The Darkness Remains

“One drops. One falls. It continuous, it doesn’t wait. It swallows, consumes even,” I stretched my leg out and stepped in the direction of the mist. It was foggy, but raining at the same time.

”Two drops. Two falls. it continuous and devours in ways we never see.”

”Who’s there?” I finally built up to scream.

The mist vanished and I remained. The rain continued to drop as I walked. No purpose, no hope, just action.

It took me three hours, but I finally made it. My clothes dripped as I stared at the window.

A lovely family of four sat on the floor, they were all smiling and laughing with one another. One of them extended their arm, it was a little kid. They had blond hair with the most beautiful blue eyes. He stood up and threw a ball, but it didn’t go far.

I closed my eyes and sighed. I grabbed the door handle and stepped inside. It felt empty, the lights were off as I stepped through the dark and cold hallway.

There were stairs leading to a door upstairs. I wanted to follow it, but a part of me was scared.

“Darkness catches up on us in ways we never expect.”

I shook my head and followed the stairs up toward the door, ignoring the other door at the bottom of the stairs, which led to the family. As I stepped on the stairs something I hadn’t noticed in my hand clanked against the side of the wall; sounding metallic

I ignored it and opened the door at the top of the stairs, inside was a mirror. The room looked to be a bedroom, but everything was gone. The marks of a bed remained on the wooden floor, while torn pieces of cloth were scattered around the room.

The mirror, in the middle of the room, on a wooden chair stared right into my soul. Blue eyes stared at me as I stared at them.

I remembered something, the girl. She was crying. Her toy was on the floor, broken into a million pieces. Her soft cry sounded familiar, much like the faint noises that come out when I’m down.

I turned from the mirror, a piece of me staying behind. A woman, brown haired, gorgeous green eyes, gazed at me.

“I loved you.”

The words echoed through my mind. I knew her, this woman. She—

I shook my head and stomped down the stairs. I needed to see the family. I turned toward that door from earlier and pushed the door open full force, banging loudly against the side.

The family stared at me in horror.

”What the heck are you doing our house?” the man screamed.

I stared at them, “Beth? Mel, Jo?” I whimpered. But they weren’t them. They looked nothing like them, where was I?

The man stood up and grabbed his phone, “I’m calling the police.”

The family whimpered behind their dad as I stood there in silence.

”Three drops. Three falls. Just like your family who all fell down-”

”Shut up!” I screamed, “I didn’t do it!”

”Didn’t do what? Sir are you okay?” the man asked. “We can help you, just put the knife down!”

”Knife?” blood dripped off the metallic knife I was holding. Why do I have this?

I stepped closer toward them, “I’m not trying to hurt you.”

“Get back!” the man screamed as his daughter burst out into tears.

”Oh, I’m… Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” I smiled. I got down on my knees and extended my hand out, “Come here.”

”Don’t listen to him sweetie, you stay right there.”

”I said… COME HERE!” I screamed, the air from my lungs becoming so empty I almost choked.

The girl whimpered and ran toward me, her dad tried to stop her, but she knew I wouldn’t hurt her.

”Please don’t hurt her,” their whole family screamed as she stepped closer.

I put my arms around her, “It’s okay, little girl,” I stared into her green eyes.

”Why are you doing this?” she asked.

”Oh Mel, how i’ve missed you,” I sighed, a tear rolling from my eye. I hugged her tightly, I could hear her family gasp for a second. Her heart was racing tightly. Her skin was brittle and soft, it looked like Beth’s.

I stopped hugging her and gazed into her eyes. I could tell she was staring at the knife the whole time, “What’s wrong? I won’t hurt you.”

Everything stopped for a moment. It was like everything went into slow motion. The knife clattered on the floor, as the girl tried to grab it from my hands. It slit my hand, blood dropping all over the floor.

Her mum screamed in fear and her dad pulled her away, inspecting her. “Are you okay?” he panted.

I stared at my hand, why is she getting asked if she’s okay, I’m the one hurting here. I curled my hand around the knife. It felt soft, like I was meant for this.

I stood up and stared at the family. My knife in my hand. My thoughts getting louder as I hear sirens near.

I lunged at the dad and smashed his head into the wall. He tried to move, but he grabbed his head in pain and stayed on the floor.

I picked the girl up and held the knife against her head, stepping away from her family. The mother screamed as the son shook his dad.

Voices could be heard from the door and banging started. I held the knife at her face and saw Mel, “I’m so sorry little girl, I ruined it all.”

He held the knife closer toward the skin… I meant I. I held it closer and something just clicked. This other version of me, the pain the despair. It’s holding me back. I let go, I became he.

The cops smashed the door open and held a gun at him, “Put the girl down!”

He whimpered and stabbed the girl, “Goodbye Mel, Beth, and Jo.”

”No!” the cop screamed as he shot the guy in the leg.

Both of them fell to the floor, one of them dead, the other alive.

The mother screamed, as the son whimpered.

The dad faintly breathed, as tears rolled down his eyes.

The girl bled, not feeling a single thing.

The darkness caught up to him.

Later the ambulance arrived and the dead body dragged toward the car. The man cried as he was dragged into the ambulance, his eyes looked gone. No color, no resemblance of who he was. It rained and the mist returned over him. he lived in it because he let himself become it.