Darkness

A Story by Georgiee

Beneath the bodies she lay. The blood of the dead soaked her skin, anointing her. Her attempts to hide were futile, for the Darkness had eyes of the purest red which were fixated on her, stalking her. The dwindling flame of a dying candle flickered as a light breeze swept across the room. Shadows traversed the stone cladded walls and manoeuvred across the heavily embroiled curtains, with it so did the eyes. The being… The creature, moved as if it was darkness itself, silent, a hunter that could not be seen. The eyes of the Darkness were constantly gazing, no, burning into her. Every part of it was indistinguishable apart from the eyes. Something about them robbed her of her breath; they were captivating, prettier than the finest jewel. She no longer wished to hide from the Darkness but instead embrace it and gaze into the spheres of red light. The Darkness lapped at the withering candle light. The pathetic flame subservient to the darkness. Finally the inevitable happened, the Darkness consumed the light and with it her hope of escape. Nothing was left except the miniscule glow of the wick, and then the Darkness devoured that to.

Her death was now inescapable. The eyes, ever so slowly, were circling round the mound of bodies which ‘concealed’ her. It knew where she was.

‘It was ironic’, she thought. The bodies which had kept her ‘hidden’ had now become her captors. Their dead weight was too much to lift. Shaking violently she groped the Darkness in desperation, praying her hand would make contact with anything…. It did. Her fingers caressed the object. A flintlock pistol, the hammer pulled back, cocked. The eyes drew nearer. Without thinking she put the barrel to her skull and pulled the trigger. The spring loaded hammer flew forward, in turn causing the flint to strike a piece of steel. Simultaneously, as the hammer collides with the steel, the steel is pushed back, uncovering the gun powder. The contact, flint on hammer, creates a spark which ignites the gunpowder. A flame burns instantaneously igniting the main powder which sends the metal ball hurtling down the barrel. Without pain, the metal ball instantly pushed her cranium inward, sending shrapnel, made out of bone, into her brain. The metal sphere continued to push deeper into her head, tearing through her brain. Exiting, the metal ball blew a hole out of the other side of her head splattering grey brain matter across the cold, paved floor and imbedding itself in the wall. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head just as her head sundered and made contact with the paving, her hand still clasping the pistol.

The eyes, the Darkness, began to retreat from the room and light began to takeover. The eyes, which were once of the Purist red languidly faded and died never to be relit. The once distinguished candle, like a phoenix, revived itself and burnt brighter than before. All around the room, one by one, candles seemingly lit themselves, illuminating the room and unveiling the horror left by the Darkness.