A Vigilant Gaze Unpeels

20260123

Written for Luna Asli Kolcu’s “Myths of Winter - Week 8” event.

Nina bustled into Brian’s room with a tray full of breakfast. “Morning, sweetie! How are you doing today?”
“Fine.” Brian rasped.
Though Nina fixed him with her best motherly ‘I know you better than to be fooled by that’ stare, she didn’t push. Simply set the tray down and tenderly asked “Is there anything else I can get you?”
“No, this looks great. Thanks, mum.” Brian leant over and gave her a hug, the gesture made awkward by keeping his head back to ensure they didn’t bump the goggles.
“Well, if you think of anything… I know you need fuel to replace the sleep! Well, not replace it, nothing can, but…”
“It does really help.” Brian gave a grateful lopsided grin. “Can’t believe I’m not gaining weight. I mean, that’s like three normal breakfasts.”
More like four, that being a large and heavily fortified bowl of porridge alongside eggs on toast and a fruit salad. And lunch would be similarly grand. But despite devouring so much food, and moving less and less as the days mounted, if anything Brian was looking skinnier. And showing many other signs of strain. It twisted her heart.
Yes, it was for the greater good, and everyone said the Vigilant should be fine after, but… a parent was bound to worry.
“Nearly there.” Nina reassured them both. “Day twenty-three of thirty-one. You can do this! I mean, the elders said you were a natural, and you did very well in the training.”
“Mm. Yeah.” Brian reached up as if to rub his face then firmly checked the motion. “I really wasn’t ready for… all this. Though. Just how much it itches…”
“Ooh, of course.” Nina shuddered at the thought. “We… could try and wipe it?”
“No!” Brian recoiled. “No, it’s fine. I, I’m worried that as soon as I take it off, even a little, all that sleep will hit me at once, and… I’ll be fine. Like you said, we’re nearly there.”
“Right.” Nina murmured, putting on a brave smile. “How are your eyes feeling? Do you need painkillers?”
“Nooo, it’s… the headaches have gone away.”
“That’s good.”
Except Brian’s expression made it clear something about it wasn’t good, and he was uncertain about saying more. Nina put on her best understanding face and waited.
Silence weighed over them as Brian nibbled his way through the eggs on toast. He drank the orange juice. Then he handed over the empty plate and glass, as if that’s what she was waiting for.
Then he mumbled “You know how the elders said about… getting visions?”
Ah. Nina’s breath caught. But she kept her tone light and encouraging. “Mmhm?”
“I don’t know if… these aren’t dream-like at all, it feels more…” Brian absently stirred his porridge, his face scrunched in thought. “It’s less like visions and more like this stuff was always there, I just couldn’t see them.”
Nina gently straightened the blanket wrapped around his shoulders. Noting how he’d been avoiding looking past her this entire conversation. What was there, for him? Was it related to the forces this vigil was meant to keep away? Did that mean something was going wrong? Or perhaps it showed he was doing this exactly right?
What should she say? What could she do?
All she could think of was “Would you like me to ask the elders about it?”
“…Maybe.” Brian whispered. Which set the alarm bells ringing in earnest.
“Well, you eat up and I’ll go have a chat with them-”
“You have breakfast first.” Brian said firmly. “I know you made this as soon as you woke up, without eating yourself.”
“Of course, you were already up whereas I always need some time to be ready for food…”
Even through the smokey green of the lenses she could feel Brian’s flat exasperated stare. Teenagers for you.
Nina sighed and fondly assured him “I’ve got porridge waiting for me, I’ll eat that and then go talk to the elders about your vision maybe having ascended to another plane of existence or something. Happy?”
“Thrilled.” Brian scoffed, a wry grin tugging at his mouth, and started on his porridge as Nina huffed and bustled out of the room. A matching smile on her lips.

Prompt was “Once a generation, someone must stay awake for the entire month of January. No sleep. No rest. No closing your eyes for more than a heartbeat. In exchange, the village is protected from something that walks in the month-long dark. You’re on week three. The world doesn’t look right anymore. But you can see things now that were always invisible before.”