Promise Me Darkness (Excerpt)

Chapter 11

Screaming. Pushing. Shoving. Blackness.

Chaos surrounded me.

I was blind. The blackness all-consuming.

I shook in fright. Bile rose in my throat, making me nauseous.

People rushed by me in the darkness, desperate to escape. Someone bumped into me. Ben's tight hold on my hand kept me upright. When he yanked me toward him, I yelped with pain. It felt as if every one of my fingers were being pulled out of the socket. But I stood my ground as Ben tried to pull me again.

"COME ON!" he yelled when I wouldn't budge.

I couldn't leave. I had to find Ryder. And Eva. I couldn't leave without them. Using all my strength, I wrenched my hand away. Severe pain, unlike anything I've felt before, shot through my fingers.

Suddenly, Ben wasn't beside me anymore. The crowd had swept him along, heading toward the exit.

Pandemonium reined around me as I turned around, confused. The paralyzing fear and the pain in my fingers was making it impossible to think straight.

I knew I needed to find Ryder and Eva. I couldn't leave until I found them. Stay together! Stay together! I started to push my way against the mass of panicked people shoving and pushing to get to the exit.

The darkness made me blind to my surroundings. The screams and cries echoed around me, making the scene horrific. Nightmarish.

I tried to concentrate on where I was going and ignore the pounding of my heart. I had made it a few steps when someone shoved me backwards. Somehow, I stayed on my feet despite the jostling of the crowd.

My lungs worked harder. It seemed the terror was sucking all the oxygen out of the room. Without air conditioning, the club was becoming hot quickly. With the press of so many bodies trying to get out, the heat was suddenly unbearable.

I pushed forward but was propelled backward almost immediately. A new kind of panic began to bubble up inside of me. I was too short to fight this crowd, most of who towered over me, but I had to get back to Ryder and Eva.

Someone hit my shoulder roughly. Another person bumped my side painfully. I wobbled on my feet, trying to maintain my balance against the surge of people running by me.

"Ryder!" I screamed, struggling to fight the crowd. The only answer was screams and the sound of running feet.

I cried out when someone shoved me hard. The force sent me down. I put my hands out to stop my fall but it was no use. My head smacked against a chair with a sickening thud. Pain exploded behind my eyes, making me feel as if I was hit with a brick. I fell flat to the floor as stars twinkled across my vision.

Get up! Get up! The pain in my head didn't matter right now. Later. I would deal with it later. For now, I had to get up.

Suddenly, a heavy boot slammed down on my hand. When I felt bones crunch underneath the weight, I screamed a blood-curdling scream that could wake the dead.

Before I could recover, a sharp high-heel stepped on my back, right on top of my ribs. The pain was excruciating but only one thought raced through my head; oh, God! I was going to be trampled to death!

NO! NO! Dammit, I wasn't dying today! Despite the agony, I forced myself to my feet. When I was standing upright, the first thing I did was kick off my heels. They would get me killed. My life was more important than a pair of shoes.

My ribs were on fire and my head throbbed with the smallest movement. Instinctually, I clutched my injured hand to my chest. If someone brushed against it, I was afraid I might pass out from the pain.