Dusk Harbor 1999

Lights Out

After an eternity, the lights came back on. Mason stared in horror at his brother. His dead brother. He just couldn't believe it. Just like that, one minute he was fine, the next he was dead. He pushed his night vision goggles up onto the top of his head, and made sure his mask was still in place. A long shaky sigh escaped him.

He remembered that earlier at the carnival he was complaining about his head hurting. He hadn't thought anything of it. Jordan had been having headaches for almost a week, and not sleeping well. He should have known something was wrong.

"How did-- why did that... happen?" He asked Jake. He fought to remain calm.

"I-It must have been a seizure. I-" Jake stopped.

 Jordan suddenly lifted his head up and looked around, confused. 

He got up on his knees, fanned his hands out and scanned along the floor as if he were blind. His fingertips were trembling, and he kept his chest low to the ground. Each breath sounded like paper fluttering in the breeze.

Jake put a hand out and touched Jordan's shoulder.

"Hey, take it easy." Jake said.

"No," Jordan exhaled.

Jordan fell sideways against the wall, and let out a small whimper of pain. Brought his hands up in front of his face and groaned. Mason didn't know what to do. All he could do was stand and watch as his brother stumbled around.

He exchanged worried glances with Jake. Knew that there was nothing they could do just yet. The shock from the attack had not yet settled, even Jake who was a relatively stable man looked uneasy. Olivia looked pale in the face, as she stepped back and forth between the little black chairs of the waiting room.

Jordan grasped at the wall and pushed himself to his feet. Couldn't step away from it on his own. Had to stay against the cold plaster for support. Still huffing for breath, and shaking like a leaf.

His muscles quit quivering, his breath slowed, he stepped away from the wall. He glanced at Mason with a flicker of fear in his eyes. Something that seemed to say 'help me'. Then his eyes glowed red for a brief moment. He took a step to the side. Went rigid. His arms were stuck to his sides and his legs were pinned together, his head went straight. Eyes unblinking.

Then he burst right at Olivia and knocked her to the ground. Sat on her chest, glaring into her. His head tilted sideways at a wicked angle. Not so far that his neck would have snapped, but far enough to send a chill down Mason's spine.

"Megabyte! What are you doing?!" Jake and Mason yelled out.

They glanced at each other. Started towards Jordan.

He brought down his fist in one swift hammer-like motion. Right across the side of her head. It made a sickening sound. She fell limp. Unconscious.

Mason ran up behind him and grabbed his shoulders. Gripped him hard and began peeling him off of Olivia. Jordan growled and writhed his way out of Mason's hands and rolled onto the floor on his back. Went onto his side. Posted his hands on the floor and got up on his knees, while glaring up at him with gleaming red eyes.

Mason froze. What the heck is happening to him?! Is he possessed?

And then he bolted towards the nearest window, where the palest form of twilight was beginning to filter through the blackness of night. He spun around with his foot in the air. The lights went out again. But with the pale grey light drifting in he didn't need to push his night vision goggle back over his eyes. All he needed was a second for his eyes to take the meager illumination and allow him to see. After a few blinks, he could make out black and white and purple forms.

He could see the silhouette of his brother standing up on the window's edge, with an array of broken shards jutting out from all sides. Sinking into the flesh of his hands and the soles of his boots. Shattered bits were sprayed all over the ground. He stuck his arms out in front of him and his body lurched forward as he prepared to jump. Prepared to jump from a third-story window onto an unknown surface. Could have been cement. Could have been a dumpster full of glass.

"Megabyte! No!" He called out, he started to run over to him.

Jordan turned to glare into him, and his eyes flashed from normal to red again. His voice became a deep, primal growl.

"Megabyte is dead."

And with that, he threw himself from the three-story window.

Mason bolted over and looked down. There was a sizeable dent in the grassy area where he'd landed, but he was gone entirely. Nowhere to be seen. Mason balled his hands into tight fists and brought them up before him. Sunk onto his knees, swimming in confusion. And in the silence of the hospital in the earliest hours of the morning, where nothing made sense and everything seemed to be broken, he screamed at the ceiling.