Light in the Darkness - (An Obey Me! Fanfic)

Chapter One: Welcome to Hell - I mean, the Devildom

     I always found it interesting, the way I could never quite visualize the path my life would take. Maybe it was just me, but it really did seem like most people could easily envision graduating from high school, attending college, starting their dream career, marrying their one true love, and creating their own version of "happily ever after." Was it unreasonable of me to assume that almost every other person on Earth abided by this equation, give or take a step?

Now, by no means was I faulting anyone for following this process. In a way - I was jealous. At 24 years-old, I still didn't know what I wanted from life nor did I have a clue as to the person I wanted to become. It often felt as if I was just drifting through life like a leaf in the wind and only my survival instinct was keeping me from decomposing into the soil.

     I know. It's pretty sad.

     But I wasn't looking for pity from anyone. To be honest, no one - and I mean absolutely no one - even knew that these particular thoughts plagued me. On the surface, I appeared unaffected, which was exactly what I wanted. Once you let it slip that you were uncertain about anything, people would be jumping to take advantage of you. Or would at least mock you to no end (cue an internal shudder).

      A boisterous laugh resounded around the café, causing the pencil in my hand to slip. The lead streaked across the sketch, marring my last hour of work in just one stroke. Gritting my teeth, I tried to wrangle in the anger curling within my stomach as I semi-glared at the teenagers lounging by the windows across the room. It was my own fault for getting so disconnected from reality, but the chances of completely erasing the blunder away were slim-to-none.

     All I could do was sigh and gently set the pencil to the side. As much as I didn't want to even think about work tomorrow, it was getting pretty late. Chugging the last dregs of my watered down coffee, I packed up my things and discreetly made my way to the exit.

     Cool autumn air rushed to greet me as I stepped out onto the sidewalk. The sun had already set, ushering in a basic evening one would expect of Southern California. Cars whizzed by on the city's streets, their headlights cutting through the din, and skateboarders flew through the parking lot, narrowly missing pedestrians meandering to their cars.

     It was a day like any other. Or - it was supposed to be.

     My shared apartment was only a few blocks away from the center of town, walkable and conveniently located. Despite the shadowed sidewalks and alleyways, night here was nowhere near as dangerous as the small town I had grown up. Strolling the streets, a steady breeze caressing my skin, I really could sometimes just forget - at least for a short while - my troubles and worries.

     I glanced up and down the semi-deserted parking lot in front of my apartment complex. Ashley's Honda was nowhere in sight and I breathed a brief sigh of relief; I wouldn't have to sit through one of her thirty-minute long monologues regarding her next boy toy who'd she eventually kick to the curb because she was bored of him. I loved her a lot, on most days, but I sometimes just needed a break from the drama.

     I fumbled for my keys in the front pocket of my backpack, my shoulder sagging beneath its heavy weight. Inside, the apartment was dark; the only light came through the kitchen window, casting away just enough shadows so that I didn't trip over one of the barstools.

     I shivered just slightly on my way to my bedroom. The air almost seemed cooler than it had been outside, but a quick glance at the thermostat proved me wrong. My face crinkled in confusion; the goosebumps on my arms were testament enough that it was pretty damn cold. The thought of ghosts vaguely crossed my mind, but though I believed in them - I was still enough of a skeptic to investigate any other alternative.

     Shaking my head, I grasped the doorknob to my bedroom - and was immediately seized by what I could only describe as ice shooting up my veins. It hurt... The pain continued traveling up my arm and seemed to wind its way around my heart. I could feel each individual thump of that organ, resisting the cold fist clenched around it, and my lungs fluttered as I fought to breathe normally.

     Push. Push.

     The thought in my head was a command. I stuttered at first - the voice didn't sound like my own - but I forced my frozen body,  willed it, to push through the pain and towards the other side. My teeth sunk into my bottom lip, the nails of my left hand had pierced my palm, and tears were stinging my eyes, but I kept pushing until the doorway opened up onto darkness.

     It felt like I was falling. If I was, I really didn't care. That excruciating pain was gone, albeit my body still throbbed with each beat of my heart. I didn't know whether my eyes were open or closed, but if death was imminent - I'd rather they were shut.

     A WHOOM vibrated in my ear and all time seemed to cease. It even felt as if my heart stopped, too. Then - bright, blinding red light pierced my eyes, gradually dulling to a dim gold. I don't know when I had opened them, or if they had ever been closed. But, the world finally righted itself.

      My feet touched solid ground for what felt like the first time in hours, but was really probably only mere seconds. However, the weight was too much and too sudden for my legs. Unceremoniously, I collapsed to the floor. But, whereas I was expecting the coarse carpet of my bedroom, my palms made contact with a cool marble.

     A cool marble?

     I ran a trembling hand over the smooth surface. My brain really wasn't comprehending what my skin was feeling nor what my eyes were showing me. Nonsense. Complete nonsense. There should be ratty, brown carpet - not marble that shimmered like the night sky. Who could even afford that?

     Slowly, so very slowly, my eyes lifted to take in even more of the marble floor. Then, they settled on what looked like some sort of courtroom setup. Seven impressively polished chairs loomed before me, adorned in a rich, red velvet, with an even more impressive throne-like chair standing behind those.

     For what felt like the millionth time today, my heart stuttered in its tracks. Those chairs were not empty.

     My joints protested loudly, but I forced myself to regain my footing. I had to suppress the groan building up in my throat, my face flushing surprisingly hot after my ordeal, but I managed to right myself without further embarrassment. Five of the eight chairs before me were occupied, and a swift glance showed me that all in attendance were distinctively male. I cringed inwardly.

     I didn't dare to meet their eyes, although I could definitely feel the weight of their combined stares on me. What was going on? Where was I? Who were these people?

     My thoughts crowded the inside of my mind, my heart rate ratcheting up. I was supposed to be in my bedroom, kicking off my shoes and tossing my backpack into the corner. I wasn't supposed to be here - wherever here was - feeling like I was about to be judged and thrown into some sort of medieval dungeon.

     Maybe I passed out and this was all some sort of dream? But then again, when had my dreams ever been so vivid and my thoughts so clear? I -

     The rustling of clothing caught my attention. One of the men had stood, the one occupying the chair in the far back. Even if he hadn't been standing, he still would have caught my eye eventually; he was magnetic. That, and definitely tall. His hair, one of the only other details of his appearance that I could see well enough to describe, was a color caught between red and brown, glinting silkily in the surrounding candlelight.

     He spoke before I could even imagine uttering a sound. "Welcome to the Devildom, Alyssa."