Of Solar And Dark (2018)

2 [E]

Edward Kenning

It's terrifyingly dark. I can't feel the air in my lungs and it's almost as if I have forgotten how to breathe.

Without sight, I am helpless. My hands reach out to find that Teddy's grasp on my fist is no longer present and worry spirals through my body.

Where is he? Is he safe?

The eruption of noises that follows the tripping of wires isn't helpful, either. Yells and screams ring painfully loud in my ears and in a desperate attempt to sound them out, I clasp both hands over them.

I stumble blindly, feeling a mess of Solars brushing past me, their skin frightfully cold against mine. The presence of darkness and the lack of light- no of us can thrive fruitfully in such an environment.

Removing my hands, I weave my way through a maze of people, praying that I don't trip.

"Teddy? Where are you?" My voice gets lost in the sea of sound as Solars call out to their loved ones, theirs voices high with anxiety and pitched at a tone that is ear-piercing.

As I am about to call out for the second time, I feel fingers grab at my arms, wrapping around my wrists and tugging my body to the side. My mouth falls open to release a cry for help but the moment the words leave my mouth, a thick wad of fabric is stuffed deep into the gap between my parted lips, choking out all sound.

Struggling hard to wriggle out out the person's clutches, I raise my arm and shove it backwards, sending a forceful jab with my elbow towards the stranger's chest. Unbothered by my futile attempt, the person's violwnt tugging grows into a more gentle pull.

Only aware of the ground beneath my feet and the friction that occurs between the soles of my shoes and the floor, indicated by the way ny heels are being dragged across, distress engulfs me.

Who on planet Atlanta could possibly want to kidnap me? Knowing that trying to escape would be useless, I let try to stifle the forceful gasps of fear that racks my chest and focus on anything that would give away this stranger's profile.

His/her breathing is calm but grows dense with the effort of pulling me and from the way his/her skin feels against mine- smooth and cold, it has to be a Solar.
The Darks that sometimes slip through the cracks of the border that separates the Solars and Darks work best in darkness and they wouldn't feel so cold, nor would they feel burderned with the task of moving someone in pitch black.

That's my guess.

A lump of anxiety obstructs my throat as my body is being thrown to the ground. The impact sends a jolt of pain reverberating through my muscles. The spasm of shock prompts a shocked gasp as I pull mys arms towards my body in a protective gesture.

Just as I ready myself for the worst, the world around me ruptures in fresh swells of colours. The sudden slam of light makes me groan and I pull my arms over my eyes, trying to choke out the bright blares of pigments.

I'm in one of the stores but I'm unable to see which- the room overflows with a variety of devices and household items. The glass windows have been covered up, seemingly sheathed in black pieces of carbon frames that blocks out the view.

Wincing from the pain still tumbling through my system, I draw myself upwards and fixate my stare on the Solar before me. He's the same Solar from earlier- the one I bumped into. He quickly makes his way towards my curved body and snatches the fabric that has been stuffed into my mouth.

Speechless, I try to marshal my feelings in neat rows, to give myself a better understanding of the events that i have just been through. But it seems crazy and surreal, almost as if I'm living through another Solar's body, looking through another set of eyes.