See My Dark

"See our dark. For we have forsaken the light. We do not linger in the shadows to hide, but to come closer to that beyond and the unknown. That which is seen is known. What we seek we cannot see. Darkness hear our plea. Reveal to us our destiny."

The room suddenly went dark, as hundreds of candles were suddenly blown out. This was the first Grand Assembly Roman had attended. He had just received the third required sponsor to attend. And, so far, he was disappointed. This was his seventh month trying to infiltrate the organization known as Obscurum. So far, all he had heard is a guy talking kind of crazy and a room full of people blowing out individual candles that they held, including himself. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure if it was a room he was in. Though, he thought it may be a barn, from the smells that engulfed his nose. He was blindfolded.

Bang!

The sound came out of nowhere and the room was still dark. Roman looked around, but the darkness complete. It was almost thick.

Bang!

He could not even discern the direction in which the sound was coming from.

Bang!

He began to think he could hear a plop. Like something hitting the ground after every bang.

Bang!

Yes, there was something hitting the ground. Was that plop getting closer?

Bang!

It was definitely getting closer. The sound was less than thirty feet away.

The silence was much longer the next time. There was no bang. And then the voice returned.

"Five among you were false. They thought betray what I...and you are doing. They are now dead. There is one more amongst you. You more that does not truly follow."

Bang!

Something fell against roman before hitting the ground. Somebody. He felt a small use of air in his ear. There was not a sound.

"Are you false, Roman?"

It was the same voice you was hearing far off just a moment before. How...?

"We shall see if you see my dark."

Roman stood. Barely breathing. Waiting for the next bang to make his lifeless body hit the ground. Like the ones before.

And then he heard the voice from far away as before. How was that possible?

"Now that we have been cleansed, we can proceed."

chapter 2

"What the actual fuck am I part of?" Roman asked his immediate supervisor on the phone once he had got out and to a secure phone. It was two hours later that a van dropped them off one by one. Blindfolded all the while

"What happened?"

"I think I almost fucking died tonight! Other's did died. Just shot them one by one!"

"Did you get anything? Photos? An identity? Or...."

The supervisor was almost sounding excited, so Roman cut him off.

"I have absolutely nothing. It was mostly in the pitch black. I don't even know who was killed. Not that id know them anyway."

There was silence on the other end of the line for some moments.

"You know, especially after what you've told me tonight, we cat walk away from this. If you leave, we will have to get someone else. Maybe it takes another eight months to get to where you are now."

It was Roman's turn to cause a moment of silence. He knew that what his supervisor was saying was true. He knew that others may die if they had to start over. Many more.

"I'll see it through"

He did not mention to his supervisor that it seemed like somebody knew him and at least had a suspicion that he was not a dedicated member. His supervisor may have pulled him out if roman wanted it or not if he knew.

chapter 3

After having the cab drop him off a few miles from his apartment, which may not have been a good idea to do in New York City at 3 am, Roman continued to to ponder what had happened. He was still coming to grips with people dying around him. When he could, he did all he could to even got out of going to funerals. Death scared him and him admitted that to himself. Though as startling as the nights were, and the real fear of dying, the whole thing was starting to wear on him. It was also the drain of being somebody else for so long. Without friends or family. How do you act like being a person before you become that person?

"Hey." Roman heard a voice from the dark. Shaking him from his thoughts.

He looked around, but didn't see anyone right away.

"Hello?" Roman asked the darkness.

The darkness replied in the voice of his first contact as he tried to get into the organization, Kevin.

"You did well tonight. Well, you lived, at least."

Kevin said the with no humor in his voice.

"How often does that happen? And why the fuck didn't you tell me?"

"If I told you, maybe I would have been one of those dead people tonight."

"Then wh...."

Roman caught himself. He was about to ask why he was even part of the organization, but that could have very well given up that he was not truly committed.

"Then what can you tell me?" Roman asked. Amending his original question.

"Nothing. You know this much already. You basically know what I do now. You just have not started the work."

"The work?"

"You know I can't tell you. But, you are getting closer. It was only about a month after my first full assembly. You will truly be able to help make the change we seek. Don't give up yet."

If Roman had any doubts about continuing on, there were none now. It could only be just another month before real progress might be made.

"Do we know when the next full assembly is?"

"Technically, the last one isn't over. I was there an hour after you and the ones on darker shades stay even later."

This was something that Roman had learned about the organization in his time there. The organization is tiered. They call the levels the Shades of Darkness. The darker the shad of grey, they black marked your status. He did not know how this was shown, as he had never really seen anyone outside of his small group.

"How did you even know where to find me?" Roman asked. The thought just coming to him.

"I just happened to be in the area. My condo is in the area. I was wondering the same of you."

Roman did not believe that this was happenstance in NYC at this hour...maybe, but he became apprehensive after the other events of the evening. He also didn't want to lie at the same time. He had no idea what Kevin or the organization knew about him. The voice in his ear certainly made it seem like they knew more than he wanted them to know.

"I actually live in the area as well. Just needed to take a walk to think after that." Roman said. Being more honest than he meant to be.

"I was the same way. Just wait until you see more. It's important to make sure there is no one that we can't trust amounst us. It's late, I'll leave you be. You did well. See my dark."

"See my dark." Roman said in reply. Most conversations started and ended with that phrase within the organization.

Roman wanted to get home as quickly as he could after this exchange. He had to work in the morning after all. Part of being undercover was looking normal, even when you're not with the actual organization. That meant he worked a mundane job in the city by day. Though, he knew it would not be wise to go directly home. He did not know if Kevin would follow. Thus he took a detour and another cab. He made it home in time to shower and go to work.