Dark Silence

21 days (2)

Everyday work in the office is the most boring thing in life. It pulls in like a bog, takes away strength, but at the same time you receive nothing useful as result. You are wasting your time, not actually creating anything. Life leaks through your fingers, settling in a computer in a meaningless set of characters that no one actually needs. And every time Darnell needed to write reports, he did his best and everything possible to avoid this. As a result, he ended up writing them anyway, but he did it for an incredibly long time, looking for side occupations for himself, walking to the first floor for coffee, or reading all sorts of nonsense on the Internet. And now, because of Madeleine, he had to go out to smoke on the balcony at the end of the far corridor of the floor. But this also required some time, which could be spent not on boring reports.

When Darnell finally finished his work, having completed all the forms, he also sent Ewing an application for a flexible work schedule until the end of the month, so as not to write explanatory notes every time because of sudden absences due to Madeleine's issues. It was already deep in the evening, and the man left the office the last one, as usual. It was even convenient to get home later than the others: he never got into traffic jams and did not waste his nerves on this more than he usually did.

Before entering his apartment, Darnell checked it on not to have any visitors, and only then let Madeleine into it. The girl immediately went to the computer as usual. Apparently, she decided that Darnell would forget his threats by evening and back down.

“I think I said that there’s no more computer for you from now on.” Darnell reminded her as he took off his coat and hung it near the front door. Madeleine turned to him and frowned, but did not get up from the computer, and even didn’t hurry to turn it off. Darnell walked over to her and leaned against the table. “Are you looking for a conflict?” he asked. Madeleine snorted at him and crossed her arms over her chest, showing with her whole appearance that he would not do anything to her.

“Why are you bothering the child?” Cole grunted from the dome.

“Shut up,” the man said to him.

Darnell really couldn't do anything about Madeleine. But he could do anything with what was in his apartment.

“Okay. Watch how easy your challenge founders on my firm measures.”

He grinned and ran his hand under the table to the system block. Darnell pulled out the cable that powered the computer and the monitor went out. Madeleine opened her eyes wide at him and opened her mouth in silent indignation.

"I don't really need the computer much," Darnell smirked, winding the cable around his fist. “And for now this will lie in my room.”

“Hey, your squabbles are all yours, but I did like the computer!” The spirit became indignant at this.

“Your turn will be soon, too,” Darnell promised.

He defiantly went to his room and hid the cable in the wardrobe. Returning to the living room, the man continued, addressing Madeleine:

“And now - the second part of your punishment, the most significant one.”

Darnell walked over to Cole's dome, and the spirit, sensing that something was wrong, huddled himself up in the far corner.

“I did not do anything!” he squeaked.

“You didn't,” a sadistic smile played on the man’s lips. Apparently, Madeleine did not like it at all, because she immediately grabbed Darnell's side and shook her head, asking not to touch the dome. “Unfortunately, today you’re a part of the educational process,” Darnell said, detaching and taking the dome off the shelf.

“I don't want to go to the closet! This is tyranny! I have a clustr... caflof…”

“You don’t have claustrophobia,” Darnell said with feigned sweetness in his voice. “You have been sitting in the dome for two years, in a very tiny, enclosed space.”

“ It's dark in the closet, I don't want to vegetate there again!” Cole squealed, still hoping to escape his fate.

The spirit did spend some time once in the closet before. It was two years ago when Darnell only caught him and didn't find the better way to tame bot only to shine in a dark and boring space where Cole nothing to occupy himself with. That cruel approach worked quite successfully, but later when the man got attached to the spirit, he didn't feel like hiding him in the closet again. However, right now something changed in him. He wanted to show the spirit that he was so minor and useless, and Darnell was stronger and could define his fate. The man took a step towards the closet but nearly tripped over Madeleine hanging on him. He caught a glance at reddened eyes filled with tears. The girl shook her head desperately again, clutching his black T-shirt in small fists. Darnell grabbed Madeleine by the scruff of her neck and lifted her off the floor easily, tearing her away from himself. He shook the girl like a naughty kitten and threw her on the sofa, continuing on his way to the closet.

The man opened the right door and placed the furious spirit on one of the shelves, behind which the back wall was removed. When the dome touched the surface, the symbols surrounding the room flashed, indicating that the circle had been successfully closed.

“Darnell, please don’t do this!” Cole screamed.

“Good night,” Darnell smiled at him and closed the door.

He locked the wardrobe and put the key in his pocket. Turning to the room, the man put his hands on his hips and sighed with satisfaction, looking at the result of his actions. Cole whined in fright from the wardrobe. Madeleine smeared tears and snot on her face with her sleeves, sobbing bitterly, shrank herself in the far corner of the sofa. Darnell smiled. He was overwhelmed with energy, and he felt an amazing elation.

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot.” Darnell went to the front door and locked it. “We have someone who likes to arrange the brakes in here, right?” he turned to Madeleine. The girl sniffed in response and turned away from him. “And now - go to sleep,” he said in an orderly tone, heading towards his room. When he reached the door, Darnell noticed that Madeleine didn’t even move. “Wasn’t I clear?” he turned to the girl in an icy tone. “I said - get to bed!” The man snapped.

Madeleine jumped up from the sofa and began to frantically collect her staff for going to sleep. After making sure that she would obey his orders, Darnell went to his room.

Without undressing, he fell on the bed and with a happy smile and stared up at the ceiling of the cigarette yellow color. A pleasant, relaxing warmth spread through his body, and Darnell closed his eyes, preparing to fall asleep. The calmness that covered him with a fluffy blanket was lulling him, taking into the soft embrace of sleep.

Suddenly, Darnell felt as if someone pushed him, forcingly pulling him out of the dream that was only starting. He abruptly sat up on the bed, coming to his senses. The realization of what he had just done, and what he had done to Madeleine, flooded over him like a tsunami. Terrified, he grabbed his head, jumped out of bed, and turned on the light.

The shame of the deed, created by a belatedly awakened conscience, burned from the inside, corroded him like the acid poured into the open chest. Darnell was out of breath in his tiny, smoky room, and he ran to the window. He pulled the old stuck latch a few times and finally opened the window, letting the chilling autumn air into the room. He put his burning face up to the wind, hoping that it could cool the conscience gnawing at him from the inside at least a little bit.

Darnell looked down at the trembling hands. His demon got out of control so easily that he did not even notice it himself. His darkest half dictated its rules, and he was glad to follow them, act the way it wanted, and fulfill its desires. And in return for this... in return, the demon gave him the feeling of freedom. And permissiveness. And who did Darnell decide to practice this on? On a weakened powerless spirit and on an innocent child who wanted to save him. Fine, not that innocent, but it was just a little girl, and Darnell had to first of all protect her. Instead, he probably scared her half to death. He shuddered at the memory of her tear-stained fear-filled eyes. Darnell screwed up the face in self-disgust.

He quietly walked up to the door and put his ear to it. There were no sounds in the living room. Cole didn’t whine anymore, and Madeleine was probably completely frightened, and chose to obey rather than continue to mess with Darnell. 

He closed the window and returned to the bed, huddling himself up on it. The pangs of conscience stepped back, leaving Darnell with an empty hole in his chest, in the place where he previously believed his soul was. He closed his eyes, thinking about how he would now make amends to Madeleine for his behavior.

 ***

Cold. Bitter cold. It penetrated Darnell's body from all sides at once, making him shiver. He looked around and waved his hands in fear. Darnell was surrounded by an endless surface of the water. Muddy, dark, infinite, icy water. He struggled with his hands and feet, which for some reason refused to obey as they should. If he did not stay afloat, the icy-cold abyss would drag him in, drown, absorb, dissolve in itself. Destroy him.

He could not withstand the water for long. It pulled Darnell to the bottom, and he gave up, letting the abyss take him. The water flooded his eyes, painting everything around him in a brownish-green color.

Suddenly Darnell understood that he was on his knees. There was something cold under his hands. It was crumbling. He clenched it into a fist and raised it to his eyes. He had mud in his hand. Darnell looked around. From all sides he was surrounded by high earthen walls, that pressed around Darnell in a tight, cold square. He raised his head and stared at a stone. A tombstone. Darnell opened his mouth in horror: his name and some dates were engraved on it. He could not distinguish them: the numbers were so vague as if they were hidden by a veil. Darnell turned his head, looking for an opportunity to get out of the grave that was blowing deathly cold on him. At the top of the grave, from the side, the man saw himself. He stood above and looked at the one who was dabbling in the grave. The doppelganger smiled and waved goodbye to Darnell. The first clump of earth fell on his back.