by Lucy Adler
But Lena wasn’t deterred. In fact, something was rising up within her, and it wasn’t going to stop until it found a way out.
“I don’t care what you say, Charles. This is all about you! Everything you’ve done has been about protecting yourself, your job, your reputation. Maybe when this all began, for a moment, a brief, fleeting moment, you cared about me and how I felt and what I was going through. But none of it was as important as the promising future of the great Charles Reston! The youngest member in Guild history! The one who will finally discover the cure! The future Saviour of Humanity! That’s all you really cared about. And that’s all you’re here for now. You, you, you! Whatever deluded nonsense you want to spout at me or anyone else, you know I’m right!”
Lena’s voice had risen with the tide of emotions, and a few people were looking in their direction now. The doctor noticed and his face quickly returned to its fake smile.
“Ok, that’s enough,” he said, taking the last few steps to close the gap between them. “We’re going back to the city. Now.”
“We aren’t going anywhere together, ever again,” Lena said. She stepped back, then turned and started walking away at a brisk pace.
“Where are you going?”
“Goodbye, Charles,” she called to him over her shoulder.
But it wasn’t going to be that easy.
Lena heard his footsteps behind her.
She hurried now, somewhere just shy of a jog, as she looked around, trying to figure out where she should go.
Then she spotted a trucker climbing up into his rig on the traditional, concrete half of the parking lot.
“Excuse me!” she called out, now at a full jog. “Excuse me, can you give me a lift somewhere?”
The driver looked down from his seat as the woman ran towards him, followed by a man in a grey suit.
“Uh, maybe,” he replied. “Where are you going?”
“Wherever! Please, get me out of here!”
But just as she was nearing his truck, the doctor caught up to her. He grabbed her by the shoulder and she lost her balance, tripping and falling to the ground.
“Hey!” the driver yelled. “Easy there, buddy!”
“Mind your own business, please?” Charles replied without looking at him.
The man jumped down out of his seat and approached them.
“I think maybe the lady wants you to leave her alone,” he said. “Why don’t you back off, eh?”
The doctor sighed and stepped back.
“That’s good,” the driver said with a nod. “Now walk awa--“
A searing pain cut him off mid-sentence, and sent him tumbling to the ground beside Lena. She let out a frightened cry, then rolled over and looked up at Charles, taser in hand.
“Trust me, it hurts,” he said, glancing at the weapon, then at her. “Don’t make me show you just how much. Now get up. We’re leaving.”
But Lena didn’t get up.
Within her, something began to stir.
Deeper than emotions this time. Deeper than thoughts, feelings, or memories.
A wave of peace and calm washed over her.
She gave Charles a smile, as if granting him a final glimpse into all they had once enjoyed together... and everything that might have been.
Then she closed her eyes.
He stared at her for a moment, waiting for her to surrender willingly. But as the moment dragged on, he grew impatient.
“Ok, playtime’s over, Lena.”
Charles reached down to grab her by the wrist when suddenly, a voice echoed around them.
It sounded like it was rising up from some cavern in the earth below.
“I’m not going with you, Charlie. Not this time.”
“How are you doing that?” he replied, a note of fear in his voice.
But there was no reply.
Then, slowly, Lena’s body began to fade from sight.
He reached down quickly, taking hold of her arm to pull her to her feet. But as he did, a golden light washed over her, forcing his hand away and knocking him back a step.
“Lena! Don’t do this! Don’t leave me!”
But it was too late.
A final shimmer, like gold foil reflecting the sun, marked the space where Lena’s body once lay.
Then it faded and there was only concrete, the light of a street lamp shining down from above, and the shadow of Dr. Charles Reston stretching out beneath it.
26
Month: 4 | Day: 16 | Year: 60
THE GIRL IN THE DARKNESS
“You really have gone completely mad, haven’t you?”
“I suppose ‘mad’ is relative. Depends upon your notion of what’s reasonable, doesn’t it?”
“Kidnapping teenage girls and making them the unwitting participants in your futile attempts at power? Yes, I suppose it is rather grey, isn’t it? But then again, it wasn’t too far of a leap from having your wife drugged and committed, now was it?”
“Futile?” the doctor replied with a gravelly laugh. “Then how is it that we’re having this conversation, my love?”
“Charles, whatever it is that you think you’ve accomplished or attained, it’s only a mirage. You’re deluded.”
“Oh really? So I guess that poor, love-struck young man named Jake just decided he wasn’t tired after all? And Ms. Saxon here set fire to your little settlement all by herself then? And let’s not forget about the very special Daria Grayson! I guess those were just shouts of joy right now, eh?”
“You actually think that you’re doing all of this? You think that you’re some all-powerful force, capable of reaching across time and space to oppress these girls?” Helena laughed at him. “You’re just a sad little man, Charles, who was never able to handle the fact that he couldn’t control everything - and everyone - in his life.”
“I wouldn’t say ‘never’. As you can see, it was only a matter of time.”
“But that’s the thing. You’re still not in control. It’s ironic but by striving to become some great mastermind, you’ve actually become the unwitting pawn of a far greater power.”
“Let me guess! Your silly ‘Dark’, right? That big bad force you and all your deranged companions like to preach about? Well, I can assure you, Lena, that the light is shining down on me, even as we speak. I can see everything, clear as day.”
“Maybe. For now.”
“Well, as stimulating and nostalgic as this little tête-à-tête has been, I really must be getting on with things. Of course, Brianna will be returning to me now. But you don’t mind if I take the Grayson girl with her, do you?”
“Don’t even thi--”
Helena was suddenly jolted out of the space between dream-states and hurled back into her own sanctuary, where she was once again surrounded by purple lights.
Then she began to sense the Dark itself, closing in around her...
Like a creature hunting in the night, sniffing at the wind...
But she did her best to focus through the fear.
“Daria...”
Helena was now hovering over herself, looking down on the hospital room.
And as she watched, Brix slowly sat up. She was still grasping Daria’s left hand, only Daria appeared unconscious now, her body lying forward against the bed. Brett was rubbing her back as he spoke to her, trying to wake her.
Then Brix’s eyes snapped open. Only, they didn’t glow or burn with colour this time.
They were jet black.
Not even a trace of her iris was visible.
And the hand that held Daria now faded into a shadow that was just as deep, lacking even the faintest flicker of light. And it didn’t stop at her hand, or her elbow. It climbed its way up her body, splintering into dozens of tentacles that snaked their way over the surface of her skin, leaving only her curly red hair as a last reminder of the girl beneath the darkness.
But by now, Helena had summoned an imposing dream figure, as had Brett, who had ceased trying to wake Daria and was standing perfectly s
till, eyes closed, mind focused.
Both figures latched on to Brix - Helena’s grabbed her by the leg, while Brett’s locked on to the arm that held Daria.
And then a voice.
“Enough! Stop this, now!”
It was Helena, only it sounded haunting and mysterious, as if emerging from a cavern in the depths of the earth.
At the same time, a wave of golden light began pouring from Brett’s dream figure, illuminating its arms and hands, and colliding with the shadow below.
But the darkness was too deep.
Brix released Daria momentarily as she jerked her arm free from the figure’s grasp. Then she opened her hand to receive the flood of light, swallowing it up like a ravenous beast refusing to be sated.
Helena’s command, too, fell on deaf ears, her voice seemingly absorbed by the void that now grew around the girl in the bed.
Then, another voice.
Creaking and cracking, like an old wooden floor.
“You can’t stop me, Lena. I’m too powerful.”
“You might be right, Charles. For now.”
The voice wheezed and cackled with laughter.
As much as she wanted to continue the fight...
As much as she could sense that Brett was focusing for another attempt at breaking the darkness...
As much as she knew that she was yet to exhaust the full potential of her own powers...
In the depths of her being, in the stillness of her sanctuary amidst the chaos that now surrounded them, Helena heard a different voice.
A quiet but persistent voice.
She was afraid to heed its call.
But she was more afraid of what might happen if she didn’t.
She took a deep breath...
“I’ll go with you, Charlie. Just leave Daria alone.”
“What if I just take you both?”
“You can try. But you won’t take me alive. I can promise you that.”
There was an odd silence as the Dark itself seemed to be considering her request. Finally, a croaking, growling reply emerged.
“I would very much like to see you again, my love.”
And with that, the girl in the darkness rose from the bed and approached Helena’s physical body.
Brett’s dream figure moved to intervene, but Helena stopped him.
“Take her home,” she said, her own dream figure pointing towards Daria. “Keep her safe.”
Then, Helena closed her eyes and released the figure. It diminished and receded into her physical form, as did her vision of the room around her.
She glanced at the purple stars that surrounded her dream-state. She smiled and stretched her arms out, as if embracing them one last time.
Then she stepped through the Veil and returned to her waking self.
____________________________
Helena opened her eyes to see Brix standing over her. The shadow that had engulfed the girl now appeared to sink through her skin, like water draining through so many cracks in a dry landscape. It disappeared entirely into her body so that to the casual observer, she looked like Brianna Saxon once again.
But her eyes still betrayed the power within her, as the blackness gave way to a fiery red glow.
The girl quickly scooped up Helena in her arms, the darkness filling her with a certain strength that was beyond her natural self.
She kicked open the door to the room, her head flicking this way and that. Then she chose a direction and ran down the hall, pushing and knocking over anyone that got in her way. Raised voices could be heard in their wake, as both patients and hospital staff called out after them.
They reached a stairwell at the end of the floor. But just as they were entering, two guards shouted from behind.
“Stop it right there! Stop, or we’ll tase you!”
Brix paused for a moment. Helena could feel her breathing heavily, like a wild animal on the chase.
She turned and faced the guards.
“That’s it. Now set the woman down and just take it easy, alright?”
They were slowly approaching them, one of the guards holding his hand out in a calming gesture, the other with his taser trained on them. The weapon had a limited range, but he was now close enough to employ it if required.
“Good, good,” the first one said. “We don’t want anyone to get hurt. Why don’t you tell us what this is all about?”
Brix didn’t reply. But she did set Helena down on the floor.
Then she started walking towards the guards.
“Hold it, don’t come any closer!”
She ignored the warning. And the guard with the taser fired.
The projectile hit her just below her right shoulder. But as it came in contact with her body, the shadow suddenly came forth to meet it. Like a pool of black ink, it quickly formed a protective layer over the point of impact, absorbing the blow and the shock that followed.
Brix continued towards them, unfazed by the attack.
The guards stood their ground despite the frightened looks on their faces.
“Stop!” the first one called again.
And for a moment, the girl seemed to obey his order. She stopped just short of them and they were able to see her eyes more clearly now.
“What the he--” one of them began to say. But he was cut off so quickly and so completely, that he couldn’t even finish the final syllable.
Brix had raised her hands, and what looked like a stream of black ink shot forth, tracing a path from each of her palms to each of the guards.
It hit them in the chest, and their heads jerked forward, as if they were gasping for air.
They convulsed for a moment, then their eyes rolled back and they collapsed to the floor.
The ink cloud dissipated, vanishing into thin air, as Brix turned back around and rushed toward Helena.
“You don’t have to carry me. I won’t fight.”
The girl understood her. She kicked open the door to the stairwell and they continued their escape.
They eventually reached the ground floor and Brix again crashed through the crowded corridors, pushing anyone and everyone out of their way, until they arrived at the main entrance.
An ambulance was parked out front, and two paramedics were in the process of unloading a patient from the rear. The wheels of the gurney were just hitting the ground as Brix shoved them all aside. She motioned for Helena to climb in the back of the vehicle, then slammed the doors shut.
“Whoa! What the heck are you doing?” one of the paramedics yelled as his colleague, and the injured patient, both fell to the ground.
Brix didn’t answer. She just made her way to the driver’s side and opened the door.
“I don’t think so, kid!” the man called out, following behind and grabbing her roughly by the arm.
As he spun her around, he caught sight of her eyes.
“What the...?”
Then she reached up and touched his forehead.
His body shook for a moment as his hand released its grip on her arm. Then he swooned, trying to steady himself against the side of the ambulance.
“Sleeper...” he muttered before he finally passed out and hit the pavement with a thud.
Brix leapt up into the driver’s seat and slammed the door.
A moment later, the ambulance rounded a street corner and disappeared into the night.
27
Month: 4 | Day: 17 | Year: 60
ONLY THE BEGINNING
The snowstorm that had followed them when they first arrived in Billings prevented Brett and Daria from returning to the settlement right away. It worked out for the best, though, as Daria had come to shortly after Brix’s escape, but only briefly and in a fairly disoriented state. She needed to rest. Thankfully, no one kept track of which room the fleeing patient had come from, so no one came knocking on their door that night. And since Theresa had already made sure that no one but her would be checking in on Brix, they were able to hunker down for the night without any a
wkward interactions. Brett made a makeshift bed out of the two chairs in their room, so he could stay close and keep an eye on Daria They both ended up sleeping about seven or eight hours, waking up around nine the following morning.
“Brett?”
He wiped the sleep from his eyes and sat up to greet her.
“Hey, Daria,” he replied with a yawn. “How are you feeling?”
“My head is throbbing. But otherwise, I think I’m fine.” She glanced around the room. “Where’s Helena? And Brix?”
“Uh, well,” Brett started, trying to figure out how to say it. The truth was complicated enough, even without the exhaustion weighing him down. “They’re gone.”
“You mean like a different room? A different hospital?”
“I don’t actually know.”
He spent the next few minutes catching her up on the events of the previous night, the shock of which was sufficient to dispel any drowsiness she was feeling.
“What?! But why didn’t she fight back? Why didn’t you? Couldn’t the two of you stop her?”
“I wanted to fight, believe me,” Brett said, his eyes giving her an emphatic look. “But I think Helena...”
“Helena what?”
“I think she knew what she was doing, Daria. I think the gift was leading her.”
“Leading her to be taken by the Dark? That’s insane.”
“Maybe it’s not. Maybe we just need to trust her. To trust the gift.”
Daria closed her eyes and winced in pain as the confusion and frustration fed her headache.
“Do you remember anything?” Brett asked her. “What happened in your dream-state?”
The truth was, Daria did remember some things. In fact, one thing in particular kept forcing its way into her thoughts - whether she wanted to remember it or not.
She winced again, but not from the pain.
“You have to understand,” she started, a pleading look in her eyes. “I was able to release Jake from the Dark. I mean, I focused, I felt the movement of the gift, and then I... commanded it, or whatever. It was like it heard me, and then came out of him.”