Darkness

Chapter 18- A long night

JuJu's POV:

*A month later*

I stand in my hospital room with a small smile on my face. "Ready to go?" I hear Mark ask and I look at him, smiling widely. "Super ready." He smiles, "Good, I'm ready to have you home again." I can't stop smiling at the thought of going home with Mark. When I had woken up, Auri had told me she had taken our things and moved in with Ethan. After I woke up, Mark had taken all of my old things to his place. So, I'll be living with him and honestly I do not mind.

My parents have long been back home in South Carolina, my home state. I had signed all papers I needed to sign and once they knew I was okay they booked a flight home. Of coarse they spent some time with me since I was finally moving around and awake. I remember dad had said something to Mark. "'Take care of my little girl or else. Got it?'" Mark had this terrified look on his face as he nodded.

Soon we are in the car heading home. "Why don't you rest?" He says and I nod, "Wake me when we get there." I say and he nods, "I love you, Ju." I smile, "I love you too, Mark." Then I'm fast asleep.

~*Dream*~

I find myself in the forest of voices. Which had become a place of memories and I grew fond of it while I was in my coma. 'You won't be fond of it for long. I'm here to ruin it. Ruin everything.' A voice that I hated with a burning passion calls out and my body grows tense. "You are not real. You do not exist in our world anymore. You can not hurt me." I mumble, repeating the chant the doctor had told me to use for situations like this. Not once has Dark's voice come to the one place I actually like from my time asleep. I would always end up back in the void of darkness whenever he would talk to me in my sleep. It wasn't often, but in times I was happy he would 'return' in a way. 'Oh dear, I may not be in your world yet, but I will return. You just have to let me in.' I shake my head, "Never! You aren't real!!! Leave me alone..." I start to yell at the voice, hoping he would just leave me in peace. Leave me alone in the forest I actually enjoy.

Suddenly, the other soft and sweet voices become hard. Saying harsh things to me. 'I can hurt you. I'm very real. I just don't have a physical form and there is no way you can get rid of me.' His voice taunts me as I run through the forest. The voices of those I love dearly continue to spout horrible things to me but one does not. 'I love you, Ju.' A small smile forms, 'Until the end of time.' Mark's voice is the one to continue to tell me he loves me. No matter what 'dimension' or 'world' I'm in. He will always love me, and I believe him. "None of what they are saying is true. You're ruining the one of the places I hold dear. My place of memories. I won't let you take this place from me." Then all of the voices stop and fall silent. 'We are so proud..' I hear my parents say and I smile, "I'm stronger than you are. This is my place and you can't take it away from me." I hear him growl slightly and then go quiet. I assume he leaves for now and so, I decide to wake up.

~*Dream over*~

I wake up to find I'm laying down on the couch in Mark's place. Slowly I sit up and stretch, "I thought I said wake me up when we got here?" Mark laughs next to me, "You seemed so peaceful and I didn't want to disturb you." He says and I nod, "So how was your nap?" For a second I debate on telling him about Dark's voice but I don't know if I should. "It was okay. You remember that place I told you about? The forest?" Mark smiles, "Yeah, didn't you say you spent a lot of time there while in your coma?" He questions and I nod, "Mhm! It was peaceful for a while." His eyebrows raise, "Only for  a while? You've been asleep for two hours. I'm guessing more stuff happened in your dream?" Instead of making that last part sound like a statement, he made it sound like a question. "Well yeah, more stuff happened but it was a dream. Of coarse more stuff happened. It was nothing really." I say and I feel like I should tell him the truth but I'm afraid he won't believe me. 'You're a lying to him. Aren't you a great girlfriend.' I hear Dark's voice say and I frown. "JuJu.~ You alright?"

Mark's voice brings me back to reality and I smile at him, "I'm perfectly fine. No worries.~" I say and he looks as if he doesn't believe me. Instead of questioning me about it, he lets it go for now. "How about a snack? Get your mind off whatever it is you're thinking about. Yeah?" I nod and we go into the kitchen to make some food.

*Later that night*

I lay awake in bed next to Mark, unable to sleep. Sitting up I rub my eyes and sigh, "I just want to sleep. This is what I get for taking a two hour nap and Mark will have to deal with me so that's his punishment." I whisper to myself, at-least I thought I was talking to myself. 'Oh dear, you should take better care of yourself.' Dark's voice says and I quickly look around. I sigh as I remember he is only in my head and smile a little at the fact I won't have to look at him. 'Funny how you think I can't play with your mind. Would it help if I stepped out of the darkness?' Dark asks me that same question he has asked me twice before. "No." I whisper into the dark room as I look around some more. 'Too bad. I'll do step out anyone.' Then I see him, right next to our bedroom door. 

That's where I begin to panic, "Leave." I whisper but Dark laughs coldly, "Since when do I listen to you?"  Dark steps forward and I turn to Mark, then back to Dark. "I will make sure you and him suffer for what you have done to me. Believe me I will." Then, as quickly as he came, he left. Without waking Mark, I stand and go over to the window and look out it. 'I can't let him hurt Mark or myself. I won't put Mark or the others in that situation again.' Tears start to fall down my face as I remember all of the pain we all have gone through. All the pain I made them go through. I lean against the wall and slide down it, bringing my knees up to my chest. Silently I cry into my knees and fall asleep right there in the floor.