Darkness: Chapter 2: "Darkness"

I walked across the parking lot. My eyes locked on street corner. As my heart beat faster the thoughts of the surrounding darkness pressed in. I held on to my anger. What did I have to lose? A crappy flip phone? Half a college education? Or even a one bedroom apartment I shared with a roommate. Well, my roommate wasn’t so bad. My anger lessoned a little as I thought of the spunky little Mila. In a fucked up world, she somehow made everything a little brighter. Sometimes her bubbling over happiness was a bit annoying, but she had a heart of gold and was the only reason I managed to pay the bills. Without her, I’d never be able to afford the apartment on my own.

Maybe I would catch up with her. Probably not. She should be home by now. Maybe she was even making dinner and she would definitely share. She was kind like that. Ever sweet, ever thoughtful. She made me want to be a kinder person, but actually putting that much effort in was another story.

I hastened towards the corner. I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until I reached the safety of the puddle of light. I panted while I waited for the walk signal. I had to get a grip. Nobody was even out here. What was I so afraid of?

Once the walk signal flashed, I scurried across the road to the next light. I pinched my purse tighter to my side and took one more deep breath as I exited the safety of the street lamp. I had to be brave. Fuck, Mila did this every night and she was just fine. She wasn’t raped or mugged. She was even down right happy. Maybe I need a little bit of darkness in my life. Maybe that was the trade-off for being happy.

But fear was irrational. I wasn’t something you could choose and for me darkness was two-fold. Not only did it conjure panic but because of my vertigo it also made me incredibly uncoordinated. I was like walking when you were plastered but at least drunks can self-correct. My inner ears were so fucked up I had to crawl down the hallway walls just to take a piss at night. Fucking terrible.

As I left the lights behind, the buildings grew taller blocking any moonlight. The darkness closed in. My eyes darted from every nook and cranny expecting… well I don’t know what, to jump out, but something scary. It could be a bad guy or a vampire, or hell a windiego. Images of slender white bodies with a mouthful of pointed teeth plagued my mind. My throat tightened. I could feel that fear surging through me again.

I was being stupid. None of that was real. I watched too many movies and read too many books. There was nothing there. I knew it, but why did it feel like there was? I clutched my purse. If I looked, I knew there would be nothing. I could do this. I quickly swung a look back while I continued walking. Nothing followed me. See? I was just being stupid.

I whipped my head back around, but now it was worse. Why did I have to look? I knew nothing was there but my throat clenched so tightly I felt like I was choking. There’s nothing there. There’s nothing there. One more look.

I swung around. Nothing. See? It’s nothing. My heart raced faster. I spun forward. More teeth flashed through my mind. And eyes, and claws. Oh my god, why? I couldn’t handle it. I started to jog. Why’d I have to do that? That just made it worse. I was moving so slow, I had to move faster. To get away. My mind whited. The street darkened and my feet flew faster.

In a few moments I was feeling at a sprint. I couldn’t see where I was going because the vertigo was bouncing my vision so badly. I started to careen sideways into the road. I tried to correct as my heart threatened to explode from my chest. As I over adjusted, I ended up winging around the corner of a building. I had no idea where I was, but I couldn’t stop. The darkness was still there, like it was chasing me, but I knew it was just irrational fear.

I had to find light. Somewhere, anywhere. I had to get a grip. My feet pounded the pavement. My balance threatened to top me over. I darted around another corner, then another. I was running out of stamina. I couldn’t sprint like this forever, but my terror wouldn’t let me stop. I flew around the next corner.

Something tripped up my foot. I flew with my hands outstretched in front of me. As I hit the pavement, the asphalt bit into me. Suddenly everything screamed in pain. I had ripped a hole in pants. My hands, pants, knees, and chin all stung and started to get hot, I assumed with blood. Only then did a realize someone was shouting at me.

“What the fuck! What is wrong with you? You came out of fucking nowhere. Don’t you have any respect? What…”

“My vision swam, but the street light overhead illuminated the area. I blinked and concentrated on the ground in front beneath my hands. My breath came in ragged gasps. I flipped over and sat staring at the jerking blob that was yelling at me. As my vision coalesced, the object of my flight registered. It was a body. I was familiar. Oh my god.

“Mila!” I screeched.

I scrambled across the ground towards her. The man yelling at me, jumped out of the way. I didn’t register what he was saying.

“Mila, I’m so sorry.” My hand wrapped around her wrist. She was cold. “Mila?”

She lay still. Too still. Her face was frozen in a silent scream. Her eyes looked like she was in shock, they were too big, too wide.

“Mila! Oh my god.” I spun on my injured knees, grounding them into the asphalt. I looked up to the man still shouting obscenities at me. “What did you do? Did you kill her? Did you rape her?”

“What No! Fuck no! She’s my sister. Damn it. Who are you? How do you know her?”

I ignored the man and turned back to her. My arms closed around Mila’s body as I pulled her into a hug. My breath still came in gulps as my lungs spasmed. Her body hung limp as I held her against me. I felt awkward. I wasn’t really a hugging kind of person, but Mila was my friend. And now, she was dead. She was the only good thing in my life and now that had been taken from me.

“Mila…” It came out a sob. I didn’t even realize I was crying. I never cried. I looked down into her angelic face. It was okay. I could cry for her. She deserved it. She was a good person and she was good to me. If I was going to cry over anyone, it would be her. The tears began to fall, as the panic and terror instilled by the darkness was chased away by grief.

The man’s hand grasped my shoulder. “There’s nothing we can do for her.”

My eyes snapped to him. “What happened? Did you do this?” My voice was low and coarse. I could feel the quick temper rising to the surface again.

I had no fighting skills to speak of. I didn’t think I’ve actually ever punched anyone for that matter, but the rage burned inside of me. This dick weed jut took away the only good thing in my life. I had nothing to live for now. What did I have to lose?

I released Mila, laying her gently back to the ground at the edge of the light. Her platinum blonde hair draped perfectly across the ground. I turned firey eyes to the man. My fist balled as I stood to face him.

He took a step back with his hands held up. “Whoa, wait. I didn’t kill her. I was trying to protect her. She’s my sister.”

I hesitated. He had said that before. His hair was dark but he had the same blue eyes. His features echoed a family resemblance as well. She had spoken of her brother on occasion.

“Anton?” I asked.

He nodded. “Yeah, I—,”

“What happened?” I growled.

His eyes snapped over my head. “That,” he hissed.

My head whipped around. They alley filled with darkness like it was liquid.

“What the he—,” I started.

Anton grasped my arm and pulled. The familiar fear I felt earlier gripped my throat closed. I’d never seen the darkness actually move before. It was coming at me. The soft edges of it blurred out everything as it melted forward.

The street light above us flickered and buzzed before it shorted out.

“Shit,” Anton spat. “Come on.” He tugged at my arm.

My eyes adjusted to the dark. I couldn’t tear my eyes away. I was frozen but it was hard to tell if it was terror or curiosity that held me. My fingers grasp Mila’s arms I watched the darkness come. I knew it was over. Deep down I knew it had me.

The inky blackness rolled over Mila, enveloping her other side. She started to move away from me. My heart jumped. At first I thought she was still alive, but quickly realized it was the darkness. It was taking her.

“No,” I hissed. I gripped her arm to hold her in place. It wasn’t taking her. I didn’t care what this black thing was or how afraid it made me. Mila wasn’t going anywhere. She deserved better. I pulled. The darkness pulled harder. More of its smoky black depth curled over her. It yanked her and I with it. I was dragged across the ground ripping larger holes in my bloody knees.

“No!” I screamed as I slid across the pavement.

Anton stumbled forward, overcoming his shock over either the darkness or my sheer stupidity. He grabbed my arm and anchored us.

The blackness pulled. I pulled back. The absurdity of this tug of war over my dead friend’s body was starting to register. Was I really fighting with the absence of light?

After another yank that sent us tumbling forward, the darkness swirled. It covered more of her body as it reached up her arm toward my hand. It felt like pins and needles as it wrapped around my arm.

I looked down at my disappearing arm. “What the fuck?”

I still didn’t let go. I don’t know why. Maybe I had just had it with things going wrong tonight, but whatever this was, it wasn’t going to eat my friend.

“You can’t have her,” I breathed through gritted teeth.

The darkness climbed up my arm. I couldn’t even feel my hand anymore, but I willed it closed anyways. The blackness jerked us forward. Anton sized my other arm. He yanked me back.

“Just let go, stupid bitch. You’re going to get yourself killed for nothing!”

“No! Not for nothing. For Mila!” I shrieked. My voice had never sounded like that before. I bit my tongue in surprise.

The smoky dark jerked again, drawing my attention. Anton planted his feet. I was caught in the middle as the force of each side pulled me. One of the two entities jerked hard. A sickening pop filled my ears as my shoulder separated from my arm. My cry pierced the air as I flew backwards. Anton and I tumbled over each other across the ground. I scrambled to see Mila again, my vision swimming from the vertigo. The street light flickered back on as my vision settled. She was gone

Copyright 2019 Ava Altair

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