A Good Night Out

There is a green lamppost in the center of Cambridge, England that goes by the name of Parker's Piece. It sits at the hub of the city beside a vast, square expanse of grass the size of several football pitches, with two diagonal paths crossing it. At the intersection of these two paths is the lamppost. At night, it is literally the only source of light in every direction for hundreds of feet.
No-one fully understands the circumstances under which certain events are allowed to transpire. The only agreed upon points are that firstly, it must be night-time. Secondly, you must be alone. Finally, you must have been celebrating something earlier. A degree, or test, or even a birthday. Bear in mind that Cambridge is a student city, and students are masters at finding reasons to celebrate. There are more obscure parameters involving your movements around the various pubs in the city center, but unfortunately, the quality of informative sources breaks down.
If you do meet the criteria, you will find yourself walking towards Parker's Piece, then onto the tarmac path towards the shining beacon. As you get closer, the general din of the city will start to quieten, and you may become aware of something being "off". This may concern you enough to look around, but everything will be reassuringly normal.
Until you reach the lamppost.
You will immediately notice that there is a source of light other than the bulbs in the lamp. About eye-level from the ground, two words will burn with a malevolent orange glow.
"REALITY CHECKPOINT"
The moment you read and comprehend these words, as much as us mortals can, the game begins. You will hear the sound of smashing glass, but will not be able to discern the direction from which it came. Don't bother looking anyway, because by this point, you should be running.
As you scramble as fast as you can away from the center, you may catch the sound of a hunting horn and the bays of what you hope are hounds. Now understand this isn't one of those "you can't look back" arrangements. You can. What you see will probably motivate you to run that much faster, and at this point, additional speed can only be beneficial to your well-being.
Sprinting along the path, your attention may be drawn to the police station, located on one of the sides. Do not leave the path to run towards it. Leaving the path will break the agreement. They have agreed that this race will be fair. It can just as easily become unfair.
Approaching the end of the path, the noise of the hunt will rise to a crescendo, then abruptly die away as you leave the green. Scrutinizing the lamppost from here will only reveal a short flurry of shadows that will quickly disappear.
And for this, you will receive the reward. The other side of the veil has become aware of your celebration and will offer you a gesture. Tomorrow, when you wake, it will be the best day of your life.
For some, they may write a song that will live for ages, or a story that will resonate through all. Others may meet their soulmate, or find their direction in life. It's truly unknown how many success stories that originate from Cambridge can be attributed to the green.
One final thing to note is that any who complete this trial and achieve their perfect day will forever have a "trophy" of sorts. Whenever they cross Parker's Piece again, night or day, if they touch the lamppost as they pass, a resounding howl can be heard.
Some people will convince themselves it is a dog.
The hunted will know better.
Category:Historical Archive
Category:The Silicon Lemming
Category:Places
Category:Ritual