The Dark City

Chapter One: The Theater

The large and strangely-dressed man began to sing. I couldn't understand his words at all, but I continued to act amused by this act, so that I would look more adult to others.

People in frivolous costumes of vibrant colors and strange patterns danced around the fat man as he went an octave higher.

I took a quick glance at my parents sitting to my left. They were comfortably seated, well dressed, and very focused on the event. Their dedication surprised me. This wasn't very entertaining at all.

Then, to my dismay, loud shrieking filled the golden-bronze auditorium. It wasn't human. My heart slowed down for a moment, then came to a stop as the music crescendoed to a halt. The room was silent. The dancers and singers stood paralyzed, unblinking, and from this distance, appeared not breathing.

I looked to my parents, my eyes as big as dinner plates and glassy,

"Mom? D-Dad?"

They didn't respond.  Nor anyone else in the audience. Everyone was frozen stiff as ice.

Then the shrieking, it came back.

The fat man began to mechanically jerk his arm back and forth striking a drum over and over.

He struck it faster and faster, slowly building speed. So did my heart.

thud thud thud thud

The inhuman shriek returned, but louder; closer.

thudthudthudthudthudthud

A massive swarm of bats came sweeping through the rear curtains of the stage, out into the still paralyzed crowd.

I jumped up grabbed my mom's arm and tried to pull her out of her seat.

"Mom! Move! Move!"

I quickly gave up and reached for my father, but before my grasp was even upon him, the bats swarmed us.

I let out a scream but it was inaudible over the bats' constant shriek. My arms flailed everywhere, trying to swat the bats away. My hand never came into contact with anything. All I could feel was them sweeping past me, just nanometers from my skin. Avoiding me but still coming into close contact.

Still flailing and screaming, I ran out of my isle and mindlessly sprinted for the doors. It came upon my mind that I had no idea where the door was. Then, a frightening chill ran up and down my back, because I had expected my foot to touch the ground. Instead, I was falling.

The bats still clouded my eyes still, even though I was in a quick and cold fall. My vision was still stripped from me by the bats. Oddly, the animals had followed me down whatever hole I had fallen into.

Then, an impact. Sharp pain shot up my legs, both legs snapped from the fall. Then, the bats dispersed and flew back into the darkness, leaving me alone.

I was in a cave.

The cave wasn't small, but not large either. Either way I felt claustrophobic. The cave's walls were grey and slightly moist, which made it all the more real feeling. The only sound that I heard was my own helpless screaming as the pain in my legs worsened.