My Little Night Light: Noelle Story

Darkness shrouded the house both on the inside and the outside.  Nothing followed it except for the sound of footsteps against an old aging floorboard and small dim light that would surely stand out if you were to see them. It followed a rhythm, that rhythm itself was calm and patient.  Whoever was making these footsteps was in no rush, nothing was chasing them, and no tasks required them to hurry along.  They marched to their own beat

This was Noelle.

Her blue eyes emitting a glow. The Nandroid didn’t bother turning on a light in order to see herself better or find her way down the hall. She simply didn’t need it. Her skills and talents in home etiquette and care that were programmed and taught in properly prepared her to handle almost any situation.

She recalled one scenario that her and her sisters in a Sterling Class had to run through. All Nandroids needed to be prepared to walk through any area in darkness and reach a child.  This was put in place for a random event that could kill a home’s lights or power supply.  If they weren’t asleep and recharging in their chair, the Nandroid would automatically awake, detecting the lack of electricity being pumped into them, and their immediate course of action would be to find the children’s rooms and make sure they were okay, waking them if needed.   Unless they ran into the Father or Mother, where they would then follow whatever rule given by them

That day her class ran through that scenario Noelle remembered she had to force herself to slow down. She ran too fast in the dark a few times and ended up tripping and falling flat on her porcelain like face.  She cracked her face plate on her last fall and ended up having to re-take the test on a different day because the last thing a scared little boy needed to see was a horrible scar across their caretaker’s face while they tried to assure them everything was okay.

She took it in stride though. Her problem wasn’t that she forgot the steps to follow or her instructions. It was her enthusiasm to fulfill her duty and take care of her child. She vowed to attend to the fear filled kid as soon as she could. It was her responsibility to hurry along as quickly as her feet could carry her, and assure the crying child that the power would return. But most importantly, that they, Noelle, were there, and wouldn’t be leaving their side. They would reunite them with their Mama and Papa in no time.

The woman picked herself up and vowed that if that day might come, they wouldn’t fail that kid like they failed that test.  A smile on her face as her sisters laughed and chuckled but admired her for her determination. It impossible for her to be deterred, how they could program or teach that into a Nandroid they didn’t know. They envied it just a tiny bit.

But they day never came.

And the power wasn’t out either

Noelle’s face didn’t show anger, or pride, or sadness...just a tiny twinge of disappointment.  She eyed down the door and reached for it’s knob. Opening it up, but no light poured into the hallway.

It was a medium sized room. Filled with items and books that a young adult like Nate would enjoy, mostly stuff that would qualify him as a Nerd.

“Ah.” Noelle let out.  There right in front of the red head, was the black hair that she had come to identify Nate with. He curled himself up in his blanket and faced away from his nightstand that had his alarm clock. He needed to be up early in the morning.  Soundly sleeping until the dawn clapped its hands and awakened him.

Noelle’s feet carried her on auto-pilot to the nightstand, the Nandroid just simply let it happen, no thoughts going through her head.
She stopped right in front of the nightstand and inspected the items on it. Nate’s glasses, a small glass of water, his previously mentioned alarm clock.  At this point Noelle could even hear the boy’s soft breathing, dreaming about who knows what. Noelle had an idea or two, but she wasn’t here to guess what dreams Nate was having. She was here for something else

She lowered herself onto both her knees. Careful to not make any movement too fast or loud that would wake him up.

Putting a hand into her pocket, she retrieved a little Glass Bulb with a Dome over it. Blue in color and stars cut out in order to light up the ceiling, or whatever it was here with the illusion of the Milky Way.

A sight that Noelle, Nate, and Mr Crowley didn’t see very often, living in the area they did. Light pollution really was a thorn in the townspeople’s side. Any desire to see the stars would require them to travel out into the countryside, something easier said than done in their predicament. Mr Crowley could barely move around the town in his current condition.

As Noelle plugged in the light she recalled the dreams she used to have back when she was still in her Nandroid Training Program. In the mist of night, a fire crackling, two children emerged from the woods as she walked them both with hands held. Teaching the two about the stars, the Big Dipper, The Orion, where Mars was. The two kids in awe as their faces were messy from the smores they had cooked in the fire, all under Noelle’s supervision.

Good times.

“Noelle stop it!” a voice rang out

Picking up her head, her messy hair covered her eyes. Facing her own tuft, she moved it away and her eyes softened. No longer stressed, no longer in fear, her composure relaxed, and her mouth transformed into a soft smile

“Hello Nate.”

Nate sat on his bed. But...it wasn’t him. Not as Noelle had come to know him as

Nate was just a small boy. No older than 7, maybe even 6.  His hair was just as messy as hers was. His arms were crossed, stretching out the dinosaur that was on PJ’s. A frown blessed his face, contrasting her own expression.  The women found it adorable.

“I said I don’t need a night light anymore!”  Nate whined getting closer to the maid that had so rudely interrupted his sleep.

Noelle rested a hand on the night stand and gestured. Her voice soft and calming

“Nate, I would love to but I simply can’t. Remember how you said you didn’t need it last night? You came running into my own room saying that the big monster was gonna eat you.” She chuckled. Recalling the night before.

“...That didn’t happen.” The boy lied through his teeth as his cheeks went red. He didn’t need to be reminded of last night but he was, Noelle proving herself right as always.

“That’s not what I remember. Besides, don't you like the stars. I think they look very nice in your room!”

“I think they look stupid.” he grumbled. Her hand flowed across his hair, patting down his bed head and speaking

“Now, now Nate, that’s no way to talk. What would your Dad think if I told him you were using bad words?”

His eyes went wide. His Dad could be a real mean guy if he found out his son was using bad words. He never wanted to end up on his bad side. He quickly shook his head and asked Noelle to “Not to hell him. And that he was “sorry” over and over again.

Noelle shushed the boy, putting a finger to her lips and then down.

“Okay. I won’t. But! You have to promise me two things!”

“Whatever you want. Just don’t tell my Dad!”

“Okay. You have to help me clean the house tomorrow.”

“Done!”

“AND.” Noelle continued. Making sure Nate was paying EXTRA attention the next demand, it would be the hardest one for him to fulfill

“I’m going grocery shopping tomorrow. You have to come with me after we're done tidying up the house! Just you and me, and the big grocery list I have.”

“...”

“Nate?”

“...”

“Nate?”

His silence continued as his lips trembled and eyes widened.

“Maybe your Dad-” he leaped from his comfy bed and grabbed her hands and stammered

“Yes! Yes. Yes! Okay I’ll go!”

Noelle’s face went smug with pride. Once again, Nate fell victim to her hands of persuasion and she and him would spend the day together tomorrow. Another victory for Noelle.

“You know...To sweeten the deal…” she lowered herself back down to the night light and unplugged it.

“How about I take this out, and we-”  Her train of thought crashed.

Just like the stars were blotted, so was Noelle’s dream, her happy reality fell in on itself.

Nate still sat in his bed, but he was no longer a kid. He curled himself up in the blanket stil, unaware of the little episode Noelle just had.

Just a moment ago, Noelle felt purpose and happiness. And it left her just as fast as it came.

Something was wrong. She felt something stirring up in her chest. It didn’t feel right. She picked herself up and plopped the night light back into her pocket. Carrying herself away.
Ashamed, it was a disgrace. She was better than this. How could she let reality slip away from her and dive head first into fantasy?

The Nandroid fell into this pit before. Like when she began reading Nate the story of Pinocchio, and he, kinda rudely, reminded her he was a grown mad. As she sadly stated for her to…”Have this” Have that moment. Even if was pretend.

Alone.

Noelle, never felt so alone like she did tonight.