Status: Contains violence and strong language
Darkness Depths
Night Terrors
As everyone returned to their sleeping quarters, Juliet searched for the head of the journey. She found herself entering the lavish room of Melanie Wilson, hearing the wealthy woman resting in the bath tub in her bathroom. Not wanting to intrude, Juliet began stepping out, until the golden shine of the Atlantis map caught her eye. Being ever so curious, Juliet tiptoed on the lush carpet, her steps muffled. She made sure she left no tracks, dirt or otherwise.
Juliet was then in front of a drawer, slightly open. She slowly, carefully pulled the drawer open. She then, ever so quietly, took out the map and opened it. A burning sensation plagued her fingers as she extended the map completely. Strange letters started forming on the metallic gold ends of the map-scroll, then on the fine yet strong paper itself. The lettering was an ominous red, and once the process was complete, the burning in Juliet’s fingers increased. But she was too fixated on the map. Something bizarre, something powerful, gripped her mind. A burst of light hit Juliet’s mind, and a plethora of images began rapidly playing.
Yet the visions were nothing Juliet had ever desired to see. Her veins became visible, and then her eyesight went completely black. Screams pierced her hearing, and the bodies of the dead became all she saw. Juliet collapsed to the ground, gripping her head in agony. She wanted to scream, but her body wouldn’t let her.
Suddenly the visions and ailments ceased, the tight grip on Juliet loosened. She stood up rapidly, her heart beating faster and faster. She closed the map, put it back in the drawer, and exited Ms. Wilson’s room. But she wasn’t free from the attacks.
As she walked down the hall, something engrossed her heart. It was as if a hand squeezed the blood out of the organ. Juliet fell to the ground again, and her vision went pitch black. More hallucinations overwhelmed Juliet, all tinged in a red color. Numerous images, from black creatures to fires engulfing cities repeated inside Juliet’s mind. She felt blood oozing from her ears and eyes, at least that’s what it felt like. Juliet blindly crawled forward, praying someone will find her and help her.
“Help…help…” Juliet struggled to whisper.
The terrors then stopped, letting go of Juliet for now. She struggled to pick herself up, and ultimately succeeded.
“God…God I need sleep. That’s all I need.” Juliet assured herself. She stumbled away, to the showers, and then to bed.
. . .
“Help Juliet! Help me!” Jess screamed out in pain.
Juliet looked around, fires everywhere she scanned. The Golden City was falling from the sky, and aircrafts collided with the buildings around. People were set aflame, wailing in utter agony. Juliet searched for Jess, attempting to follow the voice.
“Juliet! Juliet! Juliet they have me! They…” Jess then let out a bloodcurdling shriek.
“Jess? Jess! Jess hold on!’ Juliet cried, running through the fires.
She passed bodies and bodies, stacked on each other and decaying rapidly. Juliet looked to her right and saw Abioye’s corpse impaled on a nearby wall, blood trickling down. Juliet looked away, tears rolling down her dirty cheeks. She closed her eyes, trying to hear for Jess. As she closed her eyes, Juliet stepped on a hard yet fleshy object. She tripped and fell to the ground and opened her eyes. There she saw the severed head of Ms. Wilson, blood pouring from the eye sockets.
“Oh my God.” Juliet gasped as she put her hands over her mouth. The defenseless young lady stood back up and stumbled backward, through some flames. She collapsed in a pile of ash, covering Juliet almost completely. She heaved, and saw Jess in the distance, burning in blue fire. Juliet rapidly stood up and sprinted to the scorching body.
“Jess…Jess you’re going to be okay!” Juliet ensured through the pain.
Suddenly, a crown was flung to Juliet’s head, knocking her down. She fell with a hard thud, and was unable to get back up again. Juliet watched as her friend burned away, and cried throughout. A sudden pain was felt all over Juliet’s body. She looked down to see a blade jutting through her chest, covered in her blood. Still conscious, Juliet let out a cry for help. But it was no use, they reached her
. . .
Juliet awoke in a cold sweat, the salty drops sped down her skin like bullets. She gasped, trying to regain her breath.
“Oh my God…Oh my God it was just a dream…nightmare…whatever…” Juliet babbled to herself.
“Mm, hey kid…you okay?” Jess asked, groggily.
“Yeah…Yeah I’m okay.”
“What time is it?”
“1:50. I’m going to go get some water.”
“Bring me back a canteen…” Jess yawned, rolling back to sleep.
Juliet walked to the navigation room, still in her sleeping clothes, and saw Clairette, still wide awake.
“You’re still up?” Juliet asked coyly.
“Yep. I’ve slept a lot the last few days. And I’m not a fan of the autopilot. I like the control.” Clairette replied sweetly. “But what are you doing up? Still have about an hour to go!”
“Couldn’t sleep well, really.”
“Excited? I could tell you’re more excited than the rest of us for this.”
“Nah, that wasn’t it…”
“Did you take your first life today?”
Juliet recalled the first aircraft she shot down, and guilt began creeping inside her mind.
“Well yeah but…” Juliet trailed off.
“It’s hard, I know. You’re lucky it wasn’t up close and personal. Taking lives isn’t the easiest thing to do. It’s hell. It’s an up close and intimate experience. It’s horrible. But sometimes, it’s…necessary. I promise you’ll be okay. I promise it won’t ruin you. You seem like a good kid. I’m looking forward to working with you. Don’t let it get to you, alright?” Clairette encouraged.
“Yeah…thanks. I’m headed to the kitchen, want me to get you anything?”
“Bring me a banana, if you please.”
Juliet scaled the stairs and entered the kitchen. She grabbed a banana and two canteens and went back up the stairs. She delivered the fruit to the pilot and shuffled back to the sleeping quarters.
Juliet was then in front of a drawer, slightly open. She slowly, carefully pulled the drawer open. She then, ever so quietly, took out the map and opened it. A burning sensation plagued her fingers as she extended the map completely. Strange letters started forming on the metallic gold ends of the map-scroll, then on the fine yet strong paper itself. The lettering was an ominous red, and once the process was complete, the burning in Juliet’s fingers increased. But she was too fixated on the map. Something bizarre, something powerful, gripped her mind. A burst of light hit Juliet’s mind, and a plethora of images began rapidly playing.
Yet the visions were nothing Juliet had ever desired to see. Her veins became visible, and then her eyesight went completely black. Screams pierced her hearing, and the bodies of the dead became all she saw. Juliet collapsed to the ground, gripping her head in agony. She wanted to scream, but her body wouldn’t let her.
Suddenly the visions and ailments ceased, the tight grip on Juliet loosened. She stood up rapidly, her heart beating faster and faster. She closed the map, put it back in the drawer, and exited Ms. Wilson’s room. But she wasn’t free from the attacks.
As she walked down the hall, something engrossed her heart. It was as if a hand squeezed the blood out of the organ. Juliet fell to the ground again, and her vision went pitch black. More hallucinations overwhelmed Juliet, all tinged in a red color. Numerous images, from black creatures to fires engulfing cities repeated inside Juliet’s mind. She felt blood oozing from her ears and eyes, at least that’s what it felt like. Juliet blindly crawled forward, praying someone will find her and help her.
“Help…help…” Juliet struggled to whisper.
The terrors then stopped, letting go of Juliet for now. She struggled to pick herself up, and ultimately succeeded.
“God…God I need sleep. That’s all I need.” Juliet assured herself. She stumbled away, to the showers, and then to bed.
. . .
“Help Juliet! Help me!” Jess screamed out in pain.
Juliet looked around, fires everywhere she scanned. The Golden City was falling from the sky, and aircrafts collided with the buildings around. People were set aflame, wailing in utter agony. Juliet searched for Jess, attempting to follow the voice.
“Juliet! Juliet! Juliet they have me! They…” Jess then let out a bloodcurdling shriek.
“Jess? Jess! Jess hold on!’ Juliet cried, running through the fires.
She passed bodies and bodies, stacked on each other and decaying rapidly. Juliet looked to her right and saw Abioye’s corpse impaled on a nearby wall, blood trickling down. Juliet looked away, tears rolling down her dirty cheeks. She closed her eyes, trying to hear for Jess. As she closed her eyes, Juliet stepped on a hard yet fleshy object. She tripped and fell to the ground and opened her eyes. There she saw the severed head of Ms. Wilson, blood pouring from the eye sockets.
“Oh my God.” Juliet gasped as she put her hands over her mouth. The defenseless young lady stood back up and stumbled backward, through some flames. She collapsed in a pile of ash, covering Juliet almost completely. She heaved, and saw Jess in the distance, burning in blue fire. Juliet rapidly stood up and sprinted to the scorching body.
“Jess…Jess you’re going to be okay!” Juliet ensured through the pain.
Suddenly, a crown was flung to Juliet’s head, knocking her down. She fell with a hard thud, and was unable to get back up again. Juliet watched as her friend burned away, and cried throughout. A sudden pain was felt all over Juliet’s body. She looked down to see a blade jutting through her chest, covered in her blood. Still conscious, Juliet let out a cry for help. But it was no use, they reached her
. . .
Juliet awoke in a cold sweat, the salty drops sped down her skin like bullets. She gasped, trying to regain her breath.
“Oh my God…Oh my God it was just a dream…nightmare…whatever…” Juliet babbled to herself.
“Mm, hey kid…you okay?” Jess asked, groggily.
“Yeah…Yeah I’m okay.”
“What time is it?”
“1:50. I’m going to go get some water.”
“Bring me back a canteen…” Jess yawned, rolling back to sleep.
Juliet walked to the navigation room, still in her sleeping clothes, and saw Clairette, still wide awake.
“You’re still up?” Juliet asked coyly.
“Yep. I’ve slept a lot the last few days. And I’m not a fan of the autopilot. I like the control.” Clairette replied sweetly. “But what are you doing up? Still have about an hour to go!”
“Couldn’t sleep well, really.”
“Excited? I could tell you’re more excited than the rest of us for this.”
“Nah, that wasn’t it…”
“Did you take your first life today?”
Juliet recalled the first aircraft she shot down, and guilt began creeping inside her mind.
“Well yeah but…” Juliet trailed off.
“It’s hard, I know. You’re lucky it wasn’t up close and personal. Taking lives isn’t the easiest thing to do. It’s hell. It’s an up close and intimate experience. It’s horrible. But sometimes, it’s…necessary. I promise you’ll be okay. I promise it won’t ruin you. You seem like a good kid. I’m looking forward to working with you. Don’t let it get to you, alright?” Clairette encouraged.
“Yeah…thanks. I’m headed to the kitchen, want me to get you anything?”
“Bring me a banana, if you please.”
Juliet scaled the stairs and entered the kitchen. She grabbed a banana and two canteens and went back up the stairs. She delivered the fruit to the pilot and shuffled back to the sleeping quarters.