Absolute Darkness - A CME Survival Thriller

by Kellee L. Greene

“Yeah, of course,” I said.

  “Are you kidding?” Dorian asked. “What if I want to heat up some food?”

  Erik shook his head. “Eat cold food.”

  “You’re going to leave the shotgun, aren’t you?” Sam asked.

  “Yes,” Erik said.

  “There are three of us,” Sam said.

  Erik sighed. “Do you want us to collect the gas or not?”

  “Ugh! Fine,” Sam said. “So much for we’re all working together, huh?”

  “We’ll be back as soon as we can,” Erik said.

  “Be safe,” I said, my eyes shifting from Archer to Erik and back and again.

  My stomach swirled vigorously. If there had been anything inside, it would have been hard to keep it down.

  I followed them to the door, nearly walking out with them. I should have begged them to stay.

  If they didn’t come back, I wouldn’t be able to handle it. My mouth opened, but the door closed inches from my face.

  I pressed my palms against the door and looked down. My eyes burned, and the back of my throat stung.

  “Are you worried about them?” Sam asked, stepping up behind me.

  “Yeah. I am,” I said without looking up.

  She rubbed my back for a second. “They’ll be fine. Two strong, armed men. Trust me, you don’t need to worry about either of them.”

  “A bullet can take out a strong man,” I muttered.

  “They’re smart too,” Sam said. “Archer knows where to go. He’s familiar with the area.”

  I drew in a deep breath and pushed myself away from the door. “Eat something. Take a nap. We’re going to need our strength on the road.”

  “You remember how long it took us to get here, right?”

  “Yeah,” Sam said. “With all of us, we’ll just drive straight through.”

  “You’re assuming we’ll have enough gas to do that.”

  Sam placed her hands on my shoulders and physically turned me toward the kitchen. “Stop worrying!”

  “It’s what I do best,” I groaned as my head fell back.

  “Tell me about it,” Sam said. “Seriously, though. Relax before you give yourself a heart attack.”

  My shoulders dropped heavily. It was my mom’s bad heart that had killed her. Was I doing the same thing to myself that she’d done?

  I did need to be careful. There weren’t doctors, hospitals, or machines that could diagnose me. No medical care to help me get healthy again.

  “Oh!” Sam said. “Let’s do some yoga. Then we can meditate.”

  “I’ll catch up with you two later,” Dorian said. “I’m going to take a nap.”

  “You don’t want to do yoga with us?” I asked.

  Dorian laughed. “I’m going to pass. Thanks, though. I do like that I was included for once.”

  Sam rolled her eyes.

  It felt as though the day dragged on. I found myself looking out the window far too often to see if Archer and Erik were on their way back home.

  “A watched pot never boils,” Sam said from the couch. “Or something like that.”

  “Are you painting your nails?” I asked, looking at her over my shoulder.

  She gently blew on her bright pink fingertips. “Maybe.”

  I crossed my arms.

  “We all pass the time in different ways,” Sam said, getting to her feet. “You like to stare out the window, and I like to keep busy. Don’t judge me.”

  “I’m not,” I said. “I just thought they’d be back by now.”

  I wasn’t entirely sure what time of day it was, but based on the sun, it was well after noon. At the very least, they needed to be back before dark.

  “We’ll go make dinner soon, and they’ll probably be back before we even finish,” Sam said.

  “Maybe we should just have canned food,” I said. “Erik didn’t want us to leave.”

  “We’re not going to leave,” Sam said. “The grill is like five feet away. It’ll be fine. I’m sure they’ll both be happy to have hot food when they return.”

  Dorian came into the room, rubbing his eyes. “You guys talking about dinner?”

  “Yeah,” Sam said. “What should we make?”

  “We?” Dorian raised a brow.

  “Sure,” Sam said. “We’ll be out there with you.”

  Dorian yawned. “They aren’t back yet?”

  “No,” I said, pacing in front of the window.

  “Huh,” he said, combing his fingers through his hair. “I thought they’d be back by now.”

  “That’s what I was just saying to Sam,” I said, throwing my hands into the air.

  Dorian patted his stomach. “How about canned meat, corn, and mashed potatoes?”

  “I’d much rather have a cheeseburger and fries,” Sam said.

  “Don’t we all,” Dorian said. “But alas, we must utilize what we have.”

  “Let’s go make dinner,” Sam said. “I call holding the shotgun.”

  My nose wrinkled. “You sound far too excited for that.”

  “Maybe we should just wait for them to get back,” I said.

  “Oh, come on, Mel,” Sam said, her mouth twisting. “We can take care of ourselves. If we see anything suspicious, we’ll just come back inside.”

  My eyes narrowed. “It’s like you completely forgot that someone threw a rock through the window.”

  “They didn’t come in,” Sam said. “It was probably just that guy with his dad trying to scare us away. Besides, I doubt they’ll do that during the day.”

  “If we don’t get started, it won’t be day anymore,” Dorian said.

  “Fine,” I said, letting my suddenly heavy shoulder drop.

  Dorian clapped his hands together. “Okay, you two get the food, and I’ll get the grill going. Meet me outside.”

  “Erik is going to be so mad,” I muttered.

  Sam ignored me and walked downstairs. I reluctantly followed her without bothering to hold in my heavy sigh.

  She gathered up the food while I stood there, twisting my fingers together. I wanted to tell her we should just start the generator and use the microwave, but she wouldn’t have listened.

  It was like Sam had something she wanted to prove to Erik.

  “What do you think about Archer?” she asked with her back to me.

  “He’s nice,” I said. “I really don’t know him well.”

  Sam turned, her eyes sparkling. “Hot, right?”

  I nodded.

  “Are you going to help me?” she asked.

  “Oh, sure,” I said, scooping up some of the food.

  “I think he might be interested in me,” Sam said, meeting my gaze.

  I swallowed hard. “Yeah?”

  “It’s not like I want anything serious,” Sam said, her eyes widening. “Like, look around. That’s not even an option, right?”

  “Right,” I replied instantly.

  “It would be cool with you, right?” Sam asked.

  “Hey!” Dorian called from the top of the stairs. “What’s taking you two so long? Fire’s roaring.”

  Sam’s brows snapped together. “He’s so impatient,” she whispered. “We’re coming! Keep your pants on.”

  “So, I should put them back on?” Dorian shouted.

  “He’s also not even a little funny,” Sam said.

  I bit my lip. “I think he’s a little funny.”

  “Maybe. But do not tell him that,” Sam said with a laugh.

  “I wouldn’t think of it,” I said.

  We laughed as we walked up the stairs. It was like we were back to normal.

  Sam wasn’t someone that I could ever stay mad at. She never stayed mad at me for long either. Sam was more like a sister than my actual sister was.

  Dorian was at the grill waving us over. “Let’s go! Let’s go! Looks like it might rain again.”

  The sky was covered with gray clouds. I chewed my cheek as I scanned the area, hoping to spot Erik and Archer.

  “I forgot
something to drink,” Sam said, puffing out her lip.

  “I need to get a clean plate,” Dorian said. “Want me to grab something for you?”

  “That would be perfect,” Sam said, looking around. “Forgot the shotgun on the table.”

  Dorian raised a brow and pointed at one of the lawn chairs. “I remembered.”

  “Wow,” Sam said, raising her brows.

  “I know, right? Who’s the man?” Dorian said, pounding a fist against his chest.

  “Get the plate,” Sam said with a chuckle.

  Dorian jogged to the house, taking several glances back over his shoulder. Sam scowled at the rectangles of pink meat.

  “Am I supposed to flip these?” she asked. “What is this anyway? Pork?”

  I shook my head, hugging myself as the wind picked up. The leaves overhead rustled, sounding like a distant crowd clapping their hands.

  “Chilly,” Sam said.

  “Yeah,” I said, turning at the sound of leaves crunching from behind.

  I gasped as a man dressed in black sprinted toward us. He moved past me and grabbed the back of Sam’s head.

  In one quick movement, he brought her to the ground and smashed her head against the ground.

  30

  After bashing Sam’s head two more times, the man pulled back his hoodie and grinned. “Hello, Mel. Long time no see.”

  It hadn’t been my imagination—the truck at the restaurant… in the town—he’d been there.

  Elijah had followed us.

  My vision swirled, and my body swayed. It felt like I was on a boat in the lake, and the waves had complete control.

  “No,” I said.

  “So, how have you been?” Elijah said, glancing toward the house. “I don’t think we have much time.”

  My eyes shot down to Sam. Her hair was splashed all over the ground. I wasn’t sure where her hair ended, and the blood started.

  “What have you done to her?” I asked, sucking in a panic-filled breath.

  “She’ll probably be fine,” Elijah said, his eyes popping out of his head. “Sam is resilient!”

  I took a step toward the shotgun on the chair, but Elijah had anticipated the move and blocked me. My hands clenched.

  “What do you want?” I screamed.

  Elijah’s eyes filled with red rage. He slapped his hand over my mouth and twisted my shirted until it was tight around my neck.

  “Let’s go for a walk,” he whispered into my ear as he picked up the shotgun off the chair.

  I tried to call for Dorian, but my voice was muffled. He wouldn’t have heard me, and even if he had, Elijah would have used the shotgun.

  My feet scraped across the ground as he dragged me away from Erik’s house. He moved quickly, crossing the road and into the trees where the thick foliage hid us from view.

  Elijah had planned the route. He’d known exactly what he’d do if he ever got a chance to take me.

  “You thought you’d leave town without telling me, huh?” Elijah said. “I told you it wasn’t over, and it’s not. This isn’t over until I say it is.”

  I bit down on his hand as hard as I could. He jerked his hand back and shook it wildly.

  “Let me go, you stupid fuck!” I shouted.

  “Is that any way to talk to me?” Elijah said. “What happened to all that talk of marriage and kids?”

  “That was before I realized you were a lunatic,” I said.

  “Takes one to know one,” Elijah said mockingly.

  He pressed his hand back down over my mouth harder. His head darted back toward Erik’s house before he walked faster.

  The leaves whistled above us with an angry breeze. In the distance, I was almost certain I’d heard the sound of a boat.

  Had Erik and Archer taken the boat to town? Would they see me from the road?

  I tried to open my mouth to bite Elijah again, but he pushed down hard. So hard, it felt like my jaw was going to snap.

  We’d walked for a long time before he threw me to the ground. I rolled to a stop with the end of the shotgun half an inch from my nose.

  “Don’t make a sound,” Elijah said. “I don’t want to have to blow your pretty little head off.”

  “Where are you taking me?” I asked.

  “Home,” Elijah said, pushing the barrel against my nose. “But it’s going to take forever if I have to drag you there.” He jerked his chin. “Get up. Keep your mouth shut, or I will shoot you.”

  I shook my head. “Shoot me then.”

  He pressed the barrel harder into the side of my nose. The pain was so unbearable my eye started to water.

  “Okay, okay,” I said.

  “See,” Elijah said, grinning widely. “Everything is going to be fine.”

  I led the way. My feet moved slowly as I prayed to God Erik and Archer would see me.

  “Did you follow us the whole way?” I asked, breaking the silence.

  Maybe our voices would carry on the wind, and someone would hear my voice. Perhaps that was just wishful thinking.

  “Suppose there is no harm in telling you now. I’ve been tracking you for months,” Elijah said proudly. “There is so much cool gear out there you wouldn’t believe it.”

  “But why? Why follow me to my mom’s house,” I asked.

  “I knew if I could get you alone and explain, you’d understand,” Elijah said. “That’s all I want. For you to realize I still love you. Nothing will ever change that. But your stupid friends were always in your ear telling you I wasn’t good enough.”

  I shook my head. “The decision to break up was mine.”

  “That’s what you think,” Elijah said. “Sam isn’t happy unless you’re doing what she wants. She’s a selfish little bitch, and you know it.”

  “She’s one of the best friends I ever had,” I said, looking into his disgusting, evil eyes. “I’d do anything for her, and she’d do anything for me.”

  Elijah grabbed my hair and jerked me backward. “I’ll do anything for you. You never appreciated me like you should have. I started to help clean your mom’s house. That was me.”

  “You stole my stuff?” I asked.

  “I just moved it,” Elijah said.

  “Where?” I said, ignoring the pain from my nails digging into my palms.

  He tipped his head forward. “Walk faster.”

  “I’m going as fast as I can with a gun pointed at me,” I said. “You know how I am.”

  “That I do.”

  “Where is my stuff, Elijah?”

  He sighed. “It’s safe.”

  “Safe where?”

  “Where I’ve been staying. Once we figure out where we’re going to go, I’ll retrieve it,” Elijah said, quickly shifting his eyes at a squirrel bouncing through the grasses. “First, I need to figure out what to do about your new pals.”

  My throat dried. “We don’t need to do anything about them. We can just go. Leave them alone. They’re going to leave anyway.”

  “Where are they going?” Elijah asked, cocking his head.

  “Back to Massachusetts. You won’t need to worry about them,” I said.

  “You’re probably lying,” Elijah said.

  I shook my head vigorously. “No! I’m not. It’s the truth.”

  “All you’ve ever done is lie to me,” Elijah said. “You lied about where you were, who you were with. You even lied about loving me.”

  “I’m not lying about this. You know Sam has a daughter,” I said, with wide eyes. “She’s going back for her. You can just let them leave.”

  If Sam was even still alive. There had been a lot of blood splattered around her when Elijah dragged me away.

  I fought off the tears. I couldn’t think about it. I couldn’t let myself fall away from what was happening. If there was ever a time to hold it together, it was now. In fact, my life depended on it… and maybe not even just my life. If panic overtook me, Elijah might go back and finish what he started.

  “Nah,” Elijah said. “They won’t
leave without you.”

  My heart sank into my acidic stomach. It felt like my insides were being eaten away.

  “What do you want, Elijah?” I asked.

  “Everything to go back to how it was before your friends turned you against me,” he said, touching my shoulder. “I want that future you planned for us.”

  I’d never planned to be locked in a basement, and if I didn’t get away, it would happen again. Elijah not only had a temper, but he was also insane.

  I couldn’t survive him again, and I couldn’t let him do anything to the others. If I didn’t get away, we were all in trouble.

  “Can’t you walk faster?” Elijah asked, looking around nervously.

  My eyes darted, desperately trying to find a way to escape. I couldn’t think. There was only one thing that kept repeating over and over and over again in my head.

  Run.

  31

  I could see my mom’s house in the distance. If I could get away from Elijah without getting shot in the back, maybe I could get inside. Lock myself away until I figured out a way to escape and get back to the others.

  I knew the area better than Elijah did. I knew where every rock was, where every large branch rested, and where there were holes in the ground.

  My hands were free. The only thing stopping me was the gun pointed at me.

  Everything around was colored in dreary grays and browns. The dark clouds overhead muted the tones, blending the trees and foliage together. A thin mist from the humidity floated a few feet above the ground. The night would be here soon, and I would be out of time.

  A smile Elijah couldn’t see curled my lips. An idea hit me.

  It probably wasn’t a good idea, but it was the only idea I had. I sucked in a breath and stopped walking.

  “What was that?” I whispered, grabbing onto Elijah’s shoulder.

  He shifted the gun away from me and turned in the direction I was facing. “What was what?”

  “I saw something,” I said. “Was it an animal?”

  “I didn’t see anything,” Elijah said, narrowing his eyes.

  “Over there,” I said, holding up a shaking finger over his left shoulder.

  Elijah turned, and I curled my fingers into a fist. I launched my hand at the side of his face as hard as I could.

  He barely moved, but he hadn’t expected to get socked in the face. His fingers slipped off the handle of the gun.