The Darkness in Me Read online

  I come to a standstill in the middle of the dark road. I just hope anyone that is on the road with me sees that I have stopped and doesn’t come crashing into me. I watch as the darkness creeps up to my car. The darkness has surrounded me. I can’t even see my own hand in front of me, the darkness doesn’t just occupy the space it’s in, its swallows it up and I feeling like I’m suffocating in it. I start to claw at my door to try escape the darkness, but my brain and hands are not working together, and I can’t get a grip on the handle.

  I know these are not the normal shadows that surround me. The normal ones speak with me, they caress me. This darkness, it wants to swallow me hollow. It wants me to drown in it. I can still feel the Gem of Dante in my hand, I feel it pulsing, I feel the heat that it is giving off. But unlike my hand, the rest of my body has gone cold, so cold that I’m starting to shake, yet I’m still unsure if it’s from the coldness or that fact the I’m freaking the hell out. If I could have seen what was in front of me, I’m sure I would have seen puffs of smoke from my mouth coming out as I breathe, but I don’t. I’m surrounded by the blackness.

  I give up on the handle, it’s useless, even as I tug and tug on it, it’s not giving way. It’s not opening the door. I try to wind down my window and that too has locked into place. I consider smashing my window open, but I’m not sure I’m strong enough for me to even break it. I shift in my seat, if I know I can’t break it by hitting it, I’m sure I can try kick the damn thing open.

  I lift myself to try move my feet from under the steering wheel when something bumps against my car, which causes my car to sway on its tires. I go dead still. I can’t hear any sound, and I can’t see any movement. I wait for the next bump on my car, but nothing happens. It feels like eternity goes by before I’m brave enough to move myself into position. I pull back my leg to try kick the window, when another bump come from the other side of the car, except it doesn’t stop with the one bump, the next one comes from the opposite side the car and now whatever is out there is taking turns rocking my car from side to side.

  I want to scream, I want to call out for help, but my voice is caught in my throat and I just sit there, rocking from side to side. Hoping that whatever is out there goes away. I know it is wishful thinking. I know my chances are slim to none of that happening, but what else can I do. I could most probably call someone to come help me, but I can’t even see my hands, I don’t think I would even be able to see my phone. Even if I did manage, would they arrive in time to help me, most of the people from the town are at his house, and most are probably drunk. No, I’m on my own in this.

  With my fear levels spiking, so I feel my powers slithering under my skin, wanting out. The last time they came out because of fear, I nearly killed everyone. I can’t go back to that memory, I can’t let them out. But the feel of my powers, they caress my skin, they at least make me feel safe. And I know, if all else fails, I will let my powers out, I just don’t know if I could ever bring them back in.

  The rocking of my car continues, with the momentum picking up, to the point where I’m holding on not to be thrown about in my car. A loud crash comes from the front of my car, like something landed on the bonnet of my car. I look in the direction of where the crash I assumed came from, but I still see nothing. I do on the other hand, hear a scraping sound, like someone is running their nails on a chalkboard. I grit my teeth at the sound, it’s so loud that I hear a slight cracking of glass.

  One second the sound is unbearable, and the next everything has gone quite again. I keep looking towards the windscreen while my car is being rocked back and forth. I hear a slight tapping on the glass, like someone is trying to test the strength of it. The car stops being rocked from side to side, and no other noise can be heard but the tapping on my windscreen.

  I know now would be the best time to start screaming my head off, but my voice is still nowhere to be found, and I just stare out into the darkness, awaiting whatever horror is outside of my car. What feels like eternity while listening to the tap, tap, tap of my windscreen, the darkness either lifts slightly or whatever it is can be seen through the darkness. But I wish it couldn’t, I wish it could have just stayed hidden in the darkness, but most wishes never come true, if any come true. I can never un-see what I’m seeing right in front of me, I can never un-look at the monster that is looking at me straight in the eyes.

  The creatures eyes are what penetrate the darkness first. Slightly larger than a humans eyes, but where human eyes have pupils and white surrounding it, these creatures eyes are completely red with a black pupil in the middle. I’ve never in my life have seen something so unearthly before I saw this creature. The creatures face is grey with most of its skin peeling away from its body, where there should have been some sort of muscle or bone, there is nothing. An empty shell or whatever the hell it is supposed to be.

  I watch as it taps its long black finger nails on the window, the tapping now starting to drive me insane. It continues to just tap while looking at me. It’s like it is waiting for a command, not doing any more than its told. A slow smile starts to spread on the creatures face, showing row after row of long shark like teeth but other than that, its mouth is empty, no tongue, no gums, just rows and rows of long shark like teeth. What the fuck is going on?

  My thoughts are disrupted from my pending doom when a howl pierces through the darkness, echoing in my ears and rattling the windows. Followed by four more howls all doing the same thing. So, my options of death have increased from one type of death to now two types. I don’t know how I will get out of this, but I will not die that’s for sure, I will blast these fuckers with my magic if they get to close to me.

  The creature that is on my bonnet tap, tap, tapping away at the windscreen lifts its head away from me to look into the darkness from where the howls came from. I follow to where it is looking, but I can’t see through the darkness, I can only see this creature.

  A few seconds pass and its eerie quiet, the tapping has stopped while this creature is distracted by whatever is in the darkness, and I sit dead still, watching what is going on outside of my car. I see the creature almost flinch and try to crawl its way up my car, whatever is out there, this creature clearly doesn’t like it.

  Before I could even see whatever else was out there, the creature is slammed into the windscreen, no sound is coming from its open mouth, but the look of it makes me think it is screaming in agony. The creature that is now pinning the other creature to the windscreen makes my body shiver in terror.

  What I assume must be some sort of gigantic dog, its fur is as dark as the night, where it should be soft like a normal dog, its coarse, hard and what looks like sharp points coming from the tips of its hair. Its eyes also give its unearthly look, the glowing yellow eyes are almost as bright as the sun, I have to pull my eyes away from the dogs eyes before my own eyes start to burn. I watch how it pins down whatever the hell kind of creature was on my bonnet. With a low growl coming from this dog mouth and what looks like to be three rows of razor-sharp canine teeth, it bites into the creature its holding down. No sound comes from the creature pinned down on my bonnet as I watch as its arms and legs thrash wildly about, and then it goes still.

  Where blood should have covered the dogs mouth, there is nothing. Another bump that rocks my car draws my attention away from the dog to the side of my car. I don’t know how I missed it, I was clearly too captivated by the dog now on my bonnet, finishing off what is left of that other monster to notice two more massive dogs sitting on the other side of my door, just staring at me.

  Low growls coming from the other side of my car pulls my attention away from the two dogs to watch another two dogs finishing off more of those creepy ass monsters that had attacked me earlier. I realize now that I can see my surroundings, as the darkness seems to have lifted. I can see the road ahead clearly with the street lights casting an eerie glow down the road. I look to the dogs that have now finished off their midnight snack, they do nothing but sit there and watch me
. The dog that was on my bonnet has now hopped off to join the others in watching me.

  I dare not get out of this car. Not that it will help matters, their jaws alone look as if they could tear into metal without too much problems. I go to start my car again, when I look to my hand where I’m still clutching the damn gem like it’s my last hope. I wonder if they are here for that, maybe Jacin has realized I have his gem or if that creep, Mr. Wright sent them to come collect what he wants.

  Either way, the dogs don’t make a move towards me when I start the car, they don’t seem to be bothered by the fact that I want to get out of here. I slowly start to pull away, keeping a close eye on them when I do, I’m sure they could push the car over if they so wanted to. I watch them as they watch me drive away, I’ve never been more relieved before. I just want to get home, where I assume, I will be safe.

  After the last few nights, I don’t know where safe is anymore. When I close my eyes tonight, will I be safe still, will Jacin decide to kill me in my sleep or will he wait until tomorrow when I’m supposed to be going back there, not if I can help it. Or will the monster from earlier come back for me? Life just got a little more complicated, a little more unsafe, a little more deadlier.

  Before I finally close me eyes, and hope for a dreamless dream, I need to dispose of this gem, whose pulse is a constant warmth in my palm. Once I arrive home, I know what I need to do with it, its pulse is a vibration, calling all those who can hear it, who can feel it. I will need to put it where it won’t be felt, won’t be heard. I need to put it to rest, far beneath the surface.

  Chapter Ten

  “Asleep, awake, it is all the same. You are my dream, my nightmare, my knight in shining armor.” - Natalie

  ~Natalie~

  “Natalie, Natalie, wake up. You’ve almost slept the entire morning away.” I hear my mother saying while she is shaking me to wake up, disturbing me from my peaceful sleep I was enjoying way too much.

  “What is it, Faith is opening the shop today, I get to sleep in a bit.” I say to her half asleep and half grumpy. Parents, they never let you sleep in.

  “I got such exciting news to tell you, and I don’t have much time to do so. So, wake up.”

  I grumble out some words I’m hoping are not heard by my mother as she, wait, skips out of my room? What on earth is going on. This has me at least moving my ass quicker out of the bed than it normally would have. I glance over to the clock by my bedside table, and pale. Its ten thirty in the morning. Jacin told me to be there by ten. Not that I was going to go. Come on, really? Did he expect me to come when he ordered?

  Come for me little one, was all I could hear echoing in my ear. Okay, so I did when he ordered, but not again. Not if I can help it. At least he didn’t come fetch me like he said he was going to. But then again, he said I wouldn’t like it if he did, and my parents are here, so I doubt he would make a scene in front of them.

  The news my mother is so excited about drowns my hopes in ice cold water. Oh fuck. I quickly make my way down the stairs in my pjs. Not even bothering to get dressed. Whatever this news is, it can’t be good. Why would it be? It’s me we are talking about.

  “Mom, what’s going on?” I ask her wearily. Not even sure I want the answer now.

  “Oh honey, I’ve never won a thing in my life before. And last night they have this competition, and I thought what the heck, let me enter, my odds are better here than playing the lotto. And guess what?” My mother asks me excitedly.

  “You won?” I ask her wearily again.

  “I won!” She shouts at me. Relief floods through me as this is what she was so excited for.

  “Really? That’s fantastic mom, what did you win?” I ask after giving her a hug and making my way over to make myself the biggest cup of the strongest coffee I could find.

  “I won a cruise for two, for sixty days to cruise the Mediterranean, all expenses paid for. Like everything, we even won a voucher with the cruise for extra spending. This is once in a life time. I don’t even want to know what it’s worth!”

  I feel like today is the day that I have multiple ice-cold drowning experiences. I turn to look at my mother, coffee pot in one hand and mug in the other. She is so excited that she doesn’t even notice me standing there, in complete utter shock. Coincidence? No. I know this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and that they are a retired couple that could use a break from working as hard as they have done, but seriously? Sixty freaking days?

  “W-when do you leave?” I manage to stutter out of my mouth.

  “The taxi is already on its way, the plane leaves in two hours, I was waiting patiently for you to wake up this morning, I wanted to find out how your night was, but considering you were fast asleep by the time we got home, I take it nothing exciting happened.” My mother says out breathlessly.

  “No, nothing exciting.” I whisper back. Almost getting fucked in a dark corner by a stranger I would have gladly sold my soul too just to have a few more minutes alone with in the darkness, and then getting attacked by those creatures. No nothing exciting. Maybe it’s the best they are out of town for a while.

  I’m jarred from my thoughts when the sound of a hooter comes from outside. The taxi is here. I quickly finish pouring my coffee into my mug and replace the pot in the machine. My dad is already out of the door with the bags while my mother is hugging me, reminding me of all the little things I need to remember, and telling me to keep safe. I should be telling her that.

  “Mom, are you sure this whole thing is legit? It’s a lot to win at a little town competition.” I ask her

  “Of course, it was sponsored by Jacin Lawson, he does so much for the town and its people.”

  Ice cold drowning. Fuck.

  Coincidence? I highly doubt anything Jacin does, is anything but planned.

  My dad comes rushing back, giving me a tight squeeze and rushing back to the taxi, I can see he is excited, they never really had money to take vacations, let alone anything like this. I turn back to my mom, who is still rattling off on the things I need to remember.

  “Mom, go, before Dad leaves you behind.” I say to her jokingly. “I’ve got this, I’ll manage a few weeks without you guys.” I give her another hug and usher her on her way or she might never leave me with all the lists she is giving me.

  “We’ll call you later honey once we land. Love you.”

  “Love you guys too.” I call out to them as I wave bye to them and watch as the taxi disappears down the road and around the corner.

  I look down at my feet and realize I’m still in my little unicorn pjs and giant unicorn slippers, while standing outside in the middle of the day, not a good thing. I turn back quickly to go inside where I can get changed for the day and decide if I’m going to grace Jacin with my presence or am I going to just wait and see if he comes through with his threat.

  I have no doubt he is a man of his word, but honestly, I’ve got more pressing issues than his bruised ego, one being attacked by those creatures. I need to get to the covens’ library that’s hidden in the town library and see if I can find out what the hell that thing was on my bonnet and then those doglike kinds of things, at least those things saved my life. I wouldn’t want to be on the wrong side of those things, I’d take my chances with the creature on the bonnet any day.

  I hear the sound of a door being slammed, and I turn back to look who it could be. Most people would be at work at this time of the day, unless you are lucky, like me. After I turn back, I wish I hadn’t, I wish I had just run inside like I was planning on, maybe I would have made it in time. Maybe. Six huge men are walking with a purpose in my direction. Like shit. These men are almost as big as Jacin, which is basically twice my small size. And shit again, why do all these men look like they just stepped off a GQ cover. Can’t a girl catch some sort of break.

  The man in front of the other five men, has chalk white shoulder length hair that is loose around his shoulders, and even from this distance I can see that his eyes are pale grey and
are almost glowing they are so pale. Almost like a faint glow of a light coming from his eyes. He is dressed in all black, black jeans and a tight v neck t-shirt that is straining around his biceps. I don’t get a chance to take in the other men, as common sense finally hits me, and I turned to run in my giant unicorn slippers. I make it through the door and almost get the door shut, when a massive arm comes through the gap to stop me.

  “Little lady, why don’t you just let me in? It would be so much easier if you did.” The man says in a sing song voice to me. I almost feel like I’m the little pig and he is the big bad wolf.

  “Over my dead body, asshole!” I grind out while pushing all my body weight onto the door. It clearly does nothing, as one little push from the man outside and I’m almost thrown across the room. I land face first onto the floor, and a small moan comes from me as I lose some breath in the process, but I at least manage to roll over to watch the door and the men outside it.

  “Have it your way then.” The man with the white hair says to me while stepping through the door.

  “Get out, or I’ll scream.” I say to the now six men that have come through the door. I start to shuffle backwards on my ass, sliding across the floor to get away from these men. My power is buzzing from within, wanting to be released. I can’t, not here, there are way too many casualties.

  “Scream little lady, and I’ll find something else useful to do with that mouth of yours.” He says to me, god, sex on a stick much kind of voice?

  I watch as he turns to the other five men that are with him, barking orders at them like they are good little doggies. “Pack up her shit, Jacin wants her back in 10 minutes.”

  I watch as he turns his attentions on me again. I wish he hadn’t. He might be beautiful, and sexy and everything a woman would want, I still don’t want his attention on me. “Don’t be afraid of me little lady. I would never hurt you.” He says to me with a grin on his face. He is clearly enjoying this.