-Darkness- (A short story)

Darkness

11:16 pm.
Darkness. All around him. A feeling of claustrophobia crept up Jason Grimm’s spine, all the way into his mouth and lungs. He had felt this only once before and it had not been pleasant, neither was this.

The image of Sarah’s pale face was burnt into his memory. Those lifeless eyes, staring profoundly into his soul. He knew this image would haunt him forever. He could still picture her, lying there, even though in the sea of darkness he couldn’t distinguish right from left, up from down. He couldn’t tell the difference between having his eyes wide shut or wide open, everywhere he looked was a black eternity.

He breather deeply, he couldn’t comprehend what was going on. Only a moment ago the lights had all been on in his living-room, now it was darker than what he had just done.

8:01 pm.
“Are you ready hon?” Jason called from the doorway.
“Almost babe, just finishing up with the make-up” Came Sarah’s far off reply from the bedroom.

Late Again, Jason thought.
He had never understood why women always took so long to get ready, as if they would literally die if they didn’t look perfect.

“But you’re not like that, are you Tiny?” Jason said to the black cat purring at his feet. This was Tiny, a small cat he had adopted from the streets three years ago and had cared for like a son ever since. Tiny was the most precious thing in the world to him.

As he stroked his cat’s fur, he happened to catch a glimpse of his watch. 8:03 pm. They were due at the restaurant by 8 O’clock sharp and his mom was not one to be kept waiting.

“Come on Sarah! Hurry up babe, you know how my mom gets when we’re late!”

“I’m coming, I’m coming!”

“I’ll go start the car, don’t forget to lock Tiny’s door!”

Tiny’s door was that little door many people have for their pets to be able to move freely in and out of the house. But Jason was sure to keep it locked at night as he knew Tiny might well wonder off and lose his way.

11:06 pm.
The evening hadn’t gone so bad, that is, until they got home. As they stepped into the house, Jason closed the door behind them.

“I’m gonna go get ready for bed” Jason’s fiancée said.
“I’ll be up soon, just going to get myself a glass of water, you want anything?” He answered.

“Nah, I’m ok, don’t take too long” she paused and turned her voice to an enticing whisper “I’ll be waiting…” and let it linger as she went up the stairs. She had to make him feel good after an evening out with his mom, she tended to stress him out a bit and he could get into one of his moods.
This was the only thing Sarah really disliked about her fiancée, he was very moody, and when he was set off…well, you didn’t want to mess with him.

While Sarah got ready to hop into the shower Jason was about to open the fridge when he noticed something odd. By the side of the refrigerator was a small black cushion, yet this was not the odd part. The odd thing was what wasn’t in it. Tiny.

It was after 11 at night and Jason had never seen Tiny out of his bed after 10pm.
He looked around the kitchen but Tiny was nowhere to be seen.

“Tiny,” he called out softly.

No answer.

“Tiny? Where are you?” Now he worried, Tiny always answered at the sound of his name.

Jason ran to the living room and looked around in there.

“Tiny!”

He scrambled through the house shouting his cat’s name to no avail. All the while Sarah was taking a shower and heard none of this.

Finally Jason went back to the kitchen. Ran to rhe back door and fell to his knees. Tiny’s door was open. His cat was gone…lost…never to return…ever.

Sarah. He thought.
Anger started brewing in his blood.

He had told her to close it before they left.

She must have forgotten he thought, she forgot…she…FORGOT!

Now Jason was furious. My cat is lost…I’ve lost him…the love of my life…and it’s all because of HER!

He ran up the stairs.

But she doesn’t care…

He went to the bedroom.

She doesn’t give a fuck…

He opened the bathroom door.

It’s just a FUCKING cat isn’t it?!

He slid open the shower curtain.

“Hey baby, I’ve been waiting” Sarah…

Jason stared at her, a cold hard gaze. Fury boiling through every vain in his body.

“Babe? What’s wrong?” She stared.

Jason slowly opened his mouth.

“Did you close Tiny’s door?”

“What?”

“Tiny’s door, did you…close it?”

“Oh! Umm…no…geez…I-I’m sorry hon” She was scared. “I’m sure he’s just fine, probably hiding under a sofa somewhere”

“No!” Jason shouted “He’s gone…forever…” a tear leaked out his eye.

Sarah couldn’t think of anything to say. Jason turned his back and walked out, down to the living room.

“I’ll be down in a second, don’t worry honey!” Came her voice.

Oh, I’m not worried…

Jason opened a cabinet drawer.

Everything will be just fine…

He pulled out a gun.

You’re the one who should be worried.

When Sarah came down the stairway in her robe, Jason was sitting on the couch, staring blankly at something in his hands.

“Look babe, I’m sorry, I know you’re worried but there really-” Her breath was cut short by a firing gun. Followed by a bullet piercing her throat and vocal chords.

She fell to the ground, desperately clutching her bleeding throat.

Jason stood over her, staring. His anger diminished as he saw the life draining out of her eyes.

Her arms lost strength and fell limply to the floor. Jason couldn’t stop staring. She was dead.

The lights went off.

11:17pm.
Jason struggled to come to amends with what had just happened. He had killed his soon to be wife. The person he loved the most in the world, that gorgeous 26 year old he’d fallen in love with at first sight in a coffee shop…Dead.

Jason Grimm had just extinguished the only ray of light in his life.