Darkness Is Visible

• Tosan Foss
• 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. My Mother grabs me by the arm. Someone is coming into my room. I can tell by the footsteps. Mother opens the window swiftly. I see bolts of lightning and I can hear roaring thunder. What I see makes my blood run cold.
Houses are on fire. People and Creatures are on the ground. I know what has happened to them. They are dead.
Mother picks me up, kisses my fore-head and gives me her ruby necklace.
She say’s the words I’ll never forget “Never forget who you are.” And she then helps me climb out of the window.
I don’t look back.
I run.
Someone screams. I stop dead in my tracks and turn around. I look to my window. There’s a struggle going on between my Mother and someone else.
Someone drops to the ground and the other shadow looks out of the window.
What I see makes my spine shiver in fear. The person isn’t my Mother. It’s a Beast. A hideous-looking beast. It’s a Clynd. The wind howls loudly, making me shiver.
My Mother is dead. I know it. She’s with my Father now. She’s now in a place where there’s peace and happiness.
My eyes are fixed on the Clynd. I see its face very well because of the lightning. The Clynd has a scar running across its fore-head, its two horns stick out of its head like a sharp butcher’s knife and by the looks of the shoulders, it look’s very muscular. It has a short, black, beard and deep orange eyes.
The Clynd looks my way. I turn around instantly. Houses are on fire. People and Creatures are running . Some are fighting.
“Get her!” A loud, deep voice yells.
Clynds turn towards me.
I see swords. Huge, sharp swords high in the air.
I’m in trouble. I know it.
The Clynd is after me. It wants me dead just like my mother.
Run! Run! My mind yells out to me.
I turn towards the pathway leading into the Forest.
I run.
I don’t look back.
I run as fast as my legs can take me.
I fall.
I get up again.
I’m in the Forest. There’s no turning back now. The wind is very strong and I’m running into it. It’s quite hard to run. The wind makes me numb.
The ground is slippery and there are puddles of icy, cold water on the ground. All I can see in the Forest is lightning. Lightning bolts. I see the tress leaves sway and russling in the wind.
The sky is black. The moon isn’t in sight. It’s the lightning bolts that guide my way. The rain pours heavily on me. I’m drenched and soaking wet. I’m cold.
Icy cold water soaks my feet.
The howling wind, roaring thunder and lightning frightens me.
The trees all around me look like monsters and ghosts.
I make my way through over-grown grass as the Clynds come after me.
My heart beats rapidly.
I’m scared and alone.
I’m an orphan.
What am I going to do? I wonder. Where will I go? Where will I stay? Questions pour in my head, as I run.
I’m scared that my life would soon end.
The Clynds are closing in on me.
I keep running. I pretend I’m running to meet my Parents in the Fields. I imagine seeing my Father with his arms wide open and my Mother smiling happily. She never smiled after Father’s death.
I can see myself running into my Father’s arms.
I slip and fall down onto the damp, cold, wet ground. I get up and keep on running.
Loud, rapid footsteps are behind me.
I’ve nearly reached my Father.
“Come Alana. You’re nearly there.” He says.
I’m getting closer and closer to him.
Something’s coming my way. It’s aiming for my head.
“Alana get down!” My Father yells.
I bend low. A long, sharp, deadly looking sword fly’s towards a tree.
I’m in trouble.
I want to disappear.
I don’t want to be alive.
I hate war.
I wish I wasn’t born.
I wish I never existed.

BOOM! BOOM!

I turn around. There’s a huge fire-ball burning fiercely, even the rain can’t quench it.
The Clynds are yelling in pain and agony.
I run around looking for somewhere to hide.
“Never forget who you are Alana.” Mother says.
“We’ll always be with you. Your mother and I love you very much.” Father says.
He disappears with Mother.
Tears fall from my eyes. I’m alone now. I’m only left with the necklace my Mother gave to me.
Someday, I’ll join her and Father in a calm place.
A place where there’s tranquility, happiness and joy. A place where there’s no war.
But for now, I’ll just have to wait for that day.