From Darkness To Light

Chapter 3 - Endless

You will never be free. Not of me or of the never ending darkness that consumes your soul day after day.

People claim you were born with it, that you have been cursed since the day you first set foot on the land but you and I know different. 

So many years, with the opportunity to rid yourself of me. Chance after chance passed you by and why? Because you didn't want to be alone. Regretting that now aren't you?

Time to face another day Caitlin. Another day with endless running and fear, all that you will experience for the rest of your pitiful life because that's more than you deserve.

Rise and shine.

I bolted upright from my makeshift bed against a tree trunk, startling Star who was prepping a fire to cook breakfast on. Sweat trickled down the back of my neck, soothing the hot flush that flowed through my body. My fists were clenched, my knuckles tight and prominent on the edge of my skin - seeming as if they would break through my skin any moment. My breath came in harsh pants, the huffs appearing in the crisp winter air and vanishing as quick as they appeared. The thoughts that were held at bay during sleep all swamped over me once more, reminding me of my crimes and how much I truly deserved in life.

We'd been running for months now, looking for some sort of area that could work as a make shift base but the hunters were always there. It was irritating, because the powers we obtained could do nothing against their guns and torture weapons, we could only flee. I was tired of running, Star was sick of hiding and we just wanted one week of peace and quiet to train and develop our skills without fear of capture or injury.

'Breakfast or training first?'

Star's quiet voice broke through my thinking, her eyes full of concern to my pale and sweating form. She gestured to the small pile of eggs we had managed to scavenge from a nearby farm, enough to last us a couple of days if we didn't have to run. I shrugged and headed for the clearing, leaving Star to decide for herself whether she was coming with or not. She seemed to have accepted that I didn't like to talk much and despite her efforts to speak about my past she knew very little about me. I threw myself into training and surviving, refusing to think about my past or the ever present threat of the hunters. My skills had improved dramatically over the past months but the range of things I could do seemed to be endless, always requiring refining and expanding. It gave me a sense of purpose in the world that had cast me aside.

Blocking out the sounds of the nature surrounding me, I focused on the small sparks of darkness that danced across my hands, willing them to grow and bend to my will. Darkness didn't like to be tamed but I seemed to be an exception to this rule. I grinned as the darkness swirled in my hands, twisting around my fingers into a ball of pure energy that pulsed and writhed in my hand, begging to escape. I threw it up, watching as it disappeared into the clouds before beginning its plummet back to earth before exploding like a firework, cascading across the sky and floating back down as mere pitch black ashes. Taking a deep breath, I willed all my energy to flow to the surface and centre in my fist. I could feel the darkness flowing through my veins, travelling down and piercing into my skin drawing a hiss of pain from my still form. With a sudden movement I leaped upwards and launched my fist into the ground, watching with grim satisfaction as a shock wave of shadows ripped through the earth with ease.

I walked back to Star again, deciding that nourishment was required if I was going to keep up this level of training for the rest of the day but when I reached where our camp was situated almost everything was gone! Slinking back into the shadows of the forest, I scanned the surroundings looking for my friend only to spot her cowering in the branches of a huge oak tree. I clambered up as silently as I could before signalling to Star that I was here. Her head turned towards me with relief in her eyes, however her hands wouldn't stop shaking and concern filled me as I perched on the branch next to her, looking for the danger that must have spooked her.