"Donald Darko." The substitute called out to my fifth period class, "Darko, Donald."
"He's dead." Someone muttered behind me.
"Total worm chow." Another classmate added.
"I'm sorry?" The sub didn't get it. Nobody did; Donnie was gone and it was as if no one noticed. Every class I had with him left questions of where he was and what he was doing.
I'd answer that he was on his way six feet downtown in an overpriced box of oak…but I told nobody that all I wanted to do was die. Mrs. Darko was catatonic while Mr. Darko drove Elizabeth and Samantha to and from school. This wasn't even the worst part; everything that wasn't burned or demolished in Donnie's room was thrown out into the front yard for a mediocre yard rummage sale.
I glared at the substitute and growled, "He's dead, okay? Donald Kristopher Darko is gone, on his way to a hole in the ground, whatever's left of him anyway." Every word burned as they escaped my mouth. I stood up and knocked my chair down, grabbed my stuff and began for the door.
"Where do you think you're going? What's your name?" The sub gave me a teacher-menacing look. I didn't flinch.
"My name is Noelle Dreamcatcher Roswell, I am Donnie's boyfriend."
I sat on the front step of the Darko's home, the mountain of Donnie's former possessions made an eerie shadow on the sidewalk. My cheeks were wet with tears, I felt as if my eyes wouldn't let me cry anymore. I wiped my eyes on my jacket sleeves and played at the frays of my skirt.
"Dreamcatcher." I heard a deep, distorted voice call from the end of the Darko's lawn. I looked up to see a grungy bunny costume with a skeleton face, "Dreamcatcher, follow me."
I slowly stood up and took a step towards the demonic rabbit, "What's your name?"
"I'm Frank. I was a friend of Donnie's." I took a step towards the rabbit again and found myself tripping over a headstone.
Looking around, I found myself in the town's cemetery, standing in front of 'D. Darko: beloved brother, son, friend and companion.'
"Companion?" I screeched, "Companion? All he is to me, all he was to me was my companion?"
Frank didn't say anything as I fell to my knees and began to dig through the wet dirt; they decided to get it over with, just burying him while I was at school. As I burrowed through the dirt, I came across cold flesh…
"They didn't put him in a casket?" I asked as my hand brushed against Donnie's. I looked up to see Frank gone, and when I looked up to the sky, it was night.
I was sitting in the clearing of the field where Donnie told me he loved me. My white dress was stained with blood along with my hands. I stood up and tried to scream, but I remained unheard.
"Trouble?" Frank asked as he stood at the edge of the field.
"What the hell is going on?" I asked as I kneeled to the ground and grabbed the sides of my head. It felt as if an axe was splitting me in half.
"You killed Donnie."
"That's bullshit! I loved Donnie." I screamed as I pulled at my hair. As I pulled my hands away, there was more blood.
"You have 36 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds…58…57…56…" I stood up and found myself in Donnie's bedroom, completely unscathed.
"What am I supposed to do?" I yelled to the ceiling.
"55…54…53…52..51…"