nyctophobia |ˌniktəˈfōbēə| noun
extreme or irrational fear of the night or of darkness.


"Hang on Dax." My small paws clench onto Jak's shoulder plate; I'm surprised the metal hasn't bent under the force of my grip. I can tell impact is coming soon so I take a deep, shuddering breath just as we're about to go-

The explosion is loud, echoing off of the thick Precursor metal that makes up the walls. His ears are ringing, he can barely hear his own shout as his friend topples into him and he plummets over the edge of the eco reservoir-

-Underwater.

We barely make a sound as the murky port water rises above our heads; Jak is doing his damnedest to remain still, to keep us from being seen by the flock of Krimzon Guards by whom we were being chased moments ago. Lower and lower he stealthily sinks, and the water gets colder. I shiver, involuntarily.

Tightly I squeeze my eyes shut, hard enough a burst of light from my brain dances across my eyelids, stealthily sneaking out of sight. All I see is-

He's surrounded by a thick cloak of darkness. Black madness, swirling towards him; he cries out in terror. He needs air, but there isn't any, only the darkness. This black liquid- the dark eco -is suffocating him, slithering like venom down his throat. He gags. He tries to escape, desperately clawing towards what he thinks is skyward, trying to pull himself out of this dark nightmare. Precursors he can't see-

-Black. Panicking I force my eyes open, blinking against the turbid water. I look for something, anything to remind me that I'm not completely in the dark. Squinting, I can see scattered beams of light, the only reassurance I need. They're weak, distant, unable to break completely through the clouds of filth and oil that clog up the port like a plague, but at least I can see them.

I shiver again; the frigid water was beginning to prick at the thin skin beneath my fur. I'm beginning to feel-

It begins in his body as a cold, senseless feeling, starting from his toes and ending at the tips of his ears. Then, suddenly it starts to hurt. Retching still from the liquid surging down his throat he can barely force out a cry as he feels a scalding hot fire coursing through his bones and his body convulses. Once, twice; he sinks lower in the dark mass. He's immobilized, can't move but he can feel the pain. Precursors, please, just make it-

-Numb.

Suddenly the beams of light grow closer, and brighter. I hang on tighter to Jak's shoulder plate; the metal digs into my paw. I can feel the as the water becomes more diluted, the waste remaining in the lower level of liquid. Just as I think I can't take it anymore we burst through an invisible bubble and the light is all I see. I take panicked breaths, my chest heaving in and out.

Finally, I could-

And as quick as he fell into the liquid he was out; he didn't understand how he got out of that torture but remembered vomiting the liquid across the bronze floor. Sputtering he pushed himself onto his knees, struggling to catch his breath. He had yet to notice the change his body had gone through, had yet to even feel the difference. He was still trying to clear his head. Vaguely he wondered why the Precursors would make something as horrible as-

-Breathe.

I sighed with relief as Jak moved quickly out of the water and onto dry land, out into the sun. Sometimes I'm unsure of what scares me more. Drowning-

-Or the darkness.


Just a random idea that popped into my head. You ever wonder why in the game Daxter shivers in the water? Not because he's cold. Not cause he's afraid of drowning.

Because he's afraid of the dark.

Enjoy (: Comments are adored.

~LeiaOrganicSolo