Dark Dreams

Say It

"Dark? Is that really your name?"

The shadowy silhouette nodded its head in response, its deep voice speaking out from where it sat on the young Marks desk chair.

"Yes, it is. Do you like it?"

Ten-year-old Mark nodded. He had never been one to hurt anyone's feelings, even if he didn't agree with them. Even from such a young age that had been his policy. He had just been getting ready for bed, he had tucked himself in and was about to lay down when the voice had spoken out. Now the two were talking in hushed whispers. Well, at least Mark was. The creature that was staring at him from the shadowy corner where his desk sat spoke in both a whisper and a loud voice, Mark couldn't quite figure out how, but it gave him chills.

The young boy wiggled his toes underneath his blanket, struggling to see the face of the creature.

"Can I see you?" he eventually got up the courage to ask, and his question was met with a dark chuckle.

"Why of course" the voice responded, before the figure moved a little into the light, just enough so that Mark could see what was like looking into a mirror. The figure that had seemed so big in the chair now revealed itself to be a small child of Marks age. But not just of his age, but his face and body too. It even wore the same pajamas as him.

"Hey Mark, wanna play a game?"
"What game?" The small boy responded, unable to figure out why his hands were shaking.

"You and I can make a great team. If we work together, we can be awesome! We'll be able to take over the world!"

As a child, Mark hadn't realised the sinister intent behind the words, simply smiling to the doppelgänger.
"How do we do that?" he asked, his voice brimming with curiosity.

"You just have to say yes. Say yes to letting us join our powers Mark. Without you I can't be powerful, and without me, you're nothing"

The small figure had taken on a dangerous tone to its voice, immediately wiping the smile from Marks face.

"I don't know anymore. You're kinda scaring me..." Mark admitted, his hands shaking in his lap.

"Do it. Say yes you useless piece of shit" the doppelgänger growled, stepping towards the shaking child. "Say it! Say it! Say it!"
Mark covered his ears, tears filling his eyes as the thing across from him screamed the order over and over again, its voice getting louder each time. Just as Mark was about to give in the door opened, and his mum stepped in, hurrying over to him and hugging him tightly, whispering comforting things. When Mark finally summoned up the courage to open his eyes, the creature had disappeared.

From that point onwards, Mark had never been alone, he could always feel the creature's presence, always waiting for him to say it, waiting for him to give in. Mark let out a sigh. Now wasn't the time to be thinking about that. Jack was coming in two days and Marks apartment looked like absolute hell. Mark wiped all thoughts of the ungodly creature from his mind, instead turning on his music, making sure it wasn't too loud, otherwise he knew his neighbors would complain, but still loud enough to drown out his thoughts. With a small smile he began to clean, letting every little flaw in his apartment replace the thoughts of Dark.