A Strange Place Of Darkness
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As dawn broke over the land, a young girl stood alone atop a hill overlooking a vast expanse of barren desert stretching out below her. From high above, the world spread out beneath her like a map laid bare across the earth’s surface.
In the distance, she saw countless small specks scattered throughout its seemingly endless expanse. Each speck represented a human soul wandering aimlessly through life, each one separated from every single other person on the planet by an impenetrable wall of emptiness.
All of these souls were trapped inside a tiny box made of flesh and bone, unable to escape from whatever fate awaited them.
For better or worse, however, none of those people existed anymore. They had all died long ago, victims of war or disease or famine, leaving only their memories behind in place of bodies. This girl, however, was different.
Unlike everyone else around her, she possessed the ability to see beyond the boundaries of death and reach out directly to touch the lives of others. She could sense their emotions, thoughts, hopes, fears, and desires. And because of this gift, she understood exactly what it meant to live in the midst of loneliness.
Her name was Mira.
Mira stood upon the top of the hill gazing down at the lifeless landscape below her. For most of her life, she’d lived in the city of New York, far removed from the rest of humanity. But ever since she’d moved to the country years earlier, she’d felt increasingly isolated from the outside world.
Even though she knew many people nearby, she rarely spoke to anyone except her father. And even then, she usually kept her conversations brief and impersonal. At times, she wondered if she’d always been so distant or if something had happened to change her outlook on life.
Whatever the case may have been, she found herself longing for someone who shared her feelings and experiences. Someone she could talk to openly and honestly without fear of rejection.
At first, Mira had hoped her wish would soon be granted. When she met a boy named Lucas, she immediately fell in love with him. But despite her best efforts, he refused to acknowledge her existence in any meaningful way.
Over time, she gradually realized that their relationship wouldn’t last forever and resigned herself to accepting the inevitable fact of his departure. Yet even after he left, she didn’t stop hoping for a chance encounter with someone just like him someday. That day, however, seemed to remain perpetually out of reach.
Eventually, though, Mira grew tired of waiting. She wanted to meet someone new right now, without delay. There was nothing more important than finding a companion who truly understood her; someone who could share her dreams and aspirations.
The problem was, that she wasn’t sure how to go about meeting such a person. It was easy enough to search online for potential romantic partners, but there weren’t nearly as many options available offline. Still, she figured it might be worth trying anyway. Perhaps some kind soul would happen along with whom she could connect easily.
So one night, she set out to walk the streets of New York City looking for someone special. While she searched, she tried to keep her mind focused on anything and everything except romance. However, despite her best intentions, she couldn’t help thinking about Lucas whenever he crossed her mind.
He was probably happy somewhere far away now and completely unaware of her presence. In fact, he likely had no idea that she still cared deeply for him. Maybe it was silly to hope otherwise. After all, she barely knew him.
But regardless of the reason, Mira couldn’t bring herself to forget him. Whenever she stopped walking, her eyes inevitably drifted toward the sky where she imagined him flying free among the stars. Then, before long, her heart began beating faster in anticipation of seeing him once again. Soon afterward, she heard his voice calling out to her. “I’m here,” he said.
“Lucas?” she asked, surprised to hear his familiar words coming from within her own head.
He smiled softly. “Yes.”
She laughed lightly. “You’re not really here, are you? You can’t be. Not physically, I mean…”
His smile faded slightly. “No…not quite. But we don’t need to worry about that right now. We’ve got plenty of time together ahead of us. So let me take care of your needs for tonight. Just tell me what you want, and I’ll do my best to make it happen.”
Then, without warning, Mira suddenly remembered something. Her father had told her stories about another man who appeared to possess similar abilities. His name was Daniel, and he was a spirit guide whose job was to watch over children and teach them how to use their powers.
As far as she knew, he hadn’t come into contact with humans much during his lifetime, which meant he must have spent most of his days guiding lost spirits to safety. Despite being dead himself, he was able to interact with living beings by touching their minds through telepathy. If she were to ask him for advice, maybe he could give her some guidance on how to find a suitable partner.
The next morning, Mira made her way back home. Once inside, she sat down at her computer and typed out an email message to Daniel. She explained that she was currently searching for a friend and needed some assistance.
Although he didn’t know her very well, she believed he would understand why she wanted to seek his counsel. More importantly, she trusted him implicitly because he loved her father dearly. Finally, she added a few personal details about herself to help him better relate to her situation.
A short while later, she received a reply from Daniel.
Hi Mira! Thank you for writing. What’s going on? Are things okay with your dad?
As usual, she wrote back almost instantly. No problems yet, but I think they will be soon. Do you remember the story Dad used to tell me when I was little? About the spirit guide named Daniel? Well, I’m pretty sure I’ve found myself a good match. Can you please tell me if this is true or not?
Daniel replied shortly thereafter: Of course, I can. But first, I’d like to get to know you a bit better. Tell me about yourself. How old are you? Where did you grow up? Have you ever been married or had kids of your own? Any pets? Anything else you feel comfortable sharing.
Mira hesitated briefly. This seemed like a lot to share so quickly. But then she realized that Daniel wouldn’t judge her based on any of these facts alone. Instead, he simply wanted to learn more about her personality. And since she already felt confident enough to confide in him, she decided to open up further.
Okay, here goes. First off, I’m twenty-two years old. My hometown was called San Francisco, California. That’s where I met my late husband, Lucas. Unfortunately, our relationship ended badly after only two months. Now, I live in New York City with my parents. They both work hard every day to support me. Other than that, there isn’t too much to say. Oh yeah, I also have a cat named Puck.
That wasn’t nearly as difficult as she thought it might be. It helped that Daniel was already aware of many of her childhood memories. Still, he managed to surprise her with a question or two along the way. For example, he asked whether she had ever traveled outside of North America.
When she admitted that she hadn’t, he asked why she never tried to travel somewhere new. After all, traveling was one of the greatest joys of life. He even went so far as to suggest that she should consider visiting Europe someday.
Although she agreed with everything he said, she still preferred to stay close to home. In fact, she often dreamed of leaving New York behind altogether. But she always figured she would eventually end up moving away. Perhaps she could visit Paris or Rome on vacation, just like everyone else. Maybe then she would finally realize how beautiful the world truly was.
After exchanging several emails with Daniel, Mira grew curious about his background. She wondered how he came to meet her father, and what sort of person he was before he died. The more she learned about him, the less she understood why he chose to leave Earth. Then again, perhaps he had no choice. At least, that’s what she hoped.
I hope you’re doing well today, Daniel. Things aren’t looking great here. I’m afraid my father may lose his job tomorrow. Please keep him in your thoughts.
She waited anxiously for a response. A couple minutes passed, followed by another minute or two. But Daniel remained silent. Eventually, she began to wonder whether he had gotten bored and stopped reading her messages. Or worse, maybe he had fallen asleep. Either way, she couldn’t wait any longer to hear his opinion on the matter.
You haven’t written anything back in a long time. Is everything alright?
No problem. Just busy with other matters. Don’t worry; I’ll write back right away.
Relieved, Mira read through his responses once more. His words were brief, but they gave her plenty of food for thought.
First of all, let me apologize for being such a slow responder. If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you a favor. Could you send me a photo of yourself? Something that shows who you really are. I promise I won’t show it to anyone else.
Of course. Here you go.
The next few days flew by without incident. As expected, Daniel continued to answer her questions promptly. Although their conversations sometimes lasted hours at a time, he didn’t seem bothered by the length of her replies. On the contrary, he appeared genuinely interested in learning more about her.
He asked about her family, friends, hobbies, and interests. He even inquired about her religion, which surprised her somewhat. However, she explained that she had grown up Catholic, although she now considered herself an agnostic. Her faith had faded over time, though she occasionally attended church services with her mother.
During one particular conversation, Daniel asked about her favorite foods. Since she enjoyed cooking, she shared some homemade recipes with him. And while he ate them all happily, he especially liked her lasagna recipe.
One evening, Mira received a message from Daniel. It contained nothing more than a single sentence: I love you.
It took her several seconds to process what he meant. By the time she finished processing, however, her heart raced uncontrollably. She stared blankly at her computer screen, unable to believe what she had just heard. Had he actually told her he loved her? Of course not! How could he possibly know that she felt the same way about him?
Then, suddenly, she remembered something important. What if this was just a joke? Some kind of cruel prank to test her reaction? No, she refused to fall into that trap. Not when she knew deep down that Daniel cared deeply for her. So instead of replying immediately, she spent a moment composing her reply.
Thank you. That means a lot to me.
Her words seemed inadequate, yet they made her feel better nonetheless. They also reminded her that there was someone out there who believed in her. Someone who wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
“Mira?”
Startled by the sound of her name, Mira looked around wildly. “What is it, Mommy? Are you okay?”
As usual, her mom was sitting across the room. This time, however, she was staring intently at her daughter.
“Are you sure you’re feeling fine?”
Mira nodded vigorously. “Yes, I’m totally fine.”
When her mother didn’t say anything further, Mira glanced nervously toward the doorway. She wasn’t expecting anyone to walk inside, but she got a distinct impression that somebody was watching her. When she turned her head slightly, she noticed a tall man standing near the door.
For a second, she froze in place. Then, slowly, she stood up straight. After all, she needed to be polite. Besides, she assumed that he must have come to see her mother.
“Hello,” she said politely. “My name is Mira. You can call me ‘Miss.’ Do you need something?”
Although she tried hard to conceal her nervousness, she still managed to stumble over her words a little bit. Fortunately, the stranger did not appear upset. Instead, he smiled warmly and extended his hand.
“Hi, Miss Mira. My name is Daniel. I’ve been waiting for you outside since yesterday afternoon.”
***
Daniel’s voice echoed throughout the empty house. The only sounds that accompanied it were the soft hums of air conditioners and fans. In fact, the entire neighborhood was dead quiet. Even so, he spoke loudly enough to make himself heard clearly.
“This is your home, isn’t it?”
Mira nodded silently. For a moment, she wondered why he would ask such a question. Then again, perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to tell him the truth. At least then, they might both learn a thing or two about each other.
“I live here with my parents.”
She watched as Daniel leaned against the wall behind him. He remained motionless for several minutes before speaking again.
“That doesn’t mean much to me. Why should I care where you live?”
“Because…”
At first, she struggled to find the right words. But eventually, she realized that honesty was probably best after all.
“Okay… Well, do you want to hear a story?”
After hesitating briefly, Daniel agreed.
“Sure.”
“Good. Let’s start with how we met.”
Mira paused for a moment, trying to decide exactly what to share. Eventually, she decided on a simple version of events.
“A long time ago, my father went to work every day. One morning, he came back home early because he was sick. His boss fired him for being late. We lost our apartment, too. Everything fell apart really fast. Now, we’re living in this old house.”
The last part of her explanation caught Daniel off guard. Although he’d never seen the inside of their home, he could easily imagine what it looked like. So he listened closely as she continued.
“Anyway, I don’t remember much about those days. All I know is that things weren’t easy. Life was tough, and sometimes, we almost starved to death. But somehow, we always found a way to get through everything together.”
By now, she was talking faster than normal. It wasn’t that she enjoyed reliving these memories; rather, she simply couldn’t help herself.
“And one night, my dad finally asked me a very strange question: ‘Do you love me?’
“Of course, I answered yes. And then he said something even more surprising. ‘Would you marry me?'”
Now, Daniel understood why Mira had hesitated earlier. Her answer sounded absurd, especially given the circumstances. Still, she insisted that it was true—at least, according to her memory of events.
“He told me that if I ever changed my mind, he would understand. He just wanted to know whether he could count on me when times got rough. That’s all.”
In response, Daniel shook his head solemnly.
“No, no, that’s not possible. I’m sorry, but I can’t believe any of that happened. Your father died years ago, and your mother passed away ten months later from cancer. There’s absolutely nothing left between them anymore.”
It took a few seconds for him to realize that he was wrong. A small smile formed on his lips, and he started laughing softly.
“Oh gosh! Of course!”
His laughter quickly faded, though, as he remembered the purpose of his visit.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have laughed. I’ll stop teasing you now.”
“Please don’t worry about it. Anyway, let’s talk business.”
From there, Mira explained how she planned to use the money from her new job. As expected, Daniel offered some helpful advice along the way. By the end of their conversation, she felt confident that she knew what to expect.
“So, are you ready? Here goes.”
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a single sheet of paper. She unfolded it carefully, revealing an official-looking document.
“What does this say?”
“It says that I won the lottery.”
Daniel stared at the piece of paper, dumbfounded by its contents.
“You actually bought a ticket?”
“Yes.”
“But why?”
“Well, I thought I might win big someday. You see, my husband used to play the lottery every week. Every Saturday, he’d buy a bunch of tickets. Sometimes, he won a bit, but most weeks, he didn’t come close to winning anything. But one Friday evening, everything suddenly changed.”
“How did that happen?”
“My husband called me while I was working. He told me that he had good news. Apparently, he’d hit the jackpot. The next day, he showed up at home with a brand-new car. Needless to say, everyone was surprised.”
As she spoke, Mira kept her eyes fixed on Daniel’s face. In contrast to his usual expressionless demeanor, however, his gaze seemed unusually intense.
“Wow, so you were married once, huh?”
“Yeah. My ex-husband still lives in the same town. When I saw him today, he congratulated me on my victory. He also invited us over for dinner tonight.”
“I guess that means you’ve already talked to him about this.”
“Yep, it sure does.”
Although she hadn’t mentioned his name, Daniel immediately recognized the man in her story. It made sense since they lived in the same city. Still, he wondered why she chose to keep quiet about it until now.
Perhaps she feared that mentioning his existence would ruin her chances of getting the job. After all, he was a powerful politician who owned several businesses across the country. If word got around that he was involved in a scandal, it wouldn’t be long before his reputation suffered irreparable damage.
“Why did you tell me anyway?”
Mira shrugged slightly.
“Because I want to work here, and I think you’re going to give me a chance.”
Her words caused Daniel to pause momentarily. Then, he smiled broadly.
“Okay, well… congratulations! Welcome aboard!”
***
After the interview ended, Daniel escorted Mira back to her office. Once again, he tried to convince her to reconsider, but she refused to budge. For whatever reason, she appeared determined to make things difficult for him.
The rest of the afternoon went smoothly. At first, Mira performed routine tasks such as filing paperwork and answering phones. However, after a short time, she began assisting other employees. This helped her learn the ropes much quicker, which allowed her to move up the ladder sooner than anticipated. Within two days, Mira was promoted to assistant manager.
“Congratulations, Ms. Bouchard,” Daniel said. “Your hard work has paid off.”
“Thanks, Mr. Morgan. I really appreciate it.”
At last, Mira received the recognition she deserved. Although she wasn’t happy about having to leave her old company, she couldn’t help feeling excited about starting a new chapter in her life.
Over the following week, Mira continued performing her duties without complaint. Meanwhile, Daniel spent his free time reading books and playing video games. His goal was to become more familiar with the various positions available within the organization.
On Wednesday morning, Mira arrived at work early. Her supervisor informed her that she needed to stay late because someone else was sick. With nothing better to do, she decided to hang out in the break room. There, she found Daniel sitting alone at a table.
“Hey, Daniel. What’s up?”
He looked up briefly, then returned to his book.
“Nothing much. Just enjoying some peace and quiet.”
“That sounds nice. How are you doing these days?”
“Not bad. I’m just trying to figure out where we go from here.”
“Me too.”
They both remained silent for a few moments. Eventually, Daniel put down his novel and turned toward Mira.
“Listen, I know you don’t like me very much right now, but I have something important to ask you.”
“Sure, what is it?”
“Do you remember our conversation a couple of months ago?”
“Of course. We talked about your past, and how you never wanted to get married or start a family.”
“Right. Well, I finally figured out why.”
Daniel took a deep breath.
“Ever since I was little, my parents always fought. They yelled and screamed at each other whenever they disagreed about something. And when I asked them about their problems, neither of them could explain what was wrong. So I stopped asking questions. As a result, I grew up thinking that marriage isn’t worth it.”
“Oh…”
She knew exactly what he meant. She remembered that moment clearly — the way his voice trembled, and how his body shook uncontrollably. That night, he’d confided in her everything that happened between him and his wife. Even though he didn’t mention her name by name, she understood that it was related to the incident involving his daughter.
“Anyway, I feel terrible about not being there for you. You were obviously hurting, yet I pretended like it didn’t matter. I wish I could take back those words, but unfortunately, they can’t be unsaid.”
“It’s okay,” Mira replied softly. “You weren’t completely wrong about the situation. My ex-husband was an asshole. He cheated on me, lied to me, stole money from me, and even threatened to kill me if I ever left him.
But I still stayed with him for years because I was afraid of losing my kids. In retrospect, I realize that staying together only hurt us more. The longer we waited, the deeper our wounds became. By the end, we had no choice but to call it quits.”
“Yeah, I understand. Sometimes people need to hit rock bottom before they decide enough is enough.”
“I guess so.”
“Well, I’ve been thinking about all this stuff lately. Maybe I should try dating again. Not necessarily to find love, but maybe just to see what happens.”
“Really? Are you serious?”
“Yes. Why shouldn’t I?”
“Because you hate men, remember?”
“No, I mean I used to. Now I don’t. I might actually enjoy getting to know one. Who knows?”
“What made you change your mind?”
“My friend, Sarah. When she told me about her divorce, I realized that I was making excuses for myself. If she could survive her split, then I probably could too.”
Mira nodded along. It seemed that Daniel had finally come around to seeing things from another perspective.
“Okay, well good luck with that. I hope you meet someone special soon.”
“Thank you,” Daniel said, smiling warmly. “And thanks for listening to me vent earlier. I’ll let you get back to work now.”
As Mira walked away, she felt a sense of relief wash over her. After spending several weeks working alongside Daniel, she was beginning to learn that underneath his tough exterior, he was a decent person.
The next day, Daniel went into the office early. This time, however, he showed up wearing a suit instead of jeans and a polo shirt. Once inside, he sat at his desk and began reviewing documents.
A short while later, Mira entered the building through the employee entrance. She noticed that Daniel wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Curious, she headed straight for his cubicle. On top of his computer monitor, she saw a note:
***
Dear Ms. O’Leary,
Please report to HR immediately. Your employment has been terminated. Thank you.
—Dr. T. J.
When she read the message aloud, everyone in the room stared at her.
“Did you hear that?”
“Is that true?!”
Everyone started talking at once. No sooner did the first word escape their lips than the rest followed. Before long, the entire department was buzzing with gossip.
“How do you think Dr. T.J. found out?”
“Maybe he overheard us having sex!”
“Wait! What?! Is that even possible?”
“He must have gotten suspicious after hearing us talk about our secret project.”
“That’s ridiculous. There are hundreds of people who work here. How would he possibly notice anything going on?”
“Who cares? He’s fired anyway.”
“So what does this mean for the research program?”
“We’re screwed.”
“But…but…”
“Shh! Keep quiet!”
“Sorry, sorry. Please continue.”
At last, Daniel spoke up.
“This is bullshit,” he muttered under his breath.
After that, the group fell silent. Everyone looked at Daniel expectantly.
“Do you want to tell us what’s going on?” Mira inquired. “Or should I?”
Daniel hesitated. Then, without saying another word, he got up and left the room.
In response, the other employees exchanged worried glances. They couldn’t help wondering whether or not the rumor mill had already begun spinning its wheels. As far as they knew, Daniel hadn’t mentioned any details regarding his personal life. So why was he suddenly quitting?
Did something happen between him and Dr. T.J.? Or perhaps he was fed up with the whole thing and decided to leave before anyone else discovered his identity? Either way, there were plenty of questions yet to answer.
For the moment, though, the only ones who cared about those answers were Mira and Daniel himself. And neither of them intended to share their thoughts with anyone. For now, they’d simply keep everything to themselves.
***
Several days passed by without incident. During that time, Daniel continued to spend most of his spare hours working on his own projects. Meanwhile, he also spent some time researching potential candidates for the position he hoped to fill.
In fact, he came across quite a few promising prospects. Unfortunately, none of them held the same passion for science that Daniel did. The problem was that finding someone like that was easier said than done.
Still, it didn’t take much effort for Daniel to convince each candidate to join the team. Most of these individuals had no experience whatsoever when it came to scientific research. But Daniel believed that if given the chance, they could still make an impact. Plus, he wanted to give them every opportunity to prove themselves. That way, he wouldn’t feel bad about firing them down the road.
The End