Darkness Rising

Paint it Black

The year is 2096. Earth's population is 307. There are only 15 cities left standing. Death is everywhere, yet I can never seem to find it. Short of offing myself, nothing seems to come my way.

My whole town had been evacuated after the creatures rose from the water and fell from the sky. I remember that day vividly. I had gone out with my boyfriend Derek the night before and I had decided to crash at his place. Being the gentleman he was, he gave me his bed while he took the couch.

We had woke up late as we had spent the night binge watching horror movies. They were a mutual favorite of ours. Derek loved being scared, while I loved seeing him scared. He used to joke that nothing could scare me, and to this day I have found that true. Except for this particular afternoon.

As I rose from the tangle of silk sheets I noticed a particular smell. Sulfur. I thought nothing of it as I stood and slid on my slippers so I could stumble into the kitchen to make some waffles for us. That's when I noticed something else. The sky was a sickly shade of orange. Not your normal morning, sunrise orange, but like a great fire burning in the distance orange. Again, I stupidly assumed everything was normal and continued making my waffles. That's when Derek sauntered into the kitchen.

"Morning babe." He mumbled, the sleep still not completely worn off of his voice.

"Morning sleepy-head," I said as I walked over and pressed a gentle kiss on his lips. "Ugh, you have morning breath."

"Yours ain't no rose bush either." He smiled back at me.

I turned to the counter and flipped on the radio to a classic rock station. Derek wasn't a fan of my music and he let me know whenever he got the chance. He told me it was 'too old' and that I 'should join this generation'. I just dismissed his complaints and turned Zeppelin up louder as he let out an exasperated sigh and grabbed two plates from the cabinets above us to set the table.

Once "Stairway to Heaven" finished, the waffles were done and we were ready to eat. I reached over to turn off the radio when it emitted a high pitch squeal. The lights started flickering and the radio turned to static. I didn't know what was happening or what to do, so I pulled out the drawer nearest to me and grabbed a knife.

"What do you think you're gonna do with that?" Derek breathed into my ear.

"Whatever I have too." Was my answer.

I didn't know why this was happening but I was going to be prepared in case anything went down.

Then, just as soon as it started, everything stopped and went back to normal. I sat the knife down, shrugged, and settled in to eat my waffles. That's when I heard it. A gravelly yet charming voice coming from over the radio.

"You are not alone. You never were. You think you can fight? Do you think you can stop the inevitable? Think again. We are coming and we will spare no lives to get what we want. The end is near. But the end is just the beginning. Soon Hell will be opened and unleashed to all of humanity and there is nothing you can do about it. You have two options. You can surrender willingly and become part of my army. Or, you can perish. Don't try to fight back. You will surely die. You cannot stop this. You cannot delay this. This is destiny. The prophecy has been fulfilled. Soon, everything you know and love will burn!" He said that last word with such intensity that it gave me chills.

Derek and I turned to face each other. Our mouths stuck slightly open. Nobody said a word. We didn't know what to say.

Who was that? What did they mean by 'the prophecy'?

I walked over to the window and pulled back the shades. The streets were silent. Every car was at a standstill. Nobody was on the sidewalks. Every curtain was drawn. Every mouth was closed. Even the dogs stopped barking and had run to hide. Something was dreadfully wrong, but just what, I had no idea.

Then the warning sirens started. I heard a mighty rumble and I looked to the sky. What looked like meteors seemed to be falling from the sky. Hundreds of thousands of bright lights plummeting down, resulting in gaping craters wherever they happened to land. The noise was deafening. The lights were blinding. Yet I couldn't look away, like I was drawn to it. It's almost as I could feel something in the pit of my stomach telling me I had to do something. Like I was a part of this somehow, like I was connected. I didn't know how or why, but I was going to find out.

I felt something grab my hand.

"How 'bout we step away from the window shug." Derek said as he gently pulled me away and closed the curtains. "Let's just sit down and think about this. Babe, we watched a lot of horror movies last night, maybe this is just a dream or... or... or a weird hallucination. Nothing is really wrong. I vote we go back to sleep and then maybe we will wake up and laugh at how stupid we were being."

"Derek. This doesn't feel like a dream to me." I whispered. "This is real, whatever this is, it's actually happening. And somehow I am connected to this."

"You gotta be kidding me, Raine. You have nothing to do with thi-" He started, but I cut him off.

"You don't know that!" I yelled, suddenly feeling enraged. "Th-this whatever this is, is real and I'm not just gonna sit on the couch and watch movies while it's going on outside. That's suicide! I mean, look outside!"

I walked to the window again and pulled aside the curtain. Hundreds of more craters had appeared and the streets were now stained red with blood. I saw something run into an alley just a few hundred yards from the apartment and I let out a little yelp in surprise.

That's when it hit me. I had to prepare. I was going to have to fight. I was going to have to save myself and Derek. Derek surely couldn't do it. I mean, I love him, but he couldn't throw a punch to save his life. And now, it just might. I could see the fear buried in his dazzling jade green eyes. It was hidden, but it was there all right.

I ran to Derek's room to grab my stuff. I had to get back to my house to gather everything I needed. I grabbed my duffel, leather jacket, and helmet.

Before I could get to the door Derek stopped me.

"And just what are you doing?" He started, angrily. "You think you can just ride your motorcycle on home without dying? No! You walk out that door and you are sure to die, and-and I just can't live without you, babe." A single, frustrated tear fell down his freckled cheek as he said that last part.

I melted with his words. He knew how to get to me, tears. He never cried, and when he did it was just a single tear. I called it his man tear. He only used it in situations where he knew he wasn't going to win against me. But at this moment I had to be strong, I couldn't let his single man tear get to me. I looked away and walked out of the door.

"I love you." I said quietly, hoping he would hear me. I couldn't say it any louder or I would break into tears.

I was answered with the slamming of his apartment door.

"What have I done?" I thought. I might have just lost Derek for good, but I had no time to dwell on that, I had to get home before it was destroyed, or worse, I was killed.