There was a time when Pippa Green wasn't afraid of the night sky. She used to lie in her back yard with her father, looking at the stars and talking about life on other planets. And then that life came and stole everything from her in the darkness. So when Lourdes asked her to draw what she was afraid of, she picked up a black crayon and covered the paper. The black rubbed off on her hands and when she tucked her hair behind her ear it left a black smear on her cheek. The darkness was everywhere. She folded the piece of paper up and put it in her pocket at the end of the session. When she was feeling particularly brave, she'd look at the darkness. She would look at it and let it consume her for a few moments. She would remember those she lost, the friends and family she wouldn't see again. Then she would build the walls back up, put on a smile, and go on with her day.
The first time she saw Ben Mason, she wasn't smiling. She was sitting on the floor in an empty classroom being brave. In he came, slamming the door behind him before freezing when he saw the girl with the paper. Of course, she recognised him instantly from the picture Tom had tacked to the board of lost kids.
"I- I didn't realise anyone was in here." His voice sounded so empty and if Pippa really wanted to hug him and never let go. But that was usually classed as 'weird' if you didn't know the person.
"I can go," she said instead, folding the paper up and slipping it into her jeans pocket.
"No, don't do that. I'm the intruder. I'll find another room."
"We could share it?" Ben contemplated for a moment before sliding down the wall to sit next to Pippa. "Wanna tell me why you're in a mood?" Anything to break the silence that had fallen.
"Don't worry about it."
"My guess it has something to do with you being under control of the enemy. Folks 'round here don't take kindly to change and you're just enough to spark something."
Ben snorted. "You got that right."
"Sharing is caring, Mason."
"How do you know my name?"
"Everyone knows your name. Tom Mason's middle child. Lover of books and general geekery." He almost cracked a smile. "At least, that's your pre-apocalypse description."
"What's yours?"
"My name or my pre-apocalypse description?" Ben shrugged. "Okay. I'm Pippa. Hi. And I guess… High school student?"
"You can't sum yourself up with that. Did you love movies? Have any defining hobbies? Like sports?"
"Books were my poison. Books and photography."
"Was that a photograph you were looking at before?"
The door swung open again and Lourdes appeared looking almost majestic from Pippa's angle. "Pip, Anne needs to see you. It's about one of the kids."
"I guess you'll find out what I was looking at another day, Ben Mason. Enjoy your brooding."
The rest of the afternoon dragged and the darkness began to take over the sky. Pippa's mind wandered as she sat on her bunk at dusk. Was Ben afraid of it, too? Did he feel it inside of him, burrowing deeper and deeper? Was he afraid of the skitters or just so angry and what they did to him? There were too many questions that Pippa would never get answers to. It was time to sleep before she found herself worrying her way through the night. Lourdes, friend and roommate, entered quietly and looked knowingly at Pippa.
"Stop thinking so much," was all she said. Pippa lay down and pulled the blanket over her. It made her itch and it felt horrible, but it was better than nothing. "There's nothing you're worrying about that can't be sorted tomorrow."
But tomorrow always brought new worries. Tomorrow was unknown.
Tomorrow was at the end of the darkness.