The Secret of a Beating Heart

Gone Without a Goodbye

"Leave me alone!" A boy, no older than ten, shrieked at the approaching shadows. The boy had silver hair that reached just past his ears, and his eyes – filled with tears – were a stunning aquamarine blue. He tried to back away from the onslaught of darkness that steadily crept towards him, and let out a small whimper when his back hit the wall behind him. The boy could have sworn he saw the darkness smirk at him, somehow, before it completely surrounded him. He tried to scream for his parents, he tried to run away again, but he found that he could not make any noise, and that he could not move. He could feel his heart slowly coming to a stop, and suddenly a wave of cold hit him.

The darkness chuckled and whispered to the boy.

"You will remain a prisoner of this place forever. You will become something that everyone fears, never to be loved."

The boy's eyes widened, showing intense fear, exactly what this demon fed off of. He breathed in a jagged breath, and could barely squeak out the three letter word.

"...Why?" The demon merely laughed at him.

"Now you'll be just like me, little Riku. Do you see this darkness? Someday, this is what you will become!" The demon was crazed, a bitter creature. "Now, be cautious. The change happens quicker than you think – Ah! – Just look here. You're already turning transparent!" The dark demon released whatever hold it had on Riku, and the boy found that he could move his arms, but his feet remained planted to the spot.

He raised his hands to eye-level, and was rendered speechless for a few moments before he let out an ear-splintering yell. The yell, however, was muffled by the darkness. Riku began to hyperventilate, his breathing pattern becoming messy and frantic.

When Riku had looked at his hands, he found that they had become translucent. The boy could barely see them.

Suddenly, Riku looked at a fixed spot in the darkness that surrounded him. He was still panicking, but he seemed more in control of himself. His eyes were fixed into an icy glare.

"I hate you." The words were spoken with such venom, and if they would have been spoken to anyone other than the demon, they might have shivered.

However, it was the demon who he was speaking to, so he only received mocking laughter and a praising word.

"Good." With that, the demon with the power over complete darkness left in a swirl that surrounded Riku. Slowly, the darkness dissipated from the room.

Riku stood there in terror, looking at himself. Tears fell from his eyes without him having to blink. His entire body was translucent and a sickly pale. Exasperated, he collapsed on the spot and hugged his knees to his chest. Sobs wracked his body as he completely broke down.

However, there was a part of him that refused to believe he was really this way. Riku forced himself to calm down, and he wiped his eyes. He stood from his spot on the floor and walked uneasily to the mirror that hung on the wall across the room. He looked into it.

He saw nothing.

Riku felt a slight prickle behind his eyes again, and his stomach churned. He felt a sob collecting in his chest, but he swallowed it down. He was stronger than this. He could find a way over thi-

Writing appeared in the mirror.

"The future has already been written."

Riku stared at the words for a long time.

He thought about them until he heard a knock at his door, followed by a soft voice.

"Riku, are you still awake? Your father and I are going to sleep now, come and say good night." It was his mother. Moments of silence passed, and quietly, she opened his door.