Dark & Darker

Mark?

you're on the couch tweeting and replying to people in comments, and find yourself getting tired and eyelids getting heavy. You eyes catch a fault in the wiring of the light fixtures. You rub your eyes assuming you've been looking at your phone too long and sleep deprivation is starting to rule your sights and judgment. As you await light and perception to replce the colorless dots thay now cloud your vision, you feel a coldness that makes you hair stand straight.*

*you turn your head looking for a draft sorce, but instead catch a shadow in the kitchen. Reaching around 12:30, curiosity gets the best of you and your soon on your feet, making your way towards the mysterious visitor*

*it was mark*

"Can't sleep?" You ask

*mark doesn't respond*

"Hey?" You say firmly

*mark shoots up his head in a confused look, wide eyed*

"You okay?" You ask

*he relaxes his eyes and sighs*

"Yeah, Just a headache" he says saddened

Now leaning on the counter you say

"Well why don't you take something and go lay down" you recommend, genuinely troubled by his recent change in mood

"DONT YOU THINK I'VE T-" he says firmly, clenching his hand into a fist

*you stand up, now slightly alerted, yet intrigued by this rapidly modified environment*

"I'm sry, I'm just tired." He explains

*You relax your stance but keep your eyes fixated on him and any sudden alteration in body language*

"Mark, please if you need to talk, you know you can" you assure him

*he looks at you with dreary eyes and you can see the uncertainty in his mind, wanting freedom*

"I think I should tell you something..."

*you tilt your head, waiting intently, wanting to not just listen but understand*

*suddenly mark is glaring, immerced in a sight unknown to you. You look around aimlessly*

"Never mind, you should get some sleep" he insists as he walks away before you were even able to face him again

*leaning over the counter, you can't help but ponder the unique yet familiar set of events that had occurred. You make your way back to the couch and attempt to sleep it off, even though you're far from convinced that he is even close to sleeping. You close your eyes gently, and slip into a dreamless sleep. But are quickly awoken by an crescendoing growl, bolting your eyes open, you look at the time*

*2:00am*

*you sit up, not as concerned, considering you usually end up waking up at one point in the night anyway, you get a drink*

*you return from the kitchen, and see mark standing facing the window. Perturbed, you question whether or not he's been there all along. You go to put the glass on the coffee table and rise again only to see an open room and mark not in sight. You sit down, unusually relaxed. A pair of hands reach around and conceal your eyes into darkness.*

"Up again?" You ask

A smooth, silky, deep, slightly raspy voice replies in a monotoned whisper "truth is, I never really sleep"

you get a stream of memories flashing through your mind. Traumatic events that you had experienced. You feel you know this moment all to well. The vibes, the mood, the headache and uncertain glare as if a dark secret is struggling to be chained to the deepest relms of the mind. A fear like no other, steamed from the heart, blossoming a type of hopelessness, waiting for submission.

"Not him" you think

*pokerfaced, you raise your hands to remove the surprisingly cold, clamy hands keeping you from any form of apprehension. Moving cautiously, you feel the hands begin to pull your head backwards and you quickly snatch and claw them off your face*

*as suddenly as they appeared, they were gone*

"This isn't real..." You attempt to convince yourself.

*you head to the bathroom and washed your face. Upon coming back you rub your eyes and slump back into the couch. Grabbing the remote you turn on the TV, keeping it low, you watch absentmindedly yearning a distraction. Suddenly the TV is blaring into your ears, as if you had your head placed directly next to its speakers. You jumped and rush clumsily to turn it down and instead turn it off. You could've sworn you hit the volume button, but that wasn't your main concern anymore. As you focused on the now blackened screen, you noticed a white grin, and soulless pits for eyes in its reflection. You spun around quickly to meet his blank glare. Your hands in defensive position you take a step back and examined the creature before you. Lifeless, observative, mocking, intimidating, but a type of respectful and intelligent graciousness. A cloud of black smog surrounds him like some form of insufferable herd. Possibly more vibrant than the palpable being before you.*

"Mark?"