Descended Into Darkness

Chapter 1: Project Dark Days

        "You were right," I hear like sandpaper across my eardrums slowly raking across them waking me up from my fitful sleep. I see a pale stretched and terrified face, gripping a flashlight knuckles white. I breathe in and out as it flickers. I don't want to be right this time. Flicker. Flicker. I wish I could go back to the light days. I was not abnormal or different, I used to be happy and blind to the world. Crime, poverty and destruction. It was nice back then, the worse stress being homework. I remember that day clearly, where the world I knew fell apart. It all started a few hours ago.

         Half asleep trudging through the hallway dragging my feet slowly, dawdling. I practically throw my books at my desk drained and exhausted. Plopping into my seat, wishing I went to bed instead of reading till 3 am last night. I turn to my best friend Aiden, he's been my best friend since diapers. He looks at me serious, which if you knew him you would know it's a rarity. "Have you heard?" He stage whsipers being the dramatic person he is. "Heard what?" I whisper back, not to shocked he has the latest gossip prepared for me. "Let me guess Jessica broke up with Daniel?" I say with an eyeroll and saracasm. "Well yes... but that's not important," he says glancing nervously around the room. "Come on spill the tea, either tell me or don't," I really hoped he wasn't going to leave me hanging like this. "Ever heard of the dark days? That's what they are calling it." I raised an eyebrow  glancing at the teacher. Who, thankfully wasn't paying attention. I was intrigued now. "Continue," I whisper hastily eager for more information. He sucks in another breath of air, "they are shutting our power down for 3 days," he says leisurely. "Just our city, county, state, or entire country be more specific." He pauses to think, "county, maybe more." At this the teacher finally turns our way. "Do you have anything to add?" She askes a tight smile on her face. Aiden gives a cheeky smile, "yes, did you know that Jessica and Daniel broke up?" He says leaning back in his chair. The teacher sighs irritated.

       "Any thing you would like to add Miss Adams?" Why does she call every one by their last names. It's annoying, it makes me feel like I'm 30. "Nope," I respond popping the p. Gesturing to my notes, I've written everything down. I've gotten good at multitasking. "Just writing down the notes," she grits her teeth facing the board. I honestly don't feel that bad for the teacher. She was rude to everyone the first day. The class, I finally noticed was snickering slightly.

      "Are you going to continue miss?" I ask as polite as I can without laughing. She continues writing down notes about the American Revolution and the founding fathers. Really boring, I doodle flowers in the corners of the paper. She babbles on about some guy Named Alexander. Already forgot the last name, oh well.

         "Continue," I whisper to Aiden once social studies is over. We are walking in the hallway to our lockers. He pauses, "I'll explain the rest, meet me outside, okay?"
       "Okay," I respond rushing to my locker. This wasn't any ordinary gossip that bored me to death. I sit by the large elm tree waiting patiently. He soon comes and sits next to me. He gets an animated look in his eyes as he tells the story. "So apparently our power is supposed to go out for 3 days, the government is turning it off." He pauses for any questions I have so far. "Why isn't this on the news? And why?" He pauses, "because that isn't all to the story the government is sending soldiers to exterminate us and send us to work camps." I gape at him, "no... no way this is possible, even with overpopulation, disease, and crime, they wouldn't do that, why isn't this on the news?"

       "If it was on the news people would leave the city and spread their crime and disease all throughout the country." He responds, "I did see one article but it was immediately deleted. I don't think we are the first city to have this. Because cutting off power, cuts communication."

    "No way," I pause, "where did you get this information?"
    
        "Someone's brother is in the military he says to kill a soldier if he tries to enter your house and to leave the city if possible, because otherwise you will die." He says seriously, "not even the teachers or most of the adults think this is going to happen or believes it will. You need to convince your parents to leave tonight. I think it may be your only shot."
    
        "I... will try," still not fully believing him, it sounded a little to out there. He sighs, "you don't believe me, do you?"
       
       I shake my head, "no offense but it sounds crazy, like something out of a movie." The wind blows slighlty on my face blowing my hair. "Is there anything else?" I ask still baffled.

       "Look up 'Project Dark Days,' it's well hidden you have to go to the 7th page and the 4th one on that page."

      I nod writing it on my palm with a spare pen from my backpack. "Let's walk home shall we?" We were neighbors and our houses are right next to each other.
           We started our long trek home. The spring weather was showing through the blossoming flowers and heat beating down my back. The only relief to the heat was the tiny gust of wind every few seconds. We discussed hiding places and good weapons out of ordinary objects. Like a heeled show using to throw.  Or hiding in our best hide and seek spots. But if you are found, you'd be killed. We lived in bliss ignorance for now. Laughing, not really taking the hoax seriously. That laughing would soon end.