Fear of the Dark

Chapter One

Where am I? It's dark. Too dark. I can't see anything. Wherever I am, the room or area is huge. I feel like I've been walking around for hours. Oh, why did it have to be a dark room? My heart is beating out of my chest. Hell, I can barely hear myself think over it! A loud thump is heard a small distance away, making me jump in fright and trip over thin air, or so I thought. Just now I noticed a strange stench coming from what I tripped over. How strange..? What could it be? Slowly letting my curiosity take over, I carefully step over to the thing and run my hand over it to get a better idea of what it could be. Stupid, I know, but I couldn't see so what else could I do? I feel something sticky on the thing which I now know as a body. Human most likely but feeling that sticky substance and the stench of metal overpowering most of my senses was a breaking point for me. I quickly pull my hand away, knowing that it's blood and that the body is a corpse, and wipe my hand clean on my black tracksuit, knowing I may be here for quite some time.

I let out a tired sigh and sit on the ground about 10 paces away from the body. Why haven't my eyes adjusted to the dark yet? Is there absolutely no light whatsoever? Will I ever see the sun again? Tears begin to cloud my jade eyes and I rub furiously at them, determined to not let them spill. Despite my efforts, a small sob rips itself from my lips and the tears finally fall in a steady stream down my frowning features, the sobs continuing even as I try to hold them back and only making them more violent so, eventually, I just give up and let the tears run down my face as well as let the sobs wrack my body. The sounds of my breakdown echo endlessly against the pitch black walls which only adds fuel to the fire, making my crying louder and even more violent.

My breath leaves my lungs at a rapid pace, leaving me gasping for any bit of precious oxygen I could as my crying slows down gradually. After a few more minutes, the only sound that could be heard was the occasional sniffle that resounded against the seemingly never ending abyss I was stuck in for who knows how long.

How long HAD I been here anyway? An hour? A day? A week even? How long has it been since I last felt the warm rays of the beautiful golden sun on my tan skin? Or even the harsh, cold, bitter wind of a winters day? Was it even winter anymore? How long had I been walking around this God forsaken place? A slow languid sigh that wasn't too far away from where I was seated interrupts my self destructive thoughts. There was someone else here! I wasn't alone! Just as I go to call out to the person, supposedly male judging from how 'he' muttered to himself, a deranged giggle is heard and I freeze in my actions as I hear the surprising familiar sound of a knife being plunged into flesh and the high pitched scream of the male which is soon cut off by the sound of gurgling, and then nothing. Nothing except resonating footsteps that soon disappeared also.

I cover my mouth as to prevent myself from creating any sounds that could alert this supposed psychotic killer that I now know is roaming this endless dark abyss. They... They killed that person... Maybe they know that I'm around here as well? Then again, everything probably does considering I only just recovered from my breakdown. I need to move away from this place. The person is most likely lingering around here and I don't want to be killed. Standing up slowly and quietly as it not alert them further, I walk silently away from the area, not letting my guard down for the fear of my already short life being ended prematurely.

After walking for around 10 minutes I start to hear the light patter of footsteps though they don't sound all that far away. Strange... They get closer and closer till they sound not even ten metres away, though I do not pick up my pace, thinking that it could just be some other poor person that was trapped in this hellish place and trying to outrun something or someone. Not once did it occur to me that it might be something dangerous but that changed the moment I was tackled to the floor.

The breath rushes out of my lungs, leaving me to gasp for oxygen as the stranger lets out a breathy chuckle, tracing what felt like a blade across my still slightly damp cheek which in turn causes me to grasp for a sharp intake of precious O2, only to break out in a minor coughing fit. This seems to amuse the person that I can now identify as a male due to how low his voice sounded from what little I'd heard.

As soon as my small coughing fit stops, the blade that had still been tracing my cheek was quickly placed on my throat, effectively stopping my movements on short notice.

Despite not being able to see the psycho through the dark that thoroughly coats the area I still look up at them, silently pleading for them to let me go. Maybe he saw, maybe he didn't. It doesn't matter. Letting out another breathy chuckle, he surprisingly speaks.

"Hm... A female. New. So, you were the one causing all that noise before, weren't you?". He seemed to be trying to make conversation but gets no response from me to which he sighs, ready to slit my throat at any given notice. "Look, any last words? Make them count~!". His voice sounded so familiar but why? I swear I'd not met anyone, let alone a male, for so long. So why? Another sigh passes the males lips and the pressure on the blade increases somewhat. "Oh well,". Becoming slightly panicked, my eyes widen as I continue to search for an answer. "See you on the other side-" I cut him off, shouting "W-Wait!" Why? Why did I do that? To my surprise, and great relief, he stops and seemingly sneers down at me, his tone of voice completely different now and coated in malice. "Why? What IS it little girl?". Taking a deep breath and hoping with all my might that I get this right, I speak in a shaky and quiet voice. "O-Olin..? Is... Is that y-you?". The male freezes, not moving another inch and a loud intake of breath is heard before he stands up, pulling me with him.

Not hearing anything come from him for a few minutes, I go to quietly walk away when a hand firmly grabs my shoulder, keeping me in place. I don't make a sound, knowing whom it is now. As he finally speaks, a growl is mixed in with it, showing how confused and angry he is. "How. The. Hell. Do you know my name?". I take what I think is my final breath before answering. "Well...".