darkness

A SHORT STORY. A girl is kidnapped but escapes. Narrowly. The darkness and her crippling terror is too much for her to handle while in an unknown forest...

Darkness. That is what I see when I open my drowsy eyes. I can’t remember where I am. But what I do know is that I can’t see a thing. And my head hurts. I blink several times to wear off the sleep sitting on my eyelids and my eyes strain as they search through the blackness, in anticipation of finding any kind of vitality through patches of nothingness. I see nothing. Nothing, but… Iron. That is what I taste when I gulp. My mind is alert now. It is blood that I taste… and now I remember.

I turn my head to the side and I feel the rigidness of the cool, hard ground beneath my cheek. I smell the damp grass and harsh shapes, of what I guess to be weathered-down rocks, dig into my skin. My movement is anything but eloquent, as my body shuffles uncomfortably on the rough and foreign dirt. To say it is cold is an understatement! The icy grip of the gust pins me down with its robust arms and strangles me in its frosty grasp, making me shudder.

The goose bumps on my arms and neck rise, along with my breaths as I struggle to push myself up with the feeble strength of my bare arms. My stomach growls like a starved animal and dull pain invades my already-battered and bruised body, leaving me throbbing all-over. I try to hold back my tears, but I know they are soon going to escape what little security I have locked behind my eyelids.

I am breathless after sacrificing nearly all of my lingering energy to finding a better position (sitting this time) and I briefly close my eyes, suppressing the tears that are threatening to escape from their cell. I shouldn’t cry. I need to be optimistic. I’ve come this far to save myself and all I need to do is figure out what to do from here. 

I’ll survive.

The backs of my thighs begin to feel cold but I have no choice but to welcome the prickle of the chilled air. It soon reaches to the tip of my toes, which are covered with my not-so-thick socks and tatty tennis shoes. I would regret choosing such flimsy material but it’s not as if I knew of the events that would unfold afterwards. Nevertheless, there is no need for me to worry because I am out of peril, as the only sounds that enter my eardrums are those of chirping birds, swaying trees and my steady breathing. I allow myself to take a moment to unwind and I finally feel a sense of safety. Finally.

I start to scavenge for my phone; my hands turn into predators. My phone; its’ prey. I could have dropped it! When I tripped and fell whilst running, running away from ‘him’. Hopefully there’s a chance for me to call someone for help and then everything will be back to normal. Just as it was yesterday when I was basking in the comfort of my home. Or was it really yesterday? God knows how many days have gone by.

But as I frantically pat the ground in search of a familiar shape, all I can hear is the loud crunch of the crusty leaves, crying out as my fingers smash their delicate bodies, instead of a solid object. That’s when my hand finds something small, soft and slimy. I have no clue as to what it is but as my hand travels along the object it becomes shorter in size until it becomes something long, thin and rubbery. A tail. An involuntary gasp escapes my mouth as horror washes over me. I wildly pull my hand away, realising what I had just come in contact with.

The sensation has irked me! I manoeuvre my body away, pushing the bottom-half of my weight with my puny arms as the rotten stench of the decomposing carcass " which I have just discovered " and the frigid-grip of the winter air intensifies, sending sudden shivers down my spine.

The fact that it is pitch-black adds to the penetrating anxiety in my stomach. I take in a sharp breath as there is a loud thump. My back has hit something firm and rigid. Using my hands to sense what it is, my arms cautiously wrap around the thick trunk. It is a relief that the object is merely a tree, however it is frightening as my mind starts playing a dangerous game of ‘What If It Wasn’t? So I attempt to stabilise my breathing again.

I panic while continuing to search for my phone. I can’t find it.

Just then, a harsh screech, as if it were a banshee, rips through my trance. My head automatically jerks to the direction of the loud scream.

He’s coming.

Next is the sound of approaching footsteps. Albeit fighting to stay calm, fear and trepidation are choking me and my breathing becomes fast and heavy. My arms are flailing around in search of my mobile. I can’t find it.

No, no, no. This can’t be the end, this isn’t supposed to be how it ends.

I can’t let him be the conqueror. And I will not be the fallen, but the fierce. Yet my body disagrees as it starts to cough and splutter and unexpected tears stream down my face. They don’t stop falling. Like a faucet left open. I need to get myself up. I need to run away. With all the energy my weakening body can muster up, I arise, but my legs shake too much as I stand.

The footsteps become heavier as he gets closer. I refuse to be his next victim, just like livestock waiting to be slaughtered. Just like cattle waiting to be murdered. Safety is merely a word now, meaningless and unavailing.

The fast thud, thud, thud of his steps matches the fast thud, thud, thud of the beating of my heart. My effort to call out Gods name is worthless as his raspy voice is heard in my ear: “there you are”. He aggressively grabs hold of me and I try… I try to fight back…

But it’s too late.

The heavy clang of metal against bone powerfully reverberates through my skull. The impact it has on my head triggers the harsh cry of white noise as it shakes me to my core, causing an eruption of pain. And finally. There is a familiar iron taste in my mouth as I fall through an abyss of blinding white light.

Then.

Darkness.

Author's Note

May have some errors but please review!