Rhythmic Lights

Click click click click click, break.

The computer screen lit up Kevin's face with a light blue tint. The light switches were all turned to off as the rhythmic typing of Kevin's fingers met the chilly air of a fall night.

"Don't turn on the light," Kevin whispered to himself as he kept typing, earbuds blasting music into his ear drums.

The door handle behind him began to turn, pushing light into the room from the hallway. There stood his roommate, Danny.

"What are you doing dude?" Danny moved to turn the light on.

"Don't turn on the light," Kevin said. He didn't turn around. The music didn't get quieter. There was no reflection.

"Are you still working on that paper?"

"No. Yes. Yes, the paper." His fingers typed in the same pattern. Click click click click click, break.

"I know it's midterms and all dude, but you need to chill. I'm gonna go over to Ted's and eat this alright? I'll be back in like, an hour. You gonna be OK?"

"No. Yes. Yes, OK." Click click click click click, break.

Danny brought the light out of the room. The computer screen lit up Kevin's face with a blue tint. Click click click click click, break. Click click click click click, break. Click click click click click.

Kevin stared at the page on his computer screen. He blinked. Breathed in. The music changed to a techno mix with bass. He turned his head towards his bed. He smiled and breathed in closing his eyes.

The music took him away. He moved with it. He wasn't dancing, he was moving. He got up, his earbuds unplugging by his movement now dangled from his ears. The music bounced off the walls.

"Put your hands up" the music said. Kevin followed directions, eyes still closed. He opened them and looked at his bed. His dark brown eyes reflecting the light blue of the room.

Blink. Blink. Tears formed.

The song changed. Slower. Piano. Kevin put his arms down.

"Don't turn on the light," he whispered.

The door handle moved again, pushing light into the room. Danny looked as Kevin stood staring at his bed, tears down his face.

"Kevin? Are you OK? What's going on?"

"Don't turn on the light," he sniffled. A slow R&B song flowed down the hallway.

"What are you doing? Is everything OK?"

"No. Yes. Everything OK."

Danny let the door shut and walked into the room. Only Kevin was clearly visible in the blue tint of the computer screen.

"Kevin, I have to turn on the light I can't see anything." Danny moved towards the light to turn it on.

"No!"

The light flip was switched. Pupils changed. Danny turned around and looked at the bed. He walked over to it, breathing heavily.

"What did you do?" he said as he felt a sharp pain in his back. Danny felt his knees on the carpet. He couldn't breathe. The lights were turned off again. A slow classical song conducted Kevin's movements, over and over again.

The room was once again covered in dim blue light.

Kevin began typing. Click click click click click, break. Click click click click click, break.

"Don't turn on the light," he whispered to himself.

He stopped again and stared at the screen, then back to his bed, then down to the floor by the bed. A techno song came on again. He moved to the rhythm.

Bringing his email up he saved his document and attached it. He took a picture of his bed, and attached it. He went to his desktop, and attached another picture. He set the email to send to the entire university. In the body all he wrote was "Don't turn on the light."

Send.

He got up and walked out of his room, leaving the door open, blasting hard rock from the light blue room.

"Kevin, why did you send this email?"

He only stared at the detective.

"Why did you send it? Why send a document with the word dead written over a hundred times?" Click click click click click, break. "Why is your girlfriend having sex with your roommate?" Don't turn on the lights. "And why are they both dead now?" Click click click click click, break.

Kevin stared at the officer.

"Don't turn on the lights," he whispered as the only light bulb in the room shattered.