When Lightning Strikes: World's Collide Edition

5. Where the Darkness Lurks

Amal

It was in the dead of night; pitch-black darkness surrounded the boy. He suddenly found himself standing upright, wearing all black. Every step he took in this strange world, echoed all around him, and rang through his ears. He gritted his teeth and willed himself to wake. It wouldn't work. His eyes, the ones he can pinpoint targets from miles away, are blinded and shut from the blackness that stands before him. His own personal void.

Suddenly, a sharp blade shot out from the void. Instinctively, Amal deflected it using two fingers. The blade clattered to the floor, it's metallic noise piercing through the cold of the night. He squinted his strained eyes towards the direction of the thrown blade. It was as though he was blindfolded and was relying solely on his bodily instincts. "Who is there?" he yelled into the void. There was no answer. He glanced over to the dagger that remained abandoned, on the floor. Amal picked it up. It had a chilling feel to it, as if it were submerged in ice for a while. His surroundings were murky and devoid of any light; however, the dagger was easy to see. As though it itself was a light source. The boy brandished the blade around the area; light began to seep through it much easily. It lit up a path for him to travel across. The path was sandy, with several vines and roots struggling to grow through it. They were slowly dying.

Amal stood in place. He glanced at the blade of the dagger. He viewed his face through the reflection of the surface. It was grim, his facial expressions exposed a lonely, scared child. He stared until his vision blurred a little, the face inside the blade becoming more serious, more determined. He looked away and glanced at the path again. He took a step, the vines crunched under his rigid boots. Another step, and then another. His footsteps leaving his shoe imprints behind him. The boy quickened his pace, walking faster within his line of sight, the light emitting from the dagger guiding the way. Soon, he was running. Racing as fast as he could. He felt the cool breeze sweep passed him as he ran, leaping over a two-foot boulder that stood in his way. His heart began pumping harder; Amal could feel it beating inside his chest. His surroundings blurred as he passed them. He sensed trees passing by as he ran, the dagger glowing brighter with each step. The path was much more visible to follow now. The winds, however, seemed to sharpen as fast as he ran. They cut into his eye, producing tears. Still, he continued to dart through. An attempt to escape the night. It was becoming difficult to peer directly at the dagger, it's light was much stronger. This light, Amal thought, is it showing me where to go? He scanned his surroundings as he dashed along the path. He was in a forest of some kind, the skyscraper trees loomed over him as he raced through the landscape.

The entire landscape flickered for a fraction of a second. Amal had the impression that things weren't what they seemed.

His breathing became uneven, his vision suddenly blurred for a moment. Amal continued to race through the path. He glanced into the distance. A bridge was approaching. A rickety, old bridge. It was narrow and had no railings. As Amal drew closer, the bridge spanned a few dozen metres, and Amal couldn't make out what was at the bottom. He slowed down, catching his breath. He was now nearing the bridge. Amal shone the light of the blade closer to it, trying to find the bottom of the bridge. There didn't seem to be one. Hesitant, Amal put a single foot down; the bridge swayed under the light pressure but seemed sturdy enough to walk across. A single drop of sweat trailed down the side of his cheek.

Amal's head suddenly turned behind him; he sensed something approaching. Someone. A wave of nausea and despair crept its way towards him. Amal quickly turned around, aiming the blade from where he'd come from. Although the gleam from the blade illuminated his surroundings, nothing could be seen. He sensed that whatever was chasing him, it didn't have an ounce of good in them. Amal gulped and turned back to the bridge. He walked towards it and put his full weight on it. The bridge didn't break, it seemed somewhat supportive. He took another few steps, travelling cautiously along the new path. His surroundings were eerily empty now, he couldn't sense anything miles away. Still, Amal couldn't shake the feeling that there was something dangerous lurking nearby. He continued travelling. The bridge swayed, but Amal managed to keep his balance. His boots seemed to grip the wooden panels of the rickety bridge.