Cyberpunk Flashlight Novels & Stories

"She knows your here and she's coming! She's worse than the darkness--she is the darkness!" I stumbled to a halt when his unnerving voice had all but faded into oblivion. Even though the flashlight was more trouble than it was worth, that small trickle of light was my courage. Even if it was a small piece, it broke off a chunk of the darkness. I smacked the thing against my hand a few times, hearing the batteries rattle inside. I had nearly cried out in joy when the damn thing flickered on, but the sound couldn't make it past my lips. As I took another step forwards, my vision shifted violently.

It popped free of its socket and I dropped it into the open bag at my feet. I squinted, the eye scorching light from the other bulbs making the pools of shadow beside us difficult to see. Host-less Shades stayed hidden during the lighter hours, even beneath their violet sky, but that didn't mean you wouldn't come across the occasional desperado, willing to risk everything for a shot at owning human flesh. I dropped the piece of clothing that protected the new bulb into the bag and paused, frozen by the shiver running down my spine. "What's wrong?" Aaron called from the front.

The cave's depth curved ahead, and the faint moonlight from the entrance completely disappeared around the bend, leaving only darkness. Unable to see the ground clearly, Chantelle felt her foot step on something brittle that snapped under her weight. She jumped in fright. "Mr. Lloyd, w-what was that?" A weak light gradually flickered to life in the darkness—it was Andrew's last remaining waterproof lighter. This type of lighter was specifically designed for outdoor exploration and fire-starting, with its greatest feature being that it would still work even after falling in water. It was one of the few pieces of equipment Andrew had managed to keep.

Her voice was brave, but I could hear a sharp, nervous edge to it that she couldn't quite hide. We stepped out into the freezing city rain. It felt like needles against my skin. I reached into the back seat and grabbed a heavy industrial flashlight and the iron poker I’d managed to smuggle out of the Sanctuary. I looked at the poker in my hand and felt a wave of dark humor. It was ridiculous—the heir to the Wolfe empire and a high-level Calder accountant storming a haunted skyscraper with a piece of fireplace equipment. But then again, our entire lives had been a long series of expensive absurdities.

I FEEL HIS- Suddenly, the door opens. I jerk back instantly in the dak, breaking away from him just as a harsh beam of light floods the room, blinding me. “Here you are!” Evee’s voice cuts through the silence, filled with relief. “The power’s out in the entire city—we need candles.” She turns her flashlight on us. I blink rapidly, throwing a hand up to shield my eyes. “Okay,” I manage, my voice still uneven. “I think we only have a few left.” The flashlight lowers, but my vision is still spotty, shadows dancing across the room as I try to regain focus. I blink rapidly.

Leyland, gobbled his down while Sol kept her eyes on a Tea shop that was swarming with activity. Customers walked in and out as casual as it went, completely uncaring of the Triad gangsters in their midst. The 14K hung out on the outside, talking by their modded cars, sporting dragon tattoos and gang insignias on necks. Some of the members were cyborgs, modifications varied but nearly everyone had a brain CPU implant or some external augmented reality glass stuck to the side of their heads. All this was as clear as day to Sol, courtesy of her enhanced cybernetic eyes capable of zooming in at targets roughly at 100 feet.

You’re a return. The flashlight dies. And I am not alone.

I murmured. That gave me an idea. I fumbled through my bag and found the keychain flashlight, which wasn't going to be helpful, but the other side was a laser pointer. I pointed it towards a threshold in a mirror. As the light left the flashlight, the red beam became visible. It wasn't just a spot like in our world, instead, it was a path of light. "Whoa," I whispered. Then louder, I asked, "Can you see that?" Remi's image looked left and right following the red beam in front of him. "Yes! Let me follow it."

We’re both pretending we’re braver than we are, and I’m not in the mood to unpack that emotional suitcase right now. After a few more steps, I stop. “Wait.” Parker’s instantly alert. “What? What is it?” I rummage in my pocket like a raccoon desperate for loose snacks and instead come up with—“Ha.” A flashlight. I forgot I shoved this thing in here before we left the castle. I flick it on. A weak, flickering beam cuts through the thick dark like a tiny sword made of batteries and bad decisions. Parker leans in. “That’s it?”

"He likes things that shine. He rarely asks if they actually work." "I don't need shiny," I said, putting Valen down. "I need something that kills necrotic tissue. Something that cauterizes." "Solar lances?" Jinx suggested, wandering over to a rack of long, golden rifles. "Standard issue, but these look modified. Higher output." "Too loud," I said. "And they run out of charge. If we’re going into the sewers, I need something that doesn't need a battery." I walked past a suit of armor that looked like it was made of diamond. I walked past a gauntlet that crackled with electricity.