17 April 2012
“When you get to the end of all the light you know and it's time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen: either you will be given something solid to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly.”
“You have to have the darkness for the dawn to come”
PROLOGUE
My sight faded and then regained focus. The heat caused a haze to shroud the land around me and sweat poured into my eyes to blur my vision further. The pain was becoming less piercing but now I was struggling to breathe. Why had I been deserted? Why betrayed? Seeping from my hands, the blood proved I was mortal but my mind knew otherwise. The hour had come. The sky above me grew dark; the sun had vanished, devoured by darkness. The ground violently shook underneath. Townspeople and soldiers muttered unheard words below and fled, leaving me alone. But I was not. Above me, stars momentarily filled the darkened sky. In the air, I heard soft words of wonder and hope that moved me to tears and now I was not afraid.
“So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire.”
***
As I wipe the condensation from my bedroom window, I can see him again. Like before, his visits are becoming more frequent. From my earliest memories, I could remember him being there, always stood on the other side of the street looking up at my window, features hidden by a long hooded raincoat. For the past seventeen years of my life, I had grown up living in the shadow of this man. I could remember as a young boy seeing him illuminated by an orange street light which glowed like fire because of the heavy rain. Even at an early age, I knew that there was something unusual about him…but I wasn’t scared. A couple of years ago, his visits ceased. I would look for him every night. Strangely, the site of him made me feel safe and during the time of his disappearance, I felt vulnerable. I held these feelings until a month ago. He returned while I was studying. I had read the school’s selected text twice and I was still struggling. A developing headache had made me open my bedroom window and take in the early spring air, hoping the freshness of the evening would soothe me. As cooler air poured into my room, I looked out and smiled. He had come back. I have never found out who he is or why he watches me, but as I look at him now, I am certain of one thing, he means me no harm.
DARKNESS - Full Prologue • Opuss № I