Darkness Descends (1/1)
by Nic (stardestiny@bigfoot.com)
AUTHOR'S NOTE : Here's a dark piece I wrote mid last year. It's
never been posted anywhere although a few people have seen it, and
I finally decided to release it publicly. In keeping with my
reputation, yes, this is another twisted story and I'd love any
comments anyone has. :)
DISCLAIMER: The characters and situations contained within are the
property of Universal/Amblin Entertainment. No copyright
infringement is intended.
DARKNESS DESCENDS
She raced through the forest, blindly, crazily, not caring
where she was going and not caring where she ever went. She had to
get away, away from the darkness and the horror that it had
brought. Away from the evil, consuming hunger. Away from the
pain, until her world was empty.
Gasping heavily, she grabbed onto a tree for support. She
could only pause for a moment, not feeling safe here at all. She
doubted she would ever feel safe again, not when she knew that
*they* were out there and *they* could come for her at any time.
The sound of her laboured breathing filled her ears and she
glanced around frantically. What if *they* could hear her? Silver
moonlight eerily filtered through the branches above, casting
monstrous shadows in every direction. The leaves rustled, and she
froze, clasping one hand over her mouth.
Desperately trying not to breathe, her eyes were wide with
fright. She did not dare make a sound. After hours of running,
she barely had the energy to go on and knew that if she was found
now, there would be no escape. ~Please, not now,~ not when she had
overcome all odds and survived....
It was a miracle she had even managed to get away. She knew
just what they were capable of. They had come quietly, silently,
in the night, with barely a whisper the first time. The time when
the colonists didn't yet know the danger they faced.
~No!~ she said to herself. She would not torment herself with
the memories. There would be time enough to grieve later. For
now, she had to get as far from this cursed place as she could.
Her frightened eyes darted around her surroundings once again,
and she realised that the deceptive rustling had been nothing more
than the wind. Gritting her teeth with determination, she bravely
took a step forward, away from the tree that, even after such a
short association, seemed the only familiar thing left.
She ran on, into the night, dodging trees and shrubs as her
whole being was focussed on her flight. There was no time to even
contemplate anything else, because then she would be caught. And
that would be even more terrible, because she *knew*. She knew
they were out there, and they would come for her if she ever dared
go back.
Finally, she could run no more. Exhausted, she collapsed at
the base of a tree. She had no idea how far this nightmarish
forest extended, but the hours of running had taken their toll.
Staring desolately up at the sky, she noticed the silver moonbeams
gliding down. The moons didn't care what had happened. They would
just continue shining their light until the end of eternity.
Curling herself into a little ball, she trembled as she fought
to banish the memories. She stared hard at the sky, willing her
mind to be as empty as the two orbs high above. If only she was
out there now, in space, in the time long before they had ever
crashed on this planet.
Back to the time when the idea of hiking across an entire
continent was nothing more than an absurd suggestion. When they
had a simple mission ahead. When there was hope. For no one had
ever suspected the dangers that had lain along the way.
Imagining the colonist ship still out there now, she could
only pray that they had the sense to stay away. The Council had
been right. Elizabeth had been right. No humans could ever live
on this planet, because the darkness would get them all.
A shadow passed above her, and she involuntarily cried out.
But it was only a cloud, and the forest was as silent as ever.
Even night animals did not walk these paths.
Soon, the full glory of the sky was again revealed, and she
shuddered. It had been dark the night They had first come, a deep
blackness that seemed never to end.
When the members of Eden Advance first entered the forest,
Ulysses Adair had violently protested.
"Mom, we can't go in there!" he'd said loudly.
But when pressed for an explanation, he had none to give.
"If only we'd listened..." she now whispered into the night. No
one had really believed in the presence of evil in the air. They'd
told themselves it was just claustrophobia, caused by the trees.
They were already way behind schedule on their journey to New
Pacifica and the had forest provided a shortcut too great to
resist.
It wasn't even thick, at first. A clear path had been
detected straight through it, but later, they had wondered if their
instruments hadn't somehow been made to malfunction.
"Maybe they lured us her," she suddenly realised, and
shuddered. For if They had known the colonists were coming, it
made the tragedy all the more horrible.
She struggled to fight the dark thoughts, but could not force
them away any longer. The first night, they'd come quietly, while
everyone was asleep. No one was aware of the evil presence that
had invaded their dreams and stolen their memories.
But then they had woken from the drugged slumber, to discover
that Alonzo and Uly were missing. Their only link with the
Terrians. The only ones who may have known the danger that lurked.
Their only hope.
She shivered violently under the tree, as the memories came
crashing back. How the search parties had scoured the forest, but
found no traces. How they had tried over and over to reassure
themselves that Alonzo and Uly were just out for a walk. And the
tense silence, deep into the night as they sat by the fire and
waited.
The unearthly cries in the distance haunted them for hours.
And again, the evil ones came silently and strongly in the
night, taking another two colonists. Yale, and Julia. They seemed
to know just how to undermine the group, who to take and where that
would leave the dwindling numbers.
But the worst, most horrifying discovery came late the next
morning. *They* had left a trophy.
True's anguished scream had seemed to last forever. No one
could protect the child from the horror, as she stood, transfixed
with dread, by Alonzo's lifeless body. Strung to a tree, he stared
with dead eyes and the gaping cavity in his chest was all too
obvious.
They had taken his heart. And in the process, destroyed his
soul. True cried for hours as the remaining few tried to comfort
her. But no one could truly shield her from the approaching doom.
The colonists began to pack up, to leave the terrible place,
all the while searching for some signs of their missing friends.
Their doctor was gone; as was their contact with the planet and any
hope of communication with the computer orbiting above. Everyone
suspected, and feared, that they would be next to vanish.
But on the third night, the Shadows came with a vengeance.
Loudly, this time, with a rustling that struck fear deep into
everyone's heart. It was a slithering, whispering sound of intense
menace before they exploded from the trees.
Somehow, Eden Advance was surrounded. Fires broke out, and
the tents burned high. But even the crackling, and horrendous
blasts as vehicle fuel tanks blew could not hide the screaming.
The horrible screaming of her friends that went on and on into
the night, the most horrible torture, as she weaved in and out of
the darkness and caught glimpses of the end would forever haunt
her. And when the last of Eden Advance died save herself, she knew
there was nothing more she could do.
As the Shadows began their terrible victory dance, she ran.
Flew through the night, as if the devil himself were after her.
And for all she knew, he was.
Sobs began to wrack her body, and she clung to the tree for
support. They were all gone, every single person she had ever
cared about. Destroyed by an intense horror that no one had ever
believed could exist on such a beautiful planet. She was all
alone.
Perhaps, just perhaps, she should let the Shadows take her.
She had nothing left now, nothing but the painful memories and
their screams which she was sure would haunt her every night from
here until eternity. Lifting her face from the tree, she looked
into the darkness with a new kind of resolution.
A swishing sound caught her ears. She stared into the
undergrowth, feeling the fear rise again. But she would not run.
It was time to face the enemy.
A crack of wood, a dry twig snapping. She rubbed her face,
feeling the grime on her hands infect her eyes. She didn't care.
She was beyond caring now about physical things. Yet silently, she
resolved that her spirit would never break, as a tribute to her
friends.
*He* stepped into the clearing. She stared at him without
comprehension. He extended one hand, a look of understanding in
his eyes. Slowly, she reached out her hand to take his.
"Hello, my sweet Poppet," he said coldly.
And Bess went with Gaal willingly. For there was nothing else
for her to do.
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