Out of the Darkness

164

My mind started racing, thinking that I should turn back before the wall closed. What if I was stuck down here forever? What if this stairwell sent me straight to my impending death? It felt like my legs were frozen, stuck on the glittery stairs, as I watched the last bit of light get swallowed up by the closing wall. That was it. There was no turning back now. I sighed, and turned back towards the darkness. I expected the descent to take forever, like it had last time, but it didn't. After only a few minutes, I saw the bottom of the stairwell. It let out onto a glossy black floor, glittering just like the stairs. I could already tell that it was nothing like the dingy basement that was inside that dreaded house. What I didn't know was if this was giving me a false sense of security, with it's polished look. I shuffled forwards, and swung my light around the room, to see what was around me. My first thought was "wow! This is a really nice place." There was a loveseat and two plump black recliners, with a coffee table centered perfectly between them. Up against the back wall, was a black marble bookshelf, similar in shape to the one upstairs. Again, like upstairs, there were a few art pieces hanging on the walls. I could see the moon in most of them, as well as a lake in the background. The moon was reflected perfectly inside that lake. There was one of a black wolf howling, a circle of black panthers, and a black owl. The theme was definitely black, and I didn't hate it. I walked to the other side of the room, that was encased in darkness, to investigate my surroundings further. There was a drastic difference. This side of the room was cold and drafty, the walls made of chipped concrete blocks. There was a fire poker sitting up against the wall, underneath some chains...wait! This was the room! This was the basement that was inside the house! The one that held Anna's coffin! My adrenaline and hope coursed through my bloodstream, making me literally bounce of the balls of my feet. It was too dark to see more than a foot in front of myself, so I turned away from the chains on the wall, in the direction where I knew it would be. After a few hesitant steps forwards, the white coffin came into view. It looked so out of place in this dingy basement, with it's pristine white coating and gold trim. There didn't seem to be one single particle of dust or grime on it. I swallowed hard, and placed my hands on the coffin. The last time someone had put their hands on it, I had been bitten by a fucking demon. The surface was warm, an immense difference from the chilly air around me. I waited, straining my ears to hear a demon horde racing down the stairs, or anyone else. Thankfully, there was only silence. I took a deep breath and placed my fingers under the handles on each side of myself. The lid swung open easily, and what I saw took my breath away. I had found her again. Anna lay there, her raven black hair fanned out on the silk pillow beneath her head. Her arms were crossed, and her hands were resting peacefully on top of one another. She was beautiful, as she always was, but something seemed different. Her body had a sort of luminescent glow about it, making her already pale skin shine in the darkness. My gaze rested on her eyes, her long lashes leaving shadows on her cheeks. I was ready for it to happen, but was still surprised when it did. Instead of jolting open like they did before, her lids fluttered for a moment, before slowly rising, revealing the green emeralds beneath. My body froze, not wanting to wake up, if this was a dream, not wanting to do anything that might break the spell of whatever was happening. She held my gaze for a few moments, not moving. Then she sighed, a soft escape of her breath, before a brilliant smile crossed her lips. "You're here," she said, quietly. I unfroze and reached down to take her hand in mine, never breaking her gaze. Her skin was warm against my own, solid and very human. "I'm here," I answered. She allowed me to help her sit up, then reached out her arms for a hug. I complied, and wrapped my arms around her smaller body. I buried my face in her thick hair, and almost wanted to sob. Was this real? Was she alive? What was happening? She pulled back way before I was ready too. "I can save you," I whispered, bringing my hand to her face and trailing my fingertips down over her jawbone. She bit her plump lip and shook her head gently. "I don't think you can...but thank you for always trying." I was confused. "What do you mean? I just found you. You're not a ghost! You're real, flesh and blood, alive! You can just get up and come with me!" I pulled gently on her hand, but she pulled back and shook her head again. "No. This isn't real. I'm not real. This is a dream realm. One where your dreams come true." Then she let out a small, sad laugh, with tears glittering in her eyes. "Other people's dreams come true. Not mine. Never mine." I didn't know what to say, so I just leaned in and held her again. "What can I do?" I whispered, after another small moment. She sighed again, one of lost hope. "Just protect yourself. Please be safe and be happy. Live your life to the fullest, Colby. Never forget me, but don't let me be the reason that you don't live the way you should." She pulled back, and I started to shake my own head. "No, there has to be something that I can do! I didn't come this far, go through all of this for nothing!" She was quiet again, just staring into my eyes. Strong emotions were clogging up my throat, making it hard for me to speak, or even breath correctly. I leaned in, wanting to press my lips against hers, needing too. Before I could, she sucked in a painful breath, and grabbed the sides of her head with both hands. "Uuughh!" She groaned loudly. "What?" I asked, my hands fluttering around her. I didn't know what to do, or how to help.