A quiet glow

      The long-awaited calm. Night had taken a heavy wing over the North, hiding everything in the area for miles. The sky was illuminated by millions of dancing stars, silently watching the chaos going on in the world from above. The war roaming the globe didn't concern them - sooner or later it would all be over, and the stars would remain in the shroud of the sky, sending greetings to future generations with their bright glow.       Suddenly glimmers of dim green light began to cut the night in half, gaining more and more momentum. The glow, like a serpent, slid smoothly through the darkness, taking over the entire sky - like cream swirling in a cup of hot tea. The darkness slowly began to recede, giving way to a truly beautiful northern phenomenon, and the earth gradually turned a greenish hue.       Only two people were awake in the small room on this winter night. The man in the skull mask watched silently as the northern lights were born. He rested his head against the wall and ran his gaze along the twisting patterns in the night sky. When the sky blazed with bright green colors, he turned his head to his companion lying nearby in his sleeping bag and called softly.       "Johnny."       He stirred, distracted from his unsuccessful attempts to fall asleep, and mumbled softly in reply "Hm?"       The masked man turned his gaze back to the window. Faint multicolored glints played in his eyes.       "The sky is beautiful today, isn't it?"       Johnny lifted himself up and turned in the direction his partner was looking. A greenish light licked his face, cautiously entering the room.       "Yeah," he said enthusiastically, rolling over onto his back so that he too could observe the natural beaut. "I haven't seen anything like this in a long time."       There was silence. Both were enchanted by the winter charms of the remote North, each thinking about something different.       The masked man was the first to break the silence."I remember the first time I'd seen that with my father on a fishing trip." Simon crossed his arms over his chest. He kept his gaze fixed on the glow, as if it were a way of bringing back memories. "He'd said something about spirits, but I didn't believe it at the time."       Johnny was at full attention, listening to his companion with pleasure. It wasn't often that this hidden type started to talk about his life.       "And I like all these mysterious myths from the past." When Riley had finished his short speech, MacTavish folded his hands behind his head and gave his partner a quick glance. "You begin to realize that the world used to be a different place."       After a brief pause, Simon's gruff voice came again "Do you believe in that?"       "That the world was different?" grinned the guy.       The masked man let out a sigh of exhaustion and sadness.       "Even that is hard to believe."       The relaxed atmosphere began to dissipate, leaving behind a bitter aftertaste. The world had indeed undergone a lot of changes since the war broke out. Enough years had passed since the beginning that it was hard to remember how carefree life had seemed back then.       "Yeah." Johnny bit his lip and looked out the window. The aurora bore down on the night, taking up almost the entire sky.       "But isn't that what we're fighting for?" Riley spoke again.       "I think it's going to be another 'other' world," Johnny concluded with a sigh.       War always leaves an indelible mark. That was an undeniable fact.       "But we'll create it ourselves."       Johnny glanced at his comrade. Simon was looking at him, and his eyes looked unusually kind in the glow. The mask hid his face, but MacTavish was sure he was smiling.       "Glad you caught this moment with me, Johnny."       Simon's confession sounded unexpected and seemed full of sincerity. Johnny's breath caught for a moment. He was struck by the words of his companion, who had never before shown any sign of affection for any living thing. It was as if he had been chosen by this stern, unfeeling man. The thought made a smile involuntarily creep onto his face.       "I hope you will remember this night for a long time," said MacTavish, and, making himself comfortable, began to watch the northern phenomenon again.       He heard a quiet sigh, like a chuckle.       "Why?" Simon asked at last.       Johnny answered without hesitation:       "Because it's the calmest she's been in a long time."       The greenish light slid slowly along the sky, illuminating the earth with its bright glow. The cold winter night walked through the neighborhood, frightening with biting frost those guests who ventured out of their warm shelters and into nature.       But Simon was not afraid of it. On the contrary, he seemed to want to give himself over to it completely, to hide in the snow, to get lost in the blizzard, to escape the emotions that he had sworn never to feel. But he was an ordinary man, and it was inherent in him to live through all their spectrums, even the painful ones. And there was nothing he could do about it.       The man stood in the middle of the snow and, head up, watched the celestial glow mesmerized. He didn't care that his body was shivering from the cold, that his fingers were stiff. Riley kept looking up, hoping that the pain that was tearing at his heart now would slip away with the glow and disappear into the night of the North. He shuddered as he called back to the memories of the day when sleep had never overpowered him and his partner. Their brief, but so casual and necessary conversation at that hour. It had been so long ago, but it felt like yesterday.       And Johnny had been right - Simon would always remember that quiet polar night.