The longest night

The heat was still bursting thermometers. The flies were still moving in spasmodic stops and starts. The leaves fluttered as the wind drove through. Even though the sun had gone, it was still day. Even through the winter storms the cold was kept at bay. The sun had rolled out of the sky and the moon had popped up, but light had still not left.

I could feel pain somewhere, as if a searing knife had lodged itself between my ribs. Pain flooded its way up and the birds flew away. A giant black flock of screeching flew up into the night.
The heat was waning away. Or maybe the heat was still there but the feeler weakening.
As the pain changed from a knife edge to a dull hammering, I tried to sleep but I could not embrace the night as I had every night before. The day had been too long... or had the night been too short... sleep just would not come.