. They forget their inner being.
“I know you’re your own women. I’ve seen some of the things you’ve been through. We’ve been friends since we were kids. If you’re truly happy with the idea of living the rest of your life out here, I’m ok with that.
Regardless, I want to make sure you’re ok with staying out here. I’m not trying to talk you into or out of anything, I just want to see you live the life you deserve. Even though I’m not around anymore, I’m here now. Don’t go getting defensive.”
Glow laughs, then sighs, “Start your interrogation.”
Becky quickly responds, “I’m not interrogating you!”
After taking a few seconds to think, Beckie cautiously approaches the subject.
“This is a difficult subject to talk about without feeling like I’m pressuring you or criticizing your decisions. If for any reason you want to change the subject, I won’t get offended, not even slightly.”
Glow acknowledges Beckie’s concerns, “I’m ok with anything you’d like to talk about or any questions you’d like to ask. At the same time, I have a feeling some of the answers might be difficult for you to grasp.”
Beckie tries to get through to her friend.
“Don’t you feel segregated out here all by yourself?”
Glow answers, “I don’t. I felt much more segregated before moving here. I felt trapped by society, trapped by the things I’ve been through, trapped by the life I was living.
I know, you know, I keep a lot of things to myself. I wasn’t doing good in the real world. I came here to get away. I needed to straighten out my head. Physically, I was a mess as well. I’ve been doing much better in both categories.”
Beckie’s still not satisfied, “What about the nights when you went out with Logan, stumbling around at some club with someone by your side, someone to go home with. Then, wake late the next afternoon to a few slices of cold pizza. The days when you simply enjoyed being young and carefree.
I know you were hurt when the two of you broke-up. I’d imagine you’re still hurt. Other guys are out there. If you give yourself a chance, you could still experience the same type of excitement. You’d make memories. Those memories wouldn’t just be for you either. With your personality, you’d make memories for another.”
Glow continues explaining how she feels, “The times I spent with Logan were great. They ended. He wanted better things for himself. From there, the things I was already struggling with took a turn for the worse.
Since early childhood, I witnessed the bleaker side of the human race. When a person’s seen the things I’ve seen, the type of unimaginable things I’ve lived through, those life experiences overtake a person’s soul. Witnessing a part of the world worse than most people’s worst nightmare, is a type of horror that’s difficult to describe. Those memories scar a person’s soul, like etching in a stone. Those memories don’t go way. Now, I put a lot of effort into keeping my mind busy with other thoughts, better thoughts.
Out here, my life is better. Many of the animals here have more personality than most humans. They don’t bother anyone. They work and play all day, enjoying every second of life. They don’t try to force their beliefs and ideas on others. They simply enjoy life. They remind me of how life should be.
I don’t know how long I’m going to stay out here. I’m better, though still messed up from all the things I’ve been through.”
Glow keeps talking, telling Beckie about her daily routine. “I write a lot. I have plenty of notebooks. I’ve filled most of them with different thoughts, journals, and songs. I even began writing a novel. Probably got almost enough written for an entire book.
I exercise and stretch almost every day. I think a lot. Sometimes I’ll grab a blanket, lay out in the field and think for hours. I think about all kinds of things. I think about life, my mom, and different things we did when we were younger.
Remember, in this very spot, after gathering a few friends, we downed a 1/4 keg of beer, singing, laughing, enjoying each other’s company, deep into the night. We didn’t even set up a tent. We passed out on the ground next to the campfire. Those were awesome times. No one could ever take those times away. Now I’m different. I don’t think I’ll ever enjoy life with the same type of carefree exuberance, liveliness.
Here, I get to enjoy small parts of life. I don’t have as much anger. I don’t want to lose that.”
Beckie felt horrible listening to the things Glow said, hearing the pain in her voice as she spoke.
Beckie didn’t want to give up on her friend. She decided to talk about things from a different perspective. “You’ve spent the last four and a half years out here by yourself. Four and a half years is a long time. You’re still in the prime of your life. How old are you now, 26, 27?”
Glow answers, “I think I’m about 27. I lost track of the days, months, years. It’s just a number. I think I’m 27.”
Beckie keeps going, “I don’t wanna see some of the best years of your life slip away.
Look at you, you’re beautiful. I remember when you were just a little twirt following me around everywhere I went.”
- Both ladies laugh. -
“Since then, you turned into a stunning woman.”
There wasn’t any doubt about that. Standing between 5’6” and 5’7”, Glow grew her dirty blond, naturally wavy hair to the small of her back. She brushes it every morning and in its natural element is stunning.
Her flesh is delicate, huggable, soft, elasticity. Yet, she’s as athletic, agile and as tough as the toughest of chicks.
She thickened up and softened up. Her pleasantly shaped breasts filled out. Underneath her soft skin, her muscles show slightly when strained.
Beckie continues, “I know you haven’t been following the news. Sometimes I don’t blame you. It gets tiring reading stories about the many hateful things people do. I know you’ve delt with the bleaker side of life more than most. Nevertheless, having awareness of some news stories may have positives.
The country changed and changed quickly. Things are better. Society is better. Quite a few obstacles, previously keeping you from living the type of life you deserve are things of the past. I know your situation was a little different. You’ve eliminated many issues yourself.
With that said, I think I heard of something up your alley. New sports designed to give all types of people a chance to compete at a national level were created a couple years ago. Their played inside five huge arenas.”
Beckie told Glow about the loss of jobs due to technological advances and revenue sharing as a result of the loss of jobs. “Glow, more than likely you’ve been getting checks deposited into your bank account for the last couple years.”
From there, Beckie began talking about the arenas and the sports. The thing about Beckie, when she talks about something, she goes into great detail. That’s what she did while explaining the sports to Glow. With Glow out of the loop, Beckie wanted to provide as much information as possible.
“The sports are nothing like anything anyone’s ever seen. The main arena is huge, unlike anything ever built, almost like a modern day coliseum.
The most popular sport is an Obstacle Cube Course. Competitors navigate through different obstacle courses. Each obstacle course features twenty-five plexiglass cubes. Each plexiglass cube is the size of two 18-wheeler truck trailers. Thousands of cubes aligned with different obstacle courses, are located throughout the arenas. Some cubes are hoisted high in the air, or stacked on top of each other, allowing the most viewers to have prime seating.
The obstacle courses are set up somewhat like a maze, with different paths and obstacles between the cubes. The distance between the cubes determine the distance of the obstacle course. Just before reaching each cube, competitors must navigate over rope bridges, up netting or ladders, depending on the height and location of the cube.
Each of the twenty-five cubes feature a different challenge. Some cubes feature fitness challenges. Others feature endurance, strength or skill challenges. The cubes are designed to push competitors to their limits. They’re designed to give the competitor with the most desire and determination the best chance to win.
Fitness challenge cubes are strenuous, often designed to tire muscles rarely used.
Some cubes house exercise bikes. Those cubes require competitors to complete a spin cycle type session.
Several cubes feature elements from different professional sports. I’ve seen cubes with baseball pitching machines. Competitors have to hit ten pitches before moving to the next cube.
The cubes with pitching machines have a twist. The machines don’t just throw fastballs. They throw a variety of fastballs, curves, sliders, sinkers and changeups. Hitting those types of pitches on a regular basis is difficult. Hitting them after running through an obstacle course is extremely challenging.
Obstacle courses even feature dodgeball cubes. Competitors have to avoid getting hit by twenty balls, while catching five. The machines flinging the balls are programed to wear out competitors.
When a competitor is set to catch five balls, the machines fling them quickly, in different directions, at different heights, forcing competitors to instill the most effort to catch each ball.
During each Obstacle Cube Course, competitors must overcome adversity. Competitors aren’t told the type of challenges within the cubes. The route of the obstacle course and the challenges change each time competitors compete.
Obstacle Cube Courses are broken up into different levels. Fifty different competitors from the same level compete at the same time. The ten competitors who finish with the highest scores, compete in a finals competition. Finals competitions are held a couple hours after the Obstacle Cube Course is completed.
Competitors choose their finals competition at the beginning of the season. Competitors can choose from a variety of sport and fitness competitions, or an MMA style battle. Sports and fitness finals are held in the smaller arenas. MMA Final Battles are held in the main arena. They’re the most popular.
The two competitors with the highest Obstacle Cube Course score, battle in the finals to determine the overall winner of the competition. The eight others who finished in the top ten, battle each other to determine overall placement.
The greatest thing about the sport, it’s not just for the physically gifted or talented. It’s designed somewhat like boxing, however, weight classes are taken much further. Competitors with not only a similar weight, a similar height, strength and skill compete against each other.
Tryouts are held to ensure competitors are as evenly matched as possible. The speed, strength, endurance and agility of each competitor is gauged during tryouts. For the MMA Final Battles, both punching power and punching speed are measured via digital punching bags.
The same is done for a variety of different punches and kicks. They measure the speed and power of uppercuts, hooks, jabs, body punches, sidekicks, and front kicks. The results from tryouts, determine the level for which a competitor competes.
When competitors win competitions, they usually win because of their desire, focus, and knowledge of the sport, not just because of their natural physical talent. That’s part of what makes the competitions exciting. Competitors are evenly matched. Therefore, the competitions are very competitive.
Due to the variety of different levels, almost anyone in the country can participate in a professional style sport, viewed by millions.
With five stadiums and their own cable television station, the sports have become the most popular in the world. Viewers flock to the stadiums. There’s plenty of seating, and tickets are inexpensive.
Each competitor competing, is another person earning a paycheck. Their friends and family members watch the competitions, adding to the popularity of the sports. Income equality is a priority. The payrate is the same for all the competitors. It’s a fair and generous amount.
For the most part, seating closest to each cube is filled with friends and family members of the competitors. Huge Jumbotron displays are featured throughout the arenas, with a gigantic Jumbotron located in the center of the main arena. The most exciting competitions are displayed on the Jumbotrons.
One of the smaller arenas also host tournaments for lesser known sports, like dodgeball, kickball, table tennis and wiffleball.
A new team sport was also invented. The sport is a little difficult to describe. It’s played in a humongous enclosed field, twice the size of a soccer field, allowing the most players to participate in each game. The games are ninety minutes long. All ninety minutes are action packed.
The field features ten foot mounds of sand and padded plexiglass walls. The ceiling is plexiglass as well. The sand is not quite as soft as beach sand. The sand is designed to give players better traction and prevent injury.
Inside the enclosure the weather is controlled and created. Giant machines generate snow, wind and rain, while increasing or decreasing the temperature. During part of the game, players endure blizzard like conditions. Snow falls, blowing down with heavy bursts of wind. A half hour later the temperature rises, creating desert conditions. Next, rain pours down. Players have to battle through a variety of elements each game.
The game itself is a little like Racquet Ball, Football and Jai Alai combined. Except it’s played with a softer ball and without any type of racquet. The balls used are similar in size and texture to Nurf Footballs, except they're round. Five balls are in play at all times, keeping the most players involved.
The sport has twice as many refs as other professional sports. If play is stopped for a penalty, play is only stopped for the specific player(s) involved.
The sports are held 24/7. Anytime, day or night, competitions are held. Tens of thousands of people compete each day.
The country has devoted a substantial amount of money into the success of the sports, giving the widest variety of citizens a chance to compete in and watch the sports.
Eight ultramodern highspeed trainlines were built, taking competitors and viewers from all parts of the country, to and from the arena’s. A new train station is located just 25 miles from here.
I thought you’d like hearing about the new sports and perhaps think about competing.
You’ve always liked to try new things. I know you have a chip on your shoulder. Life wasn’t as fair to you as its been to others. The sports might give you an opportunity to release some of the anger you have built up inside.
Remember the days when you played softball? I saw how much you enjoyed playing. Those were the times when Glow glowed.
Remember that feeling of focus, a feeling of freedom as the ball is pitched, then, releasing all your energy, swinging with all your strength as it reaches the plate, the instant sense of satisfaction when the bat collides with the ball?
Remember, playing in the outfield, running as fast as possible to chase deep flyballs seemingly just out of reach, pushing your body to its limits, running so fast you start to stumble, at the same time, extending your arm as far forward as possible, grabbing the ball out of midair? You said those were some of the greatest feelings you’ve ever felt.
You were one of the best players on our team. If you decide to compete, I bet you’ll practice more than most, you’ll study the game more than most, and compete as hard as any of the competitors.
Plenty of people wake up one day and they’re in their forties. The prime years of their life are gone. They’ve turned forty without having done many of the things they would have liked to have done with their life. Many didn’t give themselves the opportunity to try and fail. Even if they failed, they would have given themselves every opportunity to succeed.
Maybe one day you’ll wake up at forty. Maybe you’ll still live here in this field. Maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll become a writer. Maybe you’ll work in an office. We both know that’s not you.
Maybe you’ll look back at your life, thinking you should have done things different, knowing you didn’t give yourself a chance to do something you truly enjoyed. I don’t want that to happen.
I’ve always felt the second half of a person’s life is to reflect on the first half. They’re slower, weaker. At 27, you already have a lot of regret. When you’re older, those are the things you’re going to remember. You still have the prime of your life.”
Glow quietly listened to everything Becky said. She didn’t know how to respond. Every once in a while she nodded her head, letting her friend know she was paying attention and appreciative of the thoughts.
Shortly thereafter, the two ladies fell asleep, after staying up laughing and chatting for over 12 hours.
Late the next morning both woke tired and hungover. Glow lit a fire to boil a pot of water. When the water finished boiling, the two friends enjoyed a cup of coffee together.
While drinking coffee, Glow briefly spoke about the things Beckie said the previous night. “Beckie, I know you have good intentions. I’ll think about the sports. My life is good out here. I don’t have nearly as much stress as I did. I’m not saying I’m against competing. I just need to figure out if I’m ready to enter society.”
Becky knew she gave Glow a lot to think about. Thus, decided to change the subject. “Don’t think I came here just for you.
- Both ladies laugh. -
I needed the therapy you’ve been getting. I always enjoy chillin with you. Though, I gotta bail. Got a class in a couple days. I’m still trying to make this life thing work.”
Glow responds, “Yah, that didn’t go well for me. You better get to getting, cause I don’t want you living a life of seclusion. The way you yip-idy-yap, you couldn’t deal.”
Becky answers, “I bet I’d spend less time with my foot inserted in my mouth.” Shortly thereafter, Beckie began to leave the field.
Glow yelled as her friend was walking towards her car, “Chika, your life has infinite possibilities. Don’t mess it up!”
Keywords: Light Throughout The Night, Chapter 5 Visitor, Glow, Friends, Book, Blog Post, Fiction, Segregated, New Sports, Seclusion, Final Battles, Plexiglass Cubes, Competitive, Grueling, Determination, Obstacle Courses, Competitions, Life Choices, Chatting, Reminiscing, Good Intentions, LTTN, Leg Wrestling
Posted:
2023-02-05 At:
5:30 am:
If you've reached this blog post via a search engine or through social media, I'm posting the complete book for free here as blog posts. A summery is located here.
Light Throughout The Night is a complete story with many twists and turns. The only way to feel the essence of the story is to read it from beginning to end.
Even though I'm posting the book as blog posts, the eBook is still available for sale. As a result, please don't post the book elsewhere.
Chapter 6 Opposing Emotions
After Beckie’s visit, Glow took a couple days to think about all the things she said. Over the years, Glow developed a very high regard for her friends opinion.
Glow already felt a void in her soul. The natural competitive spirit she was born with needed releasing. Glow decided to train as if she was going to compete.
Her current morning routine involves stretching and yoga. Every morning for the last four years, she woke with the birds, threw a pot of coffee over the fire and began stretching. Flexibility is one of her greatest strengths.
Even with her improved health, Glow wasn’t in the type of shape she felt was necessary to compete. She adjusted her daily habits and exercises, stepping up her routine substantially.
Before breakfast Glow gathered twice as much firewood as she did in the past. She spent the next hour chopping firewood, strengthening muscles and increasing stamina.
From there, Glow ran sprints, running across the field as fast as possible, as many times as possible. By the time Glow finished, she was dripping in sweat, out of breath and her legs felt like led.
After running sprints, she walked down to the river to cool off in the water. As soon as her body allowed, Glow began swimming upstream against the current until she was too weak to drive her arms forward or kick her legs. Even then, she still pushed herself to keep swimming.
While living on the street, Glow pushed herself every night to find a place to sleep. Her legs were just as heavy, just as weak. However, she couldn’t stop walking. She had to keep going until she found a place to sleep.
She thought about those nights while swimming. Those thoughts motivated her to keep swimming well past the point of exhaustion.
When Glow finished swimming, she cooked breakfast. Her morning exercises were now taking much longer. The squirrels waited, sitting by the table until Glow arrived. Then, they all ate breakfast together.
It was almost as if the squirrels knew Glow was doing what came natural to her. Glow was preparing to compete, just like the squirrels prepared for winter, collecting as many acorns as possible every fall.
After breakfast Glow did exercises she learnt during the days she played softball. Finding ways to do those exercises without any exercise equipment, wasn’t always easy. Just like Glow did when she set up her tent, she used ingenuity.
Glow used jugs of water as weights. Weights allowed her to do shoulder presses, curls and butterflies. She found a low hanging branch to do pullups. She did sets of pushups, sit-ups, crunches, and leg raises. Glow did aerobic exercises, including calf and knee raises. To strengthen her back, Glow touched her toes, repeatedly, in sets.
Her exercise routine was designed for endurance, strength, and flexibility. She didn’t want to limit her flexibility by building to much muscle mass.
Glow varied the ways she did specific exercises. A few days a week, instead of sprinting, she jogged around the field, improving her endurance and strengthening different leg muscles. Other days, she ran in place for the same reason, also ensuring she avoided overdoing exercises focused towards specific leg muscles.
Glow spread out her exercises throughout the whole day. She did sets of exercises until exhaustion set in. Then, she took a break. As soon as her body recuperated, she began exercising again. She felt exercising throughout the whole day was the best way to stretch her muscles, while still strengthening them and improving stamina.
Within months, Glow began seeing progress. She felt much stronger and faster.
Sometimes at night before going to bed, Glow watched videos of her mom wrestling and episodes of G.L.O.W. Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling. The next morning, she went outside to practice the wrestling moves she watched in the videos.
Her mom was very talented and athletic. Many of the moves were difficult to execute. Glow didn’t have the training, technique or knowhow. Yet, she possessed the desire to learn and determination.
Regardless, sometimes, even after practicing for hours, she still couldn’t perform them with the same precision as her mom. Her mom executed the moves with a smoothness and flow she couldn’t duplicate. She wasn’t sure if anyone could duplicate her mom’s style.
Glow also practiced moves performed during episodes of G.L.O.W. Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling. Just like the moves her mom performed, she wasn’t able to emulate them with the same dazzle or charisma as the G.L.O.W. wrestlers.
Glow kept practicing. Eventually, she discovered different ways to perform them with her own style and flair.
Glow found a soft patch of grass. She ran across the grass patch, stopped on a dime, pretend to bounce off the ropes, changed directions, transitioning into a series of cartwheels before flinging herself to the ground.
While lying on the ground she imagined another wrestler pinning her. She kicked out. Then slung herself to her feet in one swoop.
Sometimes Glow pretended an audience was watching. She pointed her finger at her imaginary opponent, playing to the audience, “You can’t pin Glow!”
At night she dreamt about the competitions, imagining herself climbing over sand mounds, trying to fend off the other ladies.
She envisioned herself in the Final Battle, using all her strength and energy, battling with the crowd cheering and her mom watching from above.
Glow was becoming infatuated with the idea of competing. During past years, she thought about everything she could possibly think about.
Glow still carried plenty of anger within her soul. Even with all the effort Glow instilled into thinking about things other than her past, a day didn’t go by without something reminding her of her past. Memories of abuse and the harsh realities of street life don’t go away.
Competing could help her focus on something different. The competitions might help Glow release some of her inner anger.
After months of training, Glow decided to see the sports for herself. She yearned to experience the same feelings her mom experienced wrestling in front of an audience.
At the same time, Glow was emotionally distraught at the thought of leaving the squirrels and the field. Before leaving, Glow drove into town to drop the hens off at a local farm.
She also bought two huge bags of peanuts for the squirrels. Between the Oak Tree and Walnut Tree, the squirrels weren’t lacking food. Nevertheless, leaving them extra food eased the pain she was feeling at the thought of leaving them.
Glow purchased two automatic feeders. When Glow arrived back at the field, she removed the fencing and netting surrounding her garden to build an enclosure for the feeders. She filled the feeders with peanuts. Then, built the enclosure, adding a small opening to each side only large enough for the squirrels to enter and exit. The feeders would release peanuts every morning for months.
The day Glow left, it was with a heavy heart. She left all her belongings in her tent just as they were. Her tent was slightly faded. Nevertheless, it didn’t have any leaks or holes. Her truck fared just as well. She only drove it a few times during past years. It still ran the same as the first day she arrived.
Glow left the truck in the field and started walking. In typical Glow fashion, the only thing she took with her was a small duffle bag.
Inside the duffle bag she packed a few personal care items and a few articles of clothing. She also packed the DVD with her mom's wrestling matches, the G.L.O.W. Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling DVD’s, and the DVD player Beckie gave her.
That was all she needed. Those were the things she enjoyed.
As Glow entered the forest at the beginning of the dirt road, she turned towards her tent. She wanted to take one last look at the place she’s been living for the past four and a half years, the field where her previously dismal life turned decent.
Glow wasn’t positive she was going to stay away to compete. That didn’t matter. She couldn’t stand the thought of leaving. She couldn’t look longer than a second before her eyes filled with tears. She immediately turned her head.
Keywords: Light Throughout The Night, Chapter 6 Opposing Emotions, Glow, Competitive Spirit, Training, Exercise, Book, Fiction, Ingenuity, G.L.O.W. Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling, Practice, Desire, Determination, Aerobic Exercises, Conditioning, Stamina, LTTN
Posted:
2023-02-11 At:
5:30 am:
If you've reached this blog post via a search engine or through social media, I'm posting the complete book for free here as blog posts. A summery is located here.
Light Throughout The Night is a complete story with many twists and turns. The only way to feel the essence of the story is to read it from beginning to end.
Even though I'm posting the book as blog posts, the eBook is still available for sale. As a result, please don't post the book elsewhere.
Chapter 7: Quest
On the way to the train station, Glow stopped at the old ladies house to drop off a note she wrote a few days prior.
Hello,
My name is Glow. You might remember me from when I was younger. I use to camp on your property with a bunch of friends. You always welcomed us.
Since that time, and even before then, the life I was living wasn’t good. I needed to get away from things.
I remembered the field where we camped and decided to make that piece of property my home. Four and a half years ago I set up a tent in the field, by the river, and have been living there ever since. You own an incredibly beautiful plot of land.
I genuinely apologize for not asking your permission. I left all my belongings. You’re welcome to keep them.
I’m going to be gone for a while. Though, if you’ll have me, I’d like the opportunity to stay in the field sometime in the future, either permanently or just to visit.
Thank you,
Glow
A few hours later Glow arrived at the train station.
The train station was magnificent. Glow felt like she entered into a whole new world.
Skyscrapers lined the surroundings. The train station was packed, people everywhere, yelling, pushing, confused, focused, aggressive and cautious. Carefully, Glow maneuvered through the crowds to the train.
The train itself was massive. The width spanned across four sets of train tracks, each four times the size of regular train tracks. The wheels were almost as tall as Glow and they were thick.
The train stretched down the tracks, hundreds of feet in length, disappearing into a tunnel. The outside was sleek, aerodynamic, looking as if it was one long flexible train car, lit up with neon lights and digital billboards, many of which showcased the new sports.
Glow entered through the main entrance. Security devices at each entrance scanned passengers and their luggage. They were noninvasive, yet, could sense just about any type of weapon or danger a passenger could present.
The main entrance led Glow into an ultramodern shopping mall. The counters were all glass. Payment and retrieval of items purchased was automated.
Glow slowly worked her way to the passenger section, browsing as she walked through the mall. When Glow arrived, she took a seat next to a window.
The seats were spacious, luxurious, soft leather reclining bucket seats. Each seat featured its own home theater system.
Soon thereafter, the train pulled out of the station. If Glow wasn’t looking out the window, she wouldn’t have known the train was moving. The train was silent, without any vibrations, within minutes traveling at speeds close to 800 miles per hour. Everything looked like a blur.
The radio was playing in the background, playing songs Glow never heard before. A completely new style of music took over while she was gone. Glow blocked everything around her out. She shut her eyes, listening to every note, every lyric, of every song.
The train didn’t stop. A series of smaller highspeed trains funneled passengers to the nearest super train. The smaller train pulled up alongside the super train, matching speeds. The doors opened, connecting the two trains. Passengers entered and exited. The loading and unloading of passengers was very similar to the way military planes refuel in midair.
When the train slowed to exchange passengers, Glow looked out the window. People were out and about, everywhere, enjoying life. Parks usually empty during weekdays were packed with joggers, bike riders, softball teams, and flag football teams. Friends and families gathered for picnics, while tossing the Frisbee around.
Eventually, Glow turned on the television. She began flipping through different news channels. Even though Glow didn’t watch much tv during her life, she watched enough to know the news stories were very different from what she remembered.
The balance of stories changed. News channels still ran stories about corruption and crime. However, not as many. They weren’t headline stories. They weren’t glamorized.
The main stories showed different projects built by The People’s Army. They showed stories about everyday people. And most of all, news channels ran exclusive stories about people competing at the arenas.
These were people just like her, just like Beckie and they were now featured on the evening news sports segments. The world Glow was entering, wasn’t the same world she exited.
The rest of the train ride was very smooth. Glow sat back, cleared her mind of any worries, while enjoying the stories on television.
Most of the trip was underground. Within a couple of hours Glow was about to arrive her destination.
The train slowed just before entering the new city. A city built from the ground up, within the last five years. A city with the latest technological advances. A city unlike anything anyone has ever seen anywhere else in the world.
A huge amusement park filled with giant Ferris Wheels, Rollercoasters, games and attractions line the outskirts.
Next, the train traveled through a zoo, spanning 50 square miles, surrounding the inner layer of the city.
Huge hundred foot high plexiglass walls line the outer borders of the zoo. Visitors walk and bike through the zoo inside a maze of enclosed plexiglass walkways. Numerous picnic tables and concession stands are located throughout the walkways. Visitors sit and eat, while watching exotic animals sometimes just a few feet away on the other side of the plexiglass walkways.
Apartment buildings and condos are located just past the zoo. Thousands of them surround the arenas.
As the train entered the inner city, Glow couldn’t believe her eyes. The arenas are larger than anything she’s ever seen.
The main arena towers above the city, as high as a skyscraper, with a depth and width equal to four city blocks. The outside is constructed of thick darkened glass, embedded with the latest solar technology. Electricity generated from the main arena powers part of the city.
The smaller arenas each have their own theme and are almost as impressive.
One is surrounded by a moat, resembling a modern day version of the historical Camelot Castle. An enormous drawbridge leads guests through the main entrance.
Another is lined with stainless steel. Everything on the outside is stainless steel, from top to bottom.
A smaller arena only for competitors was built deep underground, under the main arena. The underground arena has practice cubes and an exercise gym.
The practice cubes are used for tryouts and scheduled practice sessions. Only other competitors are allowed to watch tryouts from the stands.
Many things were built underground to help alleviate congestion. Small rail lines, similar to those used by vintage coal carts are used to deliver packages and mail to the basements of each building.
Mail arrives inside sealed canisters. From there, the canisters are delivered to each apartment or condo via vacuum tubes. Each person receives a canister, then, returns it for the next days mail delivery.
Above ground, throughout the city, moving walkways powered by magnets efficiently move attendees, competitors and locals from all parts of the city, to and from the arenas.
Glow stepped off the train into a world of wonder. Glow stepped off the train into a city named Wonder.
Keywords: Light Throughout The Night, Chapter 7 Quest, Futuristic Train Station, Skyscrapers, Ultramodern, High-Speed Rail, World Of Wonder, Books, Fiction, Blog Post, LTTN
Posted:
2023-02-18 At:
5:30 am:
If you've reached this blog post via a search engine or through social media, I'm posting the complete book for free here as blog posts. A summery is located here.
Light Throughout The Night is a complete story with many twists and turns. The only way to feel the essence of the story is to read it from beginning to end.
Even though I'm posting the book as blog posts, the eBook is still available for sale. As a result, please don't post the book elsewhere.
Chapter 8: Competitive Spirit
After Glow found a hotel, after she settled in the city, she went on a tour of the arenas. A tour specifically designed for new competitors.
The tour began at the main entrance of the finals arena. Glass storefronts lined the hallways. The halls were huge, spanning almost fifty feet in width, going down as far as the eye could see. Rows of highspeed elevators moved people from floor to floor.
The tour took four whole days. During part of the tour, competitors are taught the rules and insights of the new sports. With Glow being Glow, she wanted to prepare as diligently as possible.
She blocked out any and all distractions. She didn't want to let the enormity and glamor of the new facilities to prevent her from learning the sports.
Safety of competitors was a priority.
Keeping competitions exciting, while prioritizing player safety wasn’t easy to accomplish.
Many rules were designed with safety as a determining factor. The minimum age required to compete is 22. There isn’t a maximum age limit. Otherwise, as long as a competitor qualifies for the lowest skill level, she can compete.
When a player competes against another of the same skill, height and weight, injury is less likely.
Levels were also specifically designed for seniors. Those levels are optional. Seniors can compete against either regular competitors or other seniors. Often, seniors best competitors half their age.
Levels, obstacle courses, and cubes were specifically designed for those with disabilities.
“Leave No Citizen Behind.”
The team sport involves tackling. Players are only permitted to tackle another from behind, eliminating the possibility of collisions, limiting injuries. Only one player is allowed to tackle another.
After a tackle, play isn’t stopped. Tackled players could attempt to stand, while defensive players try to hold them down.
During the struggle, defensive players are allowed to wrap their arms and legs around downed players. Offensive / downed players are allowed to drop the ball while struggling to their feet. Offensive players are given 30 seconds to get to their feet.
If an offensive player stands, the defensive player must give them a five foot cushion and let them regain possession of the ball. If the offensive player is ruled down after 30 seconds, play of the ball is reset 25 yards back.
To spread the action, after a catch, offensive players are only allowed to run 15 feet before having to pass the ball, keeping the ball moving, involving the most players.
Defensive players are allowed to hold onto offensive players who don’t have possession of the ball. They’re only permitted to use their hands. They can’t wrap their arms around offensive players, throw them to the ground, throw elbows, punches or any type of aggressive move. Defensive holding creates a physicality to the game, while adding to the excitement. Keeping the proximity of players close, also lessens the likelihood of injury.
Players rarely break the rules. Penalties usually result in a point for the other team. Given the similar levels of talent, scores are often very close. Having a point deducted is significant.
Equality of talent is very important to the sports success. When players and teams compete against other players and teams of equal and opposing talent, games and competitions are exciting, grueling and most important, competitive.
Equality of talent is also the best way to give the most people an opportunity to compete. In contrast, lower level competitors don’t always perform with glamor and elegance.
In the grand scheme of things, a competitors elegance within competitions is irrelevant. Competitors are getting the opportunity to do something exciting, something they enjoy. That’s what life’s about.
Friends and family enjoy watching their loved ones compete, regardless of their talent or technical knowhow. They enjoy cheering for someone they care about.
Ensuring players are evenly matched is a tough task. Many unorthodox measures are taken.
Tryouts are tough, diverse, and take place over multiple days, making it difficult for players to hide their abilities. Players aren’t given a good reason to hide their abilities. All players, regardless of their talent level or number of wins are paid an equal pay rate.
Players who dominate their rankings for a specific period of time are moved to the next highest level. If a player doesn’t make their weight class, they’re moved to the next highest or lowest weight class.
A couple days after the tour, Glow was scheduled for tryouts. When Glow arrived, she was motivated for her first day of tryouts.
The locker rooms are located below the stadium, deep underground. Glow exited the elevator into the halls leading to the locker rooms. The locker room halls are long, darker and much thinner than the main hallways. The walk felt eerie, not creepy or scary, just eerie. Almost as if the halls had presence.
At the entrance to the locker room, Glow slowly pushed the door open. The locker room was bright. Rows of lockers went down as far as she could see. Hundreds of ladies sat in front of their lockers. Many chatting and joking. Others gossiping. Some were talking about how it felt seeing themselves on television, their stats, the city and different things they did in their spare time.
Having spent the majority of her life in seclusion, with the last four and a half years almost completely alone, Glow felt unraveled, suddenly surrounded by all these different ladies.
She took a few seconds to regain her composure. She waited for her eyes to adjust to the bright lights. After taking a deep breath, telling herself, “Glow, you can do this!”, she began looking for the best available locker, maneuvering her way through the aisles.
When Glow found a locker, she took a seat. The lady next to her struck up a conversation. She was a red headed chick, almost the same height as Glow, with a bubbly personality, a deep southern accent and a warming smile.
Glow instantly felt a sense of ease. The conversation was lighthearted and real. Both traveled very far and were in a very different environment than either of them ever experienced. The two clicked, quickly becoming friends, exchanging numbers before leaving the locker room.
When Glow’s group of competitors arrived at the practice cubes, they were asked to hand in a 10 page questionnaire. The questionnaire was given to them during the tour, hundreds of questions were asked.
Some of the questions asked about their daily habits, what they did for a living, and the types of exercises they do regularly. The questions were designed to match players with opponents of the same skill set.
After the ladies submitted their questionnaire, they started the Preliminaries and Skill Classification. During the Preliminaries and Skill Classification, competitors are put through a variety of physical and skill challenges, designed to determine the class and level at which competitors compete.
Class is based on weight and height. Competitors with a similar weight and height are placed in the same class. From there, classes are divided into levels. The level for which a competitor competes is based on their strength, speed, flexibility, skill, and stamina.
The first day, potential competitors are put through a number of physical challenges. The strength and speed of their punches and kicks are measured against digital punching bags.
Next, they do exercises designed to measure overall strength. Competitors do as many pushups, sit-ups, pull-ups, curls and bench presses as possible.
The second day, competitors are run through multiple obstacle courses without the cube’s. Obstacle course results show a competitors agility and stamina. The results of the strength tests and obstacle courses determine the level of the obstacle course with the cubes included, competitors compete in the during the final day of tryouts, and when competing live in the above ground arenas.
During the first two days of tryouts, Glow received decent scores. As a result, she was assigned to compete in a class with a higher difficulty level.
The following day, the last day of tryouts, is the longest and toughest. Competitors begin the day by competing as individuals, inside cubes, against other individual competitors.
The second half of the day, competitors are put through a smaller, similar version of the Obstacle Cube Course featured in the above ground arenas. Then, to push competitors even further, after the Obstacle Cube Course, competitors are required to run sprints.
Glow didn’t begin with an easy cube. Her first competition was in a cube designed to determine strength, stamina and overall determination.
Inside the cube, two exercise chairs face each other, each with a two foot space in front and to the side. The exercise chairs look like abdominal exercise chairs found in most gyms. The ones where a person sits in the chair, sets the weight limit, wraps their arms around a padded bar and pushes down with their abs to lift the weights.
The only difference, when a competitor pushes down, they’re not pushing down against weights. They’re pushing down against the competitor sitting in the opposite chair. If one competitors bar is moving forward and down, the others bar and chair backing moves backwards and down.
Abdominal muscles are among the strongest and most durable muscles in the human body. Having to overpower another of the same weight and height, with just the abs, usually results in very grueling competitions.
The winner is the first lady who pushes the bar all the way down twenty-five times or pushes it down the most times before the fifteen minute time limit expires.
While waiting to enter the cube, Glow heard her opponent chatting with another competitor. The lady she’s about to compete against has been working as a waitress for the past fifteen years.
She’s in her mid-30’s. She’s almost the same height as Glow, possibly a couple millimeters taller and slightly thinner. Glow knew waitresses are on their feet all day and often have to be very tough to last in their career.
A few minutes later, the two ladies were asked to enter the cube. Glow took a seat in an exercise chair, looking across at her opponent, waiting for the start of the competition. The waitress didn’t acknowledge Glow in any way, shape or form.
Glow’s determined, yet, nervous. The grandness of the competitions, her new surroundings and all the publicity was taking a toll. The arena was packed. Even the smaller underground arena for qualifying competitions, draw large crowds of other competitors.
Glow took a look into the stands, all the people jumbled her thoughts.
She hasn’t been tested against others. She was having insecurities about her abilities. The fact her opponent was older, possibly more experienced and previously working for many years in a very tough career was also intimidating.
Glow felt her muscles weaken. She knew she had to focus.
The ref yells, “On your mark!”
Glow quickly turned towards the padded bar, wrapped her arms around the padding, squeezing tight.
“Get Set!”
“Go!” The buzzer sounds!
Glow immediately pushed down with all her strength. Her bar didn’t move. A few minutes passed. Nothing! Her bar still didn’t move.
She didn’t want to look across at her opponent. She was afraid looking at her opponent might cause her to let up, even if just for a split second.
Glow kept pushing down with all her strength. Five more minutes passed. They felt like hours. Her bar wasn’t budging, yet, her abs were burning.
She was starting to feel disappointed with herself. Almost as if she’s been defeated before the competition finished.
Without letting up, Glow took a quick peak at her opponent. The waitress's muscles were tense, solid. Her face looked angry, intense, intimidating.
Glow’s fear of losing motivated her to dig deep within, ignoring the pain. She let out a gasp, letting loose with a downward burst of energy. Glow’s bar started to budge, moving ever so slightly forward and down.
She kept up the pressure. Slowly, surely, Glow was moving her bar forward and down. At the same time, the bursts of energy were taking a lot out of her.
She was tiring, losing her breath. Glow wasn’t about to let herself give in to exhaustion, give in to the pain she was feeling in her abs.
She let loose with one last burst of energy. Seconds later, Ding! The buzzer sounds. Glow scored a point!
At the sound of the buzzer, she squeezed the padded bar with all her might, letting out a low sigh, feeling both exhausted and ecstatic.
The chairs of the two ladies reset to the upward position. Glows strength was drained. Her abs were in serious pain. Glow didn’t dare take a look at her opponent. She didn’t have to look. She could sense the waitresses displeasure.
A few seconds later the buzzer sounds, singling the start of the next set.
Glow pushed down with all her might. Her might was much less. Exhaustion set in. She felt weaker. She knew her opponent has an opportunity to score a point. She wasn’t letting up. Nevertheless, she felt her chair and bar slowly moving backwards.
Glow tightened her grip, pushing with all her strength. Now with little effect. She glanced up at the clock. Less than a minute remained.
If Glow could hold on for just one more minute, she would get the win. With her abs burning, severely weakened, she kept as much pressure against the bar as possible.
The ref yells, “30 seconds remaining!” Her opponent still had a quarter of the way to go. Glow didn’t know if she could fend the waitress off for another 30 seconds.
The ref yells, “fifteen seconds!”
The waitress let loose with a loud grunt, her bar jolted forward! Glows jolted backwards! The waitress is now just inches away from the tying point.
Glow’s depleted stomach muscles are quickly submitting to the pressure.
2 seconds. 1 second. The buzzer sounds!
The waitress lets out a loud scream. An angry scream, violently pounding her arms against the padded bar! She wasn’t happy.
Glow got the victory. Though, just barely.
Glow was physically exhausted. At the same time, she was riding an adrenalin high. She was ecstatic with herself.
She thought about Beckie and how happy she would have been if she was here. She thought about her mom and how proud she would have been to see her daughter competing. Emotions overwhelmed her. Glow’s insides trembled with joy.
Her sense of joy only lasted a few seconds. Shortly thereafter, the two ladies were asked to exit the cube. As Glow exited, the waitress was doing the same. She was equally and as visibly upset with the loss as Glow was happy with the win.
The two ladies crossed paths. That’s when the waitress took the opportunity to show her displeasure, slamming her shoulder into Glow’s, catching her off guard, sending Glow stumbling backwards, twisting sideways. The sting of the blow caused Glow to grimace, grab her shoulder in pain. The waitress kept walking out of the cube.
An attendee immediately stepped in front of Glow before she had a chance to respond.
It’s only the first day of tryouts and Glow already has a rival.
Despite the scuffle, Glow stayed focused on the competitions. She didn’t let the waitress’s bitter attitude get to her. Her shoulder was a little sore, though, ok. Essentially, she got the victory and was looking forward to the next cube.
After the abdominal competition, Glow competed against a few other individual opponents. She held her own. From there, she was looking forward to competing in the obstacle course with the cubes included.
Even though the previous challenges took a lot of energy, other than feeling a little worn out, Glow felt decent. A half hour later, Glow’s group of competitors were walked to the beginning of the Obstacle Cube Course.
Glow now stands at the beginning of the Obstacle Cube Course, anxious to get off to a good start. Seconds later the buzzer sounds, Glow bolts from the starting line, instilling a tremendous amount of effort navigating through the obstacles as fast as possible.
Within the obstacle course she competed in and completed a number of different cubes, many of which were designed to determine a competitors endurance.
By the time Glow finished the first few cubes, she was dripping in sweat. The sweat was dripping into her eyes, at times causing her to see blurry. Those conditions made the next cube much more difficult.
The next cube held the Baseball pitching machines. Typically, batting is one of Glow’s strengths. She spent many hours practicing inside batting cages during the days she played Softball. Today, the balls from those very same pitching machines were much tougher to hit.
Glow’s arms were weak from previous challenges. Sweat was preventing her from seeing clearly. Glow swung within herself, focusing only on making contact, without trying to swing with much strength. She missed very few pitches, while hitting a variety of different pitch types. Glow didn’t score many power hitting points, however, her overall score was decent.
When Glow finished the Baseball cube, she navigated to the Dodgeball cube. The Dodgeball cube was on the other side of the arena. Getting there wasn’t an easy task. The obstacle course between the two cubes was almost a mile in length, circling around the outside of all the cubes.
Glow maneuvered through and over a series of obstacles, then climbed a 50 foot high net to reach the cube.
By the time Glow entered the Dodgeball cube, she was exhausted. The distance she ran was substantial. She was battered. The obstacles were tough. Her body bounced off of and against many of them. Her leg muscles were hurting. They were weak. Very weak.
Glow needed to dodge twenty balls. Then, catch five. They weren’t lobs either. Even though the balls were soft, they were flung out of multiple machines at speeds of 50 to 60 mph.
Balls started firing at Glow seconds after she entered the cube, from different angles, from multiple machines. Her legs couldn’t move her body fast enough.
The first few balls shot at her in rapid succession, hitting her in the legs, mid-section and shoulder. When the balls hit, they stung, causing an inner panic, worry. She didn’t know how to avoid them.
Glow gathered herself. Still weak, she took a different approach. If her legs couldn’t move her out of the way fast enough, she dropped to the ground, avoiding the ball, as it flew over her head.
If she couldn’t get up before the next ball was fired, she twisted her body out of the way. Glow did whatever was necessary to avoid getting hit.
The cube was tougher than she imagined. Avoiding all twenty balls took longer than she would have liked. Eventually, with unwavering determination, she avoided all twenty balls.
Now, Glow needed to catch five of them. Still recuperating, she wasn’t quick enough to position her body in front of the balls. Her hands weren’t fast enough to catch them.
The few balls she did get in front of, bounced off of her body. One went through her hands, hitting her on the chin. Another hit her on the shoulder. She couldn’t secure either of them.
Another was fired high in the air. Glow jumped, reaching for the ball. She couldn’t grip the ball. It dropped out of her grasp.
After cursing to herself, cursing at herself, trying to motivate herself, she began finding ways to catch the balls.
She waited for balls shot lower to the ground. She dove, dropping her body in front of the ball, tightly wrapping her arms around the ball just as it reached her body, securing the catch.
By the time Glow finished, she was in pain and bruised. Yet, somehow, someway, the pain and difficulty of the previous cube helped motivate her.
Glow navigated to the next cube. The spin cycle cube. The final cube. The cube most competitors consider the toughest cube in the competition.
The spin cycle cube is also the longest. Competitors are required to pedal for a half hour, with the resistance of the pedals increasing and decreasing.
The score of the cube is based on the distance a competitor pedals during the allocated time.
Knowing she was competing in the last cube, Glow gave the spin cycle cube every ounce of energy within her body. Even with her absolute best effort, the cube was every bit as tough as its reputation.
At times the resistance slowed her to just a few miles per hour. When the resistance was at its toughest, Glow stood on the pedals, pushing down with all her weight and strength. Her thighs burned. Penetrating pain ached every leg muscle in her body.
Thirty minutes later, the time limit expired. Glow was panting, deprived of oxygen. Deep, heavy breaths caused excruciating pressure and pain in her lungs.
Glow got off the exercise bike. She was dizzy. Her legs were wobbly. She took a step towards the exit of the cube. Her legs started to give, almost collapsing. She grabbed the handlebar on the exercise bike to hold herself up, waiting as long as possible before she was told to exit the cube.
Even with her adrenalin high, the spin cycle cube took its toll. Exhaustion significantly drained her energy.
Despite her exhaustion, Glow finished the cube with a decent score. Overall, she finished the Obstacle Cube Course with a score in the top 20 percent.
With the completion of the Obstacle Cube Course, only one other competition remained. Sprints.
Competitors were given a half hour break to rehydrate. After the break, competitors were walked to an adjacent field. Glow’s group was required to run eight sets of sprints. The hundred yard dash four times and the fifty yard dash four times.
First up, the hundred yard dash. Glow walked slowly to the starting line, trying to give her body a few extra minutes to recuperate. Hundreds of ladies lined up at the starting line, spread out along the field. When Glow arrived, she gingerly positioned herself into the starting position.
Seconds later, the instructor yells, “Ladies, let’s see what you got!” The buzzer sounds!
Glow takes off, trying to drive her legs forward and backward as fast as possible. They’re heavy. They’re tight. They feel like they could cramp at any second. Glow quickly fell to the middle of the pack.
She practiced these very same sprints every day while living in the field. Though, never after going through as grueling of a day both physically and mentally as she’s just been through.
Glow needed every ounce of energy in her body to finish the first hundred yard dash near the front of the pack.
After the first hundred yard dash, it didn’t matter how hard she pushed herself. She was gasping for every breath. The strength in her legs was gone. The aching pain was brutal, even for Glow. Her movement slowed. Her strides shortened.
She was only able to finish towards the middle of the pack for the remaining sets of sprints.
Regardless, she was impressive during tryouts. Throughout most of the tryouts, her movement was swift, deliberate and definitive. Her focus was good, and the trainers seemed impressed.
As for the sprints, even though she wanted to do better, she could have done worse. Plenty of ladies walked the whole length of all eight sprints just to finish.
Even then, a few still struggled. Their legs cramped. Some of the ladies had to sit and rehydrate before finishing. Others couldn’t finish the sprints at all.
Immediately after tryouts, competitors were put through a lie detector test. A series of basic questions were asked to establish truth vs lies. Then, they were asked one simple question, “Did you do your best during tryouts?”
Before Glow was asked if she did her best, the lady giving the test looked up at Glow, saying, “I don’t need to ask you this question. I saw the effort you gave out there. I have to ask the question. It’s policy.
Did you do your best during tryouts?”
Glow’s answer was obviously, “Yes.”
The next day Glow took a class designed to prepare competitors mentally for the live competitions in the main arenas.
Competing during tryouts was much different than competing in front of a live audience in the hundreds of thousands, and a nationwide television audience in the high millions.
From there, each lady was given the opportunity to create a 10 to 15 second entrance song. If a competitor qualifies for the Final Battle, their song blasts over the loudspeakers as they enter the cube.
The idea of the entrance song is to show a competitors passion and personality, while motivating the crowd and competitor.
Most competitors are competing on a stage of this magnitude for the first time. Hearing the audience cheer in their favor is important.
For the most part, rules are lenient toward the songs. They’re simple. Songs can’t display blatant derogatory lyrics or insight violence outside the cube.
Professional DJ’s are available to help each lady create an entrance song. The sports purchased the rights to use thousands of different songs. Those songs are also available for competitors to use as entrance songs.
If a competitor didn’t create an entrance song or choose a prewritten song, standard songs are played when they enter the cube.
Glow listened to some songs other ladies created. Many were very creative. Some picked heavy metal songs designed to get their adrenalin going and motivate the crowd. Other’s wrote songs intended to intimidate their opponent.
Glow wanted her entrance song to resemble the songs played by the G.L.O.W. Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling wrestlers before they entered the ring. She spent the previous two weeks thinking about, and writing her entrance song.
I’m Glow and I’ve come to fight.
When I enter the cube, you won’t be amused.
I have a deep desire.
I won’t tire.
Let the battle begin.
Cause I’m here to win.
After tryouts, Glow decided to stay and compete. She chose the MMA style battle as her Final Battle.
The following two weeks Glow took a MMA training course offered at the facilities, while spending much of her free time studying the sport.
Keywords: Light Throughout The Night, Chapter 8 Competitive Spirit, Glow, Competitions, New Sport, Obstacle Cube Course, Plexiglass Cubes, Fiction Book, Blog Post, Arena's, Tryouts, Vs, Versus, Unwavering Determination, Endurance, Scuffle, Stamina, LTTN
Posted:
2023-02-25 At:
5:30 am:
If you've reached this blog post via a search engine or through social media, I'm posting the complete book for free here as blog posts. A summery is located here.
Light Throughout The Night is a complete story with many twists and turns. The only way to feel the essence of the story is to read it from beginning to end.
Even though I'm posting the book as blog posts, the eBook is still available for sale. As a result, please don't post the book elsewhere.
Chapter 9: Lady
Before competitors were allowed to compete, a four month waiting period was mandatory. During the waiting period, Glow met with the gal she spoke with in the locker room.
Her name is Lady and their situations were similar. Both traveled very far, from different parts of the U.S. and did so on a whim. Each threw a few items in a duffle bag, then, hopped on the train.
Glow and Lady hooked up at a local food distribution center. Glow ordered a coffee and a burger. Lady ordered a coffee and a salad. The two gals sat and ate, while getting to know each other.
Lady talked about her younger years. She was homeschooled. She's very outgoing and grew up in a large city. Their upbringings were different, nevertheless, both came from unconventional walks of life.
Their physiques are similar. Very much like Glow, Lady’s flesh is soft, yet she’s strong. She’s a few years older and slightly more shapely.
She’s very cute. Her shoulders slope downward. Her arms are smooth, silkie, delicate looking. Her breasts are larger than average. Her mid-section is petite and curvy, flowing beautifully into her thickish hips. Her thighs are soft, kneecaps chubby and calves attractively shaped.
She’s spontaneous, though, not nearly as spontaneous as Glow. Her personality is dazzling, to say the least, often keeping Glow on the edge of her seat, attentively listening to her every word.
Lady, much like Glow, knows what life’s about and neither wanted to let another second of their lives slip away. Lady seemed genuine, like a genuinely good person. That was important to Glow.
In response, Glow was very friendly, talkative, although hesitant to divulge to much personal information. She talked about Wonder, the sports and was very interested in Lady’s story.
After a couple days, the two gals decided to find an apartment together. The immediate area lacked available apartments due to the number of competitors and fans of the sports.
Both desired an apartment with pisas. A wow factor. That was one of their must haves. They decided to do whatever was necessary to find their ideal apartment, even if they had to look at fifty different apartments.
As a result of The People’s Army, many apartments were affordable and available. However, finding a very cool apartment, close enough to the arenas to compete on a daily basis took time and dedication.
The two gals began scouring local papers, looking at numerous pads each day. During the next two weeks, Glow and Lady split the cost of hotel rooms. Despite their effort, after a couple weeks they couldn’t find their ideal apartment.
While Glow was living in the field, she didn’t spend any money. The checks she received from the Government accumulated. Regardless, hotel rooms were still expensive, especially near the arenas.
Eventually, renting hotel rooms became too expensive. Glow didn’t want to squander her money. Lady felt the same way.
In defiance, neither of the two ladies were going to let the price of hotel rooms prevent them from finding a desirable apartment. Glow and Lady began staying on the streets, four, five days at a time.
Glow knew all the ins and outs of street life. Much of their time was spent at the gym. A local gym stayed open 24/7, allowing them to exercise at night. After, working out, the two gals showered and brushed their teeth in the locker room. Of course, they did each other’s nails and hair.
From there, Glow and Lady headed to the local beach. They laid out their towels, laid down on the soft warm sand, before falling asleep for a few hours.
Later in the day, when the temperature became too hot, the two gals woke, walked down to a local food distribution center for a cup of coffee and a bite to eat.
While eating, they used the free Wi-Fi to search for apartments. Later at night, when things cooled off outside, they went back to the beach for a few extra hours of sleep before going to the gym.
Most people didn’t know Glow and Lady were homeless. The twosome traveled very light. Each carried a new duffle bag with their clothes and essentials. They kept on the move and kept to themselves as much as possible.
With Glow having been by herself for years, it took a few weeks before she completely loosened up around Lady. When she did, there wasn’t any stopping her. She talked to Lady for hours, explaining her story.
Glow told Lady about life on the street. “Life on the street wasn’t always the way it is now. Five or six years ago, things were much worse. I wouldn’t have suggested leaving the hotel if I didn’t think we could live out here somewhat comfortably.”
Occasionally, things didn’t go as planned. A few times Glow and Lady arrived at the beach just after dawn. Both laid out their towels, before laying down for a few hours of beauty rest.
Unbeknownst, a few hours after dosing off, rain began pouring, coming down in buckets. Instantaneously. Within seconds both ladies were drenched. They quickly woke, vigorously grabbing their bags and towels as they bolted for shelter.
Glow and Lady usually ended up behind a building, in an alleyway, sitting under a small windowsill or entryway partially sheltered from the rain.
The twosome sat on the pavement, against the building with their legs curled up against their bodies, their hair drenched, shirts, shorts and jeans soaked, waiting for the storm to pass. They used their equally drenched towels as covers, while tightly squishing against the other, trying to stay warm.
Sometimes it poured for hours. The sky turned dark gray. Clouds sped through the air. Lightning flashed, rapid blinding bolts. Thunderous blasts echoed, shaking the building where they sat, each feeling the others body tense.
Neither had anything else to do except talk to the other. Spending time in the alley was a great way for them to get to know each other on a more personal level.
These were the times when Glow and Lady developed a closeness they’d keep for the rest of their lives.
The two gals talked about their likes and dislikes. Glow began with her dislikes. Having dealt with and seen the worst side of life, she didn’t have any trouble listing numerous dislikes.
“Waste, busy bodies, trickery, deceit, lies, labels, stereotypes, peer pressure, attitudes, stress, monopolies.”
Glow could have kept going, though, she sensed Lady stressing with all her dislikes. She began listing her likes.
Glow previously gave up on most things. The few likes she did have, she knew immediately, quickly mentioning the squirrels, coffee and competing. Then, she paused, trying to think of other things she liked. She couldn’t.
A few seconds later, Lady, sensing Glow was struggling, began listing the things she liked.
“Warm clothes just out of the dryer. Good conversations. Ice cold beer on a hot summer day. Christmas lights.”
Glow attentively listened until Lady listed her next like.
“The smell of food at amusement parks.”
Glow speaks, “I’ve never been to an amusement park.”
Lady replies, “Well, we’ll have to do something about that.”
Glow talked about Beckie. “After going four and a half years, without having seen or spoken to each other, Beckie still remembered we were friends. Four and a half years after we last spoke, she showed up out of the blue, letting me know about the sports.
There aren’t very many people in this world who would have remembered a friend after four and a half years, no less travel halfway across the country to visit them.”
Glow talked about the things she thought about while laying in the field. Those subjects often led to very deep conversations.
As much as Lady liked talking to Glow, she was a very good listener. She was understanding. She asked general questions and was genuinely sympathetic towards many parts of Glows story.
When the rain stopped, the two gals walked to the nearest ladies room. They changed into dry clothes, fixed their hair, before continuing with the rest of the day.
The day they went to the amusement park, Lady grabbed Glow’s arm, locking elbows, pulling Glow forward. “Glow, today you’re gonna see a different side of life, a better side of life.”
Pulling Glow forward, Lady starts singing, “We’re going, we’re going, we’re going, we’re going to the fair. We’re gonna see the clowns. We’re gonna wipe away the frowns and we’re gonna ride the Ferris Wheel all day long, cause we’re going, we’re going, we’re going, we’re going to the fair.”
Glow joined in. Both sang the song all the way to the amusement park.
Once they arrived, it was Glow who was pulling Lady in every which direction, trying to see as much as possible. The twosome spent the whole night at the amusement park, smiling, playing games and riding rides.
As the two gals became better friends, Glow began showing the lighter side of her personality.
< A dog barks in the distance. >
“Lady, ya hear what that dog’s saying?”
Lady replied, somewhat confused. “What, I dunno? Ruff, ruff.”
Glow talks, “He’s saying, Lady, why don’t ya toss the little dog a ball? Look, I’m open. Over here, over here.”
Now he’s saying, “All right, if you’re not gonna toss the little dog the ball, how about a biscuit? The little dog’s gotta eat. Toss the little dog a biscuit.”
Lady laughed. Then, reached over to mess up Glow’s hair. “Glow, you’re something else.”
The next time they went to the food distribution center, when Glow wasn’t looking, Lady snagged a bunch of biscuits. When the two gals walked by the little dog, Lady smiled at Glow, lightly pushing her, before tossing the dog a few biscuits.
“Glow, ya here what the little dog is saying now?”
Smiling, Glow replies, “Nope, I don’t hear anything.”
Lady says, “The little dog is saying, thanks Lady, you’re the best.”
The two gals meshed like they’d been friends for years. They were serious at times, each knowing the subjects most important to the other. They spoke, and listened. They joked and laughed.
Sometimes Glow and Lady play wrestled on the beach. Once in a while the matches turned into professional wrestling style matches.
“Are you messing with The Glow! Lady, you don’t want to mess with The Glow!”
Then she threw a forearm, softly landing it on Lady’s shoulder, while making a slapping sound.
Lady joined in. “I’m gonna take The Glow, spin her around and pin her down.”
The friendly foes chased each other or wrestled until one of them got too tired to chase or wrestle the other, with each having moments of victory and defeat.
When the two gals weren’t wrestling, spending time at the gym or sleeping, they worked on their agility, usually by stretching or doing yoga.
Every so often they ran into a few male sexist jerks.
After quickly brushing them off, each turned to the other, repeating one of their favorite sayings, “Maybe if they stopped being jerks, a woman might let them use their wiener.”
Of course, the occasional group of dudes hit on them. Glow and Lady flirted, laughed and smiled, enjoying the attention. Never more than a few minutes. Neither let things go any further. Things were going to good just as they were. That says a lot, since they were without a roof over their head.
Sometimes it’s not what a person has, it’s who they have, whether they have a wife, husband, girlfriend, boyfriend, a friend, or even a pet. Glow and Lady had each other. To them, their friendship was providing more value than a roof could ever provide.
Glow’s been burned by people to many times in the past to even think about making additional friends. Lady was enjoying her new adventurist, spontaneous and whimsical lifestyle. Neither were ready to add to their twosome.
Since finding an apartment was their only absolute task, the two gals had plenty of free time. Together they tried to make the most of their time. They visited local parks. They walked around the city and visited different establishments.
On Sundays, Glow and Lady took leisurely bike rides through the zoo, inside the plexiglass walkways, often stopping to eat lunch on a picnic table, watching the animals on the other side of the plexiglass.
Both trained for the competitions, spending time in the batting cages, playing tennis, racquetball and beach volleyball. Sometimes locals joined their games. Other times the twosome practiced with just each other.
One night Glow and Lady went bar hopping, stumbling along the sidewalk from bar to bar, laughing all night, having an amazing time.
Within a few weeks, the two gals became acquainted with Wonder and the surrounding areas better than most people who have been living in the city for years. They learnt the quickest train routes, the best places to eat and places where they could go to get away from things.
At the end of each week the twosome rented a hotel room, regrouped, while ravishing themselves in luxury. Lady got to know the hotel clerks. Sometimes the clerks let them rent a room for just a few hours to shower and beautify themselves.
While staying at a hotel, Lady saw just how secluded Glow was from parts of life common to others.
That day, the two gals entered their hotel room. Glow started walking around, checking everything out. Next, she went in the bathroom.
“Lady, check out this cool drinking fountain!”
Lady was in the living room area. She paused for a second, thinking to herself, “Drinking fountain?? In the bathroom??” Then, it clicked. She rush towards the bathroom, yelling, “Nooooooo!!” as loud as possible, arriving just in time to prevent Glow from taking a drink.
The drinking fountain was actually a bidet. Glow hadn’t seen or heard of a bidet before.
After Lady told her what a bidet is, Glow tried to play it cool.
“oh, ha, ha, oops.” Then, quickly changed the subject.
Lady could have razzed Glow plenty for her mishap. She didn’t. She let Glow off the hook with a sly smile.
After living on the streets for just about two months and looking at almost 40 different apartments, the day finally came when they found an apartment. A young couple renting a federally owned apartment, decided to move.
As soon as the they saw it advertised, both knew that was their apartment. Glow and Lady were in the middle of breakfast. They stopped mid bite, immediately getting up to go see the apartment.
These types of apartments rarely make the classifieds. A friend of a friend usually rents them instantaneously.
The apartment was in an old brick factory. The People’s Army turned the building into apartments and condos, offering them as rentals, rent to own, or purchase.
The apartment Glow and Lady looked at showed a tremendous amount of character. The interior walls were brick. The ceilings were high. The pipes and ac ducts were exposed. All the fixtures were industrial.
Their apartment was on the fifth floor. The windows in the living room were arched, huge and let in plenty of natural light. The kitchen and living room were open. The apartment had two master bedrooms, allowing Glow and Lady to each have their own bedroom and bathroom.
When the factory was turned into apartments and condos, the latest green technology was implemented.
Water used in the dishwasher was routed to the toilets for flushing. A tankless water heater was installed. Energy efficient lightbulbs were installed throughout the building. Solar panels were installed on part of the roof.
The exterior of the factory was untouched, adding a rustic feel to the character of the building.
A rooftop deck was installed. The view was stunning. The rooftop overlooks a park. Wonder stretches over the horizon in the background.
Glow and Lady were given the keys the same day they viewed the apartment. From there, the twosome still had a couple of weeks before they could compete.
The first thing Glow did was give Beckie a call. Beckie didn’t answer. Glow left her friend a message, letting Beckie know where she was, and she was going to stay to compete in the sports.
The very next day, Glow and Lady began turning the apartment into their own. They hit up local antique shops and flea markets, looking for unique items.
Glow found a vintage dresser in need of tlc. She sanded and painted the dresser, before putting it in her room.
Glow also found a guitar at a local thrift store. Sometimes late at night, she played the guitar, while enjoying a few drinks with Lady.
The twosome picked up necessities, dishes, and small appliances. They pooled their money to purchase a leather couch, television and coffee table.
Both gals kept going to the gym.
Glow still liked writing. Though, she didn’t write nearly as much as she did while living in the field. She was enjoying Wonder. She was enjoying spending time with Lady.
Every once in a while, early in the morning or late at night, Glow got the urge to write.
She walked up to the rooftop deck. She took a seat on a lounge chair, watching the sun rise or set, looking out over the city, writing for hours.
Sometimes a youngish couple cuddled on a nearby chair, while looking out into the skyline. Glow felt good. She felt relaxed.
Keywords: Light Throughout The Night, Chapter 9 Lady, Glow, Wonder, Unconventional Walks Of Life, Spontaneous, Street Life, Friends, Exuberance, Personalities, Book, Fiction, Finding An Apartment, Enjoying Life, Green Technology, LTTN
Posted:
2023-03-04 At:
5:30 am:
If you've reached this blog post via a search engine or through social media, I'm posting the complete book for free here as blog posts. A summery is located here.
Light Throughout The Night is a complete story with many twists and turns. The only way to feel the essence of the story is to read it from beginning to end.
Even though I'm posting the book as blog posts, the eBook is still available for sale. As a result, please don't post the book elsewhere.
Chapter 10: Venom
A couple weeks after Glow and Lady moved into their apartment, Glow began competing. She was enjoying the competitions, and pushed herself to compete just about every day. In accordance, her Obstacle Cube Course time improved each month.
Regardless, until today she didn't qualify for the Final Battle.
Glow went through the Obstacle Cube Course, finishing in the top ten for her level. Very few competitors reach the Final Battle during their first year competing.
Much like the other competitions, the rules for MMA Final Battles were designed with safety as a determining factor. Specifically, they were designed to prevent serious injury and knockouts. As a result, battles last longer.
Fighters wear soft gloves and elbow pads. Fighters are only allowed to throw knees and kicks to the mid-section, thighs, and arms. Knees and kicks to the head aren’t allowed.
Armbar submission holds aren’t allowed either, along with any hold having the potential to cause injury.
Sleeper holds are permitted, however, referees take extra caution during those situations.
To encourage combinations and prevent knockouts, fighters can only throw a punch to the head once with each hand during a flurry. From there, fighters must throw punches to other areas of their opponent.
MMA Final Battles can only go to the mat via a take down. If a fighter is knocked down due to a punch or kick, the same rules as boxing apply. The referee starts a ten count. Since many fighters are amateurs and evenly matched, knockouts are extremely rare.
MMA Final Battles have two five minute rounds. Due to the length of the rounds and because Final Battles take place after the completion of the Obstacle Cube Course, Final Battles are often very grueling. Exhaustion sets in. Fighters win due to their determination, grit and skill.
Glow didn’t have any friends or family in the audience. Lady found a part time job. She was working. She didn’t even know Glow reached the Final Battle.
The fact Glow didn’t have any friends in the audience didn’t bother her. Glow was use to being alone. Besides, she was thrilled just to have reached the Final Battle.
Nevertheless, she was worn out. The number of Obstacle Cube Courses she completed during the previous months were taking their toll.
During this particular Obstacle Cube Course, Glow instilled an extraordinary effort. Her body took a beating.
Having finally reached the Final Battle, she let herself get slightly less angry, slightly less angry at the world, slightly less angry at herself and slightly less angry at the way her life turned out.
Despite how she felt, Glow's mentality is to battle with every ounce of fight she has within.
Up until today, all the Obstacle Cube Courses she competed in were held after midnight. Daytime events are usually saved for the highest ranked competitors.
Due to scheduling issues, Glow was competing during the day. By the time she completed the Obstacle Cube Course, it was just after 5PM.
Most of the main arena is packed 24/7. During prime hours, every square inch of all five arenas are packed. Standing room only.
Hundreds of thousands of fans fill the stands. Glow’s bout was scheduled at 7PM. The stands were overflowing with people.
Just before 7PM, Glow was led to the entrance of a plexiglass cube for her Final Battle.
She knew she shouldn’t look into the stands. She couldn’t prevent herself. Onlookers were meshed together against the closest railing, yelling, screaming, cheering, and booing. Crowds of people went up as far as she could see, rows and rows of fans, viewing cubes hundreds of feet in the air.
The height was dizzying. The fans were loud! Their screams created chaos, jolting her nerves. Quickly, Glow jerked her head away from the audience. She couldn’t let her nerves become any more frayed than they already were.
She stood motionless outside the cube, muscles tight, trying to stay focused.
A few minutes later, her opponents entrance music began blasting. The base rumbled the arena. The lyrics were obnoxious, intimidating.
Look at the stats.
Those are the facts.
Ko’s, they're just part of my wrath.
Your time is near.
You’ll know why you fear.
Then, Bam!
You’ll get hit with the Venom Slam.
Glow, hadn’t seen her opponent. She didn’t recognize the name Venom.
She looked up as Venom entered cube. Glow was about to fight the waitress she battled in the preliminary abdominal competition, now, going by the name Venom.
Glow's stomach sank. She knew Venom was bitter over her loss. The last thing Glow wanted was to fight an opponent with a grudge in her first Final Battle. Someone possessing extra motivation to win. At the same time, Glow’s dislike of Venom’s tactless attitude helped her regroup, while providing extra motivation of her own.
During their first encounter, Venom came off as smug, as if Glow was beneath her. Glow knew that feeling. It’s the same way most people treated her throughout her whole life.
After Venom entered, Glow’s music began playing. The ref motioned for Glow to enter the cube.
A few minutes later, the ref called the two ladies to the center of the cube. Glow and Venom walked up to each other to touch gloves. Glow looked directly at her foe, face to face, standing just inches away.
Venom’s hair was up in a bun. She looked taller, more intimidating, if that was possible. Venom gleaming from her eyes.
Glow used all her inner-strength to fightback intimidation, clinching her fists tight within her gloves.
The ref guides each lady to their corner. Seconds later, the bell rings.
“Ding, Ding!”
Rapidly, aggressively, Venom charges forward. Glow’s slower out of her corner. The two ladies meet just past the center of the cube, slightly closer to Glow’s corner. Venom launches an overhand right. Her quickness surprises Glow. Reactively, Glow steps to the side. Venom's glove grazes past Glow’s face.
Venom’s momentum carries her forward alongside Glow. The two foes are now side by side.
Glow has an opportunity to take Venom’s back. She turns quickly, grabbing hold of Venom’s mid-section, trying to maneuver to her back. Her grip wasn’t tight. She didn’t press her head against Venom’s shoulder.
Venom saw an opening. She wound her arm forward, then launched a lightning quick elbow. Glow didn’t see it. Venom’s elbow lands flush to the side of Glow’s head, striking her equilibrium at point blank range.
Glow’s arms drop. She stumbles backwards, briefly blacking out. The strength in her muscles disappear. Wobbly, Glow fights to stay on her feet. She’s loosing that battle. Her body starts to give. She feels her knees buckling. She feels herself dropping.
Venom quickly turns towards Glow. Then, immediately charges forward, slamming her upper body into Glow's upper body.
As their bodies collide, Venom wraps her arms around Glow's waist, preventing her foe from falling, driving Glow backwards towards the turnbuckles at the same time. Glow’s back slams into the turnbuckles. Her head jars backwards.
Glow began regaining her awareness as she reached the turnbuckles, yet, she was still to weal to defend herself.
At the same time, Venom freed her right glove from around Glow's waist, using her left arm to hold Glow up while leaning her left shoulder against Glow's upper body, keeping her foe pressed against the turnbuckles.
In a blur of speed Venom winds her glove back, sending it forward, rapidly, multiple times, viciously slamming it into Glow’s mid-section. Thunderous right hooks pound Glow's body. The pain is instantaneous, intense, penetrating deep into Glow’s ribs and stomach.
The crowds on their feet. Sensing a knockout, loud, deafening cheers fill the arena. Venom’s glove continues to slam into Glow’s flesh.
Flimsily Glow lifts her arms, trying to defend herself. She’s weary. They don’t have the strength to effectively block Venom's punches.
Seeing the immense punishment Glow’s taking, the ref runs over to the corner, yelling, “Glow, can you continue?”
Glow tries to answer. She can’t. The wind’s been knocked out of her. She doesn’t have enough breath in her lungs.
Before the ref reacts, Venom releases her grip. She steps back, then unleashes a series of unblocked rights and lefts, landing to all parts of Glow's body. Glow's arms drop back to her sides. Her vision turns blurry.
Looking to finish her foe, Venom releases a brutal sidekick to Glow's ribs. Then another. And another. Glow grimaces loudly. The pain’s intense.
Venom takes a couple steps back. Then rapidly charges forward, lifting and slinging her leg straight forward towards Glow at the same time, with all her rage, with all her strength, with all her aggression, slamming the heal of her foot into Glow’s mid-section.
The pain was unbearable, riveting through every ounce of flesh and bone in her body. Glow's body weakens, then softens. Her legs struggle to support her weight. They can’t. Her body turns to jello. She slowly drops towards the canvas. The ref jumps in front of Venom, blocking her attack.
Glow tries grabbing the netting as she falls. Her hands loosely slide off the netting as her body flops to the mat, landing with her back against the canvas and her arms sprawled out to each side of her head.
She’s dazed, drifting in and out of consciousness, seeing only a blur. Her mouth’s open, gasping for oxygen. Her stomach slowly pants in and out. Her ribs are already black and blue.
The ref’s seen enough. She didn’t even start the ten count before calling the fight.
A few seconds later Glow regains her vision. Still hazy, gingerly, she tries to sit herself up. She’s only able to lift her head a few inches before it drops back to the canvas.
Within minutes two E.M.T.’s enter the cube, placing their hands on Glow’s shoulders, gently holding her down. They place an oxygen mask over her mouth, slightly lifting the back of her head at the same time.
One of the E.M.T.’s asks, “Glow, can you hear me?” Glow’s thoughts are scattered, her mind frantic. She hears the crowd cheering wildly. Her stomach sinks, panic sets in. Her eyes turn glossy. Tears begin to drip down the sides of her cheeks.
A few seconds later the E.M.T. repeats the question, louder, with more assertion, “Glow, can you hear me?”
Glow’s glossy eyes slowly turn towards the E.M.T.’s. In tears, Glow shakes her head yes.
“Are you ok?”
Glow tries to focus on the question. She answers, “I think so, my ribs hurt.”
The E.M.T.’s sit Glow up. One of them wipes the tears from her eyes. The other takes a look at her ribs, pressing her fingers against them to feel if they're broken. Stinging pain follows. Glow grimaces in agony.
“Glow, your ribs are badly bruised. Though, I don’t think their broken.”
The same E.M.T. shines a light in each of Glow’s eyes. She asks Glow to follow her finger. Glow does.
After evaluating Glow, the E.M.T.’s consult each other. A few minutes later they gave Glow their verdict. “We want you to take a month off to rest before competing, or even practicing.”
Both E.M.T.’s give Glow their card. One of them says, “In a month from now, you should be ok. If you experience any lingering effects, dizziness, headaches, or if the pain in your ribs doesn’t slowly dwindle, please come see us immediately.”
A few minutes later Venom walks over to Glow. She places her hand on Glow's shoulder, saying, “I’ve been looking forward to seeing you in here for months. I’ve been wanting to vindicate myself since tryouts.” Then, in a smug tone says, “I’d say I vindicated myself tonight.”
Glow didn’t say anything. Venom saw the look of disappointment and pain on Glow’s face. She smiled as she turned to walk away.
Glow was devastated. Her knockout was only the second true knockout in the history of the sport. Plenty of times fighters became too tired to continue, yet weren’t actually knocked out. Furthermore, her knockout was the quickest in the history of the sport.
The worst thing that could have happened, just happened. Glow got knocked out in front of millions of people. To add to her disastrous defeat, Glow was knocked out by her only rival.
Still in tears, at times hysterically upset, Glow stayed in the cube, laying on the canvas until almost everyone else exited.
One of the E.M.T.’s stayed with her. As soon as everyone exited, the E.M.T. gently helped Glow to her feet. She grabbed hold of Glow’s arm, partially supporting her weight, as the two exited the cube and the main area of the arena.
The E.M.T. walked Glow to an empty examination room just down the hall. Glow struggled with every step.
Inside the room the E.M.T. sat her down on an examining table. She softly wiped the tears from Glow’s face. “Glow, you could stay in here as long as you’d like.” The E.M.T. gave Glow a warm hug before leaving the room.
Keywords: Light Throughout The Night, Chapter 10 Venom, Glow, Final Battle, Female MMA Fight, KO, Knockout, Book, Nonfiction, Blog Post, Vs, Versus, LTTN, Aggressive, Relentless
Posted:
2023-03-10 At:
5:30 am:
If you've reached this blog post via a search engine or through social media, I'm posting the complete book for free here as blog posts. A summery is located here.
Light Throughout The Night is a complete story with many twists and turns. The only way to feel the essence of the story is to read it from beginning to end.
Even though I'm posting the book as blog posts, the eBook is still available for sale. As a result, please don't post the book elsewhere.
Chapter 11: Devastation
Glow's Final Battle was replayed on the Jumbotron, repeatedly, over and over while she sat in the examination room. At the end of each replay the crowd erupted with cheers, cheers easily heard inside the examination room. With each set of cheers, more and more tears drenched Glow’s cheeks.
Glow stayed in the examination room just long enough for the halls to empty. As soon as the coast was clear, she slowly stood, pausing a few times to let the pain subside, before exiting.
Glow didn’t go to the locker room to change and shower. She wasn’t about to deal with the other competitors. The gossip. The questions. The laughing. The pity. She went straight home.
Usually Glow took the train home. Not this time. She didn’t want to deal with the passengers either. She didn’t want to deal with anyone feeling and looking the way she felt and looked, knowing she was an emotional disaster. She didn’t want to deal with all those who were cheering at the sight of her sprawled out on the canvas.
Glow slowly walked down the halls, at times woozy, seemingly disoriented. Her mid-section was tender, severely hurting. She took slow, small steps, wincing in pain, supporting herself against the walls as she walked. She walked to a rarely used back exit to call a cab. She took a seat on the curb, weeping, waiting for the cab to arrive.
Only electric, small modified golf cart type cabs are allowed inside Wonder. Glow took the electric cab to a second cab just outside city limits.
The cab ride home wasn’t much better than her thoughts of the train ride. The driver kept staring at her, examining her bruises, yearning to ask questions about the battle. Glow didn’t make eye contact, only staring straight ahead with a serious look on her face. He didn’t say a word.
When Glow arrived home, she hoped Lady was still at work. She couldn’t face Lady after her embarrassing defeat. She wanted to go straight to her room. She had to be alone.
The apartment was empty. Gingerly Glow walked to her room, locking the door behind her, before burying herself under the covers in bed.
Glow couldn’t stop thinking about the fight. Her thoughts were just as painful as the actual fight. She couldn’t block out images of news stations featuring dramatic highlights of her taking a merciless beating.
Those thoughts brought tears to her eyes. The tears kept flowing when she thought about customers at local businesses gossiping, laughing at the ruthless beating she suffered.
She remembered the screams of excitement from the crowd while she was getting pounded. Her worst fears became a reality. Glow was devastated both emotionally and physically.
She curled up under her covers, squeezing her pillow as tight as possible. She couldn’t hold in her emotions, frantically shaking, crying at times uncontrollably for hours, before eventually falling asleep.
Lady found out what happened at work. Customers and bystanders were gossiping about the fight. They didn’t know Glow was her roommate.
The gossip was harsh. The loss stirred up tasteless, scathing drama.
“The skill classification is fixed! How could a competitor at the same level as another competitor last less than a minute during the Final Battle?”
“Cause they don’t measure the power of a punch a competitor can take!”
“They’re supposed to be tough, grueling battles.”
“Yah, that battle was grueling, grueling to watch! I don’t think I’ve ever cringed while watching a Final Battle.”
“Did you see the Final Battle featured on the Jumbotron?”
“I turned away for a second to get a drink. I turned back and that chick was sprawled out on the canvas. What happened?”
“Venom knocked that broad into oblivion!”
Lady, defending Glow, snapped back at a few! Heated exchanges followed!
Her boss, knowing the situation, quickly pulled Lady into another room. Lady bit her lip, working in anger until her shift ended.
While at work, Lady tried watching highlights of the fight on the news. She couldn’t. She turned the tv off before the highlights finished. She couldn’t stand seeing Glow take the type of punishment she took.
When Lady arrived at their apartment, she entered quietly, then went straight to her room. She did the same the next day, leaving for work as quiet as possible.
Glow was fast asleep. She didn’t wake until late the next evening. When Glow did wake, she was still in immense pain. Her breathing was labored. Each breath painfully pushed against her swollen ribs. Her ribs were throbbing. Each throb shot agonizing pain throughout her body.
After lying in bed for a couple hours, Glow feebly walked to the kitchen. She grabbed a pint of ice cream, sat at the table sulking for hours. After stuffing herself with ice cream, Glow put her head down between her arms, replaying the previous day’s events, over and over, only sitting up to wipe tears from her eyes.
Hours later, Lady was set to arrive home.
Glow knew she would have to face Lady. Excluding Beckie, Lady wasn’t anything like the people from her past. Lady didn’t care if she won or lost. Lady simply cared.
Because Lady cared, Glow's loss was even tougher than when things went wrong in the past. In the past, if something went wrong, Glow removed herself from the situation. She started working at another job or slept on a different street. Then, eventually when enough things went wrong, she removed herself from society all together.
Things were different now. Someone truly cared about her. That’s something she’s not use to. That’s something she probably won’t ever get use to. Glow didn’t know how she’d react when Lady arrived home. She was embarrassed and hurt. She tried to pull herself together.
When Lady did arrive home, Glow focused on the ice cream she was eating, just giving Lady a causal hello.
Lady pulled up a chair next to Glow.
Glow’s eyes were still puffy, bloodshot and glossy.
Lady began talking, “Hi sweetie. Are you ok?”
Pouting, Glow answers, “I’ve been better.”
Lady asks, “Could I see your ribs?” Glow lifts up the side of her shirt. Glow’s ribs are deeply bruised. Lady softly presses her fingers against them. Glow grimaces.
Lady takes hold of Glow’s hand, “I saw what happened. I’ve been around long enough to know, sometimes things don’t always go the way their supposed to go. You’re still a novice. It’s difficult to deal with all the situations presented inside the cube.”
Glow quickly answers, trying to hold back the anger she has with herself, without much luck, “Yah, so isn't she!” Her anger and emotions caused her to grimace in pain as she spoke.
Lady continues, ignoring Glow’s tone. “Those types of hits are very rare and usually the result of at least some luck. She’s a very good and very tough fighter. She won the fight. That’s all.”
Glow talks, “I didn’t even put up a fight. She knocked me out in a sport designed to prevent knockouts. That’s pathetic! I should have taken the elbow better.
The broad who beat me, she’s the same waitress who messed with me in the preliminaries. Everyone in the crowd was cheering for her, even before the bout began.
All the people who saw the fight in the arena, on tv and on the news, now only know me as the chick who got knocked out within a few seconds.”
Lady talks, “That’s all they know. Eventually, they’ll see there’s more to you than the few seconds they witnessed. The crowd doesn’t know you. If they did, their reaction would have been different.”
Lady squeezes Glows hand. “You’re not alone anymore. I’m here if you need anything or just wanna talk.”
Lady gets up. She walks to the fridge, smiling as she puts another pint of ice cream in the freezer. “Just in case you need something else to eat.”
Glow smiles wearily.
Lady walks over to Glow, giving her a kiss on the cheek before going into her bedroom. Glow’s eyes started tearing minutes after their conversation began. Lady decided to give Glow time to herself.
As great as Glow felt to have spoken with Lady, she was still devastated. She grabbed as many bags of chips as she could carry, before going to her room, locking her door, hiding under the covers where she spent much of the next few weeks.
During the next few weeks, Glow only ate chips and ice cream. When Lady came home from work, she heard Glow crying through the bedroom door as she passed by her room. Lady didn’t disturb Glow. Lady knew Glow needed to get the emotional pain she was feeling out of her system.
Sometimes Glow tried watching the two matches of her Mom wrestling and episodes of G.L.O.W. Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling. She could only watch them for a few minutes before she broke down in tears.
She threw things across the room. She yelled at the top of her lungs. Glow was distraught. She was furious with herself.
“No wonder my life turned in to a disaster. I failed on the grandest scale! In a way no other ever failed, against a fighter of equal talent! No wonder I lived half my life on the street!“
Glow imagined her Mom looking down from Heaven, watching the bout, thinking, her daughter, the laughingstock of the country.
Glow thought about all the people who hated on her throughout her life, laughing as she got knocked out. “I did a good job proving them right!”
Glow’s delt with, and overcame a lot of tough situations. The one thing she couldn’t deal with, was letting the people who cared about her down. She felt like she did just that, in the most humiliating fashion. She crawled back in bed, falling asleep in tears.
After a couple weeks passed, Lady began trying to get Glow out of her room. When she cooked dinner, she walked outside Glows door, “I’m making dinner.” Then, in an excited tone, “It’s only your favorite meal, pasta with meat sauce and garlic bread.”
Glow wasn’t ready to leave her room. She’d say something like, “I’m too tired.” The next day Glow found the plate saved for her in the fridge.
Lady did the same thing the following day, with the same result.
After a few days, Lady took a different approach. “Glow, wanna watch a movie with me?”
Glow, “Nah, not now.”
After several weeks, Glow knew Lady wasn’t going to give up.
The next night, Lady set up another movie, “Glow, wanna watch a movie with me?”
Glow didn’t answer.
Lady continues, in a sad tone, trying to guilt Glow out of her room, “I guess I’ll watch the movie all by myself.”
Lady made a bucket of popcorn. Then sat on the couch, letting out a loud sigh as she sat.
Glow was realizing how much Lady cared. A few minutes later, Glow came out of her room wearing baggy sweatpants and a sweatshirt, giving Lady a dirty look. “Ya know, you’re annoying.” Lady smiles as Glow takes a seat next to her on the couch.
Lady covers them both with a blanket, flips on the movie as she shares popcorn with Glow.
The two sat quietly, eating popcorn as they watched the movie together. When Lady sensed Glow getting tense, she reached over to gently massage her shoulders for a few seconds.
An hour into the movie, Lady hears a loud grumbling noise.
“What’s that sound?”
Glow answers, feeling a little guilty, “My stomach growling.”
That irked Lady. In a definitive tone, “I think it’s time you take a break from sulking. Tomorrow, I’m going to cook a healthy meal. I hope you decide to eat with me.”
After the movie, Lady turned to Glow, “Me and you, we’re family now. A real family. Not like what you experienced. You’ll always have a place next to me. Don’t forget that.”
Glow ate with Lady the next night. Soon thereafter, she began spending more time out of her room, spending more time with Lady. She was becoming a semblance of the Glow Lady met in the locker room. Glow was feeling better physically as well. Just as the E.M.T.’s said, her ribs were healing, though, taking longer than she would have liked and still soar.
Glow kept eating healthier and began exercising in her room, often using her exercise sessions as a way to vent, a way to let out the anger she had with herself from her loss, and the anger within herself from her past.
Keywords: Light Throughout The Night, Chapter 11 Devastation, Glow, Lady, Book, Fiction, Blog Post, Sulking, Embarrassed, Persistence, Loyalty, Emotionally Distraught, LTTN, Devastated, Woozy, Bruised, Harsh Gossip, Emotions
Posted:
2023-03-18 At:
5:30 am:
If you've reached this blog post via a search engine or through social media, I'm posting the complete book for free here as blog posts. A summery is located here.
Light Throughout The Night is a complete story with many twists and turns. The only way to feel the essence of the story is to read it from beginning to end.
Even though I'm posting the book as blog posts, the eBook is still available for sale. As a result, please don't post the book elsewhere.
Chapter 12: War Drums
Eventually, Glow was going to compete. She didn’t have many friends and she didn’t have anything else to do. She just spent the last two months sulking, without having been seen or heard from by anyone.
Walking into the locker room, Glow knew some of the competitors were haters. She knew they enjoyed watching her get knocked out. Glow entered stale faced, emotionless. Her nerves were tense. Most of the ladies stayed quiet. A few gave her a soft smile, welcoming her back. Others simply turned away.
Many were surprised she even showed up at the arena. They probably figured she went back to wherever it was she came from after the type of beating she took. Under almost any other circumstance, the haters would have been right.
The first couple weeks Glow dedicated to training. She trained harder and better than she ever trained before. She arrived at the gym early and stayed late.
Glow’s training was paying off. Two weeks later, she began competing. By the time she began competing, her ribs were completely healed. Competitively, Glow was at the same level she was at before her injuries. Within a month of her return, she reached the Final Battle.
Lady saw the emotional devastation Glow suffered through after losing to Venom. She knew Glow didn’t have any other friends in the area, and she knew when Glow enters the cubes, she doesn’t have anyone cheering for her. Now, after getting knocked out, many in the crowd would heckle Glow.
Lady couldn’t let that happen. She wasn’t going to let Glow enter the cube alone. Weeks before Glow reached the Final Battle, Lady gathered all her friends. Lady is much more social than Glow. She made plenty of friends at work, in the locker room and while playing team sports. She asked them to attend the next time Glow qualifies for a Final Battle.
Then, Lady waited. She waited until Glow qualified for her next Final Battle. When Glow did qualify for her next Final Battle, she filled the stands with all her friends. Almost fifty different people attended, surrounding Glows cube. The best part, Glow didn’t have any idea.
The night of the battle, Glow was standing outside the cube waiting to enter. Her music began playing. Her name was announced. That’s when Lady gave the single. All her friends started cheering.
Glow heard the cheers. She didn’t know what was happening. At first she didn’t realize they were cheering for her. The cheers were overwhelming, causing Glow to take a quick look into the stands.
She spotted Lady, surrounded by a crowd of people cheering wildly. She couldn’t prevent herself from smiling as she entered the cube.
The cheers gave Glow a sense of invincibility. Adrenalin jolted through her body like a bolt of lightning! Yet, she felt a sense of calm focus, unlike anything she ever felt.
There wasn’t any way she was going to let herself loose the bout.
Glow didn’t know anything about the chick she was battling. Much like she did during previous years, when something went wrong, she became withdrawn. After getting knocked out, Glow stopped watching the news and reading newspapers. She couldn’t handle reliving her battle with Venom through the media.
None of that mattered now. Her opponent was already in the cube.
Glow’s heart was pounding, deep, loud beats, like war drums beating throughout the night.
The bell rang.
Poised, Glow slid forward, stopping a few feet from her opponent. She quickly side stepped, while moving slightly closer.
Her opponent counters, adjusting her stance, resetting her gloves.
Glow sees an opening. She snaps a jab, stepping forward, extending her arm as far forward as possible, leaning her shoulder all the way forward. The punch landed cleanly, slipping through her foe’s gloves. The sound echoed throughout the cube. Her opponents neck snapped back.
She followed up with a series of rapid punches and kicks, taking a few in return. Those, she barely felt. Her energy level was at a peak. It stayed that way during the whole fight.
By the middle of the second round, Glow’s opponent slowed. Glow kept firing away until the final bell sounded, easily winning a unanimous decision. When all was said and done, Glow threw and landed four times as many punches and kicks as her opponent.
After the fight, Glow found out she defeated the fifth highest ranked competitor at her level, an incredible accomplishment considering over five thousand competitors compete at her level.
Lady was ecstatic with Glows performance. From her response, she might have been happier with the win than Glow.
“You were like a finely tuned machine. You were over here. Then over there. Then back over here and back over there.
You’d land a punch. You’d move, land another and another. Then you were over here and back over there.
You were ducking, weaving, side stepping, slipping punches, landing multi-punch and kick combinations from all angles, while changing levels.
Your bout was a thing of beauty. You were relentless. I’ve seen you move fast in the cube, but never that fast. I’ve seen you focused and on your game before, though, tonight you took things to a different level.”
After Glow’s last Final Battle, her confidence went through the roof. She qualified for the Final Battle eight of the next ten times she competed, winning six of eight.
Her only two losses were against two of the highest ranked fighters competing at her level. Those fighters would probably get bumped to the next highest skill level when they’re scheduled for reevaluation.
Both of Glow’s losses went the distance. Even though Glow lost the fights, she was still happy with her performances. During both losses, she put up a good fight.
During one of her losses, Glow took a lot of punishment. She battled a fighter named Peaches, a fighter who’s known for her grappling ability. Peaches previously worked as a stripper and was very flexible.
Glow was flexible as well, though, primarily skilled as a boxer, with some kickboxing knowledge. She was still learning grappling techniques.
Glow was taken down in the second round. Peaches secured side position, battering Glow with numerous knees and punches.
Glow tried to power out of the position. As she did, Peaches released her hold just long enough to let Glow start to stand.
As Glow stood, Peaches maneuvered to Glows back. Both fighters fell to the mat. Glow ended up in a partial sleeper hold.
At the last second Glow slid one of her arms under Peaches arms, giving herself just enough oxygen to temporally stay conscious. Glow grabbed hold of Peaches forearm with her other hand, attempting to pry herself loose.
The battle took place early in the morning, in a seldomly used section of the arena. The stands near Glow’s cube were almost empty. Only a few rowdy Borrachos were in the stands. They were yelling rude comments as Glow struggled to stay conscious.
Glow was in a lot of trouble. Peaches legs were tightly locked around Glow’s stomach and her forearm wasn’t budging.
Glow’s legs began loosely flailing. Her grip on Peaches forearm was loosening. Her eyes were slowly closing. Glow was losing consciousness. Yet, plenty of time still remained in the round.
At the sight of Glow getting put to sleep, a few of the Borracho’s yelled, “Finish Her! Finish Her!”
One yelled, “That’s the chick Venom laid out!”
Another responded, “Yah, it looks like she’s still unconscious! Put that broad out!”
There wasn’t anything Glow could do. Her awareness was fading.
The ref moved in, grabbing hold of Glow’s free arm, lifting it, checking to see if she had enough strength to keep fighting. She didn’t. Glow couldn’t resist the ref’s grip. Her arm was almost completely limp as the ref removed her hand from Peaches forearm.
The Borracho’s chants got louder. “FINISH HER!! FINISH HER!!”
Then, something happened. Something that never happened to Glow before at any time in her life. She got a break. It wasn’t a lucky break. It was a break of compassion, in a sport where compassion is a detriment.
Peaches slightly loosened her grip. Glow gasped, sucking in as much oxygen as possible.
Strength circulated through Glow’s body. She pulled her arm from the refs grip, placing her hand softly back on Peaches forearm.
Glow realized what Peaches did. She stopped trying to escape the hold, only lightly struggling until the final bell rang.
Peaches delt with enough jerks during her life. She wasn’t about to let the jerks in the stands get their way.
After the loss, Glow wasn’t upset. She’s been learning, in sports, and in life as well, sometimes people lose. The talent of a competitor doesn’t matter, and it doesn’t matter how hard they train. If a competitor competes enough, eventually, they’ll lose. Loosing is part of being human.
Glow fought a good fight. That’s what was important.
During the bout Glow gained a lot of respect for her opponent. Afterwards, the two ladies struck up a conversation in the locker room. Glow expressed her gratitude, at the same time she let Peaches know, “You should have put me out.”
Glow was intrigued by Peaches name and Peaches was equally intrigued by Glows name. The two gals decided to train together for the next couple days, each showing the other what they knew.
Peaches was well versed in many technical aspects of the sport. She was also very experienced. She didn’t withhold her knowledge.
Peaches taught Glow how to use the entire cube, showing her the opportunities presented. Fighters could wear down their opponents using elusive moves designed to draw out aggression. From there, use the latter round to batter a tired foe.
Peaches also taught Glow techniques designed to lure opponents into vulnerable positions.
When the two ladies finished training, they stayed friends. They had a lot in common. Both experienced tough upbringings. Many people treated Glow like a loca because she was living on the streets, and because she secluded herself from society. Peaches was treated the same way because of her career as a stripper.
From that day forward, when either wanted someone to talk with, one called the other for a cup of coffee. They talked for hours, about all types of things. Glow always left their conversations feeling much better. Peaches did as well.
For the first time in Glow’s life, after 27 years, she was succeeding in life. And she knew why. It wasn’t her. She wasn’t doing anything different. It was the people around her.
Glow now had people around her who were rooting for her. People offering advice. People who wanted to see her succeed. People who enjoyed her personality. People who were standing up for her, defending her and loving her. People who didn’t just care about her success, people who cared about her overall wellbeing.
First Lady, now Peaches. Both truly enjoy Glow’s company and enjoy seeing her enjoy life.
As poorly as Glow was treated throughout much of her life, she often felt she was the problem, blaming herself for many of the issues she encountered. Now, she’s realizing she wasn’t always the problem.
When the latest rankings were released, Glow’s ranking skyrocketed. She was ranked in the top 100, 98th overall at her level. She couldn’t help herself from feeling some vindication from her infamous loss. Moreover, she reached the top 100 after missing a couple months due to injury.
Regardless, as much as she tried to keep herself from looking, she desired to see where Venom was ranked. As good as things have been going, Glow still carried plenty of anger from the pounding she took. With a sense of worry, she scanned the list of competitors.
She began at the bottom, working her way up. After she got past her name, she was secretly hoping she wouldn’t see Venom’s.
She got to 88. The next name on the list was Venom. Glow’s face turned flush. Thoughts of her knockout overtook the gratification she felt from reaching the top 100. Remembering the screams of joy from the crowd cheering for her foe, battered her soul. She remembered the pain in her ribs. She still beats herself up over her loss to Venom.
After seeing the standings, Glow went back into a funk. She kept to herself. She spent more time at the gym and less time competing. She woke up early and went straight to the gym.
Before she left her apartment, she put on her headphones and kept them on the whole day. She stared straight ahead, without looking at anyone she passed or anyone else training.
The embarrassment and anguish losing to Venom caused Glow, far exceed the physical pain she felt. She couldn’t get past her loss to Venom. She couldn’t forget. The fact Glow lost wasn’t the issue. Glow could take defeat. It was the way she lost that infuriated her most. She didn’t put up a fight. She’s been fighting for survival her whole life.
As much as Glow yearned to vindicate herself, she was terrified at the thought of facing Venom again. She was terrified at the thought of another loss of the same magnitude.
Keeping to herself was a good idea. Venom’s face was plastered all over the city and arena. Vending machines sold Venom bobbleheads. Venom’s bobblehead was one of their hottest selling items.
Venom was featured in numerous newspaper articles. The headlines read, “Yesterday, A Small Town Waitress. Today, In The Top 100” and “A Brutal KO Launches Venom Into The Top 100”.
Another reads, “KO Changes The Rules Of The Sport”. Elbows and elbow pads eliminated from Final Battles.
Fighters wore specially designed elbow pads. They were thin, flexible and weren’t supposed to slide off of a fighters elbow during clinches or grappling.
Nevertheless, during a few Final Battles, the elbow pads slid off competitors elbows, causing interference. Shortly after Glow’s knockout, the sports commission decided to eliminate elbow pads and the option fighters were given to throw elbows.
Glow wasn’t against the rule change, yet, the last thing she wanted was to have caused the rule change. Now, any fighter who used their elbow as a go to move, would have extra motivation when battling Glow.
Essentially, after the rule change, the opposite effect occurred. Many competitors didn’t want to win via a lucky punch or elbow. And vice versa, competitors didn’t want to lose via a lucky punch or elbow.
The rule change gave battles the effect they were supposed to have from the beginning. The new rule gave the fighter with the most grit, determination and skill, the best chance to win.
Glow didn’t talk to reporters about her fight with Venom. Sometimes they tried to ask her questions. A few asked snide questions. The type of questions, regardless of the answer, portrayed an ill faded light. Their questions put Glow in no win scenarios.
“What did it feel like getting knocked out?”
“Did Venom break any of your bones?”
“Is there any type of training to help fighters take a punch better?”
How could a competitor answer those types of questions with tact? Glow couldn’t stand thinking about her bout with Venom, no less talking about the knockout publicly.
Sometimes, reporters tracked her down while she was shopping or entering the arena. Often, Glow got upset at the questions. A look of anger blanketed her face as she sternly gave her usual reply, “I don’t want to talk about that!” Then, walked away. Immediately thereafter, she looked for a place to be alone and sulk.
Some of the reporters didn’t take kindly to her lack of response. Their displeasure usually showed in the newspapers headlines and articles.
Glow was portrayed in a negative tone. She was portrayed as a fighter who didn’t have desire or determination. She was portrayed as a fighter who didn’t deserve to make the top 100.
The reporters didn’t know Glow’s story. They didn’t know she was living on the streets for many years of her life. They didn’t know the things she went through before making the top 100.
However, between Lady and Peaches, Glow was making friends. They saw through the articles. They got to know and appreciate Glow. And when they heard someone talking trash about the knockout, they defended her.
Nonetheless, as a result of the articles, many fans booed whenever Glow entered the cube. The boos added a lot of pressure to her Final Battles.
At the same time, all the publicity Venom received landed her the best trainers in the sport. While, most competitors trained by themselves or with friends, Venom was learning from experienced trainers.
Even with all of Glow’s anger, she often left much of her anger at the arena. Glow didn’t want Lady to see her with the type of anger she held within. She enjoyed Lady’s company to much to stay angry.
For the first time in Glow’s life, she had a family, even if only a family of two. She had a family, and that was more important than any bout.
Glow got over her funk. She kept competing and kept winning. Soon thereafter, she ran off another winning streak, winning four Final Battles in a row. After winning her fourth Final Battle, she couldn’t wait to tell Lady.
She rushed home, entering their apartment with a gleaming smile. Lady was walking out of her room at the same time.
Excited to share the news, Glow immediately begins talking. “Guess what? I just won a fourth Final Battle in a row!”
Lady was wearing short boxers and a skimpy shirt. Her hair was going in every which direction.
Lady walked out with a smile every bit as gleaming as Glow’s. She wasn’t alone either. A guy walked out of the room with her. Lady replies, “I think we had four wins last night as well.”
Glow responds, “Look at that glowing smile. Maybe we should call you Glow.”
Lady gives Glow a devious grin, “Maybe you could just call me the tramp.”
Glow smiles. Lady gives her new friend a kiss goodbye, before going into the living room to lounge on the couch.
Playfully teasing Lady, yet, with a sense of worry, Glow asks, “I’m not going to lose the only family I have, am I?”
Lady replies, “Nah, just needed some sexersize. Besides, like I said, whether I have a man or not, you’re family. You’ll always have a place with me.”
Glow makes herself a quick bite to eat as Lady slowly doses off on the couch. After eating, Glow curls up next to Lady, leaning her head on Lady’s thigh as the two gals fall asleep.
With Glow doing as good as she’s been doing in the Obstacle Cube Courses, she figured she’d eventually have to face Venom in a Final Battle. She didn’t think just preparing physically was enough. She wanted to understand Venom’s fighting style. As tough as it was, Glow began watching videos of Venom competing.
Over a year passed since Glow’s loss to Venom. Regardless, She still broke down in tears when she started watching the videos. Despite her emotions, she forced herself to watch them.
Venom didn’t make the list of top 100 fighters by chance or luck. She was very good, with a reputation among the ladies in the locker room as one of hardest hitting fighters at their level.
Subsequently, the more battles of Venom Glow watched, the more self-doubt she gained. At times, Venom looked unbeatable.
The look on the faces of her opponents when they get hit was terrifying. Undeterred, and unsuccessful, Glow kept trying to look for weaknesses in Venom’s fighting style.
One evening while Glow was watching the videos in her room, Lady walked in, “Whatchadoing?”
Glow replies, “I’m trying to prepare myself in case I get a rematch with Venom.” Glow paused for a few seconds. “I don’t think I want to fight her again.”
Hearing the worry in Glow’s voice, Lady sat with Glow, watching the videos with her.
Even Lady cringed at some of the blows Venom landed. Though, Lady was very perceptive. She told Glow what she saw.
“Venom gets into a rhythm, going from move to move. As long as she’s in a rhythm, she stays in control of the fight. Break her rhythm and you’ll give yourself the best chance to win.
Keep her guessing. As soon as you feel her getting into a rhythm, do something different. Try jabbing, throwing low kicks, slowing the pace of the fight or try tying her up. Keep changing the flow of the fight until you break her rhythm.”
Being social has many benefits. Even though Lady primarily competes in the team sport, some of her teammates and friends compete in the MMA style Final Battles. During conversations, she learnt different techniques competitors use to prepare for Final Battles.
Lady continues, sharing a preparation technique she learnt.
“Let’s try watching the videos in slow motion. Maybe we’ll see if Venom has any telltales before she throws a kick or punch. Even if they only give you an extra quarter of a second to react, the extra quarter of a second is the difference between avoiding a punch or kick or getting hit.”
As usual, after speaking with Lady, Glow felt better.
Nevertheless, Venom didn’t have many telltales to her arsenal of offense. The ones they did notice were minimal.
However, between the videos and Lady’s advice, Glow gained a better understanding of Venom’s fighting style.
Before Lady left the room, Glow gave Lady the tightest, longest, warmest hug she ever gave anyone in her life, thanking Lady for taking the time to watch the videos.
Keywords: Light Throughout The Night, Chapter 12 War Drums, Glow, Training, Competing, Relentless, Compassion, Anguish, Preparation, MMA, Mixed Martial Arts, Vs, Versus, LTTN, Grappling, Flexible, Book, Fiction, Blog Post
Posted:
2023-03-24 At:
5:30 am:
If you've reached this blog post via a search engine or through social media, I'm posting the complete book for free here as blog posts. A summery is located here.
Light Throughout The Night is a complete story with many twists and turns. The only way to feel the essence of the story is to read it from beginning to end.
Even though I'm posting the book as blog posts, the eBook is still available for sale. As a result, please don't post the book elsewhere.
Chapter 13: Ding, Ding
A couple months later, the day finally came when both Glow and Venom reached the Final Battle. Most Final Battles take place two hours after the Obstacle Cube Course. Because of the hype surrounding the two ladies, their Final Battle was scheduled the next evening.
The night before the bout, Glow was in her room. She was lying on her bed, on her back, with her feet arched over the headboard, just like she did many times in the field. She was thinking, meditating in her own way, trying to ready herself for the next day.
Lady walked into her room. Glow sat up. She didn’t speak. She didn’t have anything to say. She just gave Lady a soft hello.
Lady was carrying a medium size vase. Inside the vase, a lone fighting fish.
“I wanted to give you this. Win or lose tomorrow, from birth, you’ve been like a fighting fish. You’ve always been that way.”
Lady put the vase down on Glow’s dresser. She walked over to Glow, kissed the top of her head, then started walking out of the room. Just as she reached the door, she paused.
Lady turned towards Glow, saying, “The only difference between yourself and this fish, you’re not alone anymore.”
Lady continued walking out of the room, leaving Glow to ready herself for the next day.
Lady always knows the things to do and say that get to Glow deep down inside. Glow blocked out much of her worry, at least as much as possible. She laid her head down on her pillow, facing the dresser, watching the fighting fish swim around the vase until she fell asleep.
The next day before the bout, Glow and Venom were put through an obstacle course and series of fitness cubes designed to mimic the strain of the Obstacle Cube Course they completed the previous day.
Neither lady competed against anyone. The two rivals were required to finish within a preset time limit. Both did.
Glow was scheduled to battle Venom on a Saturday night, during prime time. Hundreds of thousands of fans were expected to attend. Billions were expected to watch the bout on television. Experts predicted their Final Battle would have more viewers than any other event in history.
Final Battles don’t have announcers inside the arena. Some have announcers when they’re broadcast on television, though, very rarely. A special announcer was brought in for Glow and Venom’s Final Battle. He was onsite inside the arena, calling the fight over the loudspeakers, a first for Final Battles.
Glow’s cube was in the center of the arena, just under the Jumbotron. She was about to battle Venom inside a cube only used for the most anticipated Final Battles.
The arena was overflowing with people. Every seat filled! Even those without a good view of Glow’s cube, had a good view of the bout. Every Jumbotron throughout all the arenas was featuring the bout, giving every fan in the audience a great view.
Hours before the Final Battle, Glow sat in the locker room. She was nervous.
In general, competitors have their own unique routines used to prepare for finals competitions. Peaches stretches. She maneuvers her body into positions most wouldn’t think possible.
Lady does cardio. She either runs on the treadmill or rides the exercise bike until she works up a lathering sweat.
Venom paces back and forth, rapidly, in a rage of anger. Every once in a while stopping, only to slam her fist into the lockers. Venom’s routine is intimidating to say the least.
Glow tried not to think about Venom’s routine. She already had enough fear instilled within. She was using every ounce of energy to keep herself from thinking about anything adding to her fear.
At times her mind drifted. Quickly, various thoughts rushed through her head, preventing her from thinking about the things she needed to do inside the cube.
Venom’s routine was the least of her worries. Getting knocked out in this scenario was incomprehensible. When she thought about the possibility of another humiliating loss, she began shivering, soon thereafter feeling sick.
Those thoughts caused Glow to think about leaving the arena. Forfeiting the fight. She figured, quitting couldn’t be more embarrassing than another brutal beating. From there, Glow tried doing everything possible to think about something different, as quickly as possible.
Glow didn’t have much of a prefight routine. She showed very little emotion. To her, showing emotion displayed a sign of weakness, putting her at a disadvantage.
In past bouts Glow put plenty of unnecessary pressure on herself, often thinking about worst case scenarios. Sometimes she imagined people laughing at her. Sometimes the additional pressure helped. The additional pressure helped motivate her to prepare for every battle like it was the most important battle of her life.
Not in this case, any additional pressure was simply too much pressure. The pressure of previous battles didn’t come close to the pressure of the Final Battle she was about to enter.
As the time for Glow’s Final Battle got closer, she gathered herself. She stayed quite, slowly walking around the locker room, forcing herself to think about the things she needed to do inside the cube.
In the past she kept to herself, often going out of her way to avoid others. Today, she didn’t have to worry about avoiding anyone. No one was going anywhere near her.
Almost two excruciatingly long hours later, the time finally came for Glow to face Venom. Glow stood outside the cube, feeling calm, poised, focused and scared, all at the same time. She’s about to enter the most anticipated Final Battle of the year.
Lady was standing against the railing. The absolute closest spot to the cube. She arrived with all her friends hours earlier, ensuring they had the best view to support Glow.
Both Peaches and Becky were in the stands. Becky skipped one of her classes. She traveled halfway across the country to cheer for her friend.
The E.M.T. who helped Glow out of the cube during her first battle with Venom was also in attendance rooting for Glow.
Even the old lady who owned the field where Glow lived showed up at the arena.
After reading Glow’s note, the old lady visited the field where Glow stayed. She hadn’t been there in fifteen years. She forgot its beauty.
The old lady saw the care Glow instilled with her setup. Going forward, she visited the field every week, spending hours there, often doing nothing more than sitting on a beach chair, enjoying the atmosphere, listening to the birds and watching the squirrels.
The news of Glow’s tragic defeat traveled to all ends of the earth, even reaching the old lady. The old lady felt horrible. That’s why, when she heard about Glow’s rematch, she called all her family members, friends, and acquaintances.
She got to know many people over the years. Many, as a result of her determination to keep her property. Because she didn’t cave into the pressure to sell her property, she became acquainted with plenty of people who admired her courage.
A local newspaper picked up the story. From there, the dispute over her land became national headlines.
She called as many of the people she knew as possible. She told them Glow’s story. She asked them to attend her Final Battle. Most of the people she called traveled to the arena to cheer for Glow. She must have filled at least a hundred seats herself.
Standing outside the cube, Glow wasn’t going to let anything distract her. She didn’t look at anyone or focus on anything. Her face was emotionless. She stared straight ahead.
The pressure was enormous. The ref motions for her to enter the cube.
Just as Glow enters, Lady yells, “Glow, you glow brightest at night! Do your thing!”
Emotions raced through her body. Thoughts of her mom embraced her soul. She came to far. She made good friends. She couldn’t disappoint them. She couldn’t disappoint herself. She couldn’t disappoint Lady. And she couldn’t disappoint her mom. Not here, not now, not ever! Not after all she’s been through.
After touching gloves, the two ladies wait in their corners.
The bell sounds. Glow and Venom swiftly move to the center of the cube, neither showing fear, immediately going at each other. Each throwing and landing flurries of punches. Neither giving an inch.
Glow’s arms fling forward and back, smoothly, rapidly firing combinations. Venom's doing the same, viciously hurling her arms forward, letting loose an intense offensive attack of heavy powerful punches.
Both ladies are getting hit by almost as many punches as they throw. Glow knows she can’t stop punching. The onslaught of punches continue minutes into the round before slowing.
Glow digs deep down inside, using every ounce of inner strength to keep punching. She moves in closer, shortens her punches, throwing and landing a quick flurry. Venom backpedals.
Glow keeps up the pressure, slowly backing Venom into the turnbuckles. The two ladies clinch. Venom gets under hooks and leverage. She flips Glow around, now pressing Glow’s back against the turnbuckles.
Venom has a dominate position. She tries lifting Glow, attempting to throw her to the canvas. Glow struggles to keep her balance. She repositions her legs into a wider stance, doing everything possible to stay on her feet.
Venom’s just as strong as Glow remembers. Glow’s forced to relinquish her clinch from Venom’s arms. She needs a higher point of balance. Quickly, she grabs hold of Venom's shoulders, keeping herself on her feet.
With her arms free, Venom immediately releases her hold, instantly drawing her gloves back in rapid succession, slamming them into Glow’s mid-section one after the other, after the other, repeatedly.
Multiple, heavy, hard punches land cleanly, sending a dreadfully loud sound of gloves slamming into flesh deep into the stands.
The crowd roars!
Glow takes the flurry of unanswered, unblocked punches. She enters a brief state of panic. She has to grab hold of Venom. Vehemently, Glow tries to wrap her arms around Venom’s upper body. Her first couple attempts fail. Venom’s punches are too powerful, knocking Glow’s grasp loose.
Glow keeps struggling. Finally, after a few seconds she grabs hold of Venom, clinching her foe with all her might, bringing the assault of punches to a halt.
Glow’s still in a vulnerable position. Her backs against the turnbuckles. Venom’s leveraging her weight, pressing herself at an angle against Glow’s body.
The pause in the action only lasts a couple seconds. Venom launches a series of swift lightning quick knees to Glow’s ribs.
The crowd lets loose with another round of loud cheers.
Painfully, Glow absorbs the knees. Glow's undeterred, she slips one of her arms under Venom's. Then, pushes herself off Venom, spinning out of the corner, and out of danger.
Glow felt an instant sense of relief. She needed that. She needed to know she could take Venom’s best shots and stay on her feet. She needed that to calm her nerves.
Despite the fact she’s gasping with every breath, in direr need of oxygen, Glow’s lasted longer in this battle than their first battle. In doing so, she was able to get out of a vulnerable position.
Both fighters reset. The crowd quiets. The two foes circle each other from a distance, catching their breath.
Both ladies are still as determined as ever to batter the other. A few seconds later, each launch another flurry. Glow steps back, throwing two rapid kicks to Venom’s thigh and side.
Immediately thereafter, both engage in a flurry of punches, a long flurry, with both fighters landing and taking punches. As the flurry continues, Venom slowly backs up. Glow launches a front kick, landing it flush to Venom’s mid-section, sending her into the turnbuckles.
Fluidly, Venom bounces out of the corner, seemingly unaffected. Now irritated. Fury burns through her eyes. She charges forward.
Glow’s just starting to reset. Venom launches a series of punches. Glow’s slow to react. Taking punches, Glow abruptly backpedals, doing everything she could to prevent Venom from guiding her into the turnbuckles. At the last second Glow quickly circles to the left and out of danger.
Glow keeps circling away from her foe, throwing jabs from a distance, trying to catch her breath, trying to break Venom’s rhythm.
Loud boos hiss throughout the audience as the action slows. Glow doesn’t let them get to her.
After a short break in the action, the two foe's go at it again.
It’s another flurry! The announcer is going nuts. “I’ve never seen determination like this! Both ladies giving every ounce of their desire and determination to win the battle!”
Glow lands a clean punch to Venom’s body. Venom freezes for a split second. Glow lands another series of punches. Venom backs away.
Venom’s slowing. Glow continues forward. The two clinch. Glow gets both underhooks. She maneuvers Venom to the netting by the side of the cube. Venom's back is now against the netting.
Both ladies fiercely struggle. Glow loses one of her underhooks. Venom's strength is showing. She begins to overpower Glow, maneuvering her back away from the netting. Both ladies are now positioned with their sides against the netting.
Glow’s tiring from the struggle. Venom begins to slowly push Glow towards the turnbuckles. Glow desperately tries to escape. One of her arms is locked tightly under Venom’s.
Her only option is to slide it down and out of Venom’s grip. Venom’s grip is too tight. Her arm doesn’t budge.
Franticly, Glow takes her other glove and pounds it down against her trapped arm. At the same time she positions her feet away from the netting, leveraging her weight, trying free herself. Her arm doesn’t budge.
Glow does the same thing again. Slamming her glove down against her trapped arm. This time her arm jars loose, breaking the clinch just before reaching the turnbuckles. Quickly, Glow pushes herself off of Venom towards the center of the cube.
Both ladies reset. After a quick breather, both let loose with another flurry. The punches aren’t as crisp as earlier. Regardless, they’re landing.
Glow connects with a clean uppercut, knocking Venom’s head back. The crowd roars! Though, mostly for effect. The round was coming to a close. Both women previously dispensed most of their energy. The punch didn’t have enough power to do serious damage.
The ref yells, “Ten seconds left in the round!”
Even though both ladies were exhausted, both dug deep, attacking the other with a flurry of punches.
The bell rings, signaling the end of round one.
After a two minute break, the second round begins. Both ladies approach the center of the cube.
Venom launches herself forward! Looking to catch Glow off guard with a take down.
Glow was ready. She quickly steps back and out of harm’s way.
Venom continues moving forward, throwing a series of jabs, trying to guide Glow towards the turnbuckles.
Glow's corner yells instructions. “Move your feet, move your feet.” Glow cautiously circles away from the turnbuckles.
The crowd’s looking for action. Waves of boos flow through the audience.
Venom snaps a jab. Glow slips it. Instantaneously, Glow moves forward, letting loose a combination of punches. A couple land cleanly.
Venom clinches her foe. Both fighters still in the center of the cube. Both struggling for position, straining, slowly turning each other.
Venom has a better position. She stays aggressive, attempting to trip Glow, trying to force her to the canvas. Glow adjusts her feet, stepping away. She avoided the takedown, nevertheless, she’s now against the cubes netting. The struggle continues.
Every ounce of strength in Glow's body is straining for a better position. Venom isn’t giving an inch. Glow muscles start submitting. Venom’s gaining an even better position, now using her weight and strength to slowly guide Glow’s body to the canvas.
Venom steps in towards Glow, pivoting her hip against Glow's mid-section, twisting her rival further down.
Venom’s advanced training is showing.
Glow’s shoulders are now only a couple of feet from the canvas. Without any hesitation, Venom repositions her hands, grabbing hold of Glow’s shoulders.
Glow didn't react in time!
Venom lets loose a powerful, impressive burst of energy, hurling Glow to the canvas! The takedown wasn’t clean. Glow held on to Venom. Venom goes down with her. Both fighters land hard.
Venom lands on top. She doesn’t have a good hold of Glow. Glow slides Venom off to the side. She quickly gets one of her feet set, then lifts herself from the canvas.
Venom’s up at the same time, instantly letting loose with a relentless series of punches. Glow freezes. She’s getting bombarded with punches. Freeing herself from the takedown took a lot out of her. She's gasping with every breath. Thoughts of her previous knockout send her into a panic.
The crowd’s on their feet. Cheering! Yelling, “Knockout! Knockout!”
Venom continues her barrage of punches. Glow’s forced backwards, still taking an immense amount of punishment.
Glow’s disarray only lasts a few seconds. She snaps out of it. She has to many people supporting her. Regardless, she’s too tired to effectively counter punch. Her mid-section is in pain. She does the only thing she could. She grabs hold Venom, pressing her body against Venom's, clinching her foe with all her strength.
Nevertheless, Venom’s having her way with an exhausted fighter, guiding Glow towards the turnbuckles. Venom's breath is heaving in and out like a steam engine just hitting its stride, pushing forward, driving Glow backwards, only stopping every few seconds to slam her knee into Glow's ribs, every so often, creating enough space to unleash a stinging kick to Glow's inner thigh.
Glow doesn’t put up much resistance. She feels her ribs bruising, air being driven from her lungs, her legs yielding. Soon thereafter, Glow’s trapped against the turnbuckles, panting, taking a merciless thrashing.
Scenes of her previous life, the life where she was relinquished to the streets flash before her eyes. She remembers a similar feeling of helplessness, feeling trapped by society. She remembers the pain she felt in her legs from malnourishment, from walking miles searching for a place to sleep.
Anger rushes through her body!
Glow takes a deep breath. She knows she has to fight her way out of the corner. She has to fight her way out of the corner in much the same way she fought her way off of the streets.
Sensing a knockout within her grasps, Venom breaks her clinch. She unleashes an onslaught of punches. Simultaneously, Glow lets loose with her own onslaught of punches.
Glow can’t stop punching. She has to get out of the corner. She’s jolting her arms forward and back as fast as possible. She sees an opening. Glow ducks, sliding her feet sideways, slipping out of the corner and out of immediate danger.
She maneuvers away from Venom to the center of the cube. Her corner yells, “Glow, one minute left. You have to score points.”
Glow’s in a lot of trouble. Trying to fend off Venom’s extended offensive barrage sent her into a severe state of exhaustion. She’s desperately gasping for oxygen. Her lungs are burning. Her arms feel like led. She’s using most of her strength just to hold her gloves up in a defensive position.
Glow looks up at Venom. Venom’s moving towards her, seemingly in slow motion. Glow takes a few steps backwards, throwing weak jabs as she backpedals. She takes another few steps backwards, circling away from Venom, keeping her distance, trying to gather herself. Finally, Glow starts to recover. She hears her corner yell, “15 seconds left!”
Then, for the first time ever, she hears a good portion of the crowd cheering for her. Their chanting, “GLOW! GLOW! GLOW! GLOW!”
They want to see her finish the bout. They weren’t just her friends, or friends of friends. A good portion of the natural audience was cheering.
Something clicks inside Glow. She knows, win or lose, she has to go out fighting. She steps forward. Venom steps forward. Both ladies let loose every ounce of energy, desire and determination within their bodies, flinging and landing rights and lefts.
Ding Ding, the bell sounds.
The ref throws herself between the two combatants, neither wanting to stop fighting. Seconds later, a sense of relief overwhelms Glow. She didn’t know if she won or lost. Whether she won or lost didn’t matter. She finished the battle.
Win, lose or draw, Glow showed she belonged. She was emotional knowing people were cheering for her, cheering after she gave one of the most embarrassing performances in the sport. Cheering, knowing all the things written and said about her in the papers and on television. She was ecstatic with herself for enduring Venom’s onslaught.
Glow’s eyes filled with tears. For the first time in her life, they were tears of joy. Lady rushed into the cube, grabbing hold of Glow, guiding her to the side of the cube to acknowledge the fans.
The crowds going berserk! Cheering loudly! Cheering passionately! The announcers are yelling over the loudspeaker, calling the fight, “The best Final Battle in the history of the sport.”
Keywords: Light Throughout The Night, Chapter 13 Ding, Ding, LTTN, Glow, Final Battle, Venom, Female MMA Fight, Mixed Martial Arts, Vs, Versus, Foe's, Fighting Fish, Betta
Posted:
2023-04-01 At:
5:30 am:
If you've reached this blog post via a search engine or through social media, I'm posting the complete book for free here as blog posts. A summery is located here.
Light Throughout The Night is a complete story with many twists and turns. The only way to feel the essence of the story is to read it from beginning to end.
Even though I'm posting the book as blog posts, the eBook is still available for sale. As a result, please don't post the book elsewhere.
Chapter 14: Foursome
Glow gave Venom the fight of her life. Nevertheless, she didn’t win. In the grand scheme of things, she won on a much greater scale.
She won in the eyes the fans. She won years before her battle with Venom. She won when she pulled herself off the streets. She won the day she met Beckie, a true friend. A friend for life. She won when she found her niche in life. Most of all, she won the day Lady became family.
After Glow’s Final Battle with Venom, she stopped competing. Every now and then she played the team sport with Lady. She stayed friends with Peaches. She made new friends. Becky visited regularly, often staying for weeks at a time.
Glow even got a job. She was hired to work with new competitors as a trainer, just like her mom was doing the day she was born.
From there, Glow met someone. She met him while training rookie competitors at the gym in the underground arena.
He snagged her with the corniest pickup line she ever heard, a professional wrestling pickup line. Moreover, a professional wrestling pickup line from the 1980’s.
Glow introduced herself, “My name is Glow. I’m here to help you prepare for Obstacle Cube Courses and Final Battles.”
The trainee responds, “I know, I’ve seen a few of your Final Battles. You’re one of the toughest chicks I’ve ever watched compete.” Glow smiled at the complement.
The trainee keeps talking, “My name is Todd. Sometimes people call me Jimmy.”
Glow replies, somewhat confused, “Jimmy? Why do they call you Jimmy?”
That’s when Todd snagged her with the punchline. “Cause, I’m Superfly.”
Glow couldn’t prevent herself from laughing, giving Todd the opportunity to ask her out on a date. Glow said yes. They went out for a late night cup of coffee. He treated her great. However, he wasn’t superfly. He dressed very casually and was down to earth.
Glow and Todd kept seeing each other. Soon thereafter, things turned mushy. He was the first guy she dated since her early 20’s.
Lady was seeing someone steadily as well. Actually, she kept seeing the guy Glow met at their apartment. Lady hooked up with him at a food distribution center.
While Lady was shopping, she kept seeing the same person after she entered each aisle. Thinking he was following her, Lady went down different aisles, zigging and zagging.
She was right. A few minutes later, he wandered into the same aisle, seemingly casually shopping.
Lady wanted to catch him trying to follow her. With a trick up her sleeve, Lady started walking out of the aisle, then did a quick turnaround. Busted! She caught him looking up to see where she was going. Lady seized the opportunity, “You’re not following me are you?”
He responds, a little startled, slightly defensive, “Who, me? I’m just shopping.”
Lady continues, “I did four zigs and four zags, through different aisles. They say, if a person does four zigs and four zags and another is still following, they’re legally following.”
Somewhat embarrassed, he replied, “Sorry, I was just looking for an opportunity to introduce myself. I’m Luis. I’ll go in the next aisle, this way I can’t possibly follow you.” Both laughed.
Then, Lady followed Luis into the next aisle. She was just as interested in Luis as he was interested in her. The two kept talking. From there, they began seeing each other steadily.
Before long, both Glow's and Lady’s dudes moved into their apartment. The twosome was now a foursome. Their apartment became their condo. The foursome purchased the apartment from the Government.
Glow was the happiest she’s ever been in her life. She knew she was very lucky to have escaped the streets. Many who end up on the streets, stay on the streets their whole life. Glow saved the prime years of her life.
Every year the foursome travel to the field where Glow lived, staying two months each year.
Glow always took her fighting fish. She cherished her fish in the same way she cherished her DVD’s and the DVD player Beckie gave her.
On the way to the field for their first visit, Glow talked about the squirrels the whole ride. She couldn’t wait to see them.
They arrived early in the morning. The squirrels were already in the field. Plenty of peanuts were still in the feeder. The squirrels were safe and out of danger.
A few recognized Glow immediately. They were much older. Their coats were much thicker and grayer. The elders rushed over to greet Glow. She was thrilled they remembered her.
The foursome didn’t stay in the field continuously for months at a time like Glow did in the past. They took regular trips to the local food distribution center. Glow always waited in the vehicle.
The same people who pretended she didn’t exist while she wandered the streets alone, would now pretend she was their best friend.
Glow still gets flashbacks from the days she was fighting for survival, flashbacks from a childhood tainted with neglect and abuse. Glow didn’t want to enter places reminding her of a past filled with grief. Lady always waited with Glow.
In the past, Lady did almost all the cooking. Now, they were in Glow’s territory. Glow cooked meals a few times a week, often cooking meals she created while living in the field.
Glow kept looking out for the squirrels in her own way. One morning after it rained, Glow pulled something out of her bag.
Lady asks, “What are those?”
Glow replies, “Flank Guns.”
Lady talks, “They’re what!? Let me see.”
Glow gives a few to Lady.
Lady continues, “Those are Bottle Rockets. Where’d you get all those? You must have over a hundred.”
Glow replies as she walks out into the field, “Nope, their Flank Guns. You’ll see.”
Glow walked to different parts of the field, sticking Bottle Rockets in the ground, connecting them via a long wick.
When Glow finished, she ran the wick behind the tent. Then, called Lady over.
Lady still didn’t know what Glow was up to, though, sensed something devious. “Gloowwww! What are you doing?”
Glow answers, “We’re gonna take out enemy aircraft.”
Lady responds, “We’re gonna do what!? There isn’t an airport within fifty miles of here.”
Glow talks, “Wait, you’ll see.”
A few minutes later a flock of Vultures enter the field, circling overhead.
“Look Lady! Enemy aircraft just entered the no fly zone. Quick, give me the lighter.”
Lady gives Glow the lighter.
A few seconds later, Glow lights the fuse.
Seconds after lighting the fuse, bottle rockets blast into the sky, echoing loud booms. The Vultures scatter, exiting the field as quickly as possible.
Glow's overjoyed with her latest feat. “Hah, I bet that’s the last time those Vultures mess with the little squirrels!”
Lady just shook her head with a smile.
During the foursome’s visit to the field the following year, Glow began building a tiny home in the spot where her tent was setup.
She wanted to make sure they always had a place to stay. She also wanted to leave something for the old lady and her kids when they visit.
Between the chicken coop, the shelves and the table, Glow became skilled at building things. Lady and their two men joined in as well. Lady also spent plenty of time revitalizing Glow’s garden.
The foursome gelled and enjoyed each other’s company in a way very few get to experience.
Sometimes they debated who would push who in their wheelchairs when they grew older. Glow felt incredible inside during those times, knowing she’d always have loved ones with her and knowing she’d always be there for loved ones.
She usually just listened. She understood the damage an extended life on the street does to a person’s body.
Street life greatly shortens a person’s lifespan. Glow knew she would be the first in a wheelchair.
In a way, those thoughts caused her to smile inside, knowing the others didn’t live through the things she experienced. Those experiences caused her to enjoy every second she was spending with her family.
Keywords: Light Throughout The Night, Chapter 14 Foursome, Glow, Lady Fiction Book, Blog Post, LTTN, Finding Happiness, Dating, Final Chapter, Closure