Lost in Darkness

(Content Warning: Mild Language and Violence.)

Laura Watson awoke from a restless sleep and batted her eyes at the morning sun. She couldn’t see the beautiful beaming rays infiltrating her window, but the warmth cascading on her skin was undeniable. There was no doubt another morning had come her way. Laura didn’t have to worry about adapting to the world because she was born into a life of darkness.

She sat up, placed her feet on the hardwood floor, and smiled. Soft whispers from her late mother reminded her that being blind had its advantages, like squinting during moments like this.

“Hey Siri, what time is it?”

“It is six a.m. Good morning.”

Siri’s voice was a lifeline that made things easier. Phones don’t have braille, so being able to speak to learn simple things was a game changer. There was a time when things were more complicated, and Laura was thankful that her mother was there to lend a helping hand. Her passing from cancer a few years ago was hard, but you must keep moving forward because nothing gets done standing still.

“Hey Siri, play my eighties playlist.”

“Okay,” Siri replied.

A few seconds later, Laura’s ears were greeted by Billy Idol’s Dancing with Myself. She stood, placed her hands on the nearby dresser, and felt the smooth surface until she came upon the clothes she had laid out from the night before—blue jeans and a black Def Leppard t-shirt. She jumped around the floor in an attempt to slide into the soft denim pants and then spun around with the music. Unlike movies, hearing songs was a delightful experience because it didn’t matter whether or not you could see what was happening. All you had to do was listen and dance.

Laura pulled her shirt on and briskly combed her black hair. All the while, a conscious effort was made to sing into the comb like it was a microphone. Her pretend audience shouted for joy!

“Hey Siri, give me some applause!”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t get that.”

“Of course, you didn’t,” Laura gruffed. “Stop playing music.”

“Okay,” Siri replied.

Laura stuffed her phone in her back pocket and made her way to the kitchen. Finding her route through the house was second nature. It took some time counting steps and learning her placement, but with her mother’s help and steadfast persistence, she eventually got it. Everything had its place. Laura often wondered how she would have gotten along had she not inherited the house on Pinecrest Avenue.

While listening to a news podcast, she made scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast and wondered how people stayed sane in an insane world. Laura’s life was simple, and despite her disability, she fought like hell to maintain that lifestyle. Thanks to speech-to-text technology, Laura had written over a dozen best-selling books and was still going strong.

Her new book was about the downfall of an ancient vampire civilization and their struggle to survive in a new world. The hardest part of any novel is the middle, and Laura had spent weeks struggling over one part in particular—the justification of why.

Why would the blood suckers want to carry on despite centuries of struggle and hiding from mankind?

The answer will come eventually. Probably when I least expect it.

Laura finished her breakfast and said, “Hey, Siri, podcast off.”

“Okay.”

The cold sound of a synthetic voice was a reassuring comfort in the dark world. She was tired of hearing the news. Too much negativity is never good, but she had to keep up with worldly things. When you can’t see, you have to sharpen your other senses, like listening. This was the only way Laura could discern the environment around her. Details matter.

Knock, knock.

Laura’s expression lifted with glee because she immediately knew who was tapping at her front door. She placed her hand on the wall and glided down a long barren hallway from the kitchen to the living room.

“Is that you, Harvey?”

His reply was quick. “It can be no other!”

Harvey Kline was Laura’s best friend, although he would hope to say otherwise. The fall was instantaneous. When Harvey met Laura in the grocery store, she was feeling her way through the produce section, trying to find an apple. How could he not help? She was the cutest thing he had ever seen. There was an instant connection, but she didn’t want to burden him or anyone else, for that matter, with her impairment. He understood her concerns and remained a faithful friend.

“Are you gonna let me in or what?”

“Yes,” Laura said, fumbling with the deadbolt. “You know I hate it when you tease me!”

The door was unlocked with a click, and Laura was greeted with a swift embrace. The aroma of jasmine filled Harvey’s nose, and he breathed deeply. “How are you this morning?” he asked.

“I’m doing alright,” she shrugged, “but if I’m being honest, I’m still at a crossroads with the book.”

Harvey led Laura to the sofa and sat down. After all this time, he was still amazed at how clean she kept her house. Most people in her position would let depression drag them down and let things go, but not Laura. She was a special kind of woman. “So, you’re still stuck in the middle?”

“Yes,” she sighed. “I can’t seem to get over this hump!”

Her laptop was resting on the coffee table before them, so Harvey reached over for a quick look. Not wanting to be rude, he asked, “Do you mind if I have a peek?”

“Not at all,” beamed Laura. “Please, just tell me what’s wrong with it.”

Laura listened in silence as Harvey read the last few pages she had written. She valued his expertise, but more importantly, she trusted him. Laura learned early on that writing can be a vulnerable thing, so she needed someone like him. His attention to detail was next to none, and he enjoyed describing how things looked. He could paint the perfect picture of a vampire, which was a tremendous help for her new novel.  

With a deep sigh, Harvey rejoiced, “This is fantastic! I’m completely blown away.”

“Thank you, but can you see why I’m stuck? I mean, I don’t know how to pull the story forward in a meaningful way.”

He mushed his lips into a thin line and nodded. “Well, you have a solid beginning, and I know you already have the ending plotted out, so the only thing you need to do is jump.”

“Jump?!” The statement threw Laura off her game. “What do you mean, jump?”

Harvey smiled, wishing she could see him. He grabbed her hands and placed them on his face. “What do you feel?”

Laura felt his smooth skin, rigid forehead, and wide chin. He was smiling like a little kid, and she had goosebumps. He was teasing her. “You jerk! Stop playing and tell me what you mean!”

“Just jump,” he grunted. “You’re right there, so all you have to do is trust your instincts to guide you along the way. Jump!”

Laura laughed. She knew he had a good point. Was it really that easy?

It was. It was…

Harvey took Laura’s hand, and she could feel him shaking. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Oh, nothing,” he gushed. “I…”

She squeezed his hand a little tighter. “Go on, you’ve always been there for me, and I’m here for you too. Tell me what’s on your mind.”

He took a deep shuddering breath, and Laura could sense his apprehension. This wasn’t like him at all. In all their years together, she had known Harvey to be a confident man who knew what he wanted. It was one of the many things she admired about him.

“I feel almost embarrassed to say this, but I’ve been keeping something from you.”

“What is it?”

Harvey released his palmy hands from her grasp and stood. After wiping the sweat beads from his brow, he uttered, “I-I have the power to make you see again.”

His statement was like a bird crashing into a window, but the shatter never came.

“What the hell are you playing at?!”

“Laura, I’m serious! You don’t understand what I am. I can heal you!”

There it was. Harvey wasn’t joking or fooling around. He was serious. Laura stood and stumbled backwards for the first time in ages.

“Please, listen to me,” Harvey begged, raising his hands. He knew she couldn’t see him, but old habits die hard. “If you let me, I can heal you!”

“What makes you think I want to be healed!”

Harvey took a step closer and grabbed Laura. “I know it sounds crazy, but if you could see things like I do, you might finally love me!”   

“Let go of me!” she fired. “Get the hell out of my house. I never want to see you again!”

“Oh… but you WILL!!” he growled.  

Laura’s scream was muffled when he pulled her into his grasp and bit down into the soft flesh of her neck. The warm blood filled his soul with delight, and as Harvey lusted on his delicacy, something strange happened. Laura’s sight returned like a mighty phoenix being reborn.

The room spun like a ferocious tornado, and the sound of wolves howling in the distance gave her strength. With a mighty push, Laura tossed Harvey into the coffee table. She could see for the first time in her life and was speechless.

Lying before her was a pale man with long fangs drenched in her blood. A complete monster. Harvey wasn’t lying, but this was so absurd. How could it be true?

Harvey gazed into her eyes, and for the first time, Laura stared back. She could actually see him. It was a wonderful bliss he couldn’t describe. It was better than he could have ever imagined.

“You see,” he gasped, “I wasn’t lying.”

“What the fuck are you?” Laura snapped.

He tried to get up to face her like a man, but he wasn’t a man. He was something else. Laura slammed her foot down across his chest and kept him pinned down. “It doesn’t matter what you are!”

“Listen to me,” Harvey begged. “When I met you, I lusted for your blood, but over time, I fell in love with you. I couldn’t take your life. I just wanted you to see me so that maybe, you could love me too!”

Laura tasted bile on the tip of her tongue and spat it on Harvey’s face. “I could never love a monster like you!”

She grabbed her laptop and stormed out of her mother’s house with newfound sight and clarity. Laura now had the answer to the question that plagued her thoughts:

Why would the blood suckers want to carry on despite centuries of struggle and hiding from mankind?  

Love.