When Darkness Falls

Chapter 28: A monster in disguise

I got up from the table and walked back upstairs, feeling exhausted suddenly. Making my way down the hall, I reached my room and collapsed onto the bed. The sadness I felt at the thought of never seeing outside these four walls again or seeing my Dani made me sick to my stomach.

The tears flowed down my heated cheeks, and the ache in my chest grew. I didn't want any of this, I never asked to be here, and most of all, I missed my freedom. My eyes burned as the tears dried up, and sleep gradually took hold of me.

I awoke sometime later, the moonlight shining brightly into my room. I looked at the clock on the wall, which read 3:13 am. I groaned in distaste and rubbed my hands down my face.

I crawled out of bed and used the washroom. As I walked back into the room, I no longer felt tired and decided to go for a stroll throughout the house.

Leaving my room, I made my way downstairs, ensuring I was quiet and alert. As I reached the bottom, I turned the corner and began walking towards the atrium, desperate for some peaceful alone time.

My feet glided along the cold marble floor as I continued through the halls, looking over my shoulder every few seconds. I finally reached the atrium and carefully opened the door. The room glowed under the fairy lights, and the moon shined down on the pond in the centre.

I looked up and noticed the glass ceiling was opened wide, allowing the cool air to creep inside. The frogs and crickets sang their songs loudly.

I walked over to the bench and sat down, staring intently into the small pond. The fish bathed in the moonlight, and moths fluttered about, adding a touch of magic to the room.

I sighed, the heavy weight of my current situation bearing down on my shoulders and most days, I felt as though I couldn't breathe like I was drowning. I stared at the ceiling, my eyes fixed on the glittering stars that littered the night sky, and I admired their beauty.

Suddenly, a noise came from my left, and I whipped my head in its direction, only to find a raven perched on the bench. I stared at it curiously, my gaze flickering between the bird and the ceiling, wondering when the bird had flown inside the room.

The bird moved closer and croaked, staring blankly into my eyes. "Hi, beautiful," I said softly, and it croaked again, tilting its head as its black eyes remained on me.

I smiled. "What are you doing in here? You should be out there." I said, pointing to the ceiling.

The raven shook its feathers and croaked loudly, not liking that idea. As I sat there, curiosity got the better of me. I reached out a hand, slowly inching closer to the bird, and just as I was about to stroke its shiny feathers, a loud bang echoed throughout the house.

My head whipped toward the noise, and it seemed to have come from upstairs. My brows furrowed, and I glanced to the bird, then back to the door. Another loud bang sounded, and I jumped from the unexpected noise. I looked back to the raven and found it was still staring in the direction of the door, and I could've sworn I heard the bird whisper. "Danger." Before hurriedly flying back through the glass ceiling.

I stood from the bench and made my way toward the exit. I carefully closed the door behind me and stood there for a beat, listening intently. Then, another loud bang rumbled throughout the house, and muffled voices followed.

I approached the staircase and cautiously proceeded up the steps. I continued climbing the stairs, and as I neared the top, I heard angry male voices coming from down the hall. I looked towards my room and back in the direction of the chaos. But, yet again, my curiosity got the better of me, and I crept toward the danger.

I tip-toed down the hall, and the noise drew me to Darius's office. The male voices grew louder, and the sound of someone in agony caused the hairs on my neck to stand. The door was slightly open, and I peered inside. Darius stood inside the room with Grayson by his side, and another man knelt on the floor before them.

The man was kneeling in a pool of his own blood, and I watched as it dripped onto the marble tiles. Darius glared down at the man, his chest heaving and his white shirt stained with the man's blood. He bent down with a look of pure malevolence in his eyes and gripped the man by the throat, bringing his face to Darius's level. "You are a filthy traitor, and I have no room here for scum like you."

The man laughed and spat blood on Darius's face. "Try as you might to fight him, but in the end, he will be victorious and feast upon your soul." He said in a sinister tone, and Darius growled with rage, his lip twitching.

Suddenly, Darius gripped the man's upper and lower jaw, digging his fingers deep into his mouth. Then he did something I never thought I would witness. Darius tore the man's head in half, and blood splattered everywhere as his body fell to the floor.

I gasped and stumbled backwards at the horrific display of violence before me. Darius stood to his full height; his eyes fixed on me now. I shuddered with fear and did the first thing that came to mind, which was to run.

Without a second thought, I ran through the hall and practically jumped down the stairs. I couldn't be here anymore; I didn't belong here and needed to leave. I ran to the front door, but it was locked tight. I rushed through the halls and made my way to the kitchen.

I hurried to the back door and gripped the handle tight. I threw the door open and felt relief sink into my bones as the night air brushed across my skin. As I was about to step outside, Darius appeared before me, leaning casually against the wooden frame.

My shoulders slumped, and I stepped back, my lip quivering. "Please, Darius, just let me go," I said with a whimper.

Darius pushed himself off the door frame and stepped toward me. "You are supposed to be sleeping." He said in a dark tone, and irritation lingered in his blackened eyes.

My throat dipped in fear, and I took another step back, my eyes never leaving his. I knew I wouldn't be able to run from him, but if I could injure him enough to get away, it might be my only shot.

I looked around the room and saw a knife block resting on the counter. The knives were an arm's length away, and I toyed with the idea of grabbing one. Then, I took a deep breath and did probably the stupidest thing in my life. I grabbed a knife from the block and swiped it at Darius.

However, he was quick to react and gripped my wrist tightly in his grasp, causing me to drop the knife. I squirmed in his hold and tried to free myself from his unyielding grip.

I used my other hand and reached up to hit him, but before I could even get close, Darius grabbed me by the waist and hauled me over his shoulder. He remained silent as he carried me upstairs, even with me kicking and screaming.

I pounded my fist against his muscled back. "Darius, let me go." I pleaded with him, but my pleas were silenced when Darius spanked my ass. "Be quiet." He said in a deep tone that left no room for argument.

Darius came to a stop at my bedroom door and kicked it open. He stormed inside and threw me onto the bed before turning around without even so much as a second glance and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

I leaped up from the bed and ran to the door, tugging roughly on the handle but to no avail. "Darius let me out; please don't do this to me. I can't take any more of this shit." I screamed aloud as the tears began to stain my reddened cheeks. I fell to the floor as my chest grew heavy with raw emotion, and I felt a pit of despair deep within my belly.

I was so screwed, and things kept getting worse. With every passing day, I wished I had never agreed to that fucking assignment because if I hadn't, I wouldn't be here.

I picked myself up from the floor and climbed onto the bed, tears streaming down my face. I laid my head down and thought of Dani as I closed my eyes, imagining she was here with me. Finally, the ever-growing exhaustion gripped hold of me, and I drifted to sleep.