The Darkness Calls My Name

Chapter 6: Sibling Love

It's been about a month since I came out of coma. It's been a weird few weeks. No school, laying down for most of the day, slowly working on getting my motor skills back up to participate, but mostly how quiet it's been. Don't get me wrong, I got quite the ear full from Allison and she wouldn't leave my side for about a week after I came home, or all the people that came to visit in the hospital to check and see how I was doing. With Paul locked up and out of our lives it's so quiet, so serene and peaceful. No one has really said anything about it directly but I can tell how everyone avoids it. Paul's dead, that I know. I guess his body wasn't in good condition when they found him. Was what I saw real? That man, who, or what, could it be?

"Azazel, are you up yet?" Allison asked from outside my door. "Yeah, yeah I'm up." I say as I sit up and throw my feet over the side of my bed, yawning as I stand up. I grab the crutches, less of a requirement now, better safe than sorry though. I make my way to the door and open it to my little sister holding a glass of orange juice. "This is for you." she holds the tall glass up to me. I say "thank you sis." and take the glass. I take a long drink and she takes it back from me. "I'll leave it on the table for you" she says as she walks towards the dining room. "What would I do without her." I whisper to myself and laugh softly as I make my way to the bathroom.
I step into the empty bathroom and flip the light switch as I shut the door. I am startled when I'm meet with darkness. I lean my crutches against the nearest wall and fumble around in the dark for the light switch. I find it and flick it on and off a few times. "Damn, the light must be blown" I shiver a bit as I start to look for the door know with my hands. The darkness feels heavy and the seconds long as I feel along the featureless wall. I'm confused by the lack of anything I'm felling but to scared to let go of the wall. I break the silence "I have moved at least a few feet to the right, I should have hit my crutches by now" I start breathing heavy and I shout out "Allison, come open the door" I bang on the wall with one hand, my other never leaving the wall "please come open it now!" my words echo like I'm in a cavern. My breathing is painfully sharp. Just as I go to scream again light floods the room and Allison stands in front of me, a terrified look on her face. "Azazel what happened?" she ask, running to me frantically. I realize I'm on the floor on my hands and knees. I regain my composure "Sorry sis, the light went out and I must have slipped and fell. You know I don't like the dark." she punches my arm softly and looks at me, an angry look on her face "Don't scare me like that, I thought you were being attacked or dying or something." she sighs and helps me up "I'll ask if mom has any light bulbs, you go rest for now" she hands me my crutches "and don't forget your juice is on the table" she walks away to go look for mom and I head to the dining room. I picked up my glass and hold it for a moment, looking into the half filled cup of orange juice. I walk to the sink, pour it down the drain and walk back to my room. I take my shirt off, throwing it to the side, and stretch. I take deep breaths as I raise and lower my arms. I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. "What is that" I walk closer, turning my back to the mirror and looking over my shoulder. "Is.. Is that some sort of marking?" I look at the symbol on my back, lined in black, some sort of sigil that wasn't there before. I shrug it off and lay in bed. "Nope, fuck this. I'm dreaming. These nightmares get worse and worse I swear." I roll up in my bed, the light still on and close my eyes. Waiting to fall asleep.
Waiting to wake up.