The Darkness

Chapter 22

Logan knocked on the door softly. "Susan? Can I come in?" He asked, opening the door.

Inside, he saw no one. "Crap!" He exclaimed. Logan looked out the window the sun was going down. The trees of the Dark Forest swayed.

Logan ran halfway down the stairs, before pausing. Jack and Carl were downstairs. Something told Logan they shouldn't know she ran off. Logan walked, as calmly as possible, into the kitchen.

"Hey, how'd it go?" Jack asked looking up.

"Fine, considering she has tried to kill me in the past. I need a walk, time to think," Logan walked over grabbing his cloak and bow and arrow.

"Ok, be careful," Jack said, Carl grunting.

Logan quickly walked out of the house breaking into a run. He ran through the Dark Forest, quickly reaching the border.

Breathing heavily he looked around. He considered calling Susan's name, but decided against it, she wouldn't answer anyway.

He turned looking along the border. That's when he saw her, kneeling on the ground, still on the light side. Logan slowly approached her.

Susan sniffled and looked up over into the Darkness. "I-I can't see, not anymore," tears escaped her eyes.

Logan looked over the border. "I was only trying help, I just wanted you to be happy, and safe."

"I was happy, I was safe! I can take care of myself! What part of me hating the very existence of humans, did you not understand?!" She practically shouted.

Logan looked down sadly, it was almost totally dark. "Susan-"

"Don't. Look since I'm stuck here, you can at least call me by my real name, Tania," she said sharply.

Logan hesitated, but said. "Tania, stand up." Tania slowly stood up, still looking at The Darkness.  "Tania, look at me. Look at me, Tania."

At first she didn't move, but then turned her head, looked at him. There was a deep sadness in her eyes, that made his heart ache.

"Punch me."

"What?!" Tania asked, bewildered.

"Punch me," Logan repeated, beaconing. "Do it-" Logan was cut off by a large amount of pain thrower into his face. "Gah!" Logan bent rubbing his jaw where she punched him.

Logan stood straight holding his jaw. "Wow, that felt really good," Tania said.

"Maybe for you!" Logan exclaimed, wincing when he talked.

Tania laughed. It was the first time he had heard her laugh, without it being manically. "Stop being a baby," Tania told him.

"Now that that's out of the way, let's go home," Logan said, letting go of his throbbing jaw.

Tania hesitated, looking out over The Darkness. "On one condition."

"What's that?" Logan asked nervously.

"I get my weapons back," Tania said.

"I suppose that could be arranged, but you can't kill or maim anyone," Logan said.

Tania looked at Logan, "I can and will do what I want, when I want, with my weapons. I only asked for my weapons to see if I'll have to steal them, or not."
~•~•~•~

Logan handed Tania her bundle of weapons. Behind him he could feel Carl's and Jack's disapproving gazes burning into his back.

Tania opened the blanket and picked up one of her swords, she took a deep breath closing her eyes. Tania swung her sword, testing it.

She opened her eyes, looking at the sword. "Oh, how I have missed you."

She picked up the sheaths and strapped it to her back, then put both swords in them.

She picked up another sheath and lifted her leg into a chair and pulled her skirt back. Logan looked up quickly, blush coloring his cheeks. This was an uncomfortable situation, even with Tania being his sister.

Tania strapped the sheath to her thigh and put a knife in it. She then slipped a knife into her boot and another into her bra. Tania picked the last knife up and spun it in her hand.

Tania then threw the knife so fast, Logan didn't even see it leave her hand. It lodged itself into the shirt of Carl's and into the wall. Tania looked back at the bow and arrow, picking it up, as if nothing happened. "I guess I'm a little rusty."

"At little rusty?! What the heck was that!?" Carl shouted, ripping the knife out of the wall.

Tania looked up as she slipped her quiver onto her hip and held her bow, in her hand. "Chill, dude," Tania smiled. "You need to relax a little."

Tania walked toward them, thanking as she took her knife out of his hand, after passing Logan. "Now get out of my way."

Carl's eyes narrowed, and he asked. "Where you going?"

"Out. Like I said I'm a little rusty," Tania says, coldly. When Carl didn't move, she grabbed his shirt and shoved him into the door, before shoving him to the side.

Jack walked forward to stop her, but she held up her hand. "He was the one who wouldn't move."

Jack watched carefully, as Tania shoved the door opened and walked out. As soon as she was gone Jack ran over to Carl.

Logan didn't wait to see what they were saying. Logan followed Tania out into the woods, checking his bow and arrows on the way. "Where are you going?" Logan asked.

"Target practice," was Tania's response.

Logan followed her into a clearing. The sun drifted through the leaves, making it look even more beautiful then normal.

"Stay here," Tania said, before walking into the middle of the
clearing.

Tania brought her bow up and suddenly she was moving. Shooting every tree in the clearing. Tania finished in about 10 seconds. Observing her shots, Tania said. "Like I said rusty."

"What?! That was amazing! You were so fast and you hit every tree right in the middle!" Logan exclaimed walking toward her.

Tania looked at him blankly. "Where I come from, you would be dead if you were that slow."

Logan gaped for a second, but closed his mouth. How could she want to go back to place like that? Tania sat down in the middle of the clearing, sitting cross legged.

"What are you doing?" Logan asked, sitting next to her.

"Finding my center," Tania said, eyes closed.

Logan watched her weirdly, trying to figure out what that meant. After a couple minutes Tania stood and started walking.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Logan asked.

"I just want to be alone," Tania muttered, before disappearing into the forest.