Out of the Darkness

140 Anna's POV

"Ah, you'll be fine. Rest. Rebuild your strength. I had a job for you, so you'll need to be at your strongest. Think of your Colby. You'll be with him soon. He'll be one of us. Don't you worry." I wanted to cry, kick, or scream. I wanted to punch her, to fight her until she was no longer breathing. I wanted to kill her. Instead, I floated in the Darkness, unable to do anything. Until I heard his voice, calling to me. "Colby," I groaned out, my entire body aching. "Anna, you there?" he called out. I wanted to go to him. I needed to tell him to stop, to just leave me alone and forget about me. Before he got himself killed. I tried to leave, to appear next to him. I felt it, my body going out of focus, pulling into the land of the living. Then, I was snapped back to the Darkness. I sighed, and let a few tears escape. I was exhausted, mentally and physically drained. I couldn't go to him, as much as I wanted too. "Are you not strong enough? Or is something stopping you?" I heard him ask. I tried again to go to him, to give him some kind of sign that I was still with him. I willed myself to him, groaning with the effort that it took. If I had been alive, I would've been covered in sweat. Then I was jerked back to the Darkness, so hard that my neck felt like it almost snapped. He would have to wait for me. I hoped that he would. Just for me to explain why he needed to forget about me. I didn't know what kind of "job" the Darkness had for me, but it couldn't be anything good. If it concerned Colby, which I was sure that it did, I couldn't risk it. He needed to leave me alone and just forget that I existed. I wouldn't harm him, or put him in danger. I couldn't...but would I be able to resist her? I had seen how Colby seemed to lose himself for a moment, and started to do what she had told him too. What did that mean? Could she do the same thing to me? She hadn't yet. So far, she had used pain and threats as incentive. It was a great motivator. All of these thoughts and more, drifted through my subconscious while I just floated there, regaining my strength. Sometimes, it seemed like I slept. When I was awake, my mind wouldn't stop racing. I was terrified of what was to come. When I heard his voice again, it sounded far away, like the sound was underwater. Muffled and thick, hanging in the air. "Colby," I whispered, into the infinite black that surrounded me. His voice comforted me, but brought me a violent amount of fear at the same time. Bad things were coming, and I could feel it. "Anna? Was that you?" What? Could he hear me? How was that possible? I hadn't even tried to reach out to him! "Colby? Can you hear me?" I asked, hesitantly. "Anna! It is you! Where are you? I can't see you," he answered. This didn't make sense. He shouldn't be able to hear me, unless I went to him. What had changed? "I'm in the Darkness," I whispered. He was so quiet that I thought our connection had been interrupted. After a few moments, he finally answered. "Are you in pain? Is she there? What can I do to help?" His voice had an edge to it, but it was also pleading. "No, I'm not in pain. She's not here right now. Hold on. I'm going to try and come see you," I answered. I closed my eyes, and concentrated on leaving this horrid place. I imagined myself in Colby's room, staring into his enticing blue eyes, seeing that amazing smile on his handsome face. I felt the usual force, my body starting to pulse, and almost feel like it was being sucked through a tube. I knew that I was there. The atmosphere changed. Instead of that horrid, unbearable depression that seemed to permeate the Darkness, it was light and airy. Free. I opened my eyes and saw him. He was sitting on his couch, his head leaned back against the head, his eyes closed. There were tiny wrinkles in the corner of his eyes, and on his forehead, his face scrunched up, like he were concentrating extra hard. His feet were propped up on his table, his laptop in his lap. Relief and happiness surged through me, at the sight of him. I didn't let him know that I was there, at first. I took the time to enjoy re-engraving every detail about him to memory. The way his hair looked like he had just slid his hand through it, the shadows that his long lashes left on his cheekbones. His tattoo peeking out of the side of his tank top, the way his rings glinted in the dim lighting of his room. The bandage...wait. There was a blood stained bandage on his arm. It seemed to be stained with something besides blood, as well. Something black. Something not right. It was like I could almost smell the evil seeping from it. It had the faint smell of rotten meat, festering in the sun. Did I already know that he had been hurt? I think that I did...I saw it happen...right? I couldn't remember now. I had been in a coffin, and he was there. Right? I wasn't sure now. It was faint, on the edge of my memory. Like a dream, that I was forgetting when I awoke. I guess it wasn't important. "Colby, your arm," I said, walking towards him. His eyes popped open, and he jerked up off of the couch, knocking his laptop to the floor. "ANNA?!" he cried out, before his face turned as white as death, and he fell back onto the couch. "Oooo, shouldn't have done that," he groaned. I sat down next to him, and took his injured arm into my hands. "What is this? What happened?" I asked. "Hold on, please," he replied, raising his eyes to mine. "Are you really here? Or am I hallucinating?" I gave him a sad smile. "I'm here. It's really me." He nodded, then pressed his colorless lips together, and closed his eyes. "Give me a minute," he whispered, leaning back on the couch again. I turned sideways, towards him, and brought my feet up onto the couch. His breathing was rapid, and sweat had appeared on his forehead and upper lip. I reached out and ran my fingers through his hair, gently, offering him a little comfort. "You're in pain," I whispered. He opened his eyes and smiled.