Town Darkness

Chapter Eleven

       Safe… for now.  The wooden door of the hotel separating them from the darkness outside. What awaited them in this new area, more darkness? Answers? Were they any closer to finding a way out?  They didn't know, but a slight sense of relief washed over them with the hope that they could finally rest for this slight moment in time.  Rest and heal, to bandage the wounds suffered from the nightmares.  How long will it be, until they have to succumb, submit… sacrifice to their Darkness.

        Mark and Nate laid Jack down on his chest on the waiting couch near the receptionist desk of the hotel.  Why there was a couch was unknown, but thankfully convenient.  Mat dug through the medkit for a needle and thread for temporary stitches.  He had never stitched a wound before, his hands trembled at the thought while his head filled with doubts. 

       "We need to pull his shirt up, to see how bad the marks are." Nate stated, motioning Mark to help him.  The blood made Jack's shirt cling to his back slightly and as they began to pull, he stirred.  He groaned in pain, as they tried to explain what they were doing.  "Jack, can you hear us?  We're trying to get you stitched up."  Mark said soothingly, finishing pulling the shirt up for Mat to begin his job.

       Ethan sat with Felix, the silence between them was oddly comforting.  Ethan checked on his injury, black veins stretched up his forearm from the burn.  The pain was no longer present, but he could feel the Darkness seeping through the wound.  It had a distinguished feeling, like ice mixed with electricity shooting through every nerve. 

       He looked over to Felix, who was staring blankly forward, the only sign of life was his slow, steady, breathing.  He had truly begun to look dead.  His right eye had turned completely white, while the other was fading fast.  His lips had turned a slight blue color that is present in those who have died.  The black veins stretched completely up his arms, neck, and cheeks. 

       "Felix? Do you… are you-?"  He turned his head slowly, facing Ethan and sighing. "I- I don't know."  His eyes lifted slowly to meet Ethan's.  They were full of exhaustion and hopelessness, their light had died out. "I can't feel… anything.  I- I'm scared."

       The claw marks on Jack's back were surrounded by intricate patterns of veins stretching to the rest of his body. "Just like the other injuries."  Mat breathed, confused but also in a state of wonder.  Jack's breathing hitched slightly as he whispered hoarsely, " …burns…"  His skin felt hot, fever-like and had the color of a fresh sunburn. 

       Static filled Ethan's mind once again, turning his vision blurry as he felt a burning heat wash over his body.  The sensation of fire crept up his legs, making him want to jump from it, but his body stood frozen to its current sitting position.  The fire was from someone else, a presence he was tuning to in his mind.  He forced his mind to break free from the hold it was in, causing everything to come back into focus.  Someone was coming.

       "I'm going to need you guys to hold him down, this is gonna sting a lot and he's going to try and move."  Mat twisted the cap off the small bottle of disinfectant, his hands still trembling at the thought of making one of his friend's feel pain.  He pointed for Mark to hold Jack's upper body and for Nate to hold his legs as Mat stood over Jack's back, mentally preparing himself.  Jack kept muttering the word 'burns' quietly, tears falling down his cheek.  "Stop, don't!" Ethan yelled, scrambling to get up. 

       They looked at him questioningly, "Why? They need to be disinfected before I can stitch them." Ethan shook his head, "The shock from the pain is going to cause a bad reaction, I know it."  Mat sighed, "I know, that's why we're holding him down." He held the bottle out over Jack's back, ready to pour it.  "No! Look, he's mostly holding back from burning, but if you do that, the pain is going to shock his body and his mind and he's not going to be able to control what he does."  

       "Burning… control… what?  You're not completely making sense Ethan.  We need to get him stitched up, the sooner we do, the sooner we can all get the fuck out of here.  It's either that or we leave him here to die! And none of us can have that." Ethan pleaded desperately, "Please, trust me- don't do this."  Mat shook his head, "I'm sorry Ethan, but we need to save Jack." 

       He poured the disinfectant on the claw marks, causing Jack to scream in pure agony as he struggled against Mark's and Nate's grasp.  Ethan backed away in fear as his head started to pound.  The air around them became sweltering and unbearable, causing Mark and Nate to let go.  Burn marks formed on the couch around Jack as green flames began to envelop his body.  He stood up, looking at the others, a malicious smile stretching over his face.  His voice containing psychotic malice,  "Finally… I'm in control."