the dark days (book one of the darkness saga)

Chapter 23 - Impact

Chapter 23 - Impact

Alex POV

- 10 years old -

The bully and his friends were chasing me down the street. He wasn't happy that I fought back a few days ago. I made him think I was crying. When he got in close enough I caught him with a sucker punch, which stunned him. Before he could recover I was on top of him, and didn't stop until the fucker bled. I was lucky Xavier saw it all happen, and he vouched for me, which is why he also got detention for the altercation.

I was out of breath when I reached the end of the alley.

Fuck me, I took the wrong turn. This was the one with the dead end.

I had no choice but to face my attacker. I planted my feet behind me and clenched my fists.

No point running now, I told myself.

"Nowhere to hide, brat." The bully walked slowly towards me, his thugs fanned out behind him, ready to catch me in case I tried to run.

"Brat? Really? That's your best comeback?" I chuckled. "I have one better. You fuckers better leave me alone, or else."

Laughter broke among his friends.

“Or else what? You're alone now.” One of them said. "You don't even have your boyfriend to rat us out later," said another.

"I'm good on my own, thanks. Last time I checked it was just me and him—" I pointed to the bully, "—and he went home with his face beat in."

That seemed to quiet them, although it didn't stop them from advancing. Their long shadows loomed above me until the light from the alleyway was blocked, and all I can see are their eyes and teeth.

Of course I was scared shitless. I was just stalling, I knew I was done for. I knew I would be black and blue by the end of this. But I wasn't going down without a fight.

My eyes have been darting around all over the place. Maybe I can find a pipe, or a stick. Anything that I can use as a weapon.

I wasn't looking for an escape. I knew I had to finish this now so they can move on to their next victim. I never hoped I would win. But I was going to make sure that I will get at least one of them as bloody as me by the end of this.

The thought made me smirk. "What are you being so smug about, you little runt?"

I removed my glasses slowly, not wanting to break this pair. The last time I did I got a beating from Dad. I was more scared of that than the 12 year old punks in front of me. I folded it and tucked it away in the side pocket of my backpack.

I raised my fists, “I was just thinking about how bloody your faces will be.” I spat on the ground and braced for impact.

Before I knew it we were brawling it out. I got in two punches in, hitting the same bully on his unhealed nose, breaking it again.

Three of them grabbed my arms and held me struggling in place, for another one to punch me in the face.

The first blow pounded across my temples, causing me to close my eyes. My vision blurred, and my ears rang. When I opened my eyes again the bullies were frozen. The same guy who threw the first punch had his other fist inches from my face

I close my eyes again, bracing for the second punch. But when I opened them again, all four of them were lying on the ground, their faces covered in blood.

I gasped as I covered my mouth. I was surprised when I tasted the blood on my hands.

Not one of them were moving on the ground. I reached down to check if they were still breathing.

I screamed for help...

- Present time -

Suddenly everything is all quiet, save for a high pitched humming emanating from everywhere. In that moment, I tunnel vision; all I can see is Lola's twisted face as she sprints towards me.

She slams her shoulders to my stomach in a tackle, grappling around my waist in a takedown that hurls us into the air. It must have been just a split second but it felt like eternity: Lola's growl sound muted to my ringing ears, my vision a flurry of my own hair as my messy bun comes undone.

Everything shifts from slow to fast-forward when we crash into the bench behind me: the bench shatters with a loud crunch, sending splinters into the crowd, whose jeering amplifies as we collapse to the ground.

I didn’t feel the impact of Lola’s body on mine, nor hitting the bench, nor the ground, I only felt the cold arms wrapped around my waist. I didn’t even scream, which angered Lola.

On the ground, Lola sits on my abdomen, pinning me down, and raises a fist.

She throws a punch intended for my face. Her angry eyes go wide in surprise as I catch her fist in my hand before it even came close. She tries to release her hand from my grip but I hold it tighter.

I had felt a surge of strength inside me, that fueled a hunger inside me.

No not this again, I scream at myself to stop.

The dark clouds behind Lola continues to swirl hunger inside me grew.

Lola takes a swing with her other fist which I swat away. I grip on her captive fist even tighter until...

...until I hear the bones in her fingers start to

Lola howls in pain, “b***h!!!”

Smiling I dig my fingernails into her broken fist, piercing her skin. Blood trickles down my fingers, and still I refuse to let go.

The world stood still and silent once more, only Lola and myself moving. Lola moving in half speed while I seem to traverse space watching the event play out in front of me.

A darkness in my vision swirls around her like black clouds.

Her face turns pale as I crush her hand.

Wanting more, satisfying the hunger inside me, I need to hear her scream for pain.

The dark clouds swirl faster, pulsating with a tempo matching my heartbeat.

A feral growl broke through the haze around Lola, and streaks of light broke through.

Justin tackles Lola, hurtling himself and Lola off of me.

“She f*****g broke my hand,” she cries pleadingly to Justin as he held her down a few feet from me.

Dameon rushes into the scene bellowing, “ENOUGH!!!” I’ve never heard him like this before. With one word, he silences the whole pack.

Lola stops crying, the crowd that gathered around us stood still, even Justin straightens up in attention. It must be what Justin meant when he said that they sanctify the Alpha above all else. I always wondered how Dameon could command such reverence.

Dameon looked like he grew 10 feet taller. Every muscle on his body was tense, his breathing visible with the rise and fall of his chest. His eyes fixed on me yet he controlled everyone’s gaze. A dominant power radiated off Dameon. All eyes are on him, each subject holding their breath for his next command.

“Leave, now!” He commanded. Without question, everyone around the field left.

“I think you need to need apologize.” Dameon glares at Lola who was cradling her hand.

“But...” she tries to get his attention.

“Apologize, now!” he booms.

“Yes, Alpha.” she whimper, “I'm sorry, human.” she mutters.

I'm sure she wasn’t sincere.

As soon as Dameon touch my skin, all the rage I was feeling washes away. With the rage gone, the dark haze dissipates.

All at once I could feel where my back hit the bench and the back of my head bounced off the ground. A dampness starts forming on my right side.

“Ouch,” I cry out as Dameon help me up. I press on the dampness on my side with my bloody hand and noticed that it was wet with my own blood.

Fucking bench.

I apply pressure to the wound, but my hand was barely enough to cover all of it.

“I think you should leave now, Lola.” Justin uses a commanding voice; not as commanding as Dameon, but it was enough for Lola to follow him without question.

Now I see why he was Beta.

As she walked out of the ring Dameon called out to her.

“Take a few days leave, Captain. I don’t want to see you anywhere near the house until I command you to come back.”

Captain. It’s the first time I heard Dameon call her by her rank and not her name. This must have insulted Lola as I notice her eyes well up. She looks away and we all watch as she strides away from view.

With Lola gone, Dameon focuses on my injuries. He removes his shirt, tears it into strips and uses it to wrap around my torso to bandage my wound.

“Keep applying pressure.” His voice was much softer now. It calmed my senses and the familiarity helped mask the pain from the wound a little.

Dameon lifts me up in his arms and carries me out of the ring.

“I'm ...s-sorry,” stuttering. With Each step he takes, I wince in pain.

“No—I'm sorry I didn’t stop it sooner.” He looks at me with a playful eye. “I was so absorbed with your sports bra and jogger ensemble I forgot how much of sight you were." He continues walking, not looking where he was going, with the mischievous glint in his eyes all for me.

I knew he was doing his best to mask his disappointment with himself. I wish I could tell him not to feel that way.

What would I give to lift Dameon’s burdens?

We continue out of the sparring ring, out of the confusion, down the field, and towards the trail. I didn’t even realize we were moving, caught in the moment of being in Dameon’s arms, totally lost in his eyes.

I let myself sink into his arms while he carried me. I don’t think I could just be Dameon’s friend.

There wrap in my best friends arms, I realize that I don’t want to just be his friend. The question is am I ready for us to be more than friends?

Here we go again; I thought, as I lean my head on his chest.