The Darkness

Part 1

Darkness

By:Gerardo Canedo

[The setting is earth. For five years the sun has seemed to be turned off. The world is covered in snow, pitch black, with no electricity. For five years a girl has been the sole provider of her brother.]

Darkness is not always the worst thing. It allows you to hide in plain sight, away from enemies and hides expression from others. But light, light lets you see color, gives warmth, and a feeling of security.

"You know...I miss colors. I miss being able to see anything, I miss the grass, the sky, everything I would see every day and even things I took for granted. Don't you miss the light? Do you thi..." The boy trips and falls into the snow. "Do you think it will ever come back?"

"I honestly don't know," she shivers. "I miss everything, too. Heat, warmth, and I too miss color."

The soft sound of the two walking in the snow is the only sound. Not even the wind blew.

"Ow!"

The boy stops, "Samantha! Are you alright?!"

The boy ran toward where he heard his sister fall. He bends down and searches for her.

"Yeah I'm fine. I think I tripped on a rock. Help me find it. It felt small, maybe we can strike it on one of ours." They both searched the snow covered ground in search of this rock. Their hands bumped into each other and grazed the snow. "I found it!" Samantha held it in front of herself, "Give me one of ours!"

The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a rock. He handed it to his sister who was pulling out leaves and small sticks from her pocket. She felt what she was building, its a small nest. She then takes the rocks and strikes them. Nothing happens. She strikes them again but still nothing. "Marshal, can you hand me the other rock please?"

She reaches her hand out. Marshal pulled the other rock out of his pocket and searched for her hand.

"Here you go."

He found her hand and gave her the rock. She strikes them. A spark.

"Did you see that?!" she looked up at her brother.

"Yeah!" He watched.

Samantha struck the rocks again but this time by the nest she built. Nothing, again, but nothing, again. Finally a spark catches on; the little illumination of it glowing shined bright in the darkness. Marshal got down on his knees and hands and slowly blew on the spark. Every time the air hit the spark it would shine brighter, and brighter until finally it caught fire. Samantha is now clearly seen. She's young about 12 years old. Her blonde hair shimmering in the the light of the fire, a smile on her face. She falls back and sits staring at the fire. Marshal's eyes stare at the fire; his face in awe. He too can now be seen. He's younger than Samantha by two years. He has dark brown hair though. Samantha looks at her brother who is now looking around at anything the light shows. He looks around until his gaze meets his sisters. She smiles, and Marshal does the same.

"Too bad the world is white." Samantha looks at the snow next to her. She picks some up and examines it, Marshal watches. "It's such a neutral color. It's a boring color." She throws it. "At least the fire is orange." she says.

"And warm." Marshal adds with a smile. Samantha looks at him and she too begins to smile, "And warm." She scoots over towards Marshal and gives him a hug. He yawns and begins to fall asleep. Samantha lies down with him in her arms and they fall asleep. During their sleep the fire goes out and the darkness returns.