The Light of Darkness

There was no way to live.

Her fingers traced the gold chain resting on her perspiring skin until they came to a sudden stop at the locket, prodding against her collar bone.

She couldn't see the heart-shaped locket, let alone anything past a few feet in front of her. With a heave, her knuckles grew white as she clutched the necklace, her skin closing around the chain. Her attention was consumed, her emotions were focused on a single thing: the treacherous locket. It was only treacherous in the fact that no matter what she could see, she could feel the locket. It was familiar. Anything familiar had the power to rip open wounds of the past, to bring old memories to light. She didn't have time for that. She had responsibilities, just like everyone else. She had to bring the world back into the light.

For exactly three months, two weeks, and ten days, she had lived with the absence of light. The sun didn't rise anymore. Mother nature ceased to exist. There was no light of the moon to guide her strides. There wasn't even electricity. There was no more light left in the world. It was God laughing in their faces, mocking the every move of their disastrous attempt to save the earth. Yet, despite the horrid circumstances, the worst part to her was that her eyes never adjusted to the darkness swallowing her whole. She would always be blindsided.

The locket was released from her grip in an instant. "Chasity?" A grating voice whispered, the breath of wind carrying the plea to her ears.

"What?" Chasity whispered back, her eyes frantically searching for the voice. She knew who it was but he always felt out of reach, out of sight. "Draven?" His skin warmed her's as he placed his hand on hers. She jumped slightly, but her breath steadied.

"What are you doing up so early?" Draven whispered. Whispering was their language. It was their song, the sweet melody of each other's voices. It was something no one else could hear unless they were close enough. It was theirs, and theirs alone. It was the one thing the darkness couldn't take from them.

"How do you know it's morning?" Chasity's eyebrows furrowed as her hand slipped away from under his.

"How do you know it's not?" He accused with a boyish giggle. She wished she could see his smirk. His laugh wasn't the same when it was shrouded from her view.

It was just the two of them. They hadn't been able to find anyone else. Draven had once told her it was destiny, the two of them together against the dark world. She had grinned, though he couldn't see, and replied with a simple nod. Deep down, she knew it was just fear that had brought them together. It was the fear of what lurked in the shadows of the dark.

They had no idea how it happened, either. It was as simple as waking up one morning with everything veiled from sight. Draven had said it was global warming, something about the ozone layer growing and blocking the sun's rays entirely, but there was no way to tell for sure. And that didn't explain the loss of electricity.

"What's on the agenda for today?" Chasity turned to Draven, barely making out the shape of his chiseled jawline.

"Well, I was hoping to find some more food, maybe make smores." His breath was now on her neck, his endless whispers still soothing the battle in her mind.

"If today's the day you can make a fire, I'd love to see it," Chasity sneered with a slight giggle. She pulled away from him, turning her head toward the surrounding forest. Or, at least what she thought was a forest and assumed were trees. It could be anything, even the playground behind her old house.

They had no heat, aside from blankets. Every night was like a night spent in shivers as they grew closer and closer together in a failed attempt to keep warm. They had never started out holding each other, but they always awoke to it. Chastity told him they would find a place to live, maybe one with a heavier blanket. Today had to be the day.

"Drav, I want to go somewhere else." She found his hand and grasped it as the bark on the log etched free and embedded itself into her skin. Her head fell onto his shoulder, rising and falling with every breath of his.

"Oh really? Anywhere in particular?" His lips pressed against her forehead as the corners of her mouth turned into a smile.

"It doesn't matter," she breathed. Her words ceased before her mind had formed the rest of the sentence: as long as I'm with you. "I was thinking the east coast. It has a nice ring to it."

"That it does. Now, come on. We need to find breakfast." He gently tapped her knee as his whispers were lost to the darkness. Her eyes gave a slight roll. Chasity's hand curled around the gold locket before she ventured from the log she sat on, the frigid ground gnawing at her feet.

Draven had already packed their belongings. It was almost as if he anticipated her early departure, her desire to leave their small camp in the woods. Chasity abruptly shut her eyes as she felt around for the strap of the backpack. She ran her fingers over the coarse fabric before lifting the bag to her shoulder.

They had learned to walk in the dark. Though, every time they were away from the forest, Draven always searched for those goggles that let you see in the dark, however; his voyage always turned up empty. Chasity reached her hand into the darkness, waiting for him to grasp it. He finally did, his hand warm. Just as every time their skin met, a shimmer of hope would grow inside her, one that never seemed to dull.

They had a system, but all it consisted of was not going anywhere without holding hands. Let alone leaving by themselves. Draven was the only one to break those rules, but Chasity didn't mind. She didn't mind because he always came back.

"We have to go to a grocery store or something," Chasity whispered, the darkness stripping her voice until nothing but fear remained.

"Right. Then find a place to stay for the night," Draven whispered back.

Their voyage through the trees had begun. The ground felt different under Chasity's feet. It was nothing like the one that had grown familiar these past few months. Silence floated between them as the darkness swirled its illusive tricks around them. Chasity held her breath as the sound of her mother calling her name reached her ears. She closed her eyes, biting her bottom lip as her eyes filled with tears, almost as if an army pounded on the gates of a broken city. As for Draven, she didn't know of the specious stunts the absence of light played on him. That was why she trusted him. He never let his emotions get the best of him. He was never tricked by the night.

It was one foot after the other for hours. Chasity had resorted to shutting her eyes to drown out the voices as her other hand clutched the gold locket. It was the only thing that challenged the tricks of the dark in her mind.

Draven had come to a sudden stop. She had almost slammed into him had her feet not sensed his hesitation and stopped. "What? What's wrong?" She whispered.

He hesitated. "Nothing. I just thought I heard something." He slowly began walking again as Chasity held her breath with every stride. She knew what something was to Draven. Something was someone.

They hadn't seen any sign of life since the world had fallen to the mercy of the night. The many songs of crickets didn't nod her off to sleep. The chirping of her angelic feathered friends in the sky didn't calm her. She hadn't even heard the barking of a dog in months. The absence of light had killed all life on earth.

Humanity still existed, though barely. She and Draven had ignored any sign of its survival. They feared the demons the darkness had created; or rather the ones it brought to light. Since then, they had stayed quiet and resorted to whispering so their whereabouts would only be heard by each other. They lived in silence.

"I heard it." Chasity's eyes reluctantly opened, though it felt as if they hadn't. The only thing that met her vision was nothing. She held her breath, waiting for Draven to make a move. He always knew what to do. Her clammy fingers reached for the chain of the heart-shaped locket. Her knuckles curled around it, growing white with every passing moment.

"We aren't alone." Draven's voice was raised in a panic. His hand grew cold in hers. Chasity's eyes widened, regardless, it did no good. His voice never grew above a whisper, not when he was with her. They were in danger.

She heard Draven drop the bag he held as fear formed like an icy layer over her skin. He pulled her hand until his arms wrapped around her. The ground hit her side as she clutched his hand.

For the first time in three months, two weeks, and ten days, Chasity saw light.

"Are you okay?" Draven's voice was loud in her ear as he yelled at her. Her eyes were forced shut at the explosion. Yet slowly, she opened them. She turned her gaze to Draven as he lied on the ground holding her, but she couldn't see him.

Chasity's small ounce of light had disappeared and she would continue living with its absence. She held Draven closer, her tears soaking into his shirt. At that moment, neither of them felt obligated to move. They lied in the dirt, clutching each other almost as if whatever had happened simply didn't. Chasity's hand curled around the locket as her eyes forced themselves shut.

"Chas," Draven began, shaking her awake. She sniffed, before reluctantly opening her eyes. Her hand began to shake. Her tears were no longer of fear but of relief. Her hand lifted the heart-shaped locket to her lips.

Standing before her, was a woman. In the woman's hand was a flashlight. Chasity's eyes traveled to what stood beyond the woman. Light poured over the walls, almost as if a waterfall cascading in the distance. The woman smiled kindly as the handle shook violently in her hand.

"La luz de la oscuridad," the woman said as she reached out her hand. Chasity removed her hand from the locket before grasping the woman's hand.

Chasity had never been sure of anything in her life. The darkness had rid her of that sense. It had murdered her will to survive. She and Draven had survived together, but this? This was the start of something new. The woman standing before them would make a difference. She would bring light back into the dark-ridden world. That was the only thing Chasity was sure of.

"Here's to starting over," Draven whispered in her ear as she clutched the woman's hand.

"Here's to light," Chasity whispered back.