[Thalenchar]

Synopsis: A tale about a man confronting a girl in an alley, late at night. Both are part of a group hiding amongst us in the city. These people have been around us for centuries, and there has always been balance between the different factions. But things are not as they should be.



The girl is young, early twenties or so. Jo, probably short for Josephine or Joella or Johanna. She belonged to the dark. It had chosen her after she’d cut up the guy she’d been dating as a senior. Apparently he hadn’t understood her no, and now I hear he’s got a nice big scar running from his forehead to his chin. So she had some fire in her. Tough childhood, no father, mother working a lot. She showed some willpower and stubbornness though, finishing high school even after the dark recruited her. Maybe it took it easy on her the first year.

I knew where she lived now and took it from there. That’s what the dark told me to do, to find and kill her. So that’s what I did. What I always do. I’d never put a notch in Lucy, would never scar her, but if I did, one notch for every kill the dark had made me make, she’d be notched all over. I can’t even count that far. Like I said, killing is what I do. That’s why I got the hammer.

I found out the girl didn’t have any real friends. No surprise there, she’s one of us. She liked to go out on Saturdays, always chose the same club. So that’s where I went to find her. As I got up from the nearest subway station it started raining. Good, I like that. It’s a good sign.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><> <>

I live in the dark. The darkness is my home. It knows me and it is my friend. It comforts me and shelters me. And in return I help maintain its reputation. Are you scared of the dark? Of monsters that were hiding under your bed when you were younger? Of noises you hear just behind you as you make your way through that dark alley at night, alone? Are you? It’s because of me. I am scary, I am evil. Fiendish and horrible. Bad. I’m all that and more.

I feed off the darkness. I feel so at home. Standing here, outside of both the warmth of indoors and of the light of the street lantern struggling to illuminate the area around it on this drizzly night, waiting. I am not fond of weather types as I am of the dark, but if I had to choose a favourite, this would be it. Something about the rain that makes people want to stay indoors, to hurry and to care even less about what goes on around them. Rain means clouds and clouds mean no sun, no moon. Sometimes rain means hard winds or even thunder and lightning and I like all of that. But it starts with the rain. It’s better than snow. Snow leave tracks; rain washes tracks away. Fog can be nice as well. But fog tends to drown out people’s fear of the dark and I don’t like that. Something about being lost in scary, not quite tangible whiteness that is more frightening than being lost in the dark, apparently. The dark happens everyday.

Fog happens rarely. Maybe fog is scarier because people are less used to it. I don’t know. I’m not big with the thinking things through that far.

But sometimes my mind does wander, like it does now, standing in the rain. I’m leaning against a brick wall. Next to me is a closed shop. Had I looked I’m sure I would have seen all manner of pretty things laying in the window display. But I don’t care. I’m not here for that. I peer out from under my cap towards the entrance to the club across and down the street. Rainwater is dripping down from the cap, dripping unto my coat, my shoes and on the cracked concrete excuse for a sidewalk. Futile; everything is wet already. I’ve been here for hours. Some people have passed me by but the darkness kept them from seeing me. I told you the dark is my friend. I see them, they don’t see me. Perfect.

So I am standing here, checking out the club opposite. I watched the line to enter form, seeing the hopefuls mix with the cool crowd, the sure-to-be-refused standing behind and in front of the sure-to-be-let-in, both looking as the I’m-on-the-guest-list bypasses the line completely before being let in by the two burly bouncers with the earphones. I watched the line slowly dissolve, either because people got in or were turned down. I watched the two bouncers rush in before six of them came out, tossing a scrawny ex-cool kid on the pavement. Ex-cool kid who is sure to find his name not on the list next week. I’ve seen it all. All that and her. I saw her enter too.

And now I’m waiting for her to come out. Waiting in the rain, in the dark. The way I like it.
I have a hammer. Not the kind you use to hammer in nails in your plaster walls. The kind that would take a normal person two hands to lift, solid metal. The kind you see in movies, leering faces sculpted on its shaft, spiked and dark, black leather wrapped around the handle. That kind. Me and Lucy go way back. Too way back to tell you about now. Or to tell you why she’s called Lucy. Just know that she is. The darkness hides it for me. I can get it anytime I want, as long as there’s darkness. And I make sure there always is. I reach into the darkness and I feel Lucy’s reassuring grip in my hand. She’s always there. Almost as reliable as the darkness. I like having her close by.

No sign of the girl. Occasionally people go out of the club, some walking, some swerving, some laughing, some cursing. Taxis stop to take drunk people away. Plenty of girls, but not the one I want tonight. Apart from the club and the taxis the street is quiet. It’s late enough for the bouncers not to let anyone new in. People who are still up at this hour are either partying or on their way home. No one walks the street for no reason at this hour. Not even me. I have a reason. And I’m not even walking.

A guy on my side of the street. As he passes he turns his head towards where I lean, looking straight at me. I see a glint in his eyes, red and goldish. I reach for Lucy and my body tenses, ready to fight. Nobody sees me.

He holds up the last three fingers of his hand. I know what that means. He’s ok. Or at least, he knows the dark’s mark. And if the dark likes him enough to teach him its mark, I’m willing to not get Lucy and smash his smug skull in for looking at me. No one sees me without me or the darkness wanting it. I nod and make the hand signal too as he turns his head back to look in front of him, ignoring me and going on his own merry way. I’m sure it’s merry.

Still no sign of the girl. Either she is having a good time in there, or someone rohypnoled her drink and is having fun with her while she’s out cold. Either way I can wait. I am patient. The dark’s taught me that. I can wait all night. Or even all day. There is plenty of darkness during the day as well. You are not as safe as you think.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><> <>

I see her come out. Her hair is messier than when she went it, slight bags under her eyes. She smiles though. She had fun. Good for her. Her luck will change soon enough. She walks the walk of the slightly drunk as she turns and weaves away to my left. I follow her and I see her holding her small purple jacket above her blonde hair to shelter her from the rain. Dark spots appear on her skirt and top where the rain drops outsmart her make-shift umbrella and manage to hit her. Pelting her relentlessly. She starts to move a little faster and I hurry across the street, circling the edges of the light of the lanterns. I move closer to her. Drunk people aren’t that fast, I can gain on her easily. I think she gets the sense she’s not alone anymore. She goes faster, sometimes turns her head. But she can’t see me. Not yet.

She turns into an alley. Perfect. Alleys I like a lot.

I turn into the alley too and she’s waiting. Jacket dropped on the wet ground, giving the rain total access to all the remaining dry spots on her clothes. She looks right at me. Fine, the dark apparently thinks its time. It probably is. You know why I am here. She nods, suddenly completely sober. She crouches down slightly. One hand into the dark. A short blade appears in her hand. Traitor, I tell the dark. Only making it interesting, it replies. Lucy is out in the open and I can see the girl’s eyes enlarge a bit. Probably assessing how useful her overgrown kitchen knife is against Lucy. Not very.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><> <>

I swing my hammer. She wears armour. Who the fuck wears armour these days? I hear the darkness say it’s probably the same fucks who go around swinging metal hammers weighing four stone. Wiseass. Where did the armour come from anyway? Lucy sings as I hit her on the shoulder plate. She doesn’t even budge. What the…? I step back and sideways to swing again. Lucy cheers as I hit the girl full in the chest. Nothing! One more swing, sure to kill even the most stoneheaded bastard. I aim right for her helmeted head. Full power behind the swing. I’ll get her. Lucy whistles through the air in anticipation. Then, a gauntleted hand, the sound of Lucy on metal, another bang, this time a fist hitting my sternum, and I’m flying through the air trying to figure out if my chest hurts more than my head will when I land head first on the ground in… now.

Blackout. Not the kind of darkness I like.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><> <>

I blink a few times, getting the rain out of my eyes. I get up just fast enough to see her, armourless again, running and turning the corner on the far end of the alley, getting away. Fuck. My head hurts like hell and so does my chest. I lie back down on the alley floor, in the rain, waiting for the throbbing in my head to go down before I try to get up again. This had not gone well at all. Damnit!

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><> <>

[FoxInari]

I love it. The first-person really speeds the story up and gives it a personal feel. Are you planning on writing more of it?

[wisewun]

I really enjoyed your story because of the concept. One thing that i think can boost a new writer into the sphere of classic novel writing is originality. I don't know if your concept has been done before, but it is my first encounter of it. I hope you write more. 1

[Thalenchar]

Thanks! I am planning on writing more. In fact I already have written more. I'm just curious to hear what you guys think