Chapter 9: Bring Me to Life

(Song written by B. Moody, A. Lee, and D. Hodges)

How can you see into my eyes like open doors
leading you down into my core
where I've become so numb without a soul my spirit sleeping somewhere cold
until you find it there and lead it back home

Kyra stood once again before the tall man, his mercury eyes boring into hers. Blood dripped softly from his long, curved knives; fresh from the monster that now lay between them. Kyra's blood flowed softly down one of her arms and drip, drip, dripped off her finger-tips. The monster had nearly torn the limb from her ravaged body when suddenly great hands had flown in and ripped the creature off of her. Within seconds the monster's blood was pouring onto the dirt and it heaved its last breath as the man cut it down.

Now they stood face to face. His eyes looking at her filled with such tender familiarity, such emotion where she only felt a gaping emptiness; a great echoing void. Lost within herself, unable to accept or understand the emotion she saw there, Kyra turned and walked away; leaving her savior standing alone in the dark.

Wake me up inside
Wake me up inside
call my name and save me from the dark
bid my blood to run
before I come undone
save me from the nothing I've become

now that I know what I'm without
you can't just leave me
breathe into me and make me real
bring me to life

Kyra's tortured mind returned again and again to the emotions she had seen in the dark man's eyes. A deep longing gradually filled her; the void seemed so empty, the aching cold of it threatened to drown her, every moment in this place she felt a little more of her self slip away and fall into that growing abyss. Desperation overwhelmed her and without another thought she crept out of her dank lair and into the stormy night.

Wake me up inside
Wake me up inside
call my name and save me from the dark
bid my blood to run
before I come undone
save me from the nothing I've become

Bring me to life

She watched him as he sat alone in the howling wind. From his subtle movements, Kyra knew that he was aware that he was being watched. A knife rested on the ground near his hand and for a moment Kyra wanted nothing more than to feel it cut into her; healing her, killing her; saving her from this unending darkness.

It would be pointless she knew, she couldn't die here; not physically; no, in the torment of this place you died from inside out.

She knew not why she had come to this strange man, but something strong had drawn her here. Something that had caught a hold of her and would not let go.

Again, without thought, without control, Kyra stepped out into the open. His attention was instantly focused on her and he rose to his feet.

The wind buffeted her as she stood defenseless before him, his eyes on hers. Her hair whipped out behind her and suddenly, tears filled her eyes. A small, desperate voice screamed in the back of her mind; the terror and panic that filled the voice sent Kyra wheeling. The tears began to fall as she surrendered to the panic in that voice and fell to her knees.

Frozen inside without your touch without your love darling

Only you are the life among the dead

Riddick saw the utter torment on her face; the tears drew stark, white lines through the ash and dried blood on her cheeks. He was drawn utterly and completely toward her, and as he reached her he kneeled and gently reached out a lethal hand to softly wipe away the tears.


All this time I can't believe I couldn't see
kept in the dark but you were there in front of me
I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems
got to open my eyes to everything

At his touch, Kyra's mind began to reel. Memories came flooding back, emotions filled her to overflowing. An emotion that she couldn't identify brought a half-crazed laugh to her lips; she knew him! Recognition flooded her overwhelmed mind; he was there, had always been there.

She felt reborn.


Without a thought without a voice without a soul
don't let me die here
there must be something more
bring me to life

Words would not form in her long unused mouth and she struggled with herself; fighting back the darkness, the void. This time she was not alone and with Riddick gently touching her cheek she was able to push the gluttonous evil back.

Kyra forced her long uncontrolled hands forward. Trembling they reached upward and gently pulled up the blank, black goggles, revealing his hypnotic silver gaze. She stared into their depths, seeing everything she had always dreamed she would find there. Uncertainly, she let her hands rest on either side of his strong face. A flood of warmth rushed into her icy hands from his cheeks, down her arms and spread throughout her cold body. Her tortured, glassy eyes cleared and with a voice full of wonder and love she spoke the only name that never had let her down, "Riddick."

Wake me up inside
Wake me up inside
call my name and save me from the dark
bid my blood to run
before I come undone
save me from the nothing I've become