Author's Note: I ended up rewriting this entire chapter, which is why it took a while for me to post it. I'm also going to rewrite the rest of the chapters as well, because I can't help but grimace at my old work. There's a lot of missing details, lack of consistency, scenes and whatnot that need to be added and fixed. Also, this rewrite turn out to be a lot longer than the original chapter, so don't be surprise if that ends up being the case for the rest of the chapters.
Chapter 3
The Darkness Is Consuming The Light
The darkness that engulfed Yuu slowly peeled away as the throbbing pain in her head brought her out of unconsciousness. She opened her eyes, her vision dark and blurry. 'What the hell happened?' she thought, wincing. 'Ugh, my head...'
She lifted her head, looking into the kitchen window and notice that it was still light out. 'Has it only been a few minutes? An hour? Or is it a new day entirely?'
Yuu was still on the floor, reluctant to get up knowing that the pain in her head would hurt even more as she moved around. With a sigh, she prepared herself and slowly raised herself up into a sitting position. She raised a hand to her head, feeling something dry and crusty on the side of her face. 'Blood, dry blood. I must have been here for a while.'
She looked down, noticing a patch of dry blood on the floor. 'Something is obviously wrong here. My parents aren't here, nor is my beloved pet. But I haven't search the entire building either, so they could still be here. At the very least, there could be a clue as to what happen to them. Maybe they were in a hurry and had to leave? Where would they go though? And they wouldn't do that without leaving me some kind of message.'
She leaned against the table, and stood up. 'First, I need to check my injury.'
She carefully patted the cut, hissing once she came in contact with it. i'Damn! There's a pretty big bump too. I need some ice to bring down the bump. And some alcohol for the cut,' she thought, carefully rubbing the dry blood off.
Yuu picked up her bag, winching as her head protested the sudden movement. She walked into the kitchen, placing her bag on top of the table. She look up at the clock on the wall and then the microwave clock. 'Either a few minutes has pass or I was out for a whole day. I guess it really doesn't matter at the moment.'
She went to the refrigerator, opening the freezer and grabbing four ice cubes from the ice tray. She closed it, walking around the table to a drawer that contains plastic bags. She took one, placing the ice cubes in it and looking for something to wrap around the bag.
She spotted a thick towel hanging on the back of a chair. She got it and wrapped it around the bag. Gently she place it on top of her head. 'That should help,' she thought, wincing when she pressed a little too hard. 'Now, to treat the cut.'
She headed to the bathroom, flicking on the switch once she enter the room. She place the make-shift cold compress down, while opening the cabinet. Her eyes scanned the inside, searching for some cotton balls and the plastic bottle of antiseptic.
She couldn't find any cotton balls to use, so instead she took out some tissues. She spotted the antiseptic, placing the item on the counter top with the tissues. Once both items were found, she washed her hands before lifting herself on the counter.
She looked into the mirror. titling her head and looking at the nasty bump with some dry blood still in her hair. She grimace, grabbing the tissues and opening the bottle. She dab some of the clear liquid on the tissue and pressed it to the bump.
"Fuushh!" she hissed, her eyes watering from the alcohol disinfecting the cut. 'I should have gone with the hydrogen peroxide instead. That wouldn't hurt as much as the alcohol,' she thought, sighing in relief when the burning went down.
She finished cleaning the cut, placing a band-aid on it and she washed out the bit of blood from her hair. She gathered the bloody tissues, placing them inside the small trashcan and got down from the counter. Before she turned off the light, she took some aspirin for her headache and place the ice bag back on her head again. Now that her head injury was dealt with she could focus more clearly on her situation.
'I need to check the building,' she thought, scanning the kitchen. She walked over to a drawer, pulling out a knife. 'Just in case.'
She place the ice bag down. 'I won't have a good grip on the knife if my other hand is occupied with this, nor can I opened the doors either.'
She checked each room, noticing that everything was still in place. 'I didn't pay attention at first, but the car is still parked outside. They didn't leave unless someone gave them a ride. But they wouldn't leave their clothes behind...and not the house keys, wallets, and important documents. Hell, they wouldn't have left without calling or leaving me a message.'
She looked upstairs, not surprise to see that was completely empty. The same could be said about the downstairs apartment as well. 'All that's left to search is the basement,' she thought, holding the doorknob to the basement door. 'I really don't want to look here, but I need to be thorough.'
She bit her lower lip and turned the knob. It was dark and dusty. She moved closer, the step creaking from her weight. She flipped the middle switch up and the lights came on. It was just as silence like the rest of the building. 'It's creepy down here, but I guess all basements are,' she thought, checking each room. 'Nothing. Just like the rest of the building.'
She shut the lights off and locked the basement door before going back upstairs. 'I feel like I missing something important. Maybe I just imagine it, but I could have swore I wasn't alone before I got knocked out. But that's silly, I check everywhere. If someone really was here, they're long gone by now,' she thought, putting down the knife and picking up the ice bag.
She leaned against the wall, holding up the bag of ice to her head. 'Could it have been one of those creatures? But didn't the news say it's safe indoors? Or have they found a way to get inside? As much as I don't like assuming the worst, I don't know what else to think. it's possible that something happen to my parents. Either they left with just the clothes on their backs on foot, to who knows where or the creatures got to them. Knowing my parents, there is no way that they would leave anywhere on foot when we have a car, which is still parked outside. I don't want to admit it but...'
"They're gone," she said out loud. 'All I've been doing is thinking and it's not getting me anywhere. I just keep going in circles. I need to take action. I need to get in touch with everyone and see what they know.'
She pushed off the wall, throwing the bag of ice into the sink. She walked into the living room, picking up the cordless phone. She dial Nirdesa's number first, but the phone made a busy signal. She tried dialing Lacrima's number, some of her family phones and her other friends, and they were all unreachable as well. 'I'm being optimistic thinking that the phones were working again.'
Annoyed she placed the phone back down and grabbed the remote controls for the television. 'Maybe there's something on the news?'
She turned it on. Most of the channels were repeating the same message that she last saw on television when she was with her friends. While she waited for any new information to appear, she pull back her computer chair and sat down on it. 'Who knows how long the electricity will last. I better check online and see if I can reach someone or if they left me a message.'
She turned her laptop on and log into her messenger. Her eyes went straight to her buddy list, but no one was on. 'Well, at least I'm having better luck on here because I can get online. I was hoping that someone was on,' she thought, slouching over her seat.
She stared at the screen, narrowing her eyes. 'I guess it wouldn't hurt to send messages and emails just in case.'
She wrote an open message to all her friends and family. She wrote that she was fine, currently at home and that if they ever got this message to replied back because the phone lines are a bust. She also included how her parents are missing and was wondering if anyone had any information on them. And if there was any new information on the news. When she finished she sent the message with her fingers crossed.
She left the laptop on so that she would be alerted to any new messages. She got up and walked over to the window and looked out of it. Outside there was no one in sight, not the squirrels and not even the birds that were always flying around. She saw plenty of cars parked though.
Further down the street she noticed that there were two cars in the middle of the road with their doors opened wide. 'I don't remember seeing that when I got home. Maybe I missed it? I was more focus on getting home than looking around. Unless that happen sometime when I was asleep. Something bad must have happen. The way these cars are parked look like they were in a hurry to get away from something,' she thought, 'People don't leave their cars unlock in a city like this.'
She moved from the window and sat back down in front of her computer. She checked the television and turned it off when she realize she wasn't going to get anything new out of it.
She turned back to the internet, researching as much as she could about the black creatures that were attacking the world. She didn't find that much about them only that these black creatures with yellow eyes attack in groups and use their claws as weapons. They jump on their victims until nothing of them is seen. What's left of the victim is their glowing heart that fades into the air. No one knows what happens to their body or where their heart goes. Nor what the purpose of these creatures are and what can be done to protect yourself against them. They can still be hurt with weapons, but their sheer numbers makes it difficult to handle.
These creatures are like shadows or at least travel around using the dark. It's why the night is so dangerous to be out at. It's still unknown if they fear or dislike the light. So most people have been keeping their lights on and stocking up on flashlights and candles. Though there have been some reports that conflict with that information, saying that the creatures are strongest in the dark and aren't that effected by the light.
Yuu was so consumed with research that before she knew it, it was a new day. 'After all, information is power. I need to know everything about these creatures in order to know what actions to take to better protect myself and my home,' she thought, sighing and rubbing her eyes in exhaustion. 'I also need to rest. I can't do anything if I'm about to pass out in my chair.'
"I still haven't gotten any messages back. I might as well use this time to rest," she mused, looking at the clock. "It's still early. I might as well grab something quick to eat, shower and get some sleep."
She increase the volume on her laptop, so that the sound of a new message would be loud enough for her to hear. She also ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich before taking a quick shower. She locked the building up and decided to sleep on the living room sofa. She would be closer to her computer to hear it. But just in case, she also set an alarm to prevent her from oversleeping.
It was a couple of hours later when Yuu woke up to the sound of her alarm clock ringing. She winced, pressing the snooze button and rubbing her eyes of sleep. She stretched, checking the time on her laptop. Her eyes widen, spotting that she missed the message alert, even when she put it on loud.
'It's from Nirdesa,' she thought, clicking on the message and reading it. 'She's asking for help and to meet up at the school. She got in contact with Lacrima and she's going to meet us there. She says that she met up with her parents at the supermarket and they all went home. When it was time to sleep, she thought she heard an odd scratching noise at her window. She checked, but there was nothing outside, so she figured it was just her imagination. But the next day her parents disappeared. The last time she saw of them was in their bedroom right before they went to sleep. There's no sign of them anywhere. Their car is still there and she's really freaked out. She doesn't want to be alone or even stay at her house because it's not safe anymore. The power is going out in some of the areas. So she doesn't know if I'll even see this message. But she's sending it in case I still have electricity. If she reaches the school before me, she'll be sure to leave a message at the school's bulletin board for me.'
Yuu opened a new message and typed that she'll meet up with them as planned. As soon as she finished typing the lights flickered. Quickly, she sent the message, knowing that the power will go out at any moment. And it did, everything went dark.
"It's going to be a long and dangerous walk. I haven't even heard any cars driving around and I doubt the buses are still running. If they are, the traffic lights and the street lights are out also and that's going to make things difficult. I will have better luck going on foot, better yet I should take my bike. Though, I haven't used it in years so I don't know if it's still in working condition."
Yuu looked out of the window, noting that without electricity the city will be much darker at night. 'I've got about a few hours before the sun begins to set. Those creatures are more likely to be coming out as soon as the sun goes down. I need to pack whatever else I'll need and leave now. It's gonna take me an hour and a half, maybe more if I run into trouble to get there.'
Yuu looked away from the window and picked up her book bag, placing it on the sofa. 'I still have my sleeping bag, clothes and toiletry bag packed from the sleepover with Nirdesa and Lacrima. But I'm also going to need some essential things to survive for a while. I need canned goods, granola bars, water bottles, ramen, money, can opener, fork and spoon, first aid kit, aspirins, flashlight, five packs of batteries, some candles, lighter or matches, playing cards and maybe a book or two? Those last two things are optional, but I need something to keep me entertained and I doubt Nirdesa and Lacrima have thought about that. I think that's it. As much as I wish that everything would fit into one bag it isn't going to, so I'm going to need another bag too.'
She went into her room and went through her closet, looking for a bag that could fit the rest of the things that her book bag didn't.
'This could work,' she thought, pulling out a messenger bag.
She left her room, grabbing the food items in her kitchen and placing them insider her bags. She also grabbed the other items that she thought about, but she knew that she didn't have everything already at home.
'I'm going have to make a stop at the corner store.'
Yuu grabbed her keys and an empty bag. 'I should also bring something to protect myself in case I run into one of those things...or a crazy person.'
She slid the knife into her back pocket and locked the doors behind her. She looked around the neighborhood, frowning at how empty and silence it is. She headed left, walking down the sidewalk with a quick stride. She turned left and kept straight until she reached the corner store.
Before she entered, she looked inside to make sure if was safe.
'I don't see any people or those creatures. But the lights are on and the sign on the door says open. So either those creatures got to the owners, they're in hiding or they left in a hurry without closing up. Is the door even unlocked?'
She pulled on the door and it opened. 'Oh, good. I don't have to debate with myself on whether to become a criminal or not. I just need to get in and out with the stuff I need.'
She walked inside, the bell above the door chiming. 'Well, the element of surprise is gone.'
"Hello? Is anyone here?" she asked, glancing around, "I'm human, if my talking in English isn't obvious enough."
Silence greeted her in response.
'It's just me in here,' she thought, walking inside and scanning the shelves. 'Most of these are empty and some are knocked to the ground. It's pretty safe to assume that some looting was going on. Hopefully, I can still find what I need.'
Yuu manage to get what she needed, but the looters took off with majority of the items in the store. 'I could check the back room for more supplies, if there's any left, but I'm not going to push my luck or waste anymore time. I got what I need and I better get going now.'
She left some money on the counter, ignoring the fact that the cash register was broken into. 'This may be the end of the world, but at least it's one less thing that I won't have a guilty conscious about,' she thought, pulling the bag strap tighter on her shoulder.
Yuu ran back home, removing the bag of supplies and distributing the items to her backpack and messenger bag. She slid on the backpack first and than her messenger. She took out the knife from her pocket and placed it on the table.
'The bags are heavy to carry, but manageable. Now, the problem is the knife. It's dangerous to go out there without a weapon, but I'm more likely to hurt myself with that on me. I need something better and maybe something that doesn't require me to get up close and personal. What if I...'
Yuu grabbed duct tape and a broom. She unscrew the bristle part from the broom and attached the knife with tape onto it. She stabbed the air a few times and slammed it against the cabinet.
'It's holding together, but it definitely won't last long. Maybe a few stabs until it breaks? A crowbar is more reliable than this. Wait...' she thought, slapping her forehead in exasperation at herself, 'I'm an idiot. There's a crowbar in the basement.'
She place her flimsy weapon on the table and went downstairs to the basement to get the crowbar. She found it leaning against the tool bench. While she was there she also looked for her bicycle. She saw behind a couple of boxes it in one of the storage rooms. It was dusty, but the pink and white colors on it still stood out. She moved the boxes out of the way and pulled the bike out.
'I thought it would be faded by now. I like the bike, but the only thing I disliked about it was the colors. It's too bright and childish. I never thought about it when I was younger, but it's why I don't use it now. I'm just sick of companies marketing female products with pink or light colors. The color pink shouldn't be known or exclusive to girls and women. They should offer more color options,' Yuu thought, frowning as she looked it over.
'Right now, the color of the bike is the less of my worries. It looks to be in working condition, but those tires look super worn. I might have to replace them, but I don't have any spares and there isn't a store nearby selling them either. I'll just have to fill them with air and hope that they'll last long enough for me to reach my destination. I also need to clean the chain and get rid of the dust buildup and hope that it's not too bad.'
She search for a firm brush to brush out the chain links from dust and dirt. Once done, she used some chain oil on it and wipe off the excess with a dry rag. It took her a while to find the pump, because it was hidden in one of the boxes. She filled the tires with air and tested the bike by getting on it and seeing how it handle her weight and the bags she was carrying.
Satisfied that it held together, she carried it to the front door. She leaned the crowbar next to it and went back upstairs. She grabbed the duct tape, putting it inside her bag and picked up the makeshift weapon. Before she went back downstairs, she left a written message on the kitchen table in case her parents or anyone else came looking for her.
'I think that's it. I have everything and I left a letter explaining why I'm leaving, where I'm going and who I might be with,' Yuu thought, closing and locking the door to her apartment. She went back downstairs, pulling the front door open and slipping her bike outside. She picked up the crowbar, putting it into her messenger bag. It was still sticking out, but that was how she wanted it. 'I'll be easy to reach, once this thing breaks,' she thought, gripping the knife spear she made.
She locked her front door, glancing around before picking up the bicycle again and carrying down the steps. She looked back at her house once last time and then got onto her bike. She held the knife spear horizontal, across the handlebars and carefully went up the street, turning left onto the main street. She continue riding down the street, relieve that her bicycle hasn't broken down even though she hasn't used it in years.
Yuu kept looking frequently at her surroundings as she peddle down the street. Whenever she came across obstacles, she stopped, carefully walking her bike around vehicles and debris. She also kept track of the time, making sure to move quicker as the sun continued to sink into the ground.
She stopped in front of a dojo, a training place specifically for martial arts such as aikido, judo, karate, or samurai. 'It's gonna be dark in two hours and I could do with a much better weapon than the knife-speared I made. Hopefully, there's something there or else this will be a waste of time,' Yuu thought, getting off her bike and leading it against an abandon car. She also left the knife-spear next to it. 'I'm not gonna be needing this just yet. I might not even use it if I can find something in there. Though I still have the crowbar on me in case something happens.
She pull opened the door, smiling in relief that it wasn't locked. She climbed the stairs, entering a small hallway that opens up to the dojo. She stopped at the entrance, noticing a shoe rack. 'I know that people need to remove their shoes before going inside because it's a way to keep the dojo's floors clean, but it also symbolizes leaving your ego, and your troubles at the front door. Considering that this may be the end of the world, I think I'm excused from doing so. Cuz I rather not waste anymore time and who knows, what if I took my shoes off only to get attack and I had to escape? I wouldn't want to run around in my socks, with who knows what on the ground.'
She quietly walked onto the wooden floored building, searching for weapons. At the back of the large room she immediately spotted weapons mounted on the wall. There were a bunch of weapons that she recognize; nunchaku, shinai, bo, bokken, kunai, katana, shuriken, tanto, sai, tonfa, and many others. Most of them were multiples of the same weapon, which were probably used for training purposes.
She found herself a katana and a tanto mounted on the back wall. There was also a rack filled with training gear, but nothing about them interested Yuu. However, she was very pleased with the find of the weapons.
'I still have the crowbar on my back, inside my bag. But I also have the messenger bag on my left. I'm right-handed, so I'm going to have to switch the bag to my right side and put the katana on my left. I'll be best if I slip it into my belt, inside the jean's loop so that the sheath won't fall out when I take the katana out. As for the tanto I can put that in my messenger bag. It's got a back pocket that I can easily get into if I needed it,' Yuu thought, putting everything into their new spots.
Once done, she went outside and picked up her makeshift weapon. 'Maybe I should ditch this here. It's flimsy. Actually, I could probably replace this with the naginata that was up on the wall.'
She stared at it for a few seconds and dropped it onto the ground. She went back inside the building to retrieve the naginata. She leaned it against the wall as she pull up her bike and sat on the seat. She picked up the naginata and laid it across the handle bars.
'I need to get there. I'm halfway there and there's about an hour left of daylight,' she thought, seeing that the sun was much lower now.
She ride past abandon cars and litter, sometimes going on the sidewalk to avoid other roadblocks. The closer Yuu got to her destination, the darker the sky became. 'I wonder if it means anything when it's the end of the world and there's a pretty sunset?'
Yuu glanced up, noticing the gold and red colors in the sky. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the naginata and the bike's bars tighter. 'Shit, I have about 20, maybe 30 minutes top until the sunset is over.'
She increased her speed, nearly running into things as she tried to keep track of the sunset and her surroundings at the same time. She was riding towards the setting sun and she could already feel those yellow eyes at the back of her head. She didn't dare to turn around and look, because she knew they'll probably be coming out of the shadows now.
She was beginning to pant and sweat as she push herself to go faster. The air felt cool as it got darker, giving her goosebumps on her uncovered skin. I'm almost there. I can see the intersection up ahead. I just need to turn left onto the street and I'll be right in front of the school,' she thought, wincing as she nearly went flying head first into a pothole, but manage to avoid it in time. 'Shit! That was close. Get it together Yuu! You're almost there. Focus on getting there before whatever it is that's in the dark swarms the street.'
From the corner of her eyes she noticed the darkness growing and reaching out to her with claws and hungry yellow eyes. With what was still left of the light she manage to pick out that it wasn't just a massive form with many eyes and claws. Instead it consisted of many creatures and there was just so many of them that it was hard to make out.
Yuu made it to the intersection and turn onto the street where her school is located. Unfortunately, the sun had set and the streetlamps haven't turned on once she reach the front of her school. 'Of course, the power is out.'
She stopped, getting off the bike and quickly pulling out crowbar from her backpack. She was surrounded on all sides by so the creatures. 'I am not going to die when I'm so freaking close! I'm definitely outnumber, but I just need to go through them to get to the doors. That's if it's not locked. I got the crowbar to pry it open, but I won't have time with them around. I could break the glass, but then there's no way to keep them from following me inside. Shit! And where's Nirdesa and Larcrima?! I was hoping I would see them keeping watch or guarding the entrance. Unless they're not here?'
Yuu was warily, finding it strange that the creatures hadn't attacked her the moment she got off the bicycle. 'I need to deal with them first before thinking about my friends.'
She stared at them, noting that they're small, about knee length and swaying side to side. They didn't have any features besides unblinking yellow eyes and curly antennas. Their claws were their only weapons as far as she could tell.
She frown, gripping her crowbar and slowly moved into a stance. She knew she couldn't fight them all, but she can try to rush them and mow them down as best as she could. 'Maybe I should have used the katana, but it's too late now.'
The creatures took her fighting stance as a cue to advance towards her. Without a second thought, Yuu didn't wait for them to attack her first. She ran, plowing through them and swinging the crowbar side to side to knock them away. She wince whenever one of them manage to catch her with their claws, but she force the pain down.
She was lucky that they didn't expect her to do that. Otherwise they would have jumped onto her unguarded back, weighing her even further down. Her bags were heavy and she was already fatigued from carrying them and riding her bike with urgency. But she was still able to get through them to the entrance.
While the creatures picked themselves off the ground, the others rushed at her, jumping with their claws out. She pulled at each door, checking to see if one of them was opened while keeping her back against the doors. She did her best to dodge their attacks and strike back at the creatures. 'Shit, shit, shit. They're all locked. I should have held up in one of these buildings before it got to dark and waited until morning. But it's too late to regret anything now,' she thought, kicking one away from her and stabbing the crowbar into it. It disappeared in a wisp of black smoke, a glowing pink heart also appeared and vanished afterwards.
'What the...nope, now isn't the time to lose focus.'
Yuu held her ground, breathing heavily while keeping them at bay for as long as she could. She knew she was trapped now, and there were no way she could escape. 'Whatever happens I'm not going down without giving them hell,' she thought, grimacing because it was getting harder for her to ignore the pain as the scratches accumulated on her body.
As tired as she was, somewhere deep inside she felt that she had to hold on. She pushed herself to keep swinging, to keep the fighting even though she knew that with each hit she was losing strength. She couldn't explain it, but there was something in the air, a strange sensation like it was building up, just waiting for the right moment to strike.
Then she heard it.
It felt like a whisper, a gentle caress of air. It was undecipherable, but it certainly carried an emotion to it. It was the first sign of life she heard all day. She couldn't focus on the sound while fighting, but it seem to grow stronger whenever she did. And so did the strange feeling inside of her.
One of the creatures manage to scratch her neck, causing her to hiss in anger and knocked it into the door, cracking the thick glass.
"...darkness..."
"What?" she breathe, trying to listen in. She leaned against the door about to collapse in exhaustion. The rush of adrenaline had since run out of her system and only through sheer willpower she was still going.
"...darkness...light..."
She stomped on a creature, stabbing it and slamming another with the other end of the crowbar.
"...consume..."
And it clicked in her mind, 'that's my voice!'
Yuu's face scrunched up in confusion and surprise. 'Am I going insane?!'
"The darkness is consuming the light..."
She blocked a creature from jumping on her, and knocked it away.
"And in a little time we all shall return again..."
The voice sounding eerie similar to Yuu's increase in volume.
"Into the vast, unanswering darkness..."
Unexpectedly, everything slowed down once the voice faded. The strange sensation Yuu felt deep inside turn to dread. It spread over her skin like a chill. The creatures moved so slowly as though someone cast a spell to slow down time. Unlike them, she couldn't move her body at all, but she heard a familiar voice calling out her name.
'Nirdesa?'
Yuu tired to turn her head, but only manage to move her eyes. She caught sight of Nirdesa and Larcima running towards her with weapons in their hands. She tried to call back, but her mouth refused to cooperate with her and as much as she was filled with joy in seeing that her friends were fine, her dread increased.
They came closer to her, screaming and waving their arms above their heads. Yuu wasn't sure if they were trying to warn her of something or trying to distract the creatures to give her a chance to escape. But whatever it was, it was too late to figure out.
Yuu suddenly felt empty and cold. She was falling slowly backwards, like someone pushed her into a pool of ice cold water. The voices of her friends were drowned out. She was only able to see the glowing yellow eyes of the creatures. They were reaching out, trying to claim her, but she faded into darkness before they could. And that was the last thing she could remember as her eyes grew heavy with sleep.
