A Life in Darkness

by Heinreich T. Sioson

  With the bolt out of the way I opened the door - I was somewhat surprised by the weight of it. It was heavy, built from a dense, non-porous wood reinforced by steel bars. Regardless it moved with ease as the hinges on one side allowed the door to swing upwards. I peered into the hole and saw a ladder just enough to fit a person of my size which reached dozens of feet below. I was hesitant to go down, my mind created images of thousands of those bipedal creatures and millions of the black insects waiting for me. But I dismissed it. Kari and her mother were down there and one way or another I was going to get them out. Drawing a heavy breath of air I stepped onto the ladder and descended.

  ********

  It didn’t take me long to reach the bottom rung. In front of me was an entrance to a narrow corridor with barely enough room to fit two adults walking side by side. Upon entering I had to crouch down to avoid scraping my head against the ceiling. Seeing everything in pale blue I ventured into the corridor and realized it was pretty straightforward and I only had to take a handful of turns before reaching the actual entrance to the bunker itself.

  There were two large metallic doors covered in so much dirt and grime it was hard to tell what the original color of the doors was. I walked up to it and knocked on the metal surface three times causing an echo to reverberate throughout the darkened passageway. I paused and turned my head to look behind me. No alarms were raised and I didn’t hear anything coming. Feeling reassured I turned back to the metal doors and concentrated my thoughts. I tried to make out any mental presences behind the entrance but the metal was thick; there was probably lead or a similar metal lining the doors. While I couldn’t use telepathy, I could use telekinesis to open the entrance.

  Stepping back a few feet I allowed thin mental threads to examine the intricacies of the door and ascertain how to open it. The entrance was locked by four heavy steel rods about three inches thick and four feet long, each of which was controlled by levers on the other side. Trying to penetrate the thick metal was going to tax my abilities but barring high explosives there was no other way to get through it.

  And thus I forced upon the door my will, given shape and power through my abilities and I felt the door shudder. I concentrated, feeling the pressure in my mind building. Within my mind I saw one of the four levers, grasped it with an invisible hand, and pulled it. One down, three to go. With each new lever being pulled I breathed a sigh of relief - this was trickier than I thought but not impossible. By comparison that final encounter with the black creature and its pets was harder, and in more ways than was expected.

  It took but a handful of minutes before every lever had been pulled and the heavy steel bars slid out of their recesses. As soon as the task was completed I shut down my telekinesis and pushed one of the heavy doors. It moved with some effort and I walked into another corridor, this one much smaller than the last. Just a few feet ahead of me was a single door, which looked to be of the same material as the ones I just passed through. I shut the door behind me making sure to reengage all four locks as a precaution. Moving closer I noticed light emanating from a crevice on the wall just above the door. Examining it further I found a very small camera looking in my direction. I faced it and raised both arms to show I held no weapons in my hands.

  “Hi,” I said in a soft and clear voice. “My name is Darrius, Darrius Alexander. I’m here to help you.”

  I waited but there was no response.

  I continued, “Please, I mean you no harm. I’m here to get you out of here and out of the city.” I risked saying more. “Mrs. Greene… Fiona, I’m here to help you and your daughter, Kari.”

  More time passed and I glanced at the door, debating whether or not I should use my powers a second time to open it. I didn’t get a chance to decide as the metallic door swung open. I stepped towards the entrance but had to stop as the long muzzle of a pistol greeted me.

  The woman holding the gun in unsteady hands was shorter than me, with matted black her cut short just above the shoulders. She was wearing a dirty, white long-sleeved shirt and blue jeans which had seen too many washes. On her feet were brown boots so worn away it was a wonder they hadn’t fallen apart yet. Considering her build, height, and apparent age, this had to be Fiona Greene.

  “Who the hell are you? How did you know we were here?” asked the woman in a harsh voice. It was a voice changed by time and circumstances I didn’t dare comprehend.

  “How do you know Kari?” She asked this last question with a menacing voice. The pistol, moving ever closer to my face, forced me to step back a pace.

  “Like I said, my name is Darrius Alexander. I want to get you and your daughter out of here. Off this world.” My hands were still held out in the open.

  “That’s impossible,” she said. “There’s nowhere to go. How did you even survive out there? Are you from one of the other bunkers?”

  As close as the gun was to my face I wasn’t threatened by it. There was any number of techniques I could’ve used to disarm her, with or without my powers. But I didn’t want to do that; I needed her to trust me and to see reason.

  I said, “I can answer any questions you have. But please, just put the gun down and we can talk.”

  “How do I know you aren’t one of those things?” Both hands were gripping the pistol now.

  “Because I’ve met one of them: a tall, dark creature in human form? It couldn’t show the outward characteristics of a person and it couldn’t speak like I’m doing now. I was able to escape it for a time until I was forced to kill it.” Her eyes widened at that comment and I let the momentum take me further. “Don’t you think if I was one of those things, I wouldn’t have simply destroyed these doors and then kill you and your daughter by now?” I didn’t want to say this last part but I was hoping the combination of sense and the assurance in my voice would convince her.

  She held the pistol in a vice-like grip but I was able to see her eyes and through to her mind. I could tell she was scared, but there was hope there. It was a hope that had been beaten down so many times she buried it deep within her mind to the point she had forgotten what it meant to hope. But it was there, I just needed her to realize it.

  “Fiona…” She flinched at the sound of her name and the gun jerked a little but didn’t go off. “You and your daughter will be safe, I promise you that. Just put down the gun and I will explain everything.”

  That was as far as I could go and I had to trust that Fiona would accept what I was saying at least at face value. She hadn’t seen or heard from anyone other than her daughter for months, at best. And the worlds know it could’ve been much longer.

  Fiona hesitated and measured her options - I could’ve been lying, but to what end? She knew I couldn’t have been one of those creatures because I would’ve killed her outright without attempting any kind of communication. The thought crossed her mind I was some lone survivor seeking shelter but I looked in very good health and my clothes, despite being a little worn around the edges, were still new. She just couldn’t believe what her eyes were seeing. But in spite of that she lowered the gun to her side.

  I relaxed my arms, making sure not to make any sudden gestures that might alarm her. I said, “Thank you, Mrs. Greene.”

  She nodded her head in a slow way, her slouch giving the gesture a childlike appearance. “Follow me,” she said, as she turned and headed inside the bunker. Without a word I did as requested and closed the door behind me.

  ********

  The living room had little of the typical creature comforts you’d expect to find. At the center was a maroon couch able to seat two people with a faded pink carpet underneath. Next to the couch on the far side was a table with an old dusty radio sitting on top of it. The digital time display was flashing twelve o’ clock.

  Heading deeper into the sanctuary we passed the dining room and kitchen, which was more appropriately adorned. It had a fridge, a single stove and a few cupboards. Quite a number were open and I noticed most were bare save for a handful of canned good
s which remained, none of which had labels. A dining table stood in the center of the room which could fit three. However, there was a machine I didn’t recognize in the far corner of the room and from the look of it no effort was spared in its maintenance. The machine was as tall as a typical office water cooler and had been installed into the wall itself. At the center of the device was a blue light and beneath it were four slots with small metal baskets you could pull out. A green light on the right side indicted the machine was functioning. Passing the unfamiliar device we entered a short corridor with a door at the far end. I looked the door over and realized it was made out of wood unlike the previous reinforced steel ones. Fiona reached for the knob, but she turned to face me square on.

  “I can trust you, right?” she said. In-reading her words I sensed hope hanging precariously over the edge of nothing but despair. She was strong-willed, and that along with her firm determination to protect her daughter were the only things keeping her alive.

  I didn’t have to lie; I was determined to protect them both, even at the cost of my own life. I nodded and said, “Yes.”

  She let her eyes linger on mine until she gave me a firm nod and opened the door.

  Inside was a small bedroom with two beds set next to one another. If they were any smaller a person would have to sleep on their side to stop themselves from falling off. Both had simple black and white checkered comforters with matching bed sheets. Each bed had one pillow with matching cases. I looked at the bed farthest from the door and saw there was a beat-up gray teddy bear on the covers. One eye was missing and its right arm was hanging by a literal thread, the white stuffing exposed. At the foot of each bed was a wooden trunk which kept most of their belongings. There were a few chairs scattered about and a ceiling lamp providing adequate lighting. On the wall closest to the first bed was the dimmer.

  Fiona scanned the room with her eyes until she settled on the farthest trunk. She said, “Kari, come out of there now. We have a guest.” We waited a moment for a response, and when none came she repeated her command.

  The trunk’s lid rose a little and I saw a peach-colored face with dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes peek out of it. The corners of my mouth lifted in a smile that didn’t show any teeth; I didn’t want to frighten the girl. The lid lifted a bit more and I heard a soft voice ask, “Mommy, is he one of the bad people?”

  The child’s mother responded, “No, honey. He’s not one of the bad people. He’s come to help us.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, sweetheart.”

  I moved in closer to Fiona and touched her shoulder. “You mind if I talk to her?”

  She hesitated and was about to say something but she nodded her ascent.

  I walked towards the trunk and the girl’s face disappeared as she closed the lid in haste. I knelt on one knee in front of the box and spoke. “Hi, Kari. Can you come out of there?”

  “Are you a bad man? You don’t look like one of them.”

  I smiled and spoke with a gentle voice. “I’m not one of the bad people. I’ve come to help you and your mother leave this place.”

  “This might be a trick. Mommy told me not to talk to strangers.”

  “She’s a smart woman. Here, let me show you something.” From an inner coat pocket I brought out the brown teddy bear - after my encounter with the creatures, I was amazed the bear had survived the ordeal. I brought it close to the lid of the trunk. “It’s a teddy bear. I found it along the way and thought it should be given a home, give it to someone who would take care of it.”

  The lid creaked open enough for her to see it, and when she did the lid sprung open, the hinges stopping the wooden board as it swung as far as it could go. Kari stood up, her eyes filled with wonder and her hands over her heart. She had curly hair and was smiling from ear to ear. As expected of her age she was small - between three to four feet tall - but she looked relatively healthy when compared to her mother’s pale and gaunt figure. Fiona must’ve prioritized her daughter when it came to food. I held the bear closer to her.

  She was ready to take it but pulled back and looked at her mother with a question in her eyes. Her mother nodded and Kari took the bear and hugged it to her chest with all her might. I was somewhat concerned she’d squeeze the stuffing out of it but that didn’t happen. I smiled at her and she smiled back.

  “Thank you, mister,” she said.

  “You’re welcome. Please, call me Darrius.”

  She nodded as she swung the bear from side to side in glee.

  Behind me I heard Fiona say, “Now get out of there sweetheart, you’re going to dirty your clothes again.”

  “Okay!” Her cheery voice, as welcoming and adorable as it was, was jarring to hear in such a bleak place.

  Sensing in her thoughts she meant to jump out of the trunk in my direction I backed up to give her some room. She hopped out using both legs, easily clearing the wooden siding. She landed without any problem and pride was evident on her face.

  “Good job!” I said.

  “Thanks!” she said and danced around the room with her new stuffed friend.

  As Kari twirled Fiona came up to me and whispered, “Thank you, you didn’t have to do that.”

  I tilted my head to the side without looking away from Kari and said, “It’s no problem.”

  “Where did you find the bear?”

  I told her the story of finding the overturned truck. When I finished she looked at me and then at her daughter and just said, “Thank you.” I looked at Fiona for the first time since we met and I saw unshed tears. Not wishing to shatter her resolve I simply nodded and smiled. Blinking the moisture from her eyes she smiled as well.

  After a moment Fiona called her daughter. “Sweetheart, it’s time for dinner. You can play with him later.”

  Kari, hearing her mother’s command nodded and placed her new teddy bear alongside her old one. As she did this Fiona touched my arm and asked, “Why don’t you join us for dinner? We don’t have much but you look like you’ve come a long way.”

  “I don’t want to intrude…”

  She squeezed my arm. “You’re not intruding. Please. It’s the least I can do.”

  Seeing the kindness in her eyes I accepted. She gave me a polite smile and led me to the kitchen. Kari followed us out and I could feel her gaze upon me. Inside my head I chuckled as I sensed the childish wonder in her own mind seeing this strange man who came out of nowhere to bring her a new friend.

  Reaching the kitchen table I sat down and Kari did the same, she sitting at the head of the table and me on her right. Fiona pulled out three of the unlabeled cans from a cupboard. She said, “I hope you don’t mind canned food.”

  “I don’t mind at all.”

  Grabbing bowls from the counter she emptied out equal portions into each one. I looked over at what she was doing and saw chunks of white meat in a gooey liquid and I raised an eyebrow. She said, “I’m pretty sure this is diced chicken in a sort of white sauce.”

  “‘You think?’“ There was skepticism in my voice.

  She shrugged. “It’s either that or pork.”

  I chuckled. “Fair enough.” Her mood lightened as she placed the bowls into what looked like a microwave. She set it to nuke the food for a couple minutes and stood there staring the device, seemingly entranced by the rotation of the bowls as they spun.

  “Mr. Darrius?” said Kari.

  I looked over at her and raised my eyebrows.

  “Where are you from?”

  “Kari.” Her mother admonished her; she had turned her head to look at us both. “You shouldn’t be asking personal questions like that.”

  “It’s all right,” I said. “It’s a harmless question. Besides, an inquisitive nature is a sign of intelligence.” Kari beamed at my compliment, but she still had enough sense to look to her mother for permission to continue her preening. Fiona sighed and nodded her head.

  I continued. “Well, I’m from a very faraway place, but the city I used to l
ive in was kind of like this one.”

  She hugged herself. “Were there bad people too?”

  I smiled, reassuring her. “No. There were no bad people where I’m from.”

  “Did you get to see the sun?”

  “I did.”

  “Wow,” said Kari, her eyes wide with wonder. “I never got to see the sun. Mommy told me about it and even showed me some pictures. It’s bright and very big. I even drew some pictures of it.”

  “I would really like to see them after dinner.”

  She smiled, and her cheery nature was so genuine as to be uplifting. This world had gone dark long ago but sitting beside me was the last ray of hope and life it had left. She was worth protecting, if only for that reason alone. While I couldn’t fully sense her psychic abilities as she wasn’t trained to touch them yet, I could feel a vague spark of what she was capable of within her mind.

  Kari and I looked up as the warning beeps of the microwave sounded throughout the kitchen. I got up from my chair and helped her mother by taking two bowls and bringing them over to the table. Fiona thanked me and set the last bowl in front of me as well as a pair of utensils. She did the same for the others as we all settled in. Fiona said, “Kari, please lead us in a prayer.”

  Kari nodded, and closing her eyes she made a gesture I’ve never seen before: she clapped her hands once, and then twice, and on the second time her hands met she folded them, her fingers intertwining with one another. She bent her head so her lips touched the knuckles of her hands. I noticed Fiona had done the same. I didn’t clap as they did but I did bow my head and folded my hands.

  In a soft voice Kari said, “Dear Lord, may we be ever blessed with love, happiness, and a good life.”