Darker Than Midnight

Darker than Midnight

The world is so stupid or at least I always felt that way.

As I zoned out in history class twirling my hair, I thought about what life would be like if the cursed hadn’t shown up. They came about twenty years ago in 2018. They can turn anyone they want into one of them. Out of fear society has become strict. We have really harsh laws now. Like we can no longer have more than two kids in order to keep the population low. For some reason the government thinks that will reduce the number of infected. I really despise this rule, honestly, but not because I plan on having kids. But because when I was 6 my parents were going to have another child. They already had two, me and David. It wasn’t on purpose, their birth control failed. Mom continued working as a nurse while pregnant, but her co-workers noticed her symptoms. Because one of them reported it, a police officer stormed into the house. He made her take a pregnancy test, but he wouldn’t let her go into the bathroom alone in case she cheated. The test was positive. So the officer dragged David out of his room and shoved him in line with me.

The officer’s voice was stone cold, “Choose one to die.”

In that moment my heart stopped, I was completely pale and balling my eyes out. But Mom stayed calm, her face hadn’t changed. She walked over to me and softly touched my cheek and guided my head so I looked into her eyes. I could see the pain hiding deep within.

“I choose my baby.” Just as she finished her sentence, the officer threw her to the ground. He pulled a needle out of his belt. The needle was incredibly long there was no doubting that it was specifically designed for this. He stabbed the needle into her stomach and released the deadly black substance. She screamed in pain as the fluid went into her body but mainly the baby’s.

The officer smirked a devilish grin looking at Mom’s belly. “Looks like your baby was far along. You’ll have to deliver the corpse. Serves you right for trying to break the law. You of all people should have known.”

Mom didn’t respond, she turned her head away from him and tried to stand up. The officer had no intention of letting her stand. He put his foot on her enlarged stomach and stomped down. Mom howled out in pain looking at Dad who stood there, hollow like this was just a nightmare. In that moment I lost it, every fiber of my being felt like it was on fire. I lunged at the officer screaming at the top of my lungs “killer,” throwing punches endlessly. None of it seemed to affect him, until I swung at his nuts, I put everything I had into that punch. He doubled over in pain stepping off Mom. She stood up with such dignity. Her shoulders pushed back and spine straight as a line..

“Very well I’ll go to the hospital, but you will not lay a hand on my daughter or God help me, I will make sure you never live a day in peace for the rest of your life.” Her voice was strong and unwavering. The officer stood up trying to ignore the pain. He glared at me his eyes full of hatred, fury, and evil. As they walked out the door I had a horrible feeling, so I sprinted behind them insisting I go with them. The officer looked at me with a smile only the devil could have.

At the hospital I was not allowed to be with Mom. I was in the waiting room for a while when the officer came over to me. My stomach began to sink as he gestured for me to follow. We went to his cruiser, he opened the back doors gesturing for me to get in. He locks all the doors taking a black cloth with white stains from his pocket he ties it around my mouth. When he pulls out a knife my heart stops, I forget to breathe as he dances the knife across my skin. He isn't trying to hurt me though only cut open my shirt. I suddenly remember to breathe, but my breath is fast and heavy as his hand grabs my chest. He hikes my skirt up to my ribs and unzips his pants. He tells me to kiss where I had punched him. I don’t want to but the chill of the knife...I have to... it’s sweaty... I can’t remember much of what happens after that. This man is the devil. Another officer comes, breaks the windows of the car and tears the devil off me. As he did, I feel something leave my body and the burning slowly went away. The officer screams at the devil but I can’t make out the words, I’m too busy crying over my ripped shirt. The new officer pulls my skirt down to my waist and gives me a sweatshirt. He keeps apologizing, that he couldn’t get there earlier. Tears fall down his eyes as he walks with me in his arms. Back then I didn’t know why he was crying so I wiped his tears and smiled.

“You beat the devil! The devil disguised himself as an officer, but you figured it out and won!” I said so happily and hugged him. The officer’s tears became heavier.

“You’re right he was the devil and I beat him. good officers will always beat evil. Never forget that and if you see any more evil just let me know and I will defeat it.” He struggled to say every word and especially to smile at the end. Even back then I knew he meant it.

He returned me to Mom and whispered something in her ear. She pulled me so close against her newly flattened belly. It was so tight it hurt to breathe. I felt her tears on my back; they were warm. As she held me I could feel her heart break that day. Between losing her baby and what happened to me there was no blaming her. Since that day her heart became colder.

That was 10 years ago. Thinking about it now makes me sad. I wish it just never happened or I was still as naive as I was back then. But if the cursed had never come my youngest sibling would be alive, I’d still be a virgin, and Mom’s heart wouldn’t have broken.

Over those ten years. I grew about a foot and am now average height with great curves, which of course brought its own trouble. Anytime a guy has tried something I punched them. I never had the same urges as the guys or even the girls, maybe it's because of what happened.

My mom and dad always have an odd tension now. Mom blames him for everything that happened to me and he feels the same. On New Year’s Eve, he got really drunk. He said “If I had done something about the officer instead of you then that wouldn’t have happened. I’m so sorry I failed you.” Ignoring the fact that his speech was slurred, I know he meant it. There is always a look of pain and sorrow in the eyes of my parents. No matter how hard they try to hide it I can always find it. My brother moved out about 4 years ago, though I barely noticed. Ever since the incident he always isolated himself. I guess we have that in common. At school, I have about 3 friends. I try my best not to talk to the others. Not because I can’t, I just don’t want to.

The bell rang and my friend nudged me, breaking my train of thought.

“Thanks, Steph.” I said as I flashed a friendly smile.

“Yup, no problem. You were really out of it today.”

“Yeah. Guess it's just one of those days.”

“Guess what that means we have to do then, Arie?”

“Ice cream?” I said with a smirk. She’s so sweet. She’s about as short as they come--well 5’ but I like teasing her about it until she reminds me I’m only 4 inches taller. She’s really shy until you get to know her. She’s actually the spitting image of her mom. Her mom’s like my second mom so she’s called Momma. She works with my mom. She’s actually the charge nurse. She fired the snitch for sucking at her job. She was so jealous of my mom. She hoped that reporting her would make Mom be on the same skill level as her. Ironically, it backfired, Mom threw herself into her work to forget her pain and became even better. In theory, if that bitch hadn’t snitched, none of it would have happened either. But jealousy is something that makes people ruin lives just like fear-

Steph nudged me again. “Jeez, we’re out of that boring class so quit zoning out.”

“Translation you want me to pay attention to you?”

“Yes. Notice me senpai!”

We started laughing this was a joke between us. We watched anime together and in really bad animes that’s the entire plot. I love watching crappy animes with Steph we eat popcorn and enjoy the stupidity.

It was a nice day out in the sun. The air smelt great with the new flowers nearby. We walked toward the ice cream place. It was about 50 feet from the school which was great. The shop was nice and small. The building was quite colorful the light yellow and white building. It really stood out in this town. Most buildings were brick or dull except for a few: the elementary school, park, and community center. These were colorful for all the children to get excited to go there. It’s ironic they didn’t continue the trend throughout all the schools. The high school looked like a prison. It was a brick building with bars on the lower windows.

Steph nudged me again, but this time with ice cream in her hands. She handed me one and smiled. She was so attentive, she figured out my favorite flavor after two trips here. As I enjoyed my cookie dough ice cream she enjoyed her mint ice cream. She had gotten a little on the tip of her nose so I started laughing. I tapped her nose and she sat there puzzled. I revealed the green ice cream on my finger and she joined in the laughter.

“What if that wasn’t ice cream, Arie?”

“Well what else could it be?”

“Umm boogers.”

I started laughing harder “Well if that was your boogers, our main priority would be that your boogers are mint green.” I licked my finger, “Also sweet and minty.”

Steph didn’t know how to respond to that so she just belly laughed and put her free hand on her face. Someone bumped the bench we were sitting on and she dropped her ice cream. The douchebag quickly walked away. Steph stared down at her ice cream which was rapidly melting.

“Hun remember you’re a big girl now. No crying over your ice cream. Wait till the funeral out back.”

Steph looked up and smirked, “okay we need to notify his ice cream family.”

“Yup I let them know. They will not be able to attend, but they said I should share this ice cream with you as condolences for your loss.” I struggled to say that with a straight face, but as soon as I finished my sentence we both bursted into laughter.

She cleaned up her ice cream and grabbed a bowl. I could tell she was about to thank me, but I shook my head with a smile. We sat there giggling and enjoying the ice cream. Once we finished, we hugged and both headed home. We lived on the opposite sides of town so we said goodbye at the ice cream stand.

As I walked home I felt as if someone was following me. I walked quickly and stayed where other people could see me.

“I need help. Please help me. Follow me please. I can’t let her die.” Someone whispered in my ear. I was thrown off because he whispered it to me of all people. If you needed help why would you whisper it?

“Please I’m begging you. I can’t let her die! I need her please, its my sister!” The person behind me whispered terrified and desperately. I sighed I didn’t want to follow him but there were people so close by that I thought I could scream for help if things got bad. So I followed him down a dark alley. I noticed he was the man who bumped the bench. I had a sinking feeling like I did back then with the devil. As we walked into the dark alley, I didn’t notice a girl, or anyone there.

“There’s no one here.” I said as I backed away from him cautiously.

He lunged at me, I could see the flicker of something shiny, then I felt the same chill on my neck. He danced the knife the same way the devil did and cut my shirt. He didn’t touch my skirt though. I was terrified and couldn’t move my body. I was trapped trying to scream, but I made no noise. My entire being was screaming but not one sound escaped my mouth. He shoved me against the wall. He moved my hands above my head with one hand. He took off his shirt and there was a black spiral mark on his chest. He was cursed.

“I’m so sorry. I just can’t be alone anymore I tried for so long.” He whispered into my ear. He shifted my torn shirt so my chest was exposed. He pressed his lips against the side of my neck. He yanked my hair to tilt my head away. His lips were so soft at first it felt like a kiss. But then he sunk his teeth into my neck. As he broke the skin I felt something begin to seep inside me. It was like a snake releasing venom into its prey. Whatever he released into me burnt. My body was trying to reject it, but it kept advancing toward my heart. I could feel it trailing there slowly and painfully. His hand found his way between my breasts. He dug his nails into my skin, releasing the same venom as his teeth, but this time it was moving toward my neck. The pain was unbearable, but I still couldn’t move or scream. Instead my eyes began to water. My tears made its way down and hit his mouth. He didn’t stop. The venom felt like it was trying to find its other ends like magnets do if you separate them. A few seconds before it collided he stopped and whispered “It will be okay. You will never be alone like I was.”

The venom crashed into itself as it did the pain surged through my entire body like 100,000 needles had stabbed inside of me at once. As I blacked out from the pain, I saw a boy about 14, jet black hair, pale skin, and blue eyes. He was with his parents and sister and a strange man lurking in the shadows. The image went away and then they were there again all with curse marks. The stranger was gone. I could feel their pain; they were scared and hurt. Soon after, another image came. The police were there. They had executed all but the boy. Not because they chose to spare him, but because he was hiding from them. The living room was drenched in blood. Their white carpet turned red as the blood crept out of the family's bodies.

I suddenly regained consciousness. That boy in the images was a younger version of him.

“They killed my family. Fucking slaughtered them. All because we were cursed. Do you want to know what this mark does?! The only thing our damn mark does is keep part of our mind stuck in the past that’s it!” The man was shaking with rage.

“I thought the mark did more than that.” I said softly.

“Yes and no because our mind is stuck in the past, we see the horrors of our past. This activates our adrenaline more frequently than normal. But we are the same as a person who is standing on a cliff or is seeing what they are afraid of.”

“So people are afraid of you because they don’t understand you?” If he is telling the truth then I don’t have to worry about him killing me like the beast the public says he is.

“Yes they don’t understand us. You are one of us.” He said. I stared at him blankly. I didn’t want to be cursed. They get executed, left to rot or put on display for the public to celebrate.

Without realizing it, I began to sprint away from him. My shirt still torn the blood ran down from my neck and my chest. I sprinted faster and faster as I heard him behind me begging me to stay.. I ran from more than him I ran from reality. I can’t be cursed! I was a normal girl! Why me? Haven’t I been through enough why this now?! I sprinted faster than ever before, I didn’t realize I was already at my house. I slammed the door behind me and locked it. Mom ran over and saw me. The pain and sorrow she once tried to hide completely consumed her eyes for a moment as her mind burnt the image of me into her memories.

“Hun what happened? Did another guy see you and try something? You should really wear more conservative clothes and less short skirts.” As she said this she grabbed her first aid kit and wiped away the blood. It always pissed me off when she blamed me instead of the guy.

“A guy asked for help...I followed him...into an alley…he was cursed…he had a knife” I panted. Mom suddenly became alert with a sense of urgency in her eyes.

“Hun these marks. If he was cursed did it feel like venom?”

“Yeah. It-It…It connected.”

Hearing this she bursted into tears and pulled me close like she did back then. My stomach sank. I knew something really bad had happened…I really am one of them. Tears fell from my eyes on her arms. My father ran down the stairs noticing my shirt torn and cuts he turned red.

“Who did this?! Where are they?!” His voice filled with rage like how I was 11 years ago.

“He was cursed.” Mom’s voice was shaky and hollow, as if she was forcing down her sorrow. My father’s face went from red to white within moments. He sank to his knees and vomited. If someone finds out I’m cursed I am dead. The thought sunk like a casket descending into the grave.

“I need to make a call.” Mom suddenly got up reached for the phone. “Hello. Hi Doris. It happened, the cursed got to her. If you can come with the meds STAT. That would be great.” She turned and addressed Dad. “We knew this would happen. It’s okay, Jamie. She’s coming.” As she said that she began to clean up the vomit. Mom had definitely entered nurse mode.

“Yes. Thank you for reminding me.” He said as he regained his color. He talked to her with such formality. He always did but I never understood it-

“You knew this would happen?! What did you know would happen?” I said as I processed Mom’s words. She sighed, walked into the kitchen to clean her hands and walked back to me. This was just mere moments but it felt like forever. She placed her hands on my shoulders.

“You see those who go through traumatic events tend to attract the cursed. Sometimes the cursed decide to spread it onto others-”

“So they aren’t alone anymore.” I interrupted hollowly.

“For some yes, for others it's to spread the curse so people understand their pain and stop killing them, for others it’s just cold hearted revenge.”

I was so shocked I could barely speak “You knew? You knew I could become one of them and you didn’t tell me?!” My voice was so soft. I stepped back as this information began to sink in. A few agonizing seconds later the doorbell rung. It was Momma. She came with a bottle of pills. Momma walked over to me checking my wounds.

“Hi Arianna. How are you?”

I tried to respond but nothing came out. I was terrified, regretting my life, regretting that man, hating the devil. I kept thinking why me over and over again. Momma’s eyes were focused on mine as if decoding my thoughts.

“You know Arianna, you’re name means chosen one. I’m not sure what you are chosen for. But I believe you will do great things.”

“Really? How can I do great things if this curse is my death warrant?!” My fury rose out of nowhere. She hadn’t done anything wrong, I knew that but still I had to let it out eventually. She ignored my anger like Mom does.

“Your wound is going to form a curse mark. But I have medicine that can hide it. If you take it every day you never need to worry about discovery. But you have to cope with the dreams this won’t help with that.”

“My dreams?”

“Your dreams are going to show what you fear. Mainly the one who gave you this curse, the devil and your biggest fear. This will always be playing in the back of your mind, but at night they come to the forefront.” As she said this she placed the bottle in my hand. The truth was so harsh I didn’t know what to do or say, so I hurled the bottle to the ground and I ran into my room, lept onto the bed and tightly wrapped myself in the blankets. I wish I could be normal. Why can’t I be? Why must my life be different? WHY?! It’s not fair! As I thought this I began to drift to sleep. I saw the cursed man. I dreamt of his eyes, his hands and the stinging of the venom. Then the images of his family. All of a sudden that changed to my family and there I was in the middle screaming in horror. As I came back to reality, I was in Mom’s arms sweating. I kept my head down ashamed to look Mom in the eyes. I saw the mark which formed. It was black spirals across my shoulder extending up my neck and down my chest. I am cursed… if I get discovered my family might actually end up dead for protecting me.

I tried my hardest to live a normal life. By refusing to take the medicine, I felt more like myself, more human. I hid the mark with concealer and clothes. School was pretty much the same, but I was always on edge. Steph was worried for me, she tried to deny it, but I could see it in her eyes. She was more careful talking to me now. She didn’t make jokes: she kept saying that she was sorry that she was acting strange. Steph just didn’t want to trigger me and honestly I don’t blame her. My nightmares have gotten worse, I no longer see my dreams. They became a reality that I wake up from. Because of that I zoned out less in class to avoid that reality. Things were fine until we watched the news at school. The latest headline was that the cursed had been found in the city. They showed an image of a dead male with jet black hair and blue eyes filled with despair and empty of life. It was the man who didn’t want to be alone--the one who attacked me. Seeing him my chest tightened, my breath became short and I was sweating. My memories of him flashed through my mind all at once.

Steph pulled me out of class to the bathroom.

“Arie, hun. It’s okay, you need to calm down. That man will never be able to hurt you again.” She began running her fingers through my hair. She really was a mini mom at times.

Once I calmed down we went back to class. Steph lied to the teacher saying I caught a cold and she was going to take me home. There we watched an anime together with buttered popcorn just like old times. Once mom came home, Steph left and the day became normal again, until that night. I saw the devil, I felt the chill of the knife and his touch. I could smell his breath, taste him, I could barely breathe. And then I saw Mom decapitated, David burnt to a crisp, Dad vomiting blood as the life faded from his eyes. Steph tied up attacked by the Devil as Momma begged for Steph’s life as they shoved a gun down her throat. And there I was standing in the center of them all screaming at the world, screaming at God, screaming at life itself for causing this. The screams in my dreams were in reality. When I woke up Mom pulled me close, running her fingers through my hair she kept telling me it would be okay. But I knew it wouldn’t if the government found out the truth it wouldn’t be just a dream anymore. I had to keep them alive.

-Arianna Davis

I have to do something. I yank myself free of my mother’s arms and sprint outside. Mom tries to follow, calling my name, but I’m faster. Running into the police station, I tear my shirt so the mark is shown. The only officer there is him...the officer from back then. The one who saved me.

“I got attacked by the cursed. I am now one of them. Please I came as soon as I knew. Don’t kill my family.”

The officer looks horrified. “I-I-I knew...I’m so sorry this happened. If I had gotten there sooner you wouldn’t have been at risk.”

“I...I don’t care!! Just promise my family will be alright.”

“They will. I swear on my life. I-I need to take you to the containment center.” His voice is filled with pain as he mentions the center. My stomach sinks, but I have to save my family. We go into the cop car and drive about 15 miles out of the ‘city’. There’s a dark building, it looks like a run down insane asylum. Inside he asks me to enter the room with a black door with bars on the window. I hear the door lock behind me. The room is a worn down bathroom, it smells like death and rotting corpses as I step further into the room, I realize the stench is coming from a dead body on the ground. His skin is blue with bloodshot eyes, he has an agonizing expression on as if he had been tortured. There is blood pouring out of his mouth that pools on the floor. My stomach churns at the sight of him, but I can’t just leave him like that I force myself to walk over to him. I crouch down and close his eyes. As I stand up, I notice a large tinted window with two figures. One is the officer the other I don’t know.

“I am amazed you came in on your own. It is very rare for your kind to be so civilized. You have committed the ultimate sin. Your sins are as black as midnight, but don’t worry your inhumane little life will be over soon.” The condescending voice plays over a speaker.

Suddenly gas begins to creep out of the rusted shower head. So this is how I’m going to die. Gas. I wonder if my body will be put on display, if Steph will cry when she finds out what I did, if Mom will forgive me, if Dad will forgive himself.

The gas makes its way into my throat. It burns like I’m inhaling fire. I step back and lean against the grimy wall. The room feels like it’s spinning so much that I vomit. But the vomit is blood. I stare at the ground where my blood had begun to spread. Terror, absolute terror. That’s all I feel, but soon it changes to anger. Why am I being killed for having the mark? I haven’t done anything wrong! I am human. I spent the past 16 fucking years human, but now with this curse those 16 years mean nothing to anyone. Because of a mark all that means nothing. What the hell is wrong with the world I live in? The hatred begins to consume my soul, but is quickly interrupted.

“I’m so sorry Arianna. You are not the monster they say you are. None of the cursed are it’s this fear that’s wrong, not you. But I can’t let you die hating the world. I can’t live in a world where they can do this to you and fill you with hate. So please understand it is not the world that is cruel. It is some of the people in it. And the fear that drove them to it.” This voice... Wait I know this voice... it’s the officer. I look at the window my vision hazy, there I see one figure hold something up to his head. A gunshot. Blood splatters the window. The officer couldn’t live with such cruelty so he left the only way he could think of.

I vomit more blood and my body is getting heavy. But I can’t let his death mean nothing. I can’t let my death be nothing. I have to do something. I lift my arm and pain shoots through my entire body. I can barely see the massive puddle of blood surrounding me. I put my fingers in it and begin writing on the wall ‘Were my sins’ another burst of pain erupts from my arm and I scream in agony, but I can’t stop ‘really darker than midnight?’ More blood bursts out of my mouth, I’m losing consciousness. But I have to finish. ‘Or is it yours’ As I finish the s my arm gives out creating a blood trail to my side. I’m going numb, it’s over. I glance at my message and read it in my head because I couldn’t talk or move my jaw anymore. Were my sins really darker than midnight? Or is it yours