Night Guard

Description

A troubled, drunk night security guard ELIJAH patrols the abandoned and haunted HOREB STEEL MILL. He is new to the job, and is sure there is something strange about the mill as nothing seems grounded in reality. Stormy winds whistle through the cold metal structure and sound like human whispers. Suddenly a VOICE asks \"What are you doing here?\" but Elijah replies to an empty steel mill. At the morning handover, the wise, old day guard JIGNESH is concerned by Elijah\'s encounter. He has seen many night guards lose their minds and lives to Horeb Steel Mill, and advises Elijah to quit the job. But Elijah is ‘tough enough’ to endure a haunted steel mill. Jignesh leaves Elijah with sage advice; too much time in the darkness with just your thoughts for company, is never healthy.The storm picks up as Elijah patrols through the mill. The Voice comes back, relentlessly reminding him of how worthless he is. Elijah begs the Voice to stop, but it doubles-down. Elijah chases the source of the Voice to the roof where Gale force winds push Elijah toward the edge of a long drop. Elijah spreads his arms, willing for the wind to take him; but it dies down. At the morning handover, Jignesh questions a drunken Elijah about the shift, but Elijah is a closed book. Jignesh recommends Elijah to go easy with the whiskey, but Elijah quickly gets defensive and scary. The next night, Elijah is drunk on patrol; the Voice back to torment him. The Voice reminds Elijah of the horrific events from his past. Elijah descends into a spiral of rage, but a sudden earthquake stifles him and breaks a gaping crevice through the floor. A fiery ORANGE LIGHT shines from within, and like a moth to a flame, Elijah climbs down into it. Through the darkness, Elijah’s horrified screams bounce around the dark chambers of the mill.Jignesh arrives to the morning handover to find Elijah in a hungover and traumatised state. Elijah saw something horrific in the crevice but Jignesh reassures him that it is all in his head. To prove himself, Elijah leads Jignesh to the crevice, but it is gone. Elijah grows panicked; questions reality. He grips Jignesh’s throat but is shocked to find him tangible. \"You\'re your own worst enemy!\" Jignesh scolds. The next night, as Elijah broods in the darkness, the Voice returns. \"What are you doing here?\". Elijah deeply considers the question. The next morning, he takes the first bus back the way he came.

Biblical Connection

The idea of Night Guard is adapted from 1 Kings 19. In the wake of the events of 1 Kings 18, Elijah flees from his troubles and falls into a deep, horrible depression. From verse 8, Elijah takes refuge at the mountain of Horeb where he hides in a cave. Spending too much time in the dark with just your thoughts for company is never healthy, and Elijah’s mental health falls to an all-time low. Elijah wallows in self-pity when the Lord asks “What are you doing here?”. A storm, an earthquake, and a fire pass through Horeb before the Lord asks again “What are you doing here?”. Elijah suddenly finds purpose, and a solution to his troubles and so heads back the way he came. 1 Kings 19 really jumped off the page for me. The themes of depression and loneliness are all too crushingly topical for many people and Elijah’s story is one I can also unfortunately relate to. 1 Kings 19 is a story we can learn from. It is good to take a break and gain perspective. Even in our darkest moments, there is always a way out and forward.