Darkness Within the Light

Chapter 3: The Dark Brothers

I had survived homeroom, Biology, English, and Art History by the time lunch came around. Lucky me, I had either Hannah or Rachel in each one of my morning classes. Hannah met Rachel and I at our lockers after fourth period, and they guided me to the cafeteria. I was prepared for the dreaded school food and smelly atmosphere, but what was presented before me was completely opposite.

The walls were painted with beautiful and vibrant murals all around the lunchroom. In the back right corner, there was an arcade lounge with old school games such as Galaga and Pac-Man. The room was completed with purple and pink zebra print couches. The food smelt incredible, and I was surprised that Eldritch High met the criteria for state recommended nutrition. They had a buffet of desserts that seemed to be stocked by Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, a cotton candy machine, and perfectly fried and sugar-coated funnel cakes that were better than the carnival. It looked like a trip down Diabetes Lane and the school was right in the middle of Obesity Avenue.

Once we overloaded ourselves with desserts, the main course meal was discovered. My eyes feasted upon the thick and juicy burgers smothered in grease inside of freshly baked and toasted sesame seed buns. Crisp and perfectly golden-brown French fries with my choice of ketchup, ranch, or honey mustard for dipping sauce lay for me to choose from. Also, there was chili and shredded cheese prepared and ready to smother the fries if I desired. Everything before me was filled with sugar, grease, or fat. No vegetables. No fruit. No health conscience salad. I had died and went to food heaven.

We found a table near the game room, and even the seating wasn't basic. We weren't trapped in the uncomfortable picnic style tables.

Oh no.

The cafeteria was laid out like a five-star restaurant that didn't have reservations available for two years. Cherry wood booths with memory foam pink cushions in the chairs and back support spread out across the room. If you needed a refill on your soda, milkshake, or slushy, a waiter brought it to you. An actual waiter. This place was getting stranger and stranger by the second. I figured it was best not to ask questions and just eat, but then my mind drifted into a conspiracy theory that the food was laced with an unknown drug that trapped you in this town forever.

“So, Katie Anne, how do you like Eldritch so far?" Rachel asked as if she were reading my mind. Honestly, that wouldn't surprise me at this point.

“It's interesting…" My voice trailed off as I analyzed the fries for any trace of them being tainted.

“Yeah, it's pretty great here." Rachel proclaimed, obviously not understanding my tone of suspicion.

At that moment, a boy raced to our booth and pushed Rachel in so he could hastily sit down. He had platinum colored hair that was gelled in pointy spikes. He was very tall, the very least six-foot-three, and he had broad shoulders and a wide muscular chest. He wore a lime green tee shirt that said Eldritch Football with faded blue jeans and matching lime green sneakers.

“Hey sis," he acknowledged as he engulfed a big bite of his burger, “who's the new girl?"

“This is Katie Anne Willows. Katie, this is my twin brother, Rocky Flynn." Rachel smiled.

“Is Rocky short for something?" I questioned before I decided to take a tiny bite of a fry.

“Nope," he shook his head, “just Rocky."

Suddenly, a cold chill invaded the mood and all the loud giggly voices that echoed throughout the cafeteria went silent. Everyone was looking at the entrance, so my eyes naturally followed.

Two boys made their way down the buffet line and their appearance was completely opposite from the rest of the students. Both were well over six feet, maybe taller than Rocky. They had stocky muscular bodies and elegantly pale skin that shimmered underneath the light. Their jet-black hair was perfectly trimmed on the sides with a little bit of longer hair on the top, and their dark eyes matched the color of their hair. They were both wearing black jeans and black tee shirts with black Converse shoes. One had a thick silver chain connected from his belt loop to his pocket while the other wore a black leather jacket.

“Why is everyone so quiet? Who are they?" I asked as I couldn't help but to admire them. They were so different, and feared by everyone in the room. It was amazing to witness.

“Those are the Dark brothers." Hannah paused as she bit her fingernail. “The one with the leather jacket is Shadow and the other one is his younger brother, Asher. Shadow is in our grade."

“Why is everyone so scared?" I whispered as the Flynn twins leaned in closer together as some sort of comfort and protection for each other.

“Well," Hannah hesitated, “look at them."

“I am."

“Can't you tell they are different from the rest of us?"

I furrowed my brows as I felt anger rise in my gut. “So, because they are not bright and peppy like the rest of you, you fear them?" I watched the brothers sit at a secluded booth alone a couple tables down from us.

“No, that's not it." Hannah sighed as she rubbed her forehead with frustration. “You just don't know their family story."

“Well, enlighten me."

“Hannah don't" Rachel commanded, as I watched goosebumps crawl up her skin. “You know what happens when you talk about their family."

“But she needs to understand!"

“Fine, I'll do it!" Rocky slammed down a fry on his plate. “Their mother is an immortal witch. An evil and hateful witch. She lures kids into her mansion and takes the spirit from their heart. No one knows why. Some say that she needs the heart's spirit to keep her young and alive, and the brothers help her capture the kids. That's why no one talks to them."

I busted out laughing to the point I was crying. They glared at me with wide eyes blurred over with disbelief.

“Oh, come on! That's just a silly ghost story that everyone made up because they are different." I wiped my eyes as they continued to stay motionless and shocked.

“Believe what you want," Rocky waved his hands in surrender, “but do yourself a favor and just stay away from them."

Little did they know, I always did opposite of what I was told.

The entire school's fear of the Dark brothers seemed more like an obsession to me. I mean, who could blame them? Asher and Shadow were gorgeous in their own mysterious and spooky way. Asher had the tough bad boy visage that made every girl secretly want him, but they were too afraid to claim him. He was every teenage girl's fantasy that they fell in love with through stories and television shows. No matter how weird this town was, no one here could mentally deny their fascination with Asher.

But Shadow was different.

A good different.

You could see innocence blended in with the curves of his face and his perfectly chiseled jawline. Some could say it was his age. He was seventeen, just like me, but I don't think that was it. His appearance was very mature for our age. It almost made me question if his age is just a random number he tells the humans that lurk around this town. Maybe he was some 150-year-old vampire disguising himself as a seventeen-year-old teen. What do they always say in the stories and movies? The younger they start out in a town, the longer they get to stay.

Shadow had a sweetness to him. I could see it in his black eyes that twinkled with softness like a star in a pitch-black sky. There was also a hint of sadness that made me wonder about the daily struggles he hid in the deepest parts of his mind. He seemed so lonely and empty like he was waiting for some purpose to fill him with meaning.

I wanted to be that purpose.

I quickly snapped myself out of my infatuation.

What was wrong with me? I didn't even know him, and I was suddenly sucked into this whirlpool of attraction. I couldn't breathe and all the oxygen was unable to travel to my brain, so I wasn't thinking properly. It was intoxicating. The poison had disabled all the logic from my brain, and I was just running off fumes of lust. Why was I acting so strange over Shadow Dark?

He was just a weird and different boy in my grade.

A ridiculously cute boy.

Shut up, brain.