Brighter Nights Novels & Stories

“Yeah you did, but I still had the nightmares even though you were there,” I countered. Jake flinched and nodded, probably at the memory of me screaming the house down in his bed. “I’ve only had a few nightmares since then, the only times I ever have them is when Liam’s not there. Like if he’s on vacation or something,” I explained, looking at Jake, watching as understanding shot across his face. We were all silent for a while. Liam was stroking the back of my hand; Jake was just staring at the floor.

Giselle appreciated the silence as they walked side by side. She liked admiring the night view of the place she resided with so much color from the lights decorated on the tree branches. It is unlike most of the roads in this city with street lamps that are barely working. The dimly lit roads make it dangerous for civilians walking back home or even vehicles meeting unfortunate accidents. She believes that this is a problem in the Philippines, and it should seek attention and action no matter how minor it is.

“It’s not time.” The beam of the flashlight touched the tent wall where Jake pointed. Something was written there—something in large, streaky red letters. ONLY YOU LAUREN Lauren felt her blood rush to her head and her chest turn ice-cold. The last thing she heard was Jake saying, “Lauren? Lauren?” and then there was nothing else. 24 K aren wasn’t surprised that David wanted to go to bed early that night. It sounded like he and Lauren had done every single thing at the fair—“’cept the haunted house,” he’d said in his most serious voice. “Because Lauren doesn’t like

Lara recalled the cluster of security men converging on the helipad, blurred glimpses of an incredibly large white villa, and heat that only increased the nonstop pounding behind her temples. Jet lag had finally caught up with her. A rueful grimace slanted her face as she gingerly slid out of bed to gratefully appreciate that the ground beneath her feet was no longer rocking. It was dark outside. Locating the bedside light, Lara glanced at her watch. “8 pm… Are you kidding me?” The housekeeper, at least Lara assumed the warm, matronly woman who had come to her assistance was the housekeeper, had been a merciful savior. She had taken charge, banishing Christophe and helping Lara to bed.

Adrian stopped moving since he could not move about without any light. It had been thirty-one nights since Adrian arrived in Enigma City, and the moonlight tonight was exceptionally bright. He made an estimation of the date by looking at the night sky. His cell phone had run out of battery a long time ago, so he could not refer to it to find out what day it was. However, he could deduce the days based on how bright and how round the moon was. The sky had turned completely dark. The vast starry sky provided a faint light that illuminated the city, and moonlight poured over the streets.

Everything he walked by, her heart skipped a beat and she got mental pictures from that night. Tyrell on the other hand didn't seem the slightest bit bothered. He acted like nothing happened between them. He acted so different from the night they hooked up, it was like he wasn't even the same person. It was another Monday and the night before, Kaitlyn and Sarah had stayed up really late watching TV. They had binge-watched a series they had both been missing out on because of work and now, Kaitlyn was regretting it. She was now at work and she was finding it hard to stay awake. She placed her head on her desk to rest a little and before she knew it, she dozed off.

As I slipped on my jacket and checked my phone one last time, I felt ready. Ready to step back into the world, not as someone waiting to be chosen, but as someone choosing myself at least for tonight. The club welcomed us in a rush of light and sound, the doors opening to a world that felt deliberately removed from the day I was trying to forget. Warm, low lighting washed over the room in waves of amber and violet, reflecting off glass and polished surfaces.

The days were beginning to blur into a new kind of rhythm. By Night , the pattern wasn’t just locked it had become their entire world. Kai arrived at Eclipse early that evening, already buzzing with anticipation. He’d spent the day in his tiny apartment with Lila, who kept shooting him knowing looks every time he checked his phone or touched the fresh bruise on his hip. “You’re glowing like a man getting railed every single night,” she’d teased. Kai had flipped her off, but he couldn’t deny the truth.

The bright lights of Crimson Avenue filled the streets in shades of red and blue, shining against the damp pavement. The air was filled with the smell of sweat and cigarette smoke. The night had just begun, but the familiar rhythm of the city never changed. Christiana leaned against a lamppost outside a Nights Club, her thin fingers holding a cigarette as she took a long drag, allowing the smoke to fill her lungs. She 55breathed slowly, watching the curl of smoke disappear into the air.

“Didn’t your parents lecture you never to wander alone into the dark human?” Looking around as if noticing for the first time that it was dark, she tried to say something but I held her eyes and impelled her. "You will forget everything that happened this night and you will run home like a good little girl” She nodded her head in understanding and I picked up a sniff of rone. Turning, I returned to my previous location and as predicted, I met it unoccupied with little trails of blood. 2005 I should be afraid of darkness but am not. I find solace in it, and it’s like my safe coven.