Of Solar And Dark (2018)

21 [S]

Sebestian Knight

It's when Keith stomps in and a guard fits the key into the celluar's keyhole do I start to get scared. The look on Keith's face is dark, blackened by anger.

"Get out." He snaps at the guard who instantly salutes and marches out in record speed. Frowning, I tilt my head towards him, confused.

"What-" Before the word even leaves my mouth, the collar on my shirt is being hauled up and I am rammed against the wall. The impact sends a flare of pain spinning down my back and I groan from the impact.

"Are you crazy?" I shriek but Keith doesn't drop m. His thick fingers firmly grab me by my shoulders as he slams me against the wall once more. This time, the blow isn't quite as bad. Still, the dark shadows that creep along the wall jeer at me as I struggle to communicate with Keith through subtle glances.

Jerking my body to the side, he places his mouth by my ear and in a low whisper, says, "Play along."

My eyes widen with shock but I decide to go by what he says. It isn't difficult, anyway, as he sends a spinning punch towards my chest. The air is shoved out of my lungs and I scream again even though the pain doesn't resemble anything the first punch caused.

"I'm going to bag you." In a low note, Keith exchanges the information. Just as he says it, he whips out a dark bag, lifts it over my head and pulls it down. Darkness swims in my vision as I feel his hands roughly push me out of the cell. My shoulders brush against the metal poles as he grabs me from both sides and sweeps me down what I think is a corridor.

It feels like forever as Keith hustles me up a flight of stairs which I shakily ascend and outside. Through the thin material of the bag, I can hear the flutter of leaves swaying in the breeze, the call of creatures roaming the skies and the shout of guards.

The sound of doors slamming against each other rings out and my body is launched towards what I think is the back of a truck- the clear roar of engines sound out as the noise of doors clanging shut bang outside.

The mask is ripped of my face and bright dots dance before my vision, blurring out the world for a few seconds before my sight returns in full clarity.

Before me is Keith. His back is hunched as he goes over blue scraps of paper with the operation's details scribbled along the surface as a bulky bag my his side.

"No one suspects us. I've got my most loyal guard driving the truck." He hisses, pushing the operation plans in my direction.

"Where are you taking me?" I ask as the vehicle hits a bump in the terrain- the contact causes my body to bounce along with the momentum and my arms to slam against the floor.

"Read the plan."

Disguising my annoyance by lowering my head, I read through the details along the paper. The first piece of paper depicts a sketch of a battleship, along with notes imprinted by the drawing. The paragraphs indicate that someone has to take charge of the battleship and crash it by the fracture along Atlanta's crust and the words relay that this will result the General's loss of control and power.

"Wait." The words scrape against my throat and it sounds as if I'm starting to lose my voice. As I push the tips of my fingers against the paper, unable to believe the absurdity of the plan, I shoot Keith a look of doubt.

"You have got to be kidding. I won't any Dark get onto the battleship. They might as well be getting lowered to their graves."

"Exactly." A thin smile emerges on Keith's face as he leans back, almost as if a weight has been lifted off his shoulders, "That's why you'll be the one getting on the ship."