𝓛𝓪𝓭𝔂 𝓞𝓯 𝓛𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽

It has been 10 days since I had been thrown down here and forgotten about. I know because I kept a tally with a mark for each day, five days at a time. I can see a sliver of light out of the far, upper corner when the sun is out, but I don't dare venture there. I can see his hand sticking out of the shadows. There's also an awful stench of decay. It is hotter than hell in here, plus I'm surprised I'm still sane. The noises I hear from above have me wanting to just give up. But I can't. That is not a possibility. 

The sun is going down now. Day 11 will be here soon. But sleep just won't come. I walk all 50 Square feet of this... hole. Hoping that there will be something I missed. Something that will help me get out of here. All I see is the three-legged table, the shards of broken mirror, and a deep freeze I have no desire to look inside of.

It's completely dark now. My eyes are playing tricks on me. I think I may be hallucinating. I keep hearing someone whisper my name, but there is no one here besides me... and him. 

I don't know who he was, I just know, when I was thrown down here it was kill or be killed. He got in a few good strikes on me, after he broke the mirror. The sink is so nasty, I try to only use the pile of freshly cleaned rags in the dilapidated cabinet I found. They smell like Jasmine and lavender. I think they're here to try to make whoever lands in here sleep. My body is exhausted but my mind keeps me awake. 

I hear the chain on the lock rattle. I dare not run to the top of the stairs. I know for sure that will bring on some sort of punishment. I know from experience. It only took twice for me to give up on that. 

Finally, I hear the food tray tumbling down the stairs. This part sucks. Either eat from the floor or starve. With tears in my eyes, I grab what I can find of the sandwich along with the tray and slowly start to eat. 

I am broken. There really is no need to fight. I don't know if I have it in me. But I have to. He is waiting. He wants me to survive. No one else has ever survived this. The world outside needs me. But then I look around again. There's a sliver of the sun coming in from the far upper corner. I've been down here for 11 days now. I hear the chain rattle again. There has never been anything sent down here since I have been here, except food. Nothing to drink. I am expected to drink from that nasty sink. There's nothing to clean it with. I can wipe it down, but the germs.

I hear something rolling down the stairs. It lands at my feet. I'm not sure what it is. it's in... I cock my head... a bag. I reluctantly pick it up not knowing what is in it. It's cold. There's condensation on it... Wait. There's a note. 

This is your reward for accomplishing 10 days. Get ready for phase 2. If you finish this, phase 2 will start tomorrow. If not... Well you know. 

You have 2 days to do so.

Well, what the hell. It's a sprite. Do I dare? Do I take in this drink and start something even worse. I need to think, but my mind really isn't right at the moment.

As I tuck it in under the band of my skirt, I can see the filth lining my pretty blue skirt. No longer looking like the vibrant garment it once was. 

I look around and see a large shard of the mirror. Slowly I pick it up. Looking into it, I'm shocked. My long red hair is matted to my head. Blood and dirt showing through the bandage on my left side. My bright green eyes, now look flat and dull. My lip is busted in 3 places. I only have on my bra on the top. My white shirt was ripped in the fight. So I'm using it for the bandages. My shoes were taken before I was thrown down here. I don't know why it had to be me, but the algorithm said so. But it has been wrong before. Actually, it had never been right.

I've been sitting still for too long. My muscles are aching. It's getting late though. The light in the far upper corner is fading. I can't see in the dark. I don't want to get too close to... Him. But I need to walk around. I need to find a way out. How can I do that in pitch black? 

I start to walk. More aware of my surroundings than ever. I don't want to wander over by him. There are no shadows to see now. But I need to walk.

------------

I wake...

How did I sleep? 

When did I sleep?

I was walking, easing my muscles.

Where am I? 

There's a mirror. A whole mirror. There's a tray on a small table. It has a lid. Is it food?

I open it. It is a steak dinner. There's a bottle of wine and a few sodas. Where did these come from? Oh... There's a note. It only has two words. "Phase 2."

What? I didn't drink the sprite. At least I don't remember it. I look around. Oh my God. How long was I out? He's still over there, I see his hand. The whole place has been cleaned. I have clean clothes. What has happened? There is a light bulb swinging from above me. I'm shocked. It's on. 

I can see... Everything. I run to the sink and puke. I see how bad he looks after laying there so long. But why? Why take the time to clean and leave him here? 

Omg!!! I thought to myself. Where are my marks? They're gone. How long have I been here!!! I know it's been longer than 11 days. I mean the amount of decay on him. It's just. Too long.

Oh no. The light just went out. 

Wait. There's whistling. That's different. It's coming from outside and it's not human. Maybe it's the wind. I don't actually know. I still need to make a mark. Day one of phase two I guess. 

I don't know what's happening to me. My hands feel like they're on fire. I have to cool them off. I run to the sink and dunk my hands under the running water. 

Wait. There's a glint of something shiny in the opposite corner from him. Ok. I have to check this out. I don't think it's been here before.

I walk over and am surprised to see a broad sword. It's huge and covered with dust. It has most definitely been here. I wonder why I haven't seen it before? I pick it up. Wow. It's heavy. Just to move it I drag it across the floor. It makes a horrible scraping sound. I have to make sure I can finally lift it. The practice for that will take forever, not to mention learning how to wield it. 

So the days go by. The marks say 30. I have been eating healthy. I don't know why, but they send down healthy food and drinks every day. 

I've been exercising every day and now I can pick up and swing the sword with no difficulties, except when my hands feel like they're on fire. It's happening more and more now. I'm afraid there's something very wrong and I may not be able to use them much longer. 

On day 42, I finally drift to sleep. I am so exhausted. I have been training for so long. I don't know what for.

I start to dream. 

My dream is about aboveground. It isn't beautiful at all. The sky looks scorched. The temps during the day get so high, that no one ventures out unless they are totally mad.

I see the charred remains of what my mother said were trees. Some people have what they call their doomsday farms that have been handed down through generations. I see what my dad called cars. If they looked like that when my grandparents walked the earth, I don't see the excitement. I don't think they did. I sit back and imagine the vibrant colors I would think would be on them. I giggle as I imagine a small car painted like a rainbow. 

"Hey" I hear. I look up to that gorgeous smile. He steps closer. I reach out to grab him close to me so I can break down and cry into him. But, he is telling me something. I can't hear him, but his mouth is moving. Wait! I say as he starts running backward. Wait!

I can finally read his lips. "RUN!"

I look over my shoulder and see it. I run as fast as my legs will carry me, but my hands. My hands have me slowing. They're burning. So much so that I don't think I can go on.

 RUN! I tell him as he turns and runs. I drop to my knees. My hands catch fire.

 My eyes... Now my eyes are burning. I feel like im crying fire. The farther the flaming tears fall, the more the ground starts to burn. I am completely engulfed in flames. The searing pain. I scream!

---------

I open my eyes into slits. I feel like im laying on a cloud. I can hear voices... I think. I haven't heard anything but my own mind for so long, well, im not really sure. 

"She will be ok." I hear. 

It's too bright. I can't fully open my eyes. Light hurts. I try to raise my hand to cover my eyes a bit so I can open them, but I can't. My muscles feel like jelly. 

I see a shadow move over me. I can't see who it is.

"Just lay still. You're still healing. You did good kiddo."

"What does that mean?" I asked. "I failed?" I could tell I had a look of utter failure and disappointment on my face.

"No." The man chuckled. "You're the first to survive."

"Phase two was to make me lose my mind and have a nightmare of me burning alive?" I said, hostility in my voice.

"Not exactly. It was to get your mind tuned to the past. To see the first hand what so many went through." The strange man said to me.

"But I saw the present. I didn't see the past." I said confused. 

"No. You saw the present but experienced the past first hand."

"You mean, people died by burning to death just walking out in the above-ground?"

"Yes. You are humanity's only hope. People like me, we can't walk above. At least not during the day. There was a time the sun didn't bother us, but now."

"I know. I'm humanity's savior." I said. The fight seeming to drain from me when I realize I have to leave him behind. 

He leans over me and he's beautiful. His golden eyes. His long brown hair. His fangs dipping just below his upper lip with that smile.

He looks at the other man and says, "This is something only you can do. You have to stop the darkness."

"But it's light out there. There is no dark."

"Sometimes darkness can bring light. It's just not the light we seek." His words resounding in my head.

"I know," I whispered. "I love you." 

I roared up in a ferocious attack of the air. As I ran by him, he smiled. I grabbed the broadsword and ran toward my destiny. On the wall, there were marks with my name above them. I had been here for 14 days. I know, because there were 2 groups of five marks and then four. 

I ran to the above. No gear, nothing but the clothes on my back, and some boots he must have put on me.

It is so hot. Too hot for most. But not for me. I look down as my hands start to burn. There's no pain. The flames slowly spread to the rest of me. Again I am engulfed. Even my sword burns. 

These things walking around out here only bring death. They're not hard to kill. Well, at least not for me. Even the vampire have a hard time killing them.

There are more vampires than humans on earth now. Not because they went overboard feeding. They fed on each other just to keep humanity safe. It was because of the great scorch. Humans don't heal from it. So how am I out here? 

I see it. The void. It is what's causing this. Full of darkness. No light can exist inside it. the vampires have been here longer and say it lives. That it is a creature and not actually a void. It has to die by a never-ending light.

I look back and see him peeking from just out of the underside. He smiles and says, "I love you, my little human." 

I smile back, then turn and run roaring into the void. He will live, even if it's without me. There is no fail. I have to succeed in this so he can live. He is all that's on my mind as I run in. I suddenly hear a voice.

"Oh. Earths champion has a weakness. And it's the weaker of the species."

This voice seems to be emanating from all around me.

"You don't seem to be dying even covered in flames." The voice exclaimed.

"That's because I am the light! I am covered in light. You will be defeated by the light!" I walk farther into the void. It seems to start shaking.

Just before I start to walk even farther, I hear it. Is it a siren? No, that's not right. Maybe a lower screeching sound. Yeah. That's it.

 OH... MY... GOD... It's a dragon. A big, black dragon.

As I stop In fear that it will kill me. I raise my flaming blade with both hands. I feel I should say, "I HAVE THE POWER!" But I don't. I just stand my ground and cringe and wait for the darkness. To my surprise, the dragon disappears. 

"No!" The voice screams. "This can't be! No human has made it this far."

"You're going to die!" 

I run as fast as my legs can carry me. Then it feels as if im floating. I look down and I seem to be flying on the flames. I look back as I hear a low growl turn into a painful scream. The entrance is now engulfed in flames. There's no turning back now. I cover my ears. The screams. 

The deeper within I go, the lesser the screams. It's like it is imploding with me inside. I look up and see his face. "I love you"! I say as I close my eyes at what looks like the end of the void. 

I reach out my arms and accept that my destiny is now being fulfilled. I am happy to do it but shed one tear for him.

--------------------

I open my eyes and see the most beautiful sight I have ever seen. There" a white light everywhere. It surrounds me. It is a part of me. There's a figure. He is dressed all in white and glowing. "Are you an angel?" I softly ask.

"No baby. I'm no angel." I start to cry. "So it didn't work? You're dead too?"

"No baby. I'm not dead. I would not go where you think you are." He chuckled with a smile and what seemed to be tears in his eyes. 

"How did I survive?"

"Because you believed in the light." He replied. "I want to show you something."

He picks me up and carries me to the aboveground. 

"No... I don't like it out here. It reminds me of death." I say with my eyes tightly closed. 

"Look. Baby look." He chuckled. "Open your eyes. You will love what you see."

"Wait! Get back inside! You will die!"

"No. Thanks to you, I won't." He leaned down and softly kissed me, then whispered. "Open your eyes."

"Oh my God! It's beautiful. How long was I out?"

"When we found you, you were barely alive. We put you in a medically induced coma. You were out for four months."

"No way!" I said.

"Yes way," he said as he looked at me with so much love, then looked at the sky with me.

The sky was still scorched but seemed to be turning a soft shade of blue that I have never seen. It started to... Um, I think the word is rain. I lean my head back and cherish the feeling on my face. As I look around, I can see trees that look as if they are returning to their green life. Some. Not all. But that will come with time. 

"Put me down please."

"Why?" 

"I have never felt the grass."

He slowly put me down as I started to move the wet grass between my toes. It was a wonderful feeling. 

"This is amazing!"

"I know." He said. Looking at me with so much love. "I thought I lost you. But this is all because of you. You're amazing my lady of light."

I slipped my arms around his waist and leaned into his strength. We stood and took in this "new to us" beauty until the sun went down. We had had enough of the darkness.