Re-Coyle: Lights On or Off?

Don’t even start by saying that you are not scared of the dark. The old saying, “the bigger they are, the harder they fall,” rings true. It’s not just the children who moan and cry for their parents to leave a light burning in their room at bedtime; it’s the big, burly man who pulls his covers up over his head so nothing will get him. Everyone knows that once all the lights go out at night, bizarre and evil creature, of all types roam up and down our hallways.

We have all heard the creaky groans of an old wooden floor or rickety staircase pierce the silence of the night air. Our imagination always runs wild and wide open, expecting the worst to happen. We envision horrible and grotesque demons in our minds, creeping slowly toward our bedroom door. The murky shadows of the night camouflage their distorted outlines and scaly skins.

Disfigured heads, with bulging, bug-like eyes appear in the hall and peer through the crack in the door, just to have a glimpse at us while we sleep. Why is it coming for me? Does having my light on really keep them at bay? Would any respectable demon actually run and hide just because your Disney World lamp with the Mickey Mouse and Goofy figures is burning with multiple, one hundred-watt bulbs?

I don’t think it really matters if you sleep with your lights on or off. If something is out there and it wants in bad enough, it will make it to your doorstep. But once you close your eyes and go to sleep, your bright light will only help the dastardly beast illuminate his way through your house and into your personal nightmare. In fact, the light could serve as a beckoning beacon, encouraging any demon to come and see just who is afraid of the dark.

I dare you to leave the light on tonight and see what kind of creature ventures into your room. It very well could be the beginning of your next horror tale.

Brian Douglas Coyle, a graduate of Kent State University in Ohio, has over 30 years of experience in the banking industry. He is currently the Community Development Investment Manager at BB&T, the eleventh largest bank in the country. Brian is the author of Soul Riders and the 2008 release The Devil’s Sanctuary.