Oscuro

This is horrific. The inmates started banging on the bars of their cells. They always do this whenever the lights go out. They’re terrified because of the things they can’t see that happen during the dark. This is the only thing you can do when you're locked up in a small cell isolated from the world, to up your chance of survival from who knows what will happen to you in the dark. I can’t blame them though, they’ve been in here for more than 30 years. Me? I’ve been here for about 2 years or I'm not even sure. I look at my inmates and they’re going crazy. It happens often though. Everyone in here either went crazy or mute. This is just how the prison works. Psychological and physical damage is implied to every one of us. About 300 inmates here including me are here and we’re hidden underneath the Hollywood sign. Crazy right? How a prison where 300 inmates who are the most horrifying and have done the cruelest things are imprisoned here under the Hollywood sign.

 A majority of my inmates here are drug lords or serial killers. I know a girl here who tried killing California's governor. I wonder how she’s doing. This prison was created to keep its citizens ``safe” from the most dangerous people in California. Pft dangerous. When they’re the ones killing their own people and keeping them from taking their power away. I hate them so much that it’s the reason I'm here. I've killed multiple people at the top of the social construct. Governors, politicians, senators, you name it. I’ve even killed a president and that’s the reason I'm here. I could have still been with my wife right now if I didn’t kill him on live television. See the thing is I never got caught. I killed and killed without getting caught and there was a reason for that. I was the world's most loved actress. I earned several awards and I was well respected. No one expected an actress to brutally murder people right?

Wrong. Countless magazines and news articles interviewed me before I became discovered and I always gave these “odd” comments. They took it lightly and laughed it away. I ‘joked’ about dying to kill others to make the world a better place. Be at the top to punish those who harm others. Soon my victims became discovered and it was no longer a joke. It was funny because I was invited to meet that dumb president. Right after greeting everyone, I arrived and he shook my hand. I shook it lightly and the camera pointed towards us. It was a historical moment. I looked him in the eye and said “I wonder what your enemies will say when they see you” He laughed for a moment until I took my gun out of my suit and shot his head multiple times. The same gun which I used to kill his friends. Everyone was screaming while his blood already formed a pool surrounding his body. I don't remember much since I was knocked out cold and here I am. 

In this cold dark prison. Esta Oscuro. I was scared of the dark always as a kid. My mom caressed me as I cried holding her warm body when there were power outages in the city and went pitch black. “Amara” she’ll say “No tienes miedo porque nunca te voy a dejar. Todo el tiempo voy estar contigo aunque tú no puedes ver me .”After that moment I matured and was no longer afraid of the dark. My father will tell me stories of black jaguars in the rainforests of Guatemala hidden when the sun no longer shined to hunt out our people. It was one of the things that contributed to my fear of the dark. Not being able to see things that will harm you or end your life right there. You don’t see anything but soon only to be dead after because you couldn’t see. Dead. I wonder what my victims saw after they died. What do you see after death?

No one knows but the dead and my inmates are afraid of that. They don’t wanna see it. I ignore the screams and clanging of my inmates and fall asleep. I dream of Lilith. She was the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life. We were dancing in an apartment in Seoul. There was soft music playing in the background. The smell of her shampoo and my hand on her hips guiding her as we dance. We laugh and smile. We run into a field of wild roses and white lilies. Our feet bleed as we laugh and chase each other despite our wounds opening up more. I grabbed her and pulled her into me and I lean into her. Just as we’re about to kiss, the fields of flowers rot, and lycoris flowers start taking their place. I panic and Lilith was no longer in front of me. My body started feeling heavy and I fall to the ground and wake up. 

I scream at the top of my lungs. I scream because Liliths not here. I scream because I’m stuck here for the rest of my life not being able to see her every second of my life. I don’t want to be in this dark room without her by my side. I just want to make the world a better place and be with my Lilith. I don’t know how long it’s going to be till I see her again. The last time I saw her was 4 months ago. The prison doesn’t allow visitors but she inherited my money when I came here so she’s using that money to pay them to allow her to visit me. Crooks all they want is money. It doesn’t matter either way because all I want is Lilith. 

 This prison is making me go crazy already. Oh, the lights are back on thank god. I wouldn’t have lasted any longer after that dream. It’s silent right now. I look out through my cell and notice it’s open and everyone’s dead and shredded into pieces. I see cuts through my shirt and I have blood dripping. What the hell just happened. The guards are dead and so are the inmates. What is this? I look out cautiously and the doors are open. There’s probably something out there. I look and nothings there. Empty despite the blood and dismembered bodies. Is this a chance for me to leave? Can I go see Lilith? I leave my cell and I look at their bodies one last time before I go. Their bodies lifeless but they all look like something tried eating them. Looks like a big monster did it. No no that’s impossible.

 I leave where my cell was and exit the building. On my way out, I noticed that everyone was dead. The guns far away from their body and their bodies were dismembered. The lights were still on but they weren’t the normal light. They were the emergency lights used when we had a power outage. The lights glowing bright red just like the ocean of blood on the floor. I grabbed one of their guns and left. As I leave the building and go above ground and welcomed with the fresh breeze I see that all of Los Angeles is bright red. You can see the fire and smoke rising from the city.

Is this the end of the world or what? You can feel the warmth of the fires from these mountains. I panic thinking if the government started a war with another country and bombed LA or if it’s our government killing us. I go on for a few minutes until I remember Lilith. Where is she? Lilith no no no Lilith please no not her. I run. I run to my home which is located in the mountains. She’s got to be safe. There’s no sign of people when I run to my home. Not even the sounds of crickets and no sign of life. I get more nervous and I let the moon guide me since it’s my only source of light right now. As I get closer I witness what I had to a few hours before. Dismembered bodies and pools of blood in the streets. Their faces expressed with fear as the thing that killed them was the last thing they saw. 

 I see my home and I run full speed. My thighs aching but I can’t rest till I see Lilith. I go to the front and see that the door was open. I enter and everything in the entrance was thrown into the floor. The kitchen drawers open and my knives were missing. Was Lilith looking for knives or did someone else come in? No, Lilith smart she’ll defend herself from anyone. I go up to the second floor and I see that our room was covered with shelves and other things to prevent anyone from entering. I yell Lilith’s name. “Lilith! It’s me please open the door! It’s me, Amara! I escaped the prison and came here! Please tell me you’re in there and you’re okay! Please open the door for me !” 

I hear a little sniff. Its Lilith. “Amara? Is that you?” I cry. I haven’t heard her voice in so long and reply “Yes my love it’s me. Please let me in I want to see you right now please I need to know if you are safe. I don’t know what’s going on right now but we need to leave LA right now.” I remove everything covering the door and as I open the door I see Lilith holding some knives near her and a gun. Tear-stained eyes and hugging herself. I rush to go and hug her. She’s shaking and crying and explains to me what happens. I tell her its going to be alright until I notice that the entire time while I’ve been holding her she was cold. I look across the room and I see Lilith. Covered with white lilies stained with blood.

Im unable to move because it was too big of a shock to me. I scream and cry while whatever is holding me starts to screech and stabs me with the knives. I start to feel heavy as my voice dies out due to it digging its fingers into my throat. My legs were torn from my body and I was bleeding out. I got tossed and landed right by Lilith. Surrounded by the dark and with quietness I use all my strength to hold Lilith. Everything starts fading away and it’s getting darker and darker. “No quiero murir. No quiero estar sola en la oscuridad.” I start feeling colder and I see Lilith in the field of wild roses and white lilies waiting for me. So this is what you see after death.