Darkness Is Visible.

• Tosan Foss, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2009

The strong wind makes the tress leaves rustle from side to side. Rain pours heavily. Thunder roars angrily and lightning bolts come out of the sky. The Nymphs, Centaurs, Elves, Sylphs, Fauns and talking animals will be safe tonight . . . I guess.
The fighting that has been going on has stopped. Or so I presume. Dragons haven’t flown over here for a while, destroying our homes and crops. Their riders, the Clynds have not killed the creatures and humans. We are too weak to fight them. We are not enough to win the battle. We wait everyday knowing that one day; we’ll have to leave this Earth.
My name is Alana. I am a future seer. I can ambience,and sense the consternation and terror or exhilaration that people are going to sense.
But right now, I’m scared. Scared off my guts. I don’t know why I’m scared. I’ve always been scared. Scared for no reason. I don’t know why, but I’ve always lived my life in fear. I have a feeling that something terrifying and gruesome is going to happen.
I hear a loud bang and scream through the roaring storm. Something bad’s happening. Something bad is going to happen. I can feel it. I don’t feel good.
I curl myself into a tight ball, under my blanket, shaking violently. I close my eyes trying not to be scared. Not from the roaring thunder, lightning flashes, howling wind and heavy rain but from the screaming and yelling coming outside my window.
War, has been going on a long time and I, my Mother and everyone in my village in live in fear of an attack. My Father died in the war many years ago. The war that has been going on has been between the King of Arion and the King of Uquea.
I want to hide somewhere. Somewhere safe. Somewhere where no war goes on and people don’t die.
‘Why are people yelling?’ I wonder . . . Maybe they are scared of the storm just like I am.

BANG! BANG!

I hear the door slam but I don’t move. I just want to shut my eyes and sleep. But I can’t. My door opens. Someone bursts into my room, grabs my covers and starts shaking me. I open my eyes. It’s my Mother. I wonder what she’s doing in my room.
“Alana,” she whispers. I hear loud, echoing footsteps coming through from the hallway.
“You have to get out of here. You have to leave this place now.” She continues.
I don’t know what’s going on. Why is it only me that has to leave?
I can hear loud, piercing screams coming from my window. The footsteps are getting louder and louder. I know that someone is going to my mother’s room.
“Why aren’t you coming mother?” I ask.
Tears flow from my Mother’s eyes. She hugs me tightly and says “They’re here.”
I instantly know who she’s talking about. The King of Arion and his army have entered our village.