The Day Without Sun by Dan Copes

A Short Story Written by Daniel A. Copes

December 2018

"May He Be Honored and Remembered Through His Words and Visionary Mind"

One day, as morning approaches, the people of the world prepare themselves for their daily routines and activities. As the clock continues to tick and the night seems to carry on, something odd is being observed the world over, yet this is unknown from a singular perspective.

The Sun isn't rising at its usual time. In fact, the sky has remained dark all morning and there is no clear indication of what will occur. A universal confusion begins to set in as the people check their watches and timing devices, consult friends, and eventually come to the realization that some misalignment of cosmic proportions is the only plausible explanation for the lack of Sunlight.

"It's already 9 am and there is still nothing here!"

some think to themselves.

This goes on all day, and through the night the darkness persists. A certain panic has set in amongst the people and though all else is unaffected as far as electricity and the general functioning of all other normal aspects of society, the people still have great anxiety as to what is occurring.

Governments put out notices to remain calm and that everything is under control, though they also have no clear explanation. The only thing to do is wait until the morning to see what will happen then...

Morning comes with great anticipation. Very little sleep had befallen the people of the world, as all wondered if the great Sun would appear as they so desperately hoped. Something so taken for granted before now was infused with all of the great hopefulness of humanity. Who would expect something so sudden and profound?

All of our lives and practical existence hinging around the daily return of the source of warmth and light that has provided us our way of life. There still existed those that maintained constant worship of the Sun, and perhaps this is why for so long our path remained unaffected, locked into the everloving gaze of its eternal glow. But these forces would be subject to the constant of change, those worshipping the darkness being the harbingers...

Regardless of causation the people waited and wondered. When morning did come there was an immediate celebratory response to the faint glow of what surely was the Sun rising upon its normal place in the Eastern Horizon. It was as if the world was completely still in its wonderment and finally took into itself at once a collective gasp of relief. This normalcy lasted for some time as the Sun did rise normally and provide its light, warming up all that had been dark for a full day in the fear of a world of darkness.

But then something else happened that no one expected, and certainly, no one wanted. What occurred next could almost be viewed from an outside, neutral perspective as comical. The novelty of it all, and the great wave of reactions. The Sun began to recede back along its normal path of ascent, seemingly setting back into the Eastern Horizon!! At first, it was observed as a slowing in ascent. Then stillness, which came with a retort.

Then, it became observable that the Sun was moving in the opposite direction.

"NO, no, of course, it hasn't stopped, what do you mean?!"

"I mean that it has stopped rising!! For minutes now it's sat in that same spot!!!"

"Now, look, LOOK! It's going backward!!"

"Fuck aye, what is going on, it can't be?!"

"But, it fuckin' is!!" Of course, this was just what the world needed to spark a new level of bewilderment. The people had already wondered greatly about their lives. The meanings of them, their purposes, and their past. A mutual sense of mystery loomed around the legends and lore of old and though some feigned disinterest, there was a deep desire to know within the human psyche.

Who are we? What is our role here? What are the nature of matter and the physical world we inhabit?

These questions have persisted in the human mind for centuries and in the balance of chaos and order in our internal and external worlds, we seem to have contrived the need for a certain regularity of cause and effect, the outcomes of our influence upon the world around us. We can expect to rely on the forces of what we call 'gravity'.

We know that when we open our eyes in our living rooms that the coffee table and the armchair will still appear where we last left them before shutting our eyes. We can rely on the simple facts to keep a balance of what we think of as 'order' among the limitlessness of the plane of energetic possibility we think of as 'chaos'.

So addicted we have become to this normalcy. Perhaps necessarily in ways, but any cracks in the foundations we have laid can cause great anxiety amongst ourselves.

Worthy is the question then of... what sort of foundations have we laid? What beliefs do we rely upon, and thus which of our thoughts bind us? Do they bind us within a sense of harmony, existing as a functioning unity of sound within the symphony of dimensional existence?

Or rather do we find ourselves bound and limited by the reliance upon the normalcy and regularity of what appears in the physical world all around us? Would we go mad if the Sun didn't rise one day? And worse yet, what if the Sun rose, then decided to un-rise?! HAHA!

It laughed in the face of all your graded expectations and various theories.

Though this would appear to be quite the devastation and indeed a certain level of chaotic activity began to brew within the potential energies of the public, still the only thing that was changed was the Sun. All the channels and stations and plugs and gadgets and cars and factories and planes and trains were all still running.

They had no psychological or immediate energetic dependence upon the Sun. Somewhat similarly, the animals were quite confused among themselves but knew they could survive the temporary change in patterns. They adapted quite readily to this rapid disorder and simply maintained their energy, slowly waiting for the wave to pass.

As it was there was only about an hour of sunlight that day throughout the world and the people spent the rest of the hours of designated 'day' time attempting to figure out what had happened, still utterly stunned from what seemed like a cruel trick played upon them by the Sun itself.

They could not see in their limited views that the star body they called the Sun was only a part within the whole, itself. It too was under the influence of many forces outside its immediate and evident body, but it was a part of those forces all the same.

Those forces became integrated within the Sun when it breathed in and the forces then became the Sun when it breathed out. And as these bodies reached a new position upon their cycle, something rather similar to where they'd been before but somehow entirely different, they decided to alter their course.

The Sun, too, could feel like humans do, being conscious of its existence and position, experiencing love and joy and pain at an infinite and cosmic level imperceptible to the mind of a human but available in their hearts.

And just like in the hearts of the women and men of the Earth, the Sun knew it was time for a change. It saw within itself the fear that inspired tragedy and calamity in the galaxy. In the hearts of humans, this resulted in greed and avarice, the perception of lacking, and the violence enacted upon another to compensate.

In a celestial effect, this would have far less personal but vastly greater consequences.

Entire stars would collapse and nebulous forms of chaotic and untamed energy would writhe about space and time, causing destruction of an unfathomable nature.

The Sun knew that if it were to avoid this destruction and become attuned within the galactic chord to be commanded and struck by the greater Maestro of our universe, then it must alter its position to accommodate the flowing rhythm of the conductor beyond. Even the Maestro himself is prostrated in reverence to the unifying power of the Music.

So, the Sun didn't come up.

Then, it came up and decided to go back down.

Now, the people are insane, but weren't they already? Living half-lives and untruths. Tacitly locked into unsustainable systems that cause destruction. This mass catharsis of anxiety-ridden material addiction was just what the people needed to inspire their own change within themselves.

That night though, the darkness did indeed come out. All of the demons of hatred that lurked in the shadows were made manifest and those who were weak fell victim to tortures of their own mind's creations. It wasn't within the demons' power to create fear, they could only take a fear that was already existing and mold it to their own liking.

During this time, the fears that resided in the shadow parts of individuals' hearts were taken hold of and used to create images of terror of the worst imaginings. This was a test that all humans faced.

Those who had come to face their fears before this point had less of a task at hand, but still had to be purified in the fires of change, so then any subconscious and unaddressed fears were then brought to the surface. All had to walk through the flame and very few were not burned. Those who did not burn then had already burned before through their own purifications.

So though it was dark outside, a great fire raged within the conscious mind of humanity.

It burned furiously and caused some to act out in violent and aggressive ways, causing destruction. But this event did inspire the fire of divine love within the masses, so much of this violence was quelled in ways that seemed to take little effort and left very little lasting damage in its wake.

Most were able to realize that if they did not support one another in this uncertain time, they themselves would be at a disadvantage having no support from others.

This basic and fundamental human truth was again revealed within the divine flame. Through the night this was further solidified as families and friends helped one another to confront and battle away demons that had hidden within the shadows.

Though they had never faced fear like this, they were made brave by the fact that they were together, for never before had this sense of togetherness been quite as tangible.

The light prevented much clear sight, but they could feel the hearts of those they loved radiating an energetic barrier of spiritual light and protection that the light of day and the business of their material lives had formerly distracted them from.

In the confluence of these events, a sleeping part of them was awakened and they shook the dust from their eyes and finally saw.

They could see each other. The things they did wrong, but also how they could make them right. They knew it was within their power and all they had to do was open their hearts and act from that universal point of truth.

So though it appeared as much deliberation and calamity had ensued that night, much work was waged in the spiritual realms, and much was realized.

Time progressed normally as these realizations set in, and soon the night would be over and the daytime would arrive. This time, many approached these moments with great forbearance, tempering their anxieties and resisting the urge to place all of their hopefulness and expectation into the physical appearance of regularity in the rising of the Sun.

At this point, they knew things had been irrevocably changed, both within themselves and without.

The darkness had revealed much to them and though the demons brought out much terror, they also brought out the bravest and noblest parts of men.

This bravery now acted as the bedrock of their minds, finding themselves at peace in the assurance that their spiritual strength could overcome and in the end protect their soul essence from any physical plight their body may have to endure. They knew they would protect each other. So they patiently watched the Eastern horizon.

What happened next could be viewed as playing directly into the great cosmic joke that was laughed upon the people of the Earth in those days, both to entertain the gods and to enlighten the beings there of the next phase of their evolution. A certain cosmic kick in the pants to get one to look both up and in.

The Sun did not rise that morning on the Eastern horizon. Many gazed and could not help but feel a certain sense of despair. Trillions upon countless trillions of instantaneous questions spurred in the minds of the people, wondering if this was the end of their beautiful Earth and physical lives upon it. Everything they had come to love, seen with their eyes.

But this questioning was also collectively quelled by a realization that was only earned in the trials of fire the night before...

That this beauty WAS us!

What was so illogical before was now so deeply understood. All of what we feared and loved, the crises and wars and the beautiful landscapes we've looked upon, exists equally within our minds as it has a 'world' created outside of it with our eyes. For what do our eyes see when all there is but darkness? They see the demons and confusion or the love that is shared in bravery, despite the odds. Whichever you nurture is that which will grow.

This orientation of consciousness gave the people a significant sense of everlasting vitality which for many was very unfamiliar. They had been so afraid of death, so attached to their lives and the world around them. This experience introduced something entirely new to their mundane and routine daily lives of sipping branded drinks and fighting traffic to be on time for work.

They never had the space to consider the nature of their existence or the dependence they had upon its normalcy. Potential UFO visitations and Loch Ness monsters fascinated many, but existed mainly as folly to the masses, only something of fantasy that isn't to be taken too seriously. For fantastical events and creatures did not fit into the framework of the daily routines, they contributed no lasting quantitative value to the minds of most rational citizens, so not too much time was to be taken upon their considerations.

Yet this order of rational thought would lead to the cementing of a certain ignorance which would build within itself the limitations of all events deemed 'supernatural'.

And it is in these times that it would seem the very environment around us hears for itself this challenge of unchecked arrogance in the minds of man, and it rises to the stage to present something so beyond the ordinary that it forces the expansion of the very consciousness that drives and inspires life within our physical bodies.

For this capacity exists and this process occurs, again and again, it is only a matter of forgetfulness that washes over the minds of man that gives us the notion that we are incapable of this expansion or that these things 'couldn't exist!' As these questions arose of great complexity and logistics, much doubt was brought to the surface. The people felt freed from much of their attachments due to the profound nature of their collective spiritual progression, but they were still greatly unsure of how to proceed forward, especially if the world were to remain in perpetual darkness.

For a moment what seemed to be repetitions of old fears began to arise, and the spiny and defeated dark things perked up wondering if they'd have an opportunity to teach man another lesson. This was quickly averted though. The wisest among them remained resolute and were able to share their strength with others. They remained steadfast and calm and knew that there was a way to work together.

Quickly the question arose...

"What if the light never returns, our crops don't grow, we're never warm again, and we die?"

To that they said...

"If it is our time, then let it be so. Do not fear it."

This sense of calm spread among the people, they realized through the wise ones that there was no gain in worry. It spurred little productive results and drained vitality. So they instead were still. Still and calm.

Despite any questions or worries about the complex nature of what had occurred to the Sun or the even more mind-boggling path of solutions to their inevitable upcoming problems of living in the dark, they instead chose to be still.

In that stillness, it became easy to observe all that had occurred. Removed from the overwhelm of analysis, the people were simply quiet and saw in their mind's eye what had happened. Though they were not given a logical understanding of anything at that moment, they were able to see the wonder of all that had occurred.

The journey that had ensued within the span of only a few days was something to marvel at. The arrangement of particles and principles that make up our beings and how we've structured the world of physicality to behave in such a way that suits us, all the while being structured ourselves by the environment we are influencing.

The fluidity and compassion, the love and openness, the acceptance that we are capable of. How all the wild arrangings of historical events have instructed our consciousness, integrating each new experience like a grade earned in a universal classroom. And how we could come to change, and adapt to this new condition.

Perhaps... we could even adapt to leaving this body and world for a new one.

What lies beyond? Maybe if we are just still... Joy! That feeling of joy was back!! An effervescent bubbling joy that emerged from the very core of everything that was. This was the joy that was experienced when you just could not help but laugh from the wonder and amazement of it all. All there with its pains and its pleasures, teaching us so much, reminding us how incredible we really are. Look at how far we've come!!

Only a few moments had passed as these questions surged into the World's Mind and sages among them maintained the balance. Their joy was rediscovered in such a way that it sent shockwaves throughout the entire System. Human beings loved each other deeply and felt strong reverence and compassion for their mutually arduous journey.

They looked at one another in a way they never had before. This experience was quite absorbing to the people and it demanded their full attention, so what happened next was wholly unexpected. A faint warmth first, then a glow, then rather abruptly to the entire Earth's great surprise...

The Sun rose again, but it was behind their backs, from the Western Hemisphere!!

As the people observed this phenomenon in great amazement, the sages exploded with laughter. They understood the great cosmic joke and felt the joy that it inspired. This spread like wildfire and soon everyone was laughing.

The Sun continued on this way for the next few thousand years, until it would be influenced again. The people who lived in those times saw many changes. They witnessed peaceful revolutions in almost every area of society and also revolutionized their inner selves.

They accessed layers of spirituality and a love of God they never even fathomed in their previous states. Though there were many trials along the way, the people forged on and continued their evolution.

All was completely different, completely new, but somehow it was still the same.

ⓒ Daniel A. Copes, December 2018