Darkness Crawls

One: Civilization and Realization

        I awoke in complete darkness. Terrified, I screamed at the top of my lungs, screaming for help. I tried to get up but screamed loudly in pain when I found my left leg to be broken. I began to panic. I started to frantically crawl, screaming in pain as my leg was dragging the ground. 

         “Hey! You’re going to hurt yourself!” I heard a gentle voice call out- a girl’s voice. I felt a pair of hands grab me. I began to have a panic attack. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m your friend. Sweetie, your leg is broken. You need to stay still.” Her hands were strong yet gentle. 

         “Where am I?” I pleaded. “I… I’m scared.” I began to sob violently. 

         “You’re in what we refer to as the Darkness. It swallows people. There are about 15 of us so far, and we’ve made a civilization. My friends are bringing something to carry you back so we can help you heal your leg. My name is Rayne.” The girl said. I realized that her voice was like velvet to my ears and how nice she was. 

         “My.. My name is Xander,” I said quietly. When I was scared, my voice would get really quiet. The girl sat down beside me and began to rub my back. For some strange reason, her touch had a very calming effect on me. I relaxed against her. A few minutes later, a group of four people came out from what appeared to be a forest. They had a makeshift stretcher. They sat it down beside me. 

         “Rayne, how’s he fairing?” A male asked. His voice was gruff. 

         “He’s awake but terrified. He tried to run away, and I think he may have hurt his leg even more.” I began to shake as I felt the men pick me up and place me on the stretcher. I began to have a panic attack, and, all of a sudden, Rayne was by my side. “Xander. Xander. Calm down.” I continued to panic until I passed out. 

         When I awoke, I sat up and winced as I moved his leg. It still hurt, but the pain was lessened. They must have given me some kind of pain medication. I thought to myself. I looked around and found myself to be alone. “Hello?” I asked quietly. No one answered me. I located a pair of makeshift crutches. I reached for them, got them, and stood up, using them to not stand on my broken leg. 

         I hobbled out of the tent and saw people sitting around a small campfire. I began to make my way over to them, trying to be quiet. 

         “Xander!” Rayne screamed as she saw me. She rushed over to me and helped me find a seat. “Everyone, this is Xander, the sixteenth member of our little crew that have been swallowed by the Darkness.” I looked around and noticed there were 8 girls and 8 guys, including me. “The girls are Aura, Sasha, Twilight, Bailey, Allen, Rose, Kaoru, and me. The guys are Xavier, Sebastian, Kellin, Daemon, Vic, Alex, Jack, and you.” Rayne informed me. As she said their names, they would raise their hands. It’s going to be hard to remember everyone’s name. I thought. They went back to talking about something-I wasn’t exactly sure what. I put in my input when I could, but mostly I just stayed quiet.  I began to think about my situation. Why was I chosen to be eaten by the Darkness or whatever they call it. What was I doing before I got eaten? I remember running. But I was running from this thing. What happened before that? Who am I? Iknow my name but not my story. “I don’t remember anything except running from the Darkness. I only know my name,” I stated quietly. Everyone looked at me. 

         “None of us remember our life before the Darkness. Only our names. We have tried our hardest to remember but our efforts have ended in no success,” Xavier said. He was one of the ones who continuously talked, but, strangely, everyone was now quiet. I stared at them. “Rayne was the first one to be engulfed by the Darkness. I came second. The rest came as follows, in their respective order: Sasha, Kellin, Aura, Vic, Twilight, Sebastian, Allen, Alex, Rose, Jack, Bailey, Daemon, Kaoru, and then you,” Xavier informed me. “Rayne knows the most about the Darkness, but even she doesn’t remember her life before our civilization.” 

         “Xavier,” Rayne’s voice, for some reason, seemed very strict and a little rude. Taken aback, I looked at her. I heard Xavier mumble an apology. “I don’t like to talk about how our civilization came to be. It is information that newbies don’t need to know. Do not bring it up again.” Her voice. It was almost like something had possessed her. I stared at her. “Time for lights out.” 

         “Wait! Please! I don’t want to be in the dark!” I looked around, wondering who had said that but then realized it was me. I had tears in my eyes. All eyes were now on me. I began to get uncomfortable. I got up and hobbled away on my crutches as fast as I could, to try to avoid having a panic attack. I screamed as I felt teeth go into my broken leg. I began to cry and shake violently. I heard footsteps, and I closed my eyes, wishing whatever had ahold of my leg would kill me. I heard some shouting and then the pressure was off of my leg. I cried harder. 

         “Xander,” a quiet voice said. I looked up to see Daemon. He picked me up, bridal style, and began to carry me back to the camp. “You can sleep in my dorm. It’s better if you’re not alone.” I could feel myself shaking, and I cuddled against Daemon, not even caring if he was gay or if I was gay. I think someone else grabbed my crutches. I closed my eyes and blocked out everything except Daemon and me. I must have fallen asleep because I awoke to Daemon setting me down on a bed.

        I looked around the tent. My crutches were leaning against the wall of the tent. I looked at Daemon. I knew it was wrong, but I was attracted to Daemon. He slowly laid down beside me. “Oh, you’re awake,” He said, and I heard him chuckle. I smiled. I shivered lightly because the tent felt like negative twenty degrees Fahrenheit. Daemon pulled a blanket up. “If you’re still cold, the only thing I have left to offer is my body heat.” I smiled. I shivered again and felt him wrap his arms around me. I cuddled against him, regrettably like a girl. I quickly fell asleep in Daemon’s arms. 

         I awoke to find Daemon gone. His side of the bed was still warm. I sat up and reached for my crutches but found them to be just out of reach. I looked around but decided not to get up. I laid back down and stared at the ceiling. I began to try to remember my previous life. It’s weird to think of it as my “previous life”. Will I be going back? What if I had kids? They need a dad. What about my wife, if I had one? What about my family? I felt a few tears begin to make their way down my cheeks.  “Xander, are you okay?” I heard a voice ask. Startled, I looked up and saw Daemon. 

         “I’m fine. I.. I was just thinking about what my old life may have been. I hate the unknown. I don’t know if I had kids or a wife. It’s killing me not to know,” I told him. Daemon came over to me and wrapped his arms around me. 

         “I know how you feel. We all felt that way when we first came. I still feel like that. You just kind of have to get used to it. There is no escaping the Darkness. I tried. Deep within the Darkness, there are monsters. I was attacked, and Jack and Alex saved me. They were the ones sent after me.” I looked up at Daemon. “I ran after you because I didn’t want you to suffer through the experience of terror that comes from those monsters.” 

         “Thank you for saving me, Daemon. I honestly was wanting to die, but I’m glad you saved me,” I told him. He gave me a shocked look then he smiled. 

         “I’m glad I saved you, too. I haven’t been happy since I came here, but you make me happy,” Daemon said. Suddenly, my eyes widened, and everything went dark. 

        It didn’t stay dark for long. I began to see memories. It was Daemon and I. Confused, I continued to watch. We were kissing, and it didn’t look like we were in the Darkness. Daemon looked me in the eyes and said he loved me. I replied with the same thing before we laid onto our bed. Suddenly, the scene changed. I was screaming, looking for Daemon. It seemed like he had just disappeared from my life. He left me alone. 

         I awoke to find myself screaming “Daemon!” and crying. “Xander, wake up!!!” Daemon was screaming at me. I cuddled against him. 

         “Daemon.. I saw my past life.. We were lovers. You disappeared. I was terrified. I thought you had left me.” I sobbed into his arms. He pulled me closer to him. He didn’t say anything. My heart was racing. I continued to sob. “I’m so happy I found you, Daemon. I missed you.” 

 “Who are you? I don’t remember you,”