The Queen of Darkness

Diane...

"Did you hear that?" I ask. I shiver. This place is creepy.

Miari shoots me a glare.

"Shut up!" she whisper-shouts. "I didn't invite you here so you could make a fool of us."

"Sorry, but did you?"

"No. Now be quiet."

Usually, I'd believe her, but in our unnerving setting, I have room for doubts.

We're walking down a street, lit only by the occasional streetlight, at 1 in the morning. I can see a massive house at the end of the street that reminds me of the haunted houses my friends and I used to go to.

Miari is taking me to this creepy place because I was dumb enough to agree to come to her secret meeting. From what I actually understand of her ramblings about these meetings, it sounds to me like a cult. Lots of stuff about demons and other creepy, impossible stuff.

She invited me after I asked her why she was so tired on Saturday's and she said it was because she had Arcanum Daemonium meetings Friday nights. And then somehow she pulled me into coming to one. I am seriously regretting my decision.

Diane...

There it is again! The spin-chilling, whispery, male voice that keeps saying my name.

You are the one we want. We shall give you to our Queen of Darkness.

I jump and Miari looks at me.

"What's the matter with you? If you keep acting weird, I'm going to ditch you and go to the meeting alone."

I try to get my trembling under control.

"That would be fine with me," I say.

Miari rolls her eyes and grabs my arm. We've reached the house and she drags me in.

The halls are sprinkled with people, who all give me weird looks when we walk past. I assume it's because I'm pale as a ghost and shaking with fear. The voice in my head is freaking me out and the eerie house is not helping my nerves.

Do not be afraid. Darkness will make you whole.

My heart is beating out of my chest and I feel like I'm going to pass out. What on earth is happening?

Miari drags me into a ballroom of sorts where people are congregated. Most of the people we saw in the halls were headed in this direction. After a few more minutes, the last few stragglers trickle in and the doors are shut.

The ballroom is dimly lit by candles and the windows are curtained to block out any semblance of natural light. Not that we'd get any natural light anyway with it being 1:30 in the morning.

Chatter quietly floats about and Miari squeezes my arm.

"Don't freak out," she hisses in my ear.

Don't freak out? I'm already freaking out!

I hear people draw breath simultaneously and then huff it out. All the candles flicker out.

I nearly start to hyperventilate.

Nyctophobia: the fear of the dark.

Just add that to everything else creepy tonight.

Fear is a weakness you will slough off when we give you to our Queen of Darkness.

I squeeze my head between my hands. Isn't a sign of schizophrenia hearing voices in your head? I don't have schizophrenia, do I?

No. As much as I try to deny it, I am beginning to believe Miari. Demons? Before I would have laughed, but now...

Yes, child. Don't hide from the truth. Embrace the darkness.

No! I don't want this! Demons don't exist!

I break away from Miari's grip and stagger through the crowd, trying to reach the door. Surprised murmurs ripple through the crowd as I shove past people.

Diane...

People start to grab at me. I squirm in the total darkness that the others can somehow see well enough to restrain me.

Diane...

Now they are dragging me. An eerie, green glow illuminates the ballroom so I can see they are pulling me toward a pit that I didn't notice before. What kind of place has a pit in their ballroom?

Do not resist and the Queen of Darkness will take you quietly. She wants you, but she will not let you go unpunished if you defy her.

They shove me into the pit. It's not deep, but the landing knocks the breath out of me. I push myself up to my knees and look up. The crowd is eagerly looking over the edge, careful not to get too close that they fall in themselves.

I passed trembling and sweating long ago. Now my fear is so intense I am numb.

Your fear will be gone soon. The Queen of Darkness is coming.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

It's all true. And Miari was not lying. Yet she was.

Demons are real. And I am to be sacrificed to their Queen of Darkness. That was one detail that Miari failed to mention.

She did what we asked of her. She will be well rewarded. And you shall be given to our Queen of Darkness.

The green light flickers and freezing mist starts wafting and collecting in the pit, surrounding me.

Diane...

A female voice now, speaking my name. Is this the Queen of Darkness?

I curl up into a ball. The glacial mist wraps around me.

Diane...I want you. Do not resist me.

No, please. I don't want this. No!

The mist wafts into my mouth, open as I gasp in fear. I snap it shut, trying to keep out the mist. It seeps up towards my nose, and I pinch it shut, regardless of the fact that I can't breathe anymore because of it.

My lungs burn and I gasp for breath, my hand falling away and opening both my nose and mouth. The mist crawls into both.

It's so, so cold.

Yes, Diane, yes.

So, so cold...

I can feel the chill in all parts of my body now. So, so cold...

Embrace the darkness. Let me take control.

So, so cold...

I squeeze my eyes shut, giving up. I let out one last breath and then I am not myself anymore. I am still alive, but now my body belongs to the Queen of Darkness. The queen of the demons. I can only watch as I, no she, stands and levitates out of the pit.

I see Miari. She looks almost regretful, but she masks it well. She bows along with everybody else to the Queen of Darkness.

Is the Queen of Darkness now me, or am I now the Queen of Darkness?

I don't know the answer to that, but I do know that I am just a spectator now, no longer in control of my own body.

The Queen of Darkness may do what she likes now.