The Photolox

by Jeff Baker

“Hey wait, there it is,” Ramsey said.

“Where?” Dennis asked.

“There. On the damn door. Glowing so much you can’t miss it.” Ramsey said.

“Oh yeah…” Dennis said.

The thing on the door was about six inches long, built in sections like a large millipede.

Except, of course, it was made out of light.

A Photolox inside a house was pretty rare. It was also something of a pest. One of the genus of light-based creatures that had once roamed the planet, now only these remained. About as intelligent as a cockroach they generally sought out dark places in the woods. They were harmless but they generated light and tended to keep people up if they found their way into their homes.

“You know how that thing got in here, don’t you?” Dennis asked.

“Through the glass of the window.” Ramsey said.

“Maybe, but it was attracted to the house because it’s made of wood like the forests it likes to crawl around in. And you keep the house dark like the forests…well…” Dennis said.

Ramsey shrugged. “I like it dark.”

“Yeah, well you keep a bulb burning in the living room and you’ll avoid having this problem.” Dennis said.

Dennis glanced around. The house was small, it had been cozy once. Now the small windows were shut and covered in drapes.

The Photolox was just standing there on the closet door, it’s tail (they presumed it was a tail) gently swaying from side to side.

“There’s no real reason for you to keep the house dark when you’re here,” Dennis said.

“Like I said, I like it that way,” Ramsey said.

“You shouldn’t.” Dennis said. “I mean, he’s been gone six years. You need to let some light in. Maybe this Photolox is a sign.”

“I don’t believe in signs.” Ramsey said.

“Mmmmm hmmm.” Dennis muttered. They’d had this conversation before.

They were silent for a minute or so.

“I brought something just in case,” Dennis said. He reached into the overnight bag he’d brought with him and pulled out a pair of big gloves that resembled oven mitts with mirrors on the surface. “I can grab him with these,” he said.

“Him?” Ramsey snickered. “Those things are sexless.”

“Lots of us are sexless these days.” Dennis muttered under his breath.

Dennis walked slowly over to the closet door, hands outstretched.

“I’m just glad I had these gloves over at my place,” Dennis said. He carefully reached out to the creature which suddenly skittered down the door and across the floor. “Damn.” Dennis muttered.

“It’s under the table,” Ramsey said.

“Big old wooden table with a tablecloth, where it’s dark.” Dennis said.

Dennis crouched down. “Doing this was a lot easier twenty years ago when I was forty,” he grunted.

He peeked under the floor length tablecloth and saw the Photolox, shining and transparent on one of the table legs.

“Yes.” Dennis whispered as he reached out and grabbed the creature with his gloved hands.

A Photolox had no real substance or weight but the special gloves could touch it and it felt like it weighed as much as an average house cat.

“Get the door,” Dennis said as he struggled to his feet with a series of grunts.

Ramsey opened the door and Dennis, holding the squirming Photolox at arm’s length, (no one said they were dangerous), walked into the yard and across the street to where there was a grove of trees looking shadowy in the dusk.

“Enjoy,” Dennis said setting the creature down on a log. It twitched there for a moment, then disappeared between the trees.

“Thanks,” Ramsey said.

“Anytime.” Dennis said, pulling off the gloves which were feeling sweaty. He took a deep breath. “You know, my house has plenty of room and plenty of windows.”

Ramsey looked out into the trees. “Maybe.” he said.

Dennis put his hand on Ramsey’s shoulder and the two men stood there in the dusk looking for a glimmer of a Photolox as the stars came out.

—end—

AUTHOR’S NOTE: This story came out differently than I intended. I’d already referenced Valentine’s Day in the Flash Fiction Draw Challenge story (“Crown Him With Many Crowns” also on this blog) and had no intention of doing a romantic story. But I was writing most of it on Valentine’s Day and it just came out that way. —–jeff