The Dark Place (#FrightFest2016 Gold Winner)

The Dark Place - Chapter Forty-Two

Chapter Forty-Two

1

Tamicka drifted through the vast nothingness without feeling or thought. She no longer remembered what it was to be alive. How long she had been trapped there no longer mattered. Now she had given in completely to the darkness.

2

Amanda sat on her bed in the dark with nothing but the odd lightning flash and rumble of thunder for company. Her head was filled with worry. By the time she had managed to navigate her way through the newly overgrown landscape to the old cottage in the woods she was too late.

First she had seen the man enter, followed not long after by the policeman. All she could do was stand at her vantage point in the shadows and watch as, minutes later, both men and the little girl came into view through the small doorway.

She had ran all the way home, not knowing what else to do, and locked herself in her room. Her father had already gone to bed. It would be an early start on the farm for him in the morning. She was happy about that because it meant that there would be no awkward to be answered about her whereabouts that night, at least not until the next evening anyway.

She stripped down her underwear, climbed under the duvet and tried to sleep. As she lay there all she could think about was the knock at the door that would mark the arrival of the police. She knew that she had gone too far as soon as they had dragged the girl into that old building and shut her in that room. What had she been thinking?

She felt her heart pounding at a thousand beats per minute as she thought about the reason for all of this, Penny. Amanda had been jealous and that jealousy had been her undoing.

Even under the protective cover of her duvet she could see the lightning flash. The next boom of thunder sounded like a distant explosion but it was much closer than the last. She closed her eyes and Penny's face was the only thing that she could see. Her heart gave a little flutter at the image.

Amanda had never been in love before but she knew that the feelings that she had for Penny were much more than mere friendship. She had lost count of the number of times she had kissed the photo of Penny that she kept under pillow, the one she had stolen from Penny's house, wishing it was the real thing.

She had come close to telling Penny how she felt about her many times. Once she had been so close to showing her that Amanda had frightened herself.

She moved her hand under the pillow and as her fingers came into contact with the photo something stirred inside her.

3

Graham watched the rain beat against his window and smiled as another fork of lightning parted the dark clouds covering the night sky. He wished that he could be out there, getting soaked by the raging downpour, but he knew that he would be in serious trouble with his parents if he did. He clapped his hands and laughed at the next, ear splitting boom of thunder.

"God moved furniture again..." He covered his mouth with both hands cutting off his words.

Susssssssssssssssssh! No waked mum and dad or Graham get in trouble.

Moments later, the brightest flash washed out his vision for a few seconds. He blinked against it and rubbed his eyes. His sight cleared just in time to see the huge barn door slowly close.

4

The biting, cold surrounded Tamicka. It had been the first time she had been so cold. There was something ahead of her, a tiny pin-prick of light. She could feel the light's magnetic pull drawing her forward. She did not want to go toward it. It was nice in the darkness where she did not have to do anything or be anyone, but she had no control over anything anymore.