The Dark By C.K.

The Dark
Chapter 1

I ran through the yellowing leaves as it chased me. I jumped over boulders and climbed into thorn bushes but I was just not fast enough to get away. All the pine trees were staring, watching my every step. The branches rustled. I knew it would get to me, but I wasn’t about to give up. King of twilight, Emperor of fear, it was darkness itself chasing after me through the woods at dusk. I tumbled across a rocky ledge.

One more step and I would fall into everlasting terror. I was just about to make my fall when something far into the distance got my attention. It was like a shining gate of pure white, happiness. I kicked dust off the sandy rocks and burst like a rocket. I tripped over a fallen log and fell face first into dried leaves and dirt. I was being pulled in. A tear dropped from my eye but it didn’t hit the rocks. The dry bark was suddenly bright and moist. The pure white energy was coming towards me. It pushed back the dead, lifeless darkness that curled up and crumbled into nothingness.

I watched in amazement and couldn’t believe I was seeing the power of light, and goodness, destroy all that is evil. Wonderment filled my face.
There was no more Dark.

My mind went blank, the light was shivering, disappearing out of existence. I saw black as I realized the light was only a trick of the darkness. My eyes closed and I was too weak to fight, the darkness pulling me, blackness
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Chapter 2

My eyes suddenly opened. I thought and thought but my mind was just too full of dark, evil energy. I was floating in a black void. It felt, far away, separate from earth. Wait, separate from Earth? What was I thinking. I had to still be on planet Earth. Not floating in some other galaxy. Only, it felt like I was. I struggled to move my arms only they were locked tight.

I could feel the evil inside me. I was definitely not alone. I could feel the grip loosening. But I seemed to notice something. It was like Earth, but grey, and dull. Could that be earth? How long was I out? Why did the darkness take me? I was so confused. I saw a shadow come at me. The closer it got, the less like a shadow it looked. It gave me a gentle push towards the grey planet. It looked around like before crossing a road then sped off in some direction.

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I felt like a meteor as my arms and legs became free and I “flew” towards the planet. It had a weaker gravitational pull. I thought, “this is really gonna hurt.” Before I could think about it I was blacking out again.

I woke up on a broken sidewalk, gasping for breath. I jumped to my feet. I spied around the area, making sure I was safe. I was in the ruins of a modern city, wondering what to do. It was going to get dark soon, so I needed somewhere to stay. I noticed it was extremely hot, and the sun was red. Where am I? That’s the real question. It was still the same as the day I was taken by darkness. I tried to put logic into it but then I heard a scream from around the corner and I jumped into chasing the noise.

This place was a crumbling civilization. I had to be careful. I panted as I skidded around a sharp corner and saw an evil black shadow. There was a boy laying on the ground, being attacked by the shadow. It was probably going to kill him so I thought fast and picked up a large stone and chucked into the centre of the shadow. I heard a high pitched howl as it turned its silky black head. It looked as if it was staring into my soul with its deep, purple eyes. I stood still. I saw the boy get up slowly. The shadow noticed nothing. But the boy picked up the big stone I had thrown and smashed the back of the shadow’s head. It let out another ear-breaking howl before it flew away. The boy I could see more clearly. He had dark hair and brown eyes. He was taller than me, and he had pale skin. He looked at me. I looked at him. I turned to leave but he said to me, “where are we?”
I stopped. “I thi- think earth,” then I realized he must’ve been brought here by shadows as well.
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We decided to stick together and find a way out with each other. We walked through fields outside the city for hours, picking up things like berries and leaves. Then, when the sun started going down we found a good cave-like area to stay in. We layed some leaves on the rocky floor and sat down. I ate a couple of berries, explaining to the boy (who I now knew as Felim) how I got here. His way of getting here was much the same. We slept on leaves for the night. I was exhausted, so I fell asleep right away.
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Chapter 3
I woke up to the sound of running through tall grass. My eyes shot open and Felim was still fast asleep beside me. I came to my feet and ran to a nearby tree outside the cave. There was one of those black shadows, chasing a girl a little older than me. She was panting, And the shadow was catching up. I broke a nearby tree branch and ran in. I repeatedly swung the branch in the shadow’s direction. It growled at me and pounced. I moved the first time but it got me on the ground the second. It felt like all the happy moments in my life were being destroyed. All I could think of was sad moments, things I regret or hate. I let a scream escape my throat. Then out of nowhere the girl sprinted with a rusty stone axe and whipped at the shadow. It howled one of its signature high-pitched growls before disappearing.
“That,” I started, “was close."
She looked at me.
I turned to walk away before I had an idea.
“Would you like to come with me and my friend?”
“To where exactly? The candy store,” she muttered, not amused.
“Well, me and Felim are going to find a way out Mrs. Smarty-pants,” I told her.
“A way out? Where?” She was suddenly interested.
“Well, we’re looking,” I sighed.
“I can help..maybe,” she smiled.
I led her back to Felim. He had woken up and was looking for me.
“And then she said she would help us,” I finished telling Felim about our new friend, Larianna.
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“Lance, they are getting stronger,” Felim told me. Me and Felim were out collecting more berries to eat. I had Larianna’s axe with me so I chopped a small tree down for material. I dragged the log back to our cave-base. I was exhausted. My legs feel like fresh Jelly, ready to be swallowed by a hungry child. I collapse on the rocky floor, resting.

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Chapter 4
I wake up to Larianna and Felim cutting the log into smaller pieces and using it for a doorway in our cave. They also have used the axe to smash some stone in the back of our cave for us to use as even more material. I get up and they greet me good morning. Apparently I was asleep for a while.

“We have to find out more information about the shadows,” I said to them over a breakfast of wild blueberries.
They both nodded.
“All I know is they have been taking people like us from the past into this, well horrible future,” Larianna explained.
“But we need to know why,” Felim put in.
I wondered why they brought people our age. Why not adults? It’s confusing. I wonder about others here. It had to be more than us. Right?
I sighed.
“We have to look around,” Larianna said.
“It’s hopeless if we just stay here,” she muttered on...
“I guess you're right,” Felim stated.
“Alright, alright, lets head.....THIS WAY!” I started to march towards the city.
“Lance, we can’t go to the city! It’s too dangerous. We have to go AWAY from the city!” Larianna yelled at me.
“Oh, umm right,” I muttered. We then walked farther away from the city.

We started to walk up a mountain. We didn’t talk much. I carried a couple of berries and Felim brought materials. Larianna was on look out. We made it to the top of a hill where we decided to stay. We set up a small base. I used the wood we had to put together a small sharp dagger-like object. It could come in handy. I also sharpened Larianna’s axe. We would be ready if someone, or something attacked. I lay down and wonder about how my life would be, even after we find our way back to earth (if we even survive to make it back to our time and planet). I would love to forget, but I know that’s not going to happen.... So I fell asleep.
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Chapter 5
My eyes fluttered open as all I take in is a big, hairy, big, growling, big, creepy, big, Monster! (Did I mention big??) It was as tall as my old 3-story house back in Stratford! I quickly looked to my side. “Umm, guys.” I saw them both wake up simultaneously. Larianna’s axe immediately flew out of her hand, jabbing the left shoulder of the monster.
“Let’s hope he’s left handed,” she cried.
I gulped.

I tried to run around the monster, Felim, who is quick and light, distracting the evil....thing. I took my dagger out of my pocket and climbed up its back, stabbing it every few seconds, making it turn around, confused. It wasn’t really a smart animal, because if something’s on your back, and you turn, you're not going to catch it. Anyway, I climb on its head and reach out for the axe. He shakes around, feeling me, and I am thrown off. I lay there, pretty much useless. I did move the axe a little, and when he shook it fell off and slashed the weak mountain peek. The monster closed its threatening claws on my leg and I could feel the pain inside my bones.

Suddenly the monster screamed in agony and let go. I used my hands to pull myself onto grass. I could see Larianna trying her best to avoid it. Felim came over to help me. He tried to help me get up.
“It’s useless,” I explained to him. I tossed him my dagger and he ran into battle, stabbing each leg of the monster. Larianna and Felim were too much for the monster and it fell over, crashing a tall oak tree.
“Yeaah!!!” They screamed in Unison
“That was fast,” I smiled. They help me up and I get my strength back a few hours later. I’m not too strong, but I can walk and hold my weight.

We were having a snack when the beast's body started to glow white. Then purple. Then red. Then yellow. Then green. Then it repeated it self. White purple red yellow green. And again. Then I heard a roar. The monster's arms moved. Then it, multiplied?? No, it was just getting bigger. A lot bigger. And it was alive! “I knew that was too easy,” Felim muttered.

I had made a stone dagger for me and Felim with all my free time, since an axe like Larianna’s would take me days. All three of us charged. Bad idea, the monster just roared. The amazing power blew me into a tree. Larianna was knocked back a few feet, and Felim barely jumped out of the way of most of the blow. It was now about three times the size it previously was, and it’s about ten times stronger. I tried doing my last trick, climbing around with my dagger, But as soon as I grabbed it’s HUGE legs, the hair lengthened and grabbed me! I quickly cut the hair and fell back. I then tried to stab its leg so it would fall over. Also a horrible idea. He flicked his foot and I was ten feet in the air. Now I was out of ideas. I just started to randomly stab and guess what? THAT WORKED!!!!