Out of the Darkness

60

Then I remembered. "Wait," I said quietly, bringing my head away from her. I left my arms around her, not willing to break the contact, in case I couldn't get it back. "How- when- what's going on?" I finally got out. She laughed a little, her hands on my sides, above my hips. I could feel them there, the pressure of them. It felt nice. "I'm not sure," she said, her voice a literal breath of relief to me. "I was with you guys on the ship. I saw that awful bitch trying to hurt you and Sam." She bit her lip as her eyes grew hard with anger. I thought that I saw a glint of that golden color start to come through, but then she met my gaze and let out a breath. "I couldn't let her do that. I felt something building up inside of me. I don't know what it was. A mix of anger, fear, and hopelessness. I just," she broke off, then moved away from me as she sat down on my couch. I sat down quickly next to her, taking her still solid hand in mine. "All of the emotions built up and I think I exploded." She looked up and met my gaze, her emerald eyes burning as brightly as they did when I first found the doll. "Only not metaphorically. I literally exploded. It hurt. It felt like my soul blew apart in a hundred different directions. I only had a conscious left, but nothing physical to hold on too. I couldn't see anything. I could only think. I guess it was kind of like it would be if a human was in a coma. Or asleep. I don't know. I just know that it was dark and lonely. I thought of you, and of your friends. I thought of my past life. Some things came back to me." I gripped her hand tighter when she said this. "Did you see anything that can help us figure out who you are?" She smiled and shrugged. "I don't know. I don't think so. I saw my mother. I felt her hug me. My dad too. It was nice to feel that again. I hadn't realized that I missed it because I didn't remember it. I guess it's easier that way, but I'm glad that I remembered it. I don't know what their names are though. I had a little sister. I know that much. I loved her deeply, but I always said that she annoyed me. I wish that I wouldn't have treated her the way that I did. I don't remember her name either. All that I remembered about her was when we were both small. She had fallen and scraped her knee when we were climbing a tree that we weren't supposed to climb. Instead of telling my mom, I acted like her instead. I took my sister's hand, helped her up, then helped her into the bathroom. I cleaned up her knee, then put iodine on it. That dark orangey medicine. Do you know what I'm talking about?" I shook my head. I had no clue. She grinned a little and shook her head, then continued her story, a faraway look in her eyes. She seemed much happier. She was mesmerizing to watch this way. Her face was tilted a little, her dark hair falling over her face a little, while the sun caught the strands, making them shine. I was used to seeing her transparent, that this solid thing was blowing my mind. Seeing her as an actual person was so intense to me. Before I could stop myself, I interrupted her. "Anna," I said, looking down at our intertwined fingers. She stopped midsentence, telling me about a memory that she had of her grandmother making her and her sister homemade cookies for Christmas. "Yeaah?" She asked, drawing out the word a little. "Why are you solid? Are you going to stay that way?" "Oh," she said softly, then looked down at our hands, as I looked up to her face. "I don't know. I was in the darkness. At first, I was alone, swimming in the darkness. Purgatory maybe? Then something hit me. This bright white light. I heard my sister's voice. I didn't know it was her, but then these flashes, these images started to slam into me, taking my breath. My memories started to come back, but just in flashes, too fast for me to make sense of most of them. Then they cut off and I was alone again. Until I felt the Dark One. She was there. I don't know how she found me but she did. Then I heard my sister's voice again. Calling to me, telling me to run from the Darkness. I saw a small prick of light so I did. I didn't have a body but I imagined running. I ran with everything that I had. She gained on me. She grabbed me. Somehow, she got a hold of my mind, my conscience." "Wait, back up," I said, shaking my head. "I thought the Dark One was a he. You've always said he." "That's how she portrayed herself to me before, but this time, I don't know why it was different. She is a woman, or a female entity anyway. Her voice," she stopped and I watched her entire body shiver. "It was gravelly and shrill at the same time. Horrible and terrifying. I don't even know how to explain it, but it chilled me to the bone...well, you know what I mean. She told me there was no escape. That she knew where I was at all times. That she could always find me and no matter what I did, she would always have my soul." She fell silent for a moment and just stared down at our hands. "I was so scared," she replied, looking back up to meet my gaze, her own emerald eyes shining with tears. "I was more scared than I can ever remember being. I never want to go back to that...whatever that was in that house. I can't. I was always so weak, and terrified. I had lost all hope before you came. You ignited that little bit of fire in me, just to make sure that you and your friends were safe. I'm not sure why you stood out to me so much. There had been many others that came through that house, I'm sure, but I only ever saw a few in flashes. I was never able to fully leave the darkness..." She gripped my hand tighter. "Until you. What is it about you? Why was I able to break free from it because of you? It doesn't make sense." I didn't have an answer for that. I had no idea. So I just sat back on the couch, and pulled her over to me, then wrapped my arm around her shoulders. She leaned her head back on my arm and looked at me. "I don't know how long I'm going to be solid or why I am, Colby. I don't know anything." I watched a single tear fall over her bottom lid, and slide slowly down her cheek. I used my other hand, my thumb to wipe it away. "Shhh, it's okay. We'll deal with whatever. I don't know what's going on. No fucking clue at all, but I do know that I'm here for you."