Aurora Wasteland Flash Fiction from Instagram…
A flash fiction inspired by the below Instagram image.
Every small town in Canada has a monument dedicated to the lives lost during either the first or second world war. If the town was lucky it only lost men to one of the wars. If they were unlucky, like the town of Nanton Alberta, then they lost men in both. Normally, on Remembrance Day, these monuments become home to ceremonies and vigils, events designed to remember the past. But what if the past doesn’t need to be remembered? What if it’s taking care of that all on its own?
Over the last 30 years or so, residents have reported seeing strange green lights at night. At first, it was believed to be a prank by kids. Headlights changed to be the color green to disturb the town’s quiet residents at night while they were watching Who Wants to Be a Millionaire reruns. But after multiple complaints to local authorities, no such thing was found. Instead, a single glowing green-eyed apparition was discovered by an Aurora Wasteland enthusiast.
At the time the town like most of humanity hadn’t transitioned to everyone carrying a video camera in their pockets, so for a long time, the green-eyed apparition went undocumented. But after Christmas the following year, the Aurora Wasteland enthusiast having received a camcorder from his grandmother, that all changed, as did the green-eyed apparition count.
It’s unknown when exactly the green-eyed apparition had first begun appearing. It’s believed to have gone on for some time before being noticed and then reported. But it’s believed to be around the start of the Persian Gulf War that the green-eyed apparition made its first journey to the town’s monument.
With his new camcorder in hand, the Aurora Wasteland enthusiast began filming that night, and what he discovered both excited and discouraged him.
Firstly, the green-eyed apparition didn’t appear for the first week of him owning the camera. It was the first time that documented records were kept of the apparition’s appearance, noting that it didn’t make the journey every night, some nights it didn’t exist at all. The longest gap in appearances is estimated to be ten days.
Secondly, not long after the observations began, the green-eyed apparition became only one of many. Year over year the number of green-eyed apparitions increased, always one at a time, and it never decreased. The group of green-eyed apparitions now exceeds 30.
Thirdly, while the cause of the green-eyed apparitions is unknown. Around the start of the Persian Gulf War, an anti-war protest was scheduled to be held at the town monument. Though records show it was never held, no reason could be found as to why.
Fourthly, all green-eyed apparitions in town don’t seem to start their journeys in the same location. All seem to randomly start somewhere, then they make their way to the monument.
Lastly, other than the apparition’s unsettling eyes, they don’t appear to hurt anyone. Though it’s been reported that once you witness the green-eyed apparitions at night on their vigil, you begin to see them every night in your dreams. Always passive just like in the real world, but always there, always lurking, always reminding you.
(Link to the original post on Instagram by huleeb)
