The light shines the brightest after the dark.


Darkness
A Danny Phantom FanFiction by Cordria


Chapter 11: Light


Maddie gazed into the room in horror. Dark shadows lurked in the corners, casting their long fingers across the floor. She bit her lip and took a step backwards. Not the dark…

But she saw him. Curled up in a ball, lying on the floor, was a boy. His messy, dirty, white hair was hanging in his face. His outfit was ripped and dirty, barely covering the cuts and bruises that marked his body.

"Phantom," Maddie breathed, dropping the survival kit and the ghost tracker to the floor. She raced to his side, kneeling down on the floor. Two fingers brushed against his cheek as she studied his face. The ghost-boy was transparent; his ragged breathing was weak and faltering.

"Phantom?" she whispered a bit louder, pushing his dusty hair out of his eyes. Please be alright… Don't make me loose them both…

Two green eyes opened slightly, staring up at her. They were dull and lifeless. "What?" the boy whimpered. "I want to sleep."

"No, you can't sleep." Maddie gently shook his shoulder when his eyes drooped closed. "I'm here to help you."

"How," he rasped. His arms twitched as he tried to move them. "Just leave me alone."

"No." Maddie rustled through her emergency kit for a bottle of water. She tipped Phantom's head back and poured some water into his mouth. He coughed, but swallowed. "You saved my life," she murmured. "You're a hero. It's my turn to save you."

His green eyes stared into hers. "You think I'm a hero?" He sounded speechless.

"Yes." She smiled at him, her worried eyes drifting over his withered form. "I'm going to get you out of here. You'll be fine." A tear trickled down her cheek. "Everything will be alright, just like you promised." She poured him another mouthful of water.

Maddie turned around and rummaged through her emergency pack for her cell phone. Behind her, she could hear Phantom push himself up onto one elbow. "You believe me?" His voice trembled as he spoke. "You don't think I'm just some stupid ghost?"

"Of course I do." She said it absently, not even contemplating it. Deep down inside, she believed him and was finally ready to admit it.

There it is! Maddie yanked out the cell phone and sat for a moment, her mind twisting as it tried to figure out who to call. She was gazing so intently at the phone that she almost missed with Phantom said next.

"Then I owe you an apology."

"Why?" she asked, not taking her eyes off the phone.

"For lying to you." A flash of white light caught her attention and she twisted around towards the half-ghost. The cell phone clattered to the ground out of nerveless fingers as she stared at the (now human) boy.

"DANNY!"

The end.