Dark Hour

Part 13

I looked out at the ocean, flat and smooth, like glass. I knew that, in my case, this was a bad omen. Anything to do with still water and me ended with a tribulation. I knew I needed to get away from everyone near me. I turned and fell, the ground giving away under my feet. I screamed as darkness enveloped me.

Then, I was at Apollo's house, in the room that I had owned. I looked around, calling for him, but no one answered. As I walked out of the room and down the stairs, I heard Apollo's voice echoing around the large ball room.

"If you run away, I can't follow." It was a loud, resonate sound that made my blood run ice cold.

I ran across the room and shouted his name, where was he? The whole place was desolate, empty and quiet.

As I ran back up the stairs, one of them gave out and I fell into the gaping hole in its replacement. I felt my grip slipping from the marble stair above me and I knew I had to let go. I squeezed my eyes shut and surrendered my hold on the stair.

I didn't open my eyes immediately, but when I did, it was black. There was nothing down here. I knew I should've attempted to get myself up. Then, suddenly I could see. I must've had a blind fold on. There was nothing but a column of light shining down on a figure in chains. Their head covered. Bruises littered their arms and they were bleeding from several small, but painful wounds. I knew without a doubt that I was tied up too. I tried to move my hand, and it came up in front of my face. I very nearly smacked myself. I creeped towards the figure, as I did, a voice chanted;

"The darkness is believed to be a luminous force."

I stepped up onto the concrete stage. I was so close. I inched towards them and lifted my hand up to pull the bag off. I pulled it off and closed my eyes, not entirely sure what was going to happen. . .

I sat up, drenched in sweat. I looked around and took a few moments to realise that I was in my room and what I'd seen was just a dream. An unusual dream. I got out of bed and looked at the clock as I went down the stairs, I casually noticed that Lucky had already left for work. I went up to the counter and made myself a peppermint tea. I walked into the lounge room and sat down at the worn, grey couch. Staring out at the back garden, across the rolling paddocks that used to be occupied by cattle. I remembered when we used to have sheep, and how I had a favourite lamb that I had grown very attached to. It had been a black one and had one blue eye and one brown. I had named it Corbin, after my dad. I only had pictures of him and a little hand made bracelet. It was made up of little wooden beads painted red and a hand carved head of a stag. I loved it but never put it on.

I set my cup down as the words from my dream resounded in my head. The darkness is believed to be a luminous force. I knew that line, it was from something I owned. I paced up and down the lounge room carpet and burnt my feet as I turned, I didn't care. Then as I took a sip of my cold drink, it hit me.

It was a line from the poem my mother wrote.

I ran upstairs and shoved my hand under my bed, I fumbled blindly and eventually found what I was looking for.

A box.

A box with all the belongings of my parents. I gently took things out of it and placed them on the wooden floor boards, I looked for it for ages but couldn't find it. Then I realised it was in my bedside drawer with the wreath Apollo gave me. I pulled out a wrinkled piece of paper and unfolded it.

Few people know the silence of the sea.

The waves echo in rhythm only for me.

The stars glimmer in a perfect symphony.

The colours of the sky are extraordinary.

Emotions are made for the heart and the soul,