Lights

The "Don't Hide Your Light" influencer tour was a hulksmash; the tropes were same old (shamelessly lifted from a couple of pivotal works published 50-60 years ago), but the arenas were packed with the newly pandemic-enlightened ... the ones who were terrified that THIS was all there was to life. The line-up talked, cheered, admonished, broke into groups, walked around with a mic picking "bright lights" out at random, nodded fervently while listening, and wiped the odd tear away (on point and on camera). "Screw you, TED," one of them said backstage. "You can CHOKE on your 15 minutes of fame; we are an EVENT!" The number of followers exploded for everyone on social media and some viral vids action was happening. "Looks like we're getting groupies, too!" somebody remarked, pointing from the side at the guy in the front on the left, the one they were pretty sure had followed them to every city (standing in the same place at every venue). It wasn't until Omaha (when they popped the lights off at the "You Are Shining!" musical close) that they saw it - a vast and impossible glow - an aura the color of blood.