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Darkness Falls |
| Written by Chase Merkley | |
| Saturday, 22 December 2007 | |
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Share it:      Darkness Falls Based on the movie “I am Legend” A Short Story written by: Chase Merkley
Albert Camus, Notebooks.
His eyes opened. He saw the fan slowly spinning above him. He wipes the crust from his eye lids and yawns. He turns to his side and looks at the time. It reads 12:45 p.m. He sits up and looks at his bedroom. He continues to look around and sees the photo frames lying face down. He removes the covers and sits at the end of his bed. He sees his dresser and looks at one particular picture facing down. He continues to look as he massages his neck. The juice comes out of the carton as it fills up the glass cup. The bacon sizzles and the eggs smell amazing. The shower runs warm as he let’s the water run down him. As the water runs, he reaches his arm towards his back and feels what looks like a scratch. He brings his arm back and doesn’t touch it, but just stares at the wall in front of him. His facial expression goes from “in another world” to anger. He puts his arm and with his hand touches the wall facing him. He lowers his head and looks at the water running below his feet. He continues to look at the water and flashbacks to a woman. He dreams of a beautiful woman. She is shown in his dream standing in a field of flowers with the sun dropping behind her. She smiles looking at him. “I love you Jake,” she says. Suddenly he comes back to seeing water running below his feet. He tries to dream of her again, but instead of seeing her in a field, he hears her scream in horror. He stops without hesitation and punches the wall violently. He walks in the kitchen, dressed casual, and sees food on the table. A boy comes out of the laundry room and sees him. “How long do you sleep?” The boy asks. “I sleep as long as everyone else. What time did you wake up?” He asks. “A few hours ago,” the boy says. “See…now that’s not normal. You’re not normal,” he says with a smile. 1:15… “You are getting good at this cooking stuff Andrew,” he tells him. “Thanks dad! I added pepper to the eggs this time like you wanted me to,” Andrew tells him. Jake, Andrew’s father, looks at him with a big smile. “Thanks for doing that big guy,” Jake says. They continue to eat. 2:30… “Hey Andrew! Where are you?” Jake screams sitting at the kitchen table looking at old bills. Andrew runs in the kitchen. “What’s up?” He asks. Jake turns and looks at him. “Hey, I have to go for a little bit. You know the rule right?” He asks. Andrew smiles and rolls his eyes. “Yes dads…don’t leave the house,” he says. Jake smiles. “And…” Jake says. Andrew rolls his eyes once again. “Hide when it hits dark. I got it dad!” Andrew says running off into his room. “Hey! You better! I would really hate to call off that date!” Jake says standing up. “Ew dad! That’s nasty! I’m ten!” Andrew screams. 4:47… “You’re listening to 103.5. I’m your awesome host Jake Burnside and I’m going to take you into the countdown,” Jake says at the local radio station. He sits and waits as music plays. He flips the switch and begins to talk again. “I hope is doing well out there. Today’s topic before we start the countdown is: Girls. Every guy out there will I agree I think when I say that girls are hard to read. Sorry ladies. Guys just don’t know the ladies signs. I’m here to help gentlemen. I’m going to throw out a scenario, ok? A guy asks a girl out, and she says ok. Alright guys, so now you have a date planned. You can’t blow it! The rules for a date are as follows: 1. the guy drives. It’s pretty much a given. 2. The guy pays for dinner and the movie. You don’t have to take her to those two things, but wherever you take her, you pay; you got it? 3. Always start the conversation. I didn’t say talk for an hour, just start it and let her talk. Women like to talk about themselves. We don’t guys. You want them to be happy…let them talk about themselves. 4. Walk her to the door after you drop her off. 5. Never and I mean NEVER go all the way for the kiss. Let her finish the date. There you go guys; I just helped you with women. You can also throw in some bonus points by saying hello to the parents and telling her how beautiful she is. Alright, I’m tired of talking! Time for the countdown!” He says turning the switch off. 9:56…Darkness falls… Andrew opens his eyes after hearing some noises outside. He sees nothing but darkness. He reaches in his pocket and pulls out a cell phone. He flips it open and the light shines bright. He squints as he tries to gain focus to the light. He scrolls down his contact list and finds the name “Dad.” He presses the green button and the screen reads “calling Dad…” “What’s up man?” His dad says whispering. “Dad?” He asks. “What?” Jake says. “Can you get me some Oreos to?” Andrew asks. Jake opens the refrigerator and takes a drink or milk from the carton. He wipes his mouth while holding the phone. “What? Why? I don’t want your breath stinking up the closet big guy,” Jake says opening the cabinets with food in them. “Dad I don’t snore like you. I breathe like normal people,” He says. Jake smiles and grabs the cookies. Jake sets the food on the table and goes back to get another drink of milk. Jake begins to drink the milk as he hears a noise in the garage. He looks straight and sees the door leading to the garage. He puts the milk up and listens again. He hears the same sound again. Jake wipes his face and begins to wake up. “Andrew…stay in that closet,” he says hanging up the phone. Jake walks closer to the door, the noise getting louder. He finally stands right in front of the door. He hears some kind of moaning sound. Jake steps away from the door and takes the time to breathe. He hears something fall and hit the floor in the garage. He turns quickly and stares at the wooden door. He moves his hands through his hair asking himself what to do. Jake walks quickly to the living room and walks to a dresser. He opens and grabs a steel bat. He quickly walks back to the door and stares at it. He waits. He hears silence. He waits. The moaning returns and it’s more violent. Jake imagines what it may look like. He looks at the bat. Jake returns to the kitchen with an 18 inch riot shotgun. He puts his hand on the knob and closes his eyes. “Please…” he whispers to himself. He twists the knob, opens his eyes, and quickly opens the creaking door. He turns on his light from the gun and points it all around the garage. He listens for the moaning as his heart pounds. He points the light at the corner of the garage. He sees nothing but the recycling bin. He slowly walks to the bin. He sees something that doesn’t look right. He continues to walk to the bin and sees a tiny puddle. He points the light at it and it looks like blood. He gets on one knee and takes a closer look. As he is about to get up, he hears a growling sound. He doesn’t move because the growling he heard is right behind him. His face suddenly goes from scared to a terrifying look. He hears it moving closer to him growling more violently. He can hear what sounds like saliva dropping from his mouth. He knows that it’s blood. His breathing begins to get louder and his heart to beat faster than he has gotten it to beat. It begins to moan and growl as it gets closer to Jake’s flesh. Jake breathes hard and shakes in fear. Jake turns around with a scream. The thing jumps for him, but stops as the light shines on its body. It screams in pain and backs up. It quickly jumps away from the light and Jake takes a shot. Jake doesn’t hesitate and makes a run for the door. He takes off, but slips on somewhat and falls and sees the door right beside him. He turns and shines the light on what he fell over and he sees blood. He hears growling coming from the side of him and he turns towards it. He sees the thing standing up. Jake quickly gets up to get in the house. It runs after Jake screaming for his flesh. Jake gets in the house and shuts the door just in time. It bangs and screams and bangs some more wanting to taste him and tear him apart. Jake holds the door and screams while praying. He looks and sees the light switch. “HEY!” Jake screams. The thing continues to bang and scream uncontrollably. Jake puts his hand over the switch. “Burn…” he says flipping the switch. He hears the thing scream in pain. He hears it cry wanting the burning to stop. He slowly opens the door and peaks through the door. He sees the thing banging it’s head on the wall trying to make the pain end. He continues to watch and sees it fall on the ground putting its hands over its chest. Jake can see the pain is coming from his chest. As he watches some more, he sees his body disintegrating. The thing slowly turns its head and stares at Jake. It reaches its arm trying to get Jake. Jake sees his arm reaching for him fall off and watches it turn into black ashes. He shuts the door and lets it die alone. The next day…1:03 Jake wakes up. He sits up and massages his neck and sees the riot shotgun leaning on his dresser. He turns back and looks straight ahead and sees the frame lying face down. He stands and walks to the frame. He touches the frame and closes his eyes. The woman returns and is shown touching the flowers in the field. She looks and laughs with a smile. She is shown smelling the flowers. She runs with a flower and holds it out for Jake. Jake’s muscle in his neck twitches. He comes back to the dream and she is shown crawling on the floor screaming Jake. Jake opens his eyes and looks at the frame. Andrew walks in and sees his father. “Dad?” He asks. Jake pulls it together and looks at Andrew with a smile. “Yeah, what’s up big guy?” Jake walks in the living room and sees a present sitting on the couch. Jake walks to the gift and looks at Andrew. “Merry Christmas daddy,” he says. Jake thanks him and picks up the gift and shakes it. “I wonder what it could be,” he says with a smile. “OPEN IT! OPEN IT DADDY!” Andrew says. “Ok! Calm down!” Jake says laughing. Jake opens the gift and suddenly becomes speechless. He picks up the gift and holds it in his hand. “Do you like it daddy? I wanted to get you a car, but I didn’t have any money,” he says. Jake laughs and stares at the gift. “This blanket will do me some good Andrew. Thank you so much big guy,” he says giving him a huge hug. “Are you ready for your gift?” Jake asks. Andrew smiles and says, “Yeah! I was born ready dad!” Jake just laughs and tells him to go and get ready. 3:58… Jake parks and Andrew gets out of the truck with excitement. Jake gets out and tells him to slow down. Jake shuts the door and follows Andrew as Andrew runs towards the gates to the theme park. “No lines!” Andrew says jumping over the rails. Jake laughs as he tries to keep up. “How did you turn these rides on dad?” He says getting on the rollercoaster. “Hey now…enjoy the gift of love and don’t ask questions,” Jake says making sure it was secure in the ride. “This is the best gift dad. I love you,” the boy tells him. Jake smiles and tells him how much he loves him back and lets him enjoy the park all to them. 6:24… Jake checks his watch. He yells for Andrew telling him that they need to get back. “Andrew, I’m serious! We have to go! It takes an hour to get back home and dark hits us at eight!” He yells seeing Andrew going into another ride. Andrew comes back out and runs towards his father. Jake and Andrew shut the doors to the truck and see the time. “Were going to make it home,” Andrew says putting on his seat belt. Jake turns on the truck and heads out of the parking lot of the theme park. 7:44… Jake drives down their street and looks at their house. He sees something strange. Andrew laughs. “Dad, why did you leave the front door open?” “I didn’t…” he says pulling the car and parking it in front of their house on the curb. “Jake, stay right here,” he says getting out of the truck. He pulls his seat back and pulls out the shotgun. Jake shuts the door and makes his way to the house. He walks in the house quickly looking around. He looks down the hall and sees nothing. He walks in the kitchen and sees nothing. He checks the garage and just sees the ashes of the one. He walks slowly down the hall. He checks his room knowing to find nothing, but sees one standing in the corner. He points the gun at it and sees that it’s sleeping. He moves in closer. He thinks about how it got in the house during the daytime. He looks and sees burns on it healing itself. He lowers his weapon and turns off the safety. He lifts it back up and sees it shaking. He backs up and it stops. 8:01…Darkness Falls… Andrew sits in the truck and watches the sun go down. He looks in the distance and sees one of them crawling out a sewage moaning after the long sleep. Andrew gets out of the truck and makes a run to the house screaming for his father. Jake hears his son calling for him. He sees the window in front of him and yells, “Andrew! Stay-” He tries to finish, but it wakes up and screams at Jake. Jake screams and it jumps for him. Jake fires the powerful weapon and it goes through the window. Andrew stands at the front of the door and sees the monster fall through the window right beside the door. Andrew screams and turns to look in the house to see his father screaming at him. “Andrew!” Jake screams. Andrew runs for his father, but the monster grabs his leg with the power it still has left due to the shot. Jake runs for his only son and points the gun at its head. It looks at the barrel and screams and moans wanting to feast. Andrew screams in pain as it scratches his leg. Jake takes no chance and blows the monster’s head off. The jaw of the thing hanged from the body. Jake kicks the body of it out of the door and shuts the door. As he shuts it, he sees more of the monsters coming towards them. After Jake locks the doors, he comes and sees Andrew lying on the couch. Jake sits down and checks his leg. “It got you pretty good,” Jake said looking at the scratch. “I told you to stay in the truck,” Jake said. “It was getting dark and I kept thinking that you were in trouble,” Andrew said. “It’s ok Andrew,” Jake says. “I don’t feel to good daddy,” Andrew says. “You just need to get some rest,” Jake tells him moving his hair away from his face. “I’m not going to turn into one of those things, am I?” Andrew asks in pain. Jake gives a convincing smile with a tear twinkling in his eye. “Of course not big guy,” he says. “That would really suck,” Andrew says laughing a little. Jake joins him. “I wish mom was here,” Andrew says. Jake just tries to keep his composure, but can’t. “Me to,” he says beginning to cry. He lifts Andrew up to give him a hug. “Me to big guy,” he says beginning to cry. Andrew joins him and they sit there holding each other crying over what has happened. 3 months before… “Everyone just needs to stay in their homes for right now!” A local officer tells the neighborhood. “Who gave you the right to lock us in our own home?” Jake’s wife, Amy, asks. “Please ma’am. I’m only trying to do my job,” the officer says. “Why do we need to stay in our homes?” A man asks. “There has been a contagious breakout. That’s all I’m going to say!” He tells them. “You need to stay in the homes. Do not come out at night. I repeat: Do not come outside at night!” He says opening the door to his cruiser. “Honey, what time is it?” Amy asks Jake. “It’s almost eight, why?” He asks. He gets no answer, but they all hear a moaning sound down the street. Everyone turns and sees a bald looking man shaking staring at them. It opens its eyes and screams violently at the crowd standing outside including Amy and Jake. Jake turns and sees Andrew looking out the window. Suddenly moaning comes from the other end of the street. They all turn and see another bald looking man screaming. “What is going on?” Amy asks Jake. Jake turns around and sees one of them running towards them. “Everyone go to their houses!” The officer says running towards Jake’s house. Jake and Amy take off running as well as everyone else. Jake turns and sees of the things attacking his neighbors. Biting the male and throwing the wife into their brick wall. He hears the man scream in pain as he turns back to the house, but falls over the officer who fell down due to a hole in the ground. “You ok?” Jake asks. “I twisted my ankle, but I’ll be fine,” he says wanting a hand. As Jake reaches for his hand, one of the things jumps on his back. Jake looks up and it screams horrifically at him and pushes him away. Jake falls and hears the Officer scream. He watches as it bits at his neck. Blood covers the Officer’s face as his hand that was in need of help slowly falls to the ground. “Jake! Run!” Amy says with the front door open. Jake stares at all the chaos and blood surrounding him. He gets up and makes a run for the door. He sees Amy and looks and sees Andrew still at the window crying. Jake runs faster and makes it to the door. He turns towards the bushes and one of them comes out screaming towards him. Amy is between them and Jake tries to move her. Jake switches spots with her and turns around. It tackles Jake and tries to bite him. Jake fights back and keeps its mouth away from him. He finally gets to its neck and grabs it. “Say goodnight,” he says and breaks its neck. It falls to the ground. Jake gets up quickly and grabs Amy. Jake walks in the house first trying to get Amy in the house. Amy falls to the ground with her mouth open in shock. She hits her teeth first and two come out and one goes into her gums. Jake grabs hold of her and sees that the thing did not die to the neck break. It tires to drag her into the bush to feast. Jake holds on to her. He looks at her crying in fear and seeing the blood come out of her mouth. “JAKE!” She screams not wanting this to be the end. “No! I can save you! Please hang on!” He screams not knowing what to do. The creature is to strong and Jake loses her hand. “AMY!” He screams watching her getting dragged into the bushes. Jake turns and sees more coming towards him. He looks back and sees her staring at her. She screams in terror screaming for Jake, “Please don’t leave me! Jake!” She says as she sees him running into the house. “NO! PLEASE! JAKE!” She says before getting feasted on by the creature. 3 months later…December 25, 2012…11:02… Jake awakes from the nightmare and sees Andrew’s head. He removes his hand that was holding his head and sees something. He finds Andrew’s hair in his hand. He looks again and sees Andrew losing his hair. Jake lies him down on the couch and stands up with sadness. He walks into his room and sees the frame. He touches it and closes his eyes. He sees Amy smiling and telling Jake, “forever is never far away.” He opens his eyes not knowing what that line meant, but loved it. He lifts the picture and it shows Amy, Andrew, and himself being goofy. Andrew is the goofiest in the picture. Jake returns to see his son losing more hair by the minute. His son begins to breathe a lot faster than normal. He can hear his tone beginning to change as well. He grabs a chair in the kitchen and sits it in front of Andrew. He sits in the chair and stares at him. He smiles with tears remembering the memories. He coughs as he lifts the gun on his lap. 11:36… Jake stares at his hairless son and sees the transformation becoming complete. Jake can only wait. He closes his eyes. Jake listens and hears moaning in front of him. He opens his eyes. “I love you Andrew…” The night was quiet when the shot occurred. After the echoing of the shot was heard, the screaming of pain coming from Jake could be heard. “WHY?” Jake screams to himself. His son is shown disintegrating in front of him as he shows his emotions. Jake gets off his knees and sits back in the chair and holds the gun to himself. Jake’s tears run down his face as he tries to get courage to pull the trigger. He closes his eyes with more tears coming out. His finger shakes as he touches the trigger. He relaxes his other hand due to his hand sweating. He opens his eyes and tells himself to do it. “Do it! Just do it you coward!” He screams and finally pulls the trigger. No bullets came out due to none in the compartment. Jake throws the gun against the wall and just falls back to his knees crying. Banging comes from the door as the creatures hear Jake. Jake turns and looks at the front door. He gets up and walks towards the door. Saying to himself he says, “You want to eat me? Is that why you things are here?” He stands in front of the door and hears them moaning wanting his flesh. He knows that they can smell him. “Yeah, take it in,” he says. He touches the knob, and then looks at his son’s ashes. He looks farther and sees the shotgun. He looks up and says, “Why am I here still God?” He wants to hear him literally speak, but nothing but screaming and moaning. 1:01… The window shatters in the other room in the house. One of the monster’s crawls in moaning breathing hard wanting flesh. “You hungry?” Jake asks coming out of hiding and shoots it in the chest. He walks up to it and hears it crying in pain. He points the barrel at its head. It stares at it. Jake becomes so angry and turns it over and beats it until nothing is left with the shotgun. He screams as his arms get tired, but he must keep going. The next day… “My name is Robert Neville. I am a survivor in New York City…” Jake hears listening to the radio in his truck. Jake stops his truck and continues to listen. Jake smiles after hearing the message. “New York, here I come…” he says driving down the deserted highway pasting empty cars and trucks.
The End Copyright 2007 Chase Merkley |
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| Last Updated ( Saturday, 22 December 2007 ) |
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