Out of the Darkness

91 Anna's POV

He hit the floor with a hard 'THUNK.' I leaned over the side quickly, to see if he was okay. He was lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling, his hand on top of his head. I let out a loud peal of laughter, unable to stop myself and his eyes shot to mine. When he saw me, he leaned up onto his elbow, holding my gaze. "It's really you?" he asked, fear coating his voice, like he was scared to believe it. "Yes, Colby," I answered, saddened that he felt this way. That I had caused him pain. "It's really me." He sat completely up but stayed on the floor. I watched as his hand came up to rub the side of his head, where he had hit it on the floor. "Are you okay?" I asked quietly, holding the gaze that never left mine. He nodded slowly, before pulling himself to his feet. He sat down gently, next to me, then turned towards me. "I am now. What happened Anna? Why were you gone for so long? Are you okay?" He started shooting out questions, his words running together. He tried to take my hand in his, but it went through mine, so I moved it, and looked away from him. "The Darkness pulled me back. She said that she needed me. That I was special." "What do you mean? Why does she think you're special?" I shook my head. "I don't know," I replied. Then one of his other questions registered in my mind. I looked back over and met his gaze. "What did you mean about how long I've been gone. I just disappeared last night..." I watched as the light in his eyes dimmed a little, and the corners of his mouth turned down as he looked back at me. "Didn't I?" I asked, a little frightened of his answer. He shook his head, and moved his hand like he wanted to take mine is his again. "No. You've been gone for over a month, Anna. I didn't know what to do. I kept looking, and trying to get people to help. I meditated because I thought that I could reach you in my dreams, but it was never you. Not really. I tried everything. I was going back to that house tomorrow to see if I could find anything that might help. I didn't know what else to do," he said, his eyes begging me to understand. "Over a month?" I breathed out, stunned by that information. "But I was only in the Darkness for a few hours...wasn't I?" He shook his head again. "I went there, to the Darkness. Somehow, the witch, Amethyst, she took me there. It was pitch black. Blacker and darker than anything I've ever imagined. The despair started freezing my chest, and made me want to just give up and let the Darkness have me. But I didn't. Someone else was there. A girl. I didn't see her but I could hear her. She told me that you were there, but then the Darkness had taken you for a while. She didn't know if you would be back." "You were there?!" I gasped, my hand covering my mouth. I vaguely wondered where I went when I left the Darkness. Where had she taken me? I only remembered the pain and the dark. He nodded. "Yeah. I'm so sorry that you were in that awful place and that I couldn't help you." I lay my hands over his, forgetting that they were going to go right through. Only they didn't. Skin met skin as I got closer and stared into his eyes. "Colby, promise me that you won't go back there. Not to the Darkness and not to the house. Stay away from all of it. It's too dangerous. You can't beat her. No one can. She's been around for too long. She's too strong." He was staring at our hands touching one another. "Her name is Lilith," he replied, looking back up at me. "I found her online. She never ages. In every single picture, she doesn't look a day over 25. The article said that she was 27 or 28 I think. How is that possible?" I couldn't answer him, because I didn't know. Instead, I sighed and leaned my head over onto his chest, focusing with all my might that I would remain solid. I did. My head lay softly on him, and his arm came around me, pulling my hips to his. "I've missed you," he said, grasping my tightly for a moment. "I missed you too," I said, letting my hand play with the rings on his fingers. I sighed, and closed my eyes tightly, because I knew that I would have to let this be the last time that I was close to him. Slowly, I pulled away and allowed myself to go transparent. "What happened? What's wrong?" he asked, a worried expression on his face. I smiled at him. "Nothing. I just can't hold that form for too long. It's good to see you, Colby." I replied. He gave me a small smile in return. "It's good to see you too Anna." I couldn't tell him yet. I had just returned and if he was telling the truth, which I knew he was, then I had been gone for quite a while. Over a month. How was that possible? Why didn't I remember leaving the Darkness? There were so many unanswered questions that I knew I would never find the answer too. She was watching my every move. She felt everything that I felt. I didn't understand how or why, but I remembered that part. She said that she needed me. That I couldn't get close to Colby, or it would break the tie between us, ending me for good. I didn't think that I could tell him the truth. If he got himself killed trying to help me, then I would never forgive myself. I had to tell him something though. "Wanna sit on the balcony for a while?" he asked, standing and holding out his hand to me. I looked at his hand, then at him, cocking my eyebrow. He withdrew it slowly, a wry grin on his face. "Oh yeah. Sorry," he replied, running that same hand through his hair. I stood and walked with him out onto the balcony.