The Darkness

Everything was white; the walls, ceilings, floors and furniture, all pure and clean, sparkling in the morning sun. Streaming through the expansive aperture at the end of the large open planned room, the brightness of the day beckoned forth. In the corner, a colleague was chatting to his superior; smiling, with cheerful expression and a jaunty wink of his left eye, they both shook hands. Embracing like Brothers they patted each other on the back, concluding their amicable discussion, finally walking their different ways, waving to one another as they went. In the hall I could hear the tea lady singing her way up towards the office door, which sprang open, allowing her to pass through without hindrance. She waved enthusiastically towards everyone in the space and was greeted by an equally passionate crowd, fervently welcoming her into their world. Music played calmly through the pubic announcement system, ‘Chopin, Spring Waltz,’ quietly celebrating the day ahead. This was a typical day, always perfect, always sublime, always serene, unlike the World outside.

The darkness came quickly that day, as I left the security of my life behind. I dressed in my coat and hat, black three quarter length tunic, grey scarf and suitably coloured gloves. My umbrella sat neatly on peg number 24, a great expanse of empty coat hooks spread out around me, as far as the eye could see. I was the last one to leave, the last to turn out the light and the last to see this perfect, flawless enclave, my escape from the harsh realities that dominated all our lives. As I approached the revolving door at the front of the tall foreboding building where I worked, the soft glow began to fade behind me. The door stopped rotating; gently I placed my hand on the right hand side of the surround, agitating it ever so slightly, illuminating the mayhem outside. I breathed mournfully on the glass, rubbing it with the side of my wrist; stooping, I moved my eye downwards, gazing outside. Fires burned in the distance, shadows engulfed the city skyline outside and the occasional figure ran past, everyone attired the same, just like me, merging into the tenebrosity of the night.

I took a deep breath, stood up straight, adjusted my scarf, wrenched my hat down towards my nose and buttoned up my coat as high as I could. One more push of the door and I was outside, shivering from the cold, disappearing into the night along with all those who were left. Looking ever upwards, mindful of what was to come, I cautiously pressed on, walking faster, pulling my jacket ever closer, clasping the collar tightly with my left hand,

Turing the corner into victory boulevard, I noticed lights in the air, shards of rock, burning, falling downwards, crashing to the ground. The explosions sent dust and debris into the dark, still burning, shining brightly as it crackled and sputtered, igniting into a plume of orange smoke. The avenue was deserted, apart from a few faint cries in the distance; this could be the day we were waiting for or maybe just another false alarm. My head darted from side to side, eyes squinting, hoping to focus, trying to find a safe place to hide. The intersection of this wide, now desolate promenade, faded grandeur all around, offered a chance of cover from the evening onslaught. An opening, through which light could be seen flickered dimly outwards, a beacon of hope in a city of despair. The luminescence oscillated back and forth; I had to get there before it disappeared never to be seen again. One last look around, making sure my direction was clear, I ran faster than I had ever ran before. Reaching the entrance, grabbing hold of the frame, I screamed loudly as a pair of bulky wooden shutters crushed my fingers, slamming abruptly in their wake.

For a few moments, I stood their tears streaming down my face, happy to have secured my escape, but smarting from the pain. I kicked the shutters open, releasing my hand; a sharp throbbing feeling shot up my right arm as I forced my way inside, gingerly trying to find my footing, broken floorboards underfoot. I could hear water dripping from the ceiling above. Looking upwards I could see the bombardment through a large hole in the roof, fallout cascading downwards, whistling towards my head. I could hear detritus dancing loudly on the tiles above, I had to find shelter before I became just another casualty in a sea chaos, that now engulfed the world.

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