Dark - Short Story

“Close the doors behind you.”

He turned the knob all the way before gently closing the wooden door behind him. He released the knob slowly, turning it back before taking his hand off of it. He peered into the darkness looking for any semblance of a light. Nothing. He took a hesitant step forward, testing his weight on the floorboards first to see if they creaked. Not a sound. He followed through with his step and reached his foot out for another. The floorboards sunk softly against his foot, betraying a quiet squeak. He immediately lifted his foot and tried another spot. Solid. He took another step.

“Keep your hands out in front of you as you walk.”

His hand outstretched brushed against a solid wall, and he felt along it for any kind of doorway or entrance. His footfalls were as silent as he could muster. Finally he bumped against what must have been a handle. He cursed himself at the sound it made, and he pried away his hands that had instinctively reached for it. Steadying his hands, he grasped the door slowly, and turned it quietly.

“Wind your watch every minute.”

He turned the dial on his wrist watch, loading the spring back, and it’s mechanical ticking continued to murmur from his wrist. He hoped he hadn’t wound it too much, else it would be loud enough for it to hear him. After all, the watch needs to hide the sound of his pulse. He turned the doorknob the rest of the way, and in the smallest increments he could, slowly pulled open the door. The soft creaking of the door screamed in his ears as it opened, filling him with panic. He got low to the ground and stood like a statue, listening. Ticking from his wrist watch. After what felt like decades, he continued to slowly open the door. Finally it stood open, and he slowly released the handle and took a step through the doorway.

“Look for any lights”

He closed the door slowly behind him, and glanced around to look for any light. What seemed to be directly in front of him was the faintest ghost of a light, gleaming so dimly in the dark he almost thought it was his imagination. But he knew better. As quickly as would still remain quiet, he finished closing the door and got as low to the ground as he could and rewound his watch. It took everything he could to keep from whimpering, huddled on the ground like he was, holding his wrist to his chest in the dark.

“Stay in the Dark”

His heart beat like a drum in his ears as the light became slowly brighter, until it got close enough where he could hear it. Scraping along the wooden floor and walls with sharp rasps, the light coming closer and closer until it was almost the brightness of a candle. He wasn’t sure what to do. The rules didn’t cover what to do if it got this close. He was half-tempted to just stand up and run, but he knew that would be suicide. He would be dead before he took his second step. He just held the watch close, and prayed to God. Tears fell down his cheeks as the rasping got louder, the light brighter, until finally it shone on him like a spotlight.