Sodium Vapour

My wife and I just rented our first house, on a cul-de-sac in a quiet residential area of a large city.

Our house was about half-way down on the left side.

There was no house at the end of the cul-de-sac. Instead, there was a small concrete path leading to a small park-like clearing.    

The entire neighbourhood was illuminated by sodium vapour lamps. You know those lights nobody likes, because they make everything look orange? There were three of them in our cul-de sac. One on either side, and one at the very end, lighting the little path.

Shortly after we moved in, the city decided to update the street lights in our neighbourhood to newer, more efficient LED fixtures. 

They replaced every lamp, except one.

The light at the end of out cul-de-sac was not changed. It was still the old ugly lamp, giving off that stupid orange glow.

After a couple of days, I decided to contact the city works department, to find out why they have not yet changed that one light. It stuck out like a sore thumb.

After being transferred through three people, I finally got to speak with Valerie. 

I told her my concern, and she asked me for the ID from the fixture. Every street light had an ID, two letters and two numbers.

I had the ID written down, and I told her that this one did not have two letters and two numbers. It had only three letters.

Before I could continue, she said, “Just a minute, sir.”

She put down the phone, but did not put me on hold. I could hear some indistinct talking in the background.

After a few seconds, she came back, “How may I help you, sir.”, she said, as if this was the first time she had ever spoken to me.

A bit frustrated, I repeated my request, “I was calling about the street light. When are you going to replace it?”

Speaking in a quiet, monotone voice, she said, “We can’t.”, and then abruptly hung up. 

That was odd, but such as it is dealing with City Hall.

I went about my business for the rest of the day. 

The following morning just before sunrise , I decided to go for a walk.

It was 5:36 AM.

I told my wife I was leaving, and began walking to the end of the cul-de-sac.

At this time the street lights were still on. The LED fixtures, nice and bright white, and quiet. While, that stupid sodium up there, with its ugly orange light, and with its noisy buzzing ballast.

The light was flooding onto the path, and I decided to walk it.

I passed through the light, down to the end of the path, and out to the clearing.

What I saw, was not the quiet clearing.

What I saw, was utterly terrifying.

I turned back to the path, but the light was turned off. It was sunrise! 

I reached the cul-de-sac, but there was nothing there!

All the houses were gone!

Just a bunch of...nothingness.

A long field of emptiness.

It was at that time, I realized that the light had something to do with it. The City knew about it, but were hiding it!

Now, I had to wait until dusk, to get back. I hoped.

I did not want to return to that awful clearing, so I sat at the end of the cul-de-sac.

I waited the entire day, which seemed like an eternity. 

Finally, it began to get dark, and the sodium fixture began to flicker on.

I ran back into the clearing, as I wanted to be on the “correct” side of the light once it became fully illuminated.

After a few minutes, it seemed like the right time, so I made my move. I walked back through the light to my house.

Everything appeared normal.

Upon entering the house, my wife was preparing breakfast. 

I was ready to explain my absence, when she calmly said, “Hi, honey. How was your walk?  You were not gone long.”

Confused, I looked at the clock. It was 5:52 AM.

I said nothing more to my wife, but decided that I had to take matters into my own hands.

If the city was not going to remove that evil street light, I would.

Immediately, with tool box in hand, I put a ladder to the pole, and began to climb.

I unbolted the street light from the pole. It fell, but just hung there. Dangling by its wires.

That was it. I pulled out my wire cutters, and cut the conductors.

The light fell quickly. The entire fixture hit the pavement, and shattered into many pieces.    

After cleaning the mess, by pushing it down the sewer with a big broom, I felt relieved.    

The evil light was gone.

I felt great all day.

By nightfall, the end of our cul-de-sac was very dark. Nice, peaceful darkness.

I went to bed, and fell asleep immediately. It had been a very “productive” day.

I was awakened early the next morning by a scream.

It was my wife.

I came down the stairs to find her almost in shock.

“What’s wrong?”, I asked in a concerned voice.

All she did was point out the living room window.

I looked.

What I saw, was utterly horrifying.