Reawakened Fear

Part 2

"Fear is a tricky thing, isn't it?" A voice bellowed deeply. I stood alone in a dark room, bound to a wall. A figure dressed in a tuxedo appeared before me. They were tall and slender, with a smile of a devil and the eyes of tortured souls. "Hello, Michael. It certainly has been a while." He jeered. I stared back at him filled with determination. "Tsk tsk, is that any way to treat 'ole James? After all, you do know what I can do." I tried to keep my breath steady. I didn't want to him to know my anxiety was growing quickly. "Shall we begin then?" His last words filled my ears as I was swallowed by complete darkness.

I stood on the edge of a cliff overlooking crashing waves. Jagged rocks peaked out from the sea as the waves rolled. Instinctively, I took a step back only to find another drop behind me. I looked around as my breaths became quickened and shallow. Of course, this would show up. After all, a common fear was heights. A flash of black caught my eye as James appeared on a ledge separate from my own. "What shall you do now? It does appear you are stuck there." A devilish smile grew across his face. He wanted me to jump, or fall, but I knew better than that. I closed my eyes and tried to slow my breathing down. James screamed as he fell from the ledge and this world faded to black once more.

A light came through a windowpane, illuminating the documents before me. I looked to my right to see the one I love sitting next to me with a grim look on his face. James stood next to an agent in front of us. I looked down at the documents on the desk. They were notices telling us we were ineligible to adopt children on the basis of an old standing rule, barring people like us. The documents made it clear this was across the board and there was no way to reconcile. Our only shot at having a family had been taken away. I took a deep breath and held my love's hand quietly.

There was no jarring darkness to sallow me up this time. I had nothing I could do but face this head-on. My love started to speak, but I felt a shift in the world. Sirens began blaring and the sound of boots filled the air. A swarm of people burst through the door and forcibly grabbed my love. Handcuffs were placed on his wrists and he was lead outside. Two men grabbed me and held me in place at the window, where I now saw my love. My heart began to race as I knew what would come. A single tear rolled down his face and he smiled weakly at me. James informed me a hunt had begun for people such as us, and by filing to adopt they had a civic duty to turn us in. I tried to look away but one of my guards turned my head to look. A scream fell from my lips as my love crashed to the ground with the sound of a gun ringing in my ears.