The Dance of the Creeping Shadows

Part 2

The Dance of the Creeping Shadows is wretched. Orbs are essential for survival in this time of darkness. The shadows creep from all the visible corners of sight and seem to dance an unholy dance of death. They creep up from the ground underneath your feet. They dance in front of your face and behind your back and to your left and right. No matter where you look, there seems to be a void of nothingness. Some claim to hear deep, ominous laughter from the shadows. Some profess that they felt hands pulling and clawing at them. Others have described a lack of air. It seems as if all the oxygen has been suspiciously vacuumed up by the shadows, creeping forever closer. Still others say they have been frozen in place, surrounded by a darkness that creeps into their very souls and holds them captive until the Dance of the Creeping Shadows is over.

At this point, she was well aware how far away her family and friends were. There was no chance they could get to her in time to use their own orbs. Hers was the only hope she had and it was not shining any light at all. She feared the worst; maybe this time she wouldn't make it out alive. She had seen the Dance of the Creeping Shadows before. Many times before. Sometimes her loved ones made it to her and were able to share their light. Sometimes they couldn't. She had survived it alone before, but could she do it again? What was to say she could even survive this time? She could be lost to the Darkness like so many others.

They were overwhelmed by the darkness and never recovered. They either died inside the Dance of the Creeping Shadows or came out but were never quite the same. The Creeping Shadows sucked the life out of whatever they were able to touch. The only saving grace was a working source of light. Many people who have lost someone to the Creeping Shadows have been said to have run into the darkness flashing their own orbs in a state of desperate hope to save their loved one. Sometimes this works. Most of the time, it does not. You may often find the runners with a now slightly dimmer orb after losing a loved one to the Darkness. Some runners have lost their light completely and are eventually overcome by the Evil.

The Creeping Shadows slither over the land seeking those without an orb bright enough. When someone's light goes out, they are the first on the scene. Their one goal is to devour and destroy the souls of those who lack enough light. They are nightmares incarnate. They painfully sift through your memories until they know your simple, mild fears. They twist them against you, filling you with dread. Like a wolf on the scent, they snarl and lurk through your mind as they devour your peace and consume your comfort. They will turn your little fears into something new and terrifying and they maliciously haunt every part of you. They add new fears to your mind. They force you to relive old fears of your past. They suck the life from your very heart and soul, one creepy, consuming tendril of darkness at a time. Oh, how very terrified she was right now.

She always heard the laughter first. It was a deep, rumbling laugh that sent chills through her spine and would rattle her to her very core. Her teeth would chatter and she would squeeze her eyes tightly closed. The laughter echoed loudly in her ears. This time, it was louder than usual. She cried out but was quickly silenced by a feeling of no oxygen in her lungs. She was left gasping for air that seemed to not be there. She tried to run, only to find the Darkness everywhere she looked. Her blood turned to ice. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she rapidly spun in circles looking for a way out. She grabbed her orb and started smacking it on her leg hoping to make it light up. She clawed at it in a desperate attempt to see something, anything, but she was left in the dark. Suddenly, an icy, yet burning, clawing sensation went through her chest as the Shadows crept up from the ground and grabbed at her very soul. They crawled into her mind and sliced through it. She gripped her chest and fell to the ground. Flashes of evil smiles came before her eyes. Her thoughts were next to become captive. The Evil brought every fear she possessed to the forefront of her mind. Instantly, she felt overwhelmed to the point of breaking. Her orb dropped to the ground and was still within reach, but it didn't matter, for it was useless in this moment. The Creeping Shadows danced before her eyes as she was frozen in a state of terror and pain. Burning tears poured down her cheeks. Her nails dug into her fisted hands, sending a shooting pain up her arms. The laughter reverberated in her ears, causing a torment of pain to run through her head. She tasted the iron in her blood from biting down too hard on her tongue. She couldn't move out of this position. She was completely frozen and at the mercy of the Darkness.