Yes, I know it's been quite a while since I've posted anything, but I have an excuse. Y'see, I've been writing original short stories for my class. <G> Here's my latest.
No disclaimer here, 'cause they're *mine* all *mine*! Mwahahahahaah!
Laura Davies
October 15, 2003
Dr. Holman
Narrative Techniques
When Darkness Falls
I still don't know why Sarah wanted to go caving. We’ve been trudging along this dank, dark tunnel for an eternity with the light from out flashlights barely showing us the ground in front of our feet. I don't know how she managed to convince me to go along with her. I can feel the rough, craggy stone of the wall under my fingertips as I slide my hand along it. I've never liked darkness, and even with our flashlights, it's too dark in here for my taste. I shiver as the cold, dank air hits my face and pull my jacket tighter around me. Despite the frightening darkness, it's easy going so far and I don't want to mess it up. I stumble slightly on the uneven floor and glance back at Sarah. "You ok, Sar?" I say softly.
"Yeah," she answers, panting heavily. "This is more work than I though it'd be--that, or I'm really out of shape."
I glance back at her pudgy form, with a slight smile on my face. "Ya think?" I ask.
Sarah groans and smacks my arm. "Kel! That's not funny!" She grins at me, reaches for her water bottle, and takes a large gulp.
"C'mon, Sarah," I say, sticking my tongue out at her. "We've been teasing each other since elementary school--why should that change now?"
"Maybe because we're approaching middle age, and we're getting too old to tease each other like that anymore? After all, this trip and this cave are our last adventure together before I give up my freedom.,” she says. Sarah runs her hand through her strawberry blonde hair. "I've always wanted to do this, and after I get married, I probably won't get the chance--Jim isn't into this kind of thing."
I sigh and shake my head before carefully skirting the edge of the chasm in front of me. That's why I agreed to come in here--Sarah. We've been best friends for as long as I can remember. In all of our families' pictures, it's always me and her together--Sarah and Kelly, joined at the hip. We grew up in the same neighborhood, went to the same schools, and even picked the same college. Hell, we'd even been roommates through grad school. I know it's weird for people to stick together for so long, but I don't know what I'd do without her--we're practically sisters, fraternal twins.
She knows everything about me; except for my darkness fear. That's something that's private, and I'd only brave it for her. I breathe a sigh of relief after I get to the other side of the pit and start going forward carefully, feeling the cool stone wall beneath my hand. I look back to see her close behind me, the light of her flashlight beginning to fade.
"Sarah," I begin, "did you bring extra batteries?"
Sarah tucks a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. "'Fraid not, Kelly," she says, absently kicking a rock into the chasm. We listen as the rock bounces off the sides of the pit and clatters down to the bottom where it lands with a plink.
"Damnit, Sarah, without light we're not gonna find our way out of here!" I exclaim.
"Well, your flashlight is still working," she points out logically. "We'll find our way out of here; I know you, you probably put new batteries in it before we came down here."
I scuff my toe against the ground before continuing down the passage way without dignifying her comment with a response. My elbow brushes against the walkie-talkie that I have clipped to my belt in case of emergencies. I put my free hand back on the wall and feel ridges there. The cave begins to grow narrower, and we squeeze through one of the tightest spots. Suddenly, the ground shakes slightly beneath my feet, and I feel the wall tremble. I can hear a rumble coming from behind us and in front of us. I turn and reach of Sarah's hand as she crashes against the wall and hits her head, hard.
My flashlight drops from nerveless fingers as the tremor stops, and I drop to my knees beside Sarah. "Are you ok, Sar?" I feel the back of her head; shocked when my hand comes away sticky with blood. I tear a strip off of my flannel shirt and tie it tightly around her head.
Before she can answer, my flashlight goes out, plunging us into total darkness. I shut my eyes tight and begin to chant to myself in my head. ‘It's only dark because my eyes are closed. It's only dark because my eyes are closed.’ I start to tremble and sit down hard. ‘It'sonlydarkbecausemyeyesareclosed.’ Roaring fills my ears and I bite my lip--I know that I'm lying to myself. This is my worst nightmare.
"I'm fine," she mutters. "My head just hurts--there's no way that Jim will ever agree to do this."
I don't answer because I'm too busy trying to control my fear. I hate the dark. Over and over again, I say it in my head, my mantra, and my link to the bright, sane world. ‘It'sonlydarkbecausemyeyesareclosedIt'sonlydarkbecausemyeyesareclosed. ‘It'sonlydarkbecausemyeyesareclosed’. Maybe if I think it enough, it'll be so. I draw in a deep, shuddering breath.
"Are you okay?" I hear Sarah ask.
"No," I whimper, trying to control my fear. I draw my knees up to my chest and wrap my arms around them. ‘It'sonlydarkbecausemyeyesareclosed,’ I think frantically again.
"Are you hurt?' she asks. I can feel her hand on my arm. I shrug it off and squinch my eyes closed more tightly.
"No!" I say, scooting away from her. "It'sonlydarkbecausemyeyesareclosed." I whisper. My throat tightens, and my eyes start to prickle. Before I know what’s happening, I can feel hot tears start to stream down my face. I put my hands over my face, and whisper it again, trying to convince myself. "It'sonlydarkbecausemyeyesareclosed.”
"Kelly, what's the matter?" Sarah asks. "It's just dark, there's nothing to be afraid of. So I can't see my hand in front of my face--no biggie."
"Yes it is," I answer, unable to hide the tremor of fear. "I'm achluophobic, Sar--I'm terrified of darkness like this!" I shrink back into the wall and as a sharp rock from and outcropping start to dig painfully into my back; my eyes pop open. No light, nothing. I am surrounded by nothingness. I bury my face in my hands and start to cry softly. ‘It's dark!’ My mind screams at me. Unreasoning terror envelops me and I begin to shake uncontrollably. "It's only dark because my eyes are hidden." I whisper. ‘It's dark,’ my mind yells again. I hear the pebbles shifting around me as Sarah crawls closer. She puts her arms around me, squeezing gently.
"It's okay, Kel," she murmurs. "I'm here, and there's nothing to be afraid of." Her hand begins to stroke my hair as she tries to comfort me. She lays her cheek on top of my head and pulls me closer. "It'll be all right," she whispers.
Part of me listens to her, and part of me can only hear the dripping of water in our dark grave as I gibber in terror. I can feel the walls closing in on me, and I start to gasp from want of air. "We're going to die in the dark," I whimper.
Sarah shushes me, still stroking my hair. "How long have you been achluophobic?" she asks.
"For as long as I can remember," I answer, still shaking. "Normal darkness is okay, but this--I can't stand it. Please Sarah--we're gonna die surrounded by nothing! Your batteries are out, and my lightbulb mush have blown when I dropped the flashlight."
Sarah is silent, so I guess she's thinking. “Hell, you could have told me—you should have,” she says. “Don’t you trust me? I’d never have asked you to do this if I’d only known! We could’ve gone... skydiving, or… bungee jumping to satisfy my need for one last adventure. We’ve been best friends forever—you know things about me that no one else knows. Why didn’t you tell me, Kelly?” she asks softly.
“I-I-I,” I begin, then stumble, unsure how to continue. “I trust you, Sarah, but only babies are afraid of the dark.” I say finally. “We’re supposed to be grown-ups, remember? You know, not afraid of the little kid stuff anymore.” I run a shaking hand through my hair. ‘It’sonlydarkbecausemyeyesareclosed.’ My mantra echoes in my head once more.
Sarah rests her cheek on my head before she releases me, then I hear a soft beep and the face on her cellphone lights up. Sarah starts to dial, then puts the phone to her head. "Damn! I'm not getting through." She turns the phone off, once again plunging us into total darkness. "Kel, didn't the park ranger insist on you having a walkie-talkie?" she asks.
"Y-y-y-yes," I stammer, fumbling with my belt. I find the walkie-talkie and give it to her.
Sarah clicks it on and begins to radio for help. It takes a few minutes, and a lot of static, but she gets through and they swear that they’re not too far away and that the blockage isn’t too bad. She switches the device off and fumbles with it for a few minutes before dropping it in her lap. "It'll be okay, Kel," she says, reaching for me to lend some comfort. "We're gonna get rescued." She begins to talk, reminding me of happier times in the sunlight. I continue to shake, terrified of the black that surrounds us. She puts her arm back around me, offering all the comfort she can.
"We're gonna get rescued," I whisper in an attempt to convince my irrational fear to leave. It becomes my mantra. Help is coming I say over and over inside my skull. We're not going to die in the dark. Minutes stretch into what seems like hours as Sarah continues talking, trying to distract me from my fear. Finally, I see lights bobbing toward us. Our saviors have arrived.
"Can you walk?" one of them says.
"Yeah," Sarah answers for both of us. They help us up and lead us towards the exit. After about ten minutes or so, I can see it! The light spilling in from the end of the cave grows bigger as we approach. It seems forever before we reach the exit and I step out of the darkness into glorious light.
"Sarah," I begin, "I'm never going into a place like that again."
"I don't blame you," she said, smiling slightly. "If I'd known, I never would have conned you into it."
I take a deep breath and expel the murky air of the cave from my body. In the light, I am safe at last.
