The Further We Go

Nothing Crawls, Only Darkness

Their first meeting was a dizzying mix of charcoal and graphite, words only spoken in the flourishes of black and grey committed to crisp, pristine paper. A dance of stolen looks, blues meeting amber with the subtly of an air cannon.

Their second meeting was an exchange of oxygen and words, of introductions and names. Where once two strangers, now stood Dalton and Y/N. Dalton was shy and awkward. Y/N was the same, with an air of distance and avoidance. Despite this, she was kind and warm and her laughter made Dalton's stomach somersault.

Their third meeting was hours spent discussing art, music, movies, literature. Dalton learned that Y/N was incredible witty, compassionate and smart. And Y/N learned that Dalton was extremely insightful, kind and sarcastic.

Their fourth meeting was a chance encounter at a frat party. Both were well and truly walking the line between tipsy and drunk, both a dizzying mix of flirtatious and awkward. Y/N was first to make a move. To finally give in to her desire to kiss Dalton. His body immediately leaned in to her own, mouth moving against hers in a fumbled yet hypnotic dance of lust that neither of them wanted to contain.

They surrendered to the gravitational pull of each other's lips. That night turned into sobering up at dawn and together watching the pinks and blues of early morning streak the sky from the window of Y/N's dorm room.

Their fifth meeting was different. They stared at each other, wide eyed. They stared at each other, wide eyed and ghostly pale. They stared at each other, wide eyed and ghostly pale, as The Further stared back, tangled in thick, cold tendrils of fog.

"Is it really you?" She gasped, the question echoing in the dark emptiness of their own personal hell.

Their own personal limbo.

Dalton nodded his confirmation, "It's really me. I fall asleep and leave my body behind. I astral project here. To The Further."

"Me too." Y/N agreed.

Her next words were hesitant and they proceeded a cursory glance of fear over her shoulder.

"Do you see him too?"

It was barely above a whisper, her voice so constricted by terror that Dalton stepped forward to touch her arm in a feeble attempt to comfort her fears. Even still, he was just as afraid of what lurked in the darkness where the light of lanterns could not reach. He had met too many of his own figments here to deny their existence.

"See who, Y/N? What did you see?"

Her eyes were glazed with unshed tears when she croaked out, "The shadow creature. It hides in the dark places and tries to take away the light...it always finds me."

Dalton's brow furrowed and he reached up gently to wipe at the tears now travelling her face, "We should get back to our bodies then. The longer we're here, the more attention we draw to ourselves."

"Can they actually hurt us?" Y/N asked, gladly taking his preferred hand and following him through the darkness, their lamps held at arms length to illuminate the path ahead.

He turned to her and nodded, "They can. They're all just looking for a way to live again. Even if that means possessing someone to do it."

"Possession!?" She stopped momentarily, her motion stirring up tendrils of mist to circle around them, "You're telling me they can take control of us?"

He squeezed her hand apologetically and tugged her forward with a nod, "Which is why we need to keep moving."

Dalton had barely finished speaking when they were both startled by a faint clicking and chirping that echoed from the shadows at their backs. In the light of day in the world of the living, the sound would have gone entirely unnoticed but in the stale quiet of the Further, it felt like the icy hand of death had tapped them on the shoulder.

His grip tightened around her fingers and he spoke only loud enough for her to hear, "Don't acknowledge it. Just keep walking."

The chirping and clicking continued, the sound growing louder the faster they moved. Soon the familiar exterior of their dorm building came into view and they ran in terror through stairwells and hallways til they reached Dalton's door.

"Go! Get inside!" Y/N demanded, before breaking into a sprint towards her own safety.

Her lungs burned, her chest heaving and thrumming with the rapidness of her heartbeat. She was so close, she could see the off white of her door just a few paces ahead, when Dalton began frantically screaming, "Y/N! Run! It's right behind you!"

Her hand closed around cold metal, twisting and pushing inwards. Then she felt it. Ice cold and an iron grip against her arm in an attempt to keep her from the safety of her body. Cold turned swiftly into pain, skin prickling with an agonising, burning pressure that pulled deep, pained screams from her chest.

Despite the fire against her flesh, she managed to yank herself free from the creature's grasp long enough to slam and lock the door, her body collapsing to her bed wearily.

Then she woke up.

She had expected the pain to be gone, just a figment of her nightmares. She had expected to feel safe in the world of the living. She had expected the glow of her desk lamp to warm the cold of the darkness. Instead, she felt panic constricting her throat and white hot pain in her arm. Tears stained her cheeks and she fumbled to push up the sleeve of her shirt, whimpering at the deep purple and blue handprint marring her skin.

Then her door burst open, Dalton's silhouette stepping frenetically into the dim glow of her room. He was quick to cross the distance, his jaw visibly clenching when he was close enough to see the bruising on her arm.

He crawled up onto the bed beside her, his arm pulling her firmly into his side and his opposite hand reaching out hesitantly, "Let me see."

She hissed as he cradled her arm, his eyes dark as he ran his gaze over the swelling and discolouration wrapped almost entirely from wrist to elbow.

"That creature did this just by touching you?" Dalton asked and Y/N nodded wordlessly, her tired eyes angled downwards and tears still spilling over silently.

"Jesus Christ." He mumbled on an exhale, "We need to get you to a doctor."

She shook her head firmly, "And say what, Dalton? The minute they see my arm they'll think I'm being physically abused. And if we tell the truth, they'll think we're crazy."

He sighed in defeat and ran his thumb gently over her skin, "We at least need to get you some ice or something."

"My roommate has ice packs in her freezer. They help her migraines." Y/N explained.

Dalton retrieved one and used a hand towel to wrap around the cold gel pouch before delicately placing it around her arm.

She moaned at the pain the cold initially spiked but eventually her shoulders relaxed slightly and she leant her head against his shoulder tiredly and asked, "He almost got me, didn't he?

Dalton hesitated before answering, "I don't know. Maybe. I don't know what that creature is or what it's capable of. Just that it can hurt you. Badly. I can't let that happen again."

Y/N looked up into his face and shook her head, "You didn't let anything happen. You made sure we got back in time. I'm the one it wants. I put you in danger -"

"I'm not leaving you to deal with this by yourself, Y/N. I...I care about you. A lot." His eyes flickered away from her own shyly, "The way I feel...about you, I-"

He smiled gently, his cheeks flushing as he continued to divert his eyes awkwardly. A warm touch against his jaw roused him from his nerves and he looked at Y/N hopefully, her features soft and gentle in the amber light of her room.

"I feel the same way, Dalton. You already mean so much to me." She responded and Dalton's face brightened, his lips finding her own and his arm holding her impossibly tight into his chest.

"Then we'll figure it out together." He assured her, his nose bumping her own affectionately.

Y/N smiled and nodded, "Together."