Darkness

• Kate Beveridge, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2008

Wherever I look, there is only darkness. As I sit in front of the window, the sunshine glares in my eyes, but it holds none of the light, warmth or safety that it used to. There is no light anymore, only the whispering shadows of the gloom. It wasn’t always this way.
I still remember when music used to play its calming melody for me; still remember when laughter was infectious, and a smile always adorned my face. Compared to then, I guess I could be described as a hollow shell, a lifeless cavity.
That was all before the incident, though. I remember that much more vividly than any other memory. The demons of my past are much harder to escape than the happy recollections that induce intense craving.
There had been a mind-numbingly boring television program on, and I had opted to go to bed much earlier than usual, which meant I was in bed before nine. Most teenage girls of my age wouldn’t dare to go to bed early, as they might be receiving text messages all night, but I had no problems with early slumber.
I had been able to drift into sleep quite quickly, and my dreams had been relatively peaceful. There had been a loud bang and I had sat bolt upright, terrified as my window slid up from the outside. My throat had seized up, and as much as I had tried to scream, my husky voice had only produced a shrill noise no louder than a cough.
And then it was too late. He was standing over me, eyes dark and menacing, a malevolent smile spreading across his face.
“So are you Sergeant Dale’s little girl, then?” he had hissed, his breath stained with tobacco and alcohol. “I’m telling you, he’s gonna regret putting old Thomas Baker in jail.”
He had lifted a knife as I shrank back, eyes wide in horror as I struggled to scream, but no noise would come. And then there was only pain. I remember screaming at the top of my lungs and my door banging open. There was a whirlwind of noise, light and above all, a raging fire in my veins as I was rushed to the emergency room.
That was almost a year ago, but ever since, I have been plagued with ghastly images and dreams. My parents had even tried sending me to a psychiatrist, but to no avail. It had been especially bad last night, and as I leant out the window, shakes racked my body. I couldn’t go on for so much longer; the images tormenting me day and night.
I closed my eyes and there he was, top lip in a snarl and eyes burning with malice. I shuddered.
I glanced down. Three storeys was quite a distance. Hopefully no one would miss me, as I had already disappeared; replaced by this pathetic existence. Smiling, I dropped out of the window and a familiar friend rose to greet me. Darkness.