The Dark City

Chapter 3

Tamareh was bare-footed. She lay on the grass that was stained with red thick blood. She wanted to scream, to start kicking and punching the air, but her body stayed as still and calm as a corpse.

After a moments struggle, she finally struggled to her feet.

As she stood up, the blood-filled ground transformed into a beach. She blinked hard, her jaw slack.

Instead of white, beautiful fine grains of sand and foamy blue-green seawater, what met her eyes was horrific in comparison.

The sand contained jagged sharp pieces of brown glass caked with tar while the 'sea' was black and still, with a few decaying skulls floating on the surface, bobbing up and down slightly. 

Squelch... Squelch...Squelch...

Tamareh spun around, and stifled a scream. There, behind her, stood a girl.

At least she thought it was.

The stranger was probably the same age as her. Her hair was a tangled mess matted with dried blood. Her clothes were tattered and torn, revealing some parts of her body.

Tamareh slowly lifted her hand into a slow wave, tilting her head to her side, trying to get the girl's attention. 

"Hello? Who are you?" Tamareh stammered. 

"Sheila.. I'm Sheila" the girl's raspy voice blew out. 

Tamareh was taken aback by how quickly the girl had responded, and looked around in awe. In the distance, she saw collapsed buildings. The air was ashy and had a tint of dark green. It was stale and unmoving, and not another person was in sight. 

"What is this place?" Tamareh wondered aloud. 

The girl's voice seemed to darken. "It is The Dark City." 

Her stomach plummeted. What was she doing here?

Suddenly, the ground violently started to shake, and the glass shards on the shore started to pierce Tamareh's feet. She looked towards the girl in terror only to discover that she had disappeared into the musty dirty air. 

"Tam! Tam! Tamareh!" Why was the voice so familiar?

Why am I on the floor? 

Asher was kneeling by her side, violently shaking her shoulders and was shouting in her ears. 

Slowly, Tamareh opened her eyes, causing Asher to sigh loudly in relief. 

"Ahh... What is it Ash...." she groaned out wearily. She swatted Asher's hovering hand above her face away like a pesky fly. 

"Tam, are you feeling alright? You passed out." Asher was hysterical, his eyes showing deep concern. 

She struggled to push herself into sitting position. 'I'm fin-' 

She fell back down, hitting her head. 

She suddenly remembered. 

Her heart constricted and a sour twinge slowly made it's way up her throat. Tears started to fill her eyes, and before she knew it, she launched herself into Asher's shirt, spreading tears and mucus all over him. 

He was taken aback, but it didn't matter.

Tam needs me. Something must have happened. Nobody makes her cry, except for me.

"Who was that on the phone? By the time I picked it up, the person had already hung up." 

Inbetween sobs, Tamareh stuttered, "It.. it... it was some lady from the de... department of... of ...death and she said tha.. that... da..dad..."