Derek Summer Darkened Remembrance The wind howled like a mortally wounded beast from the depths of hell. Out of the darkness figures moved, black upon black, darker then the moonless night itself. A young man stared horrified as grunts and gurgles pierced the through the thinned vegetation and fog dimmed air. Every so often a tearing sound or a whimper could be heard, and with each one the boy grew more frightened and closer to panic. Daniel kept thinking of how he came here, and for what purpose, oh yes.. his curiosity. Daniel had just moved here from the city, a small boy of the age of 14 years, his adventurous nature was virtually unbounded. Back in his old town he would do just about anything if he was dared, or chided into. Daniel had just moved to the country about 2 months earlier. Right from the start Danny was rejected by the other kids, to small and a "city boy" . with his mother and father often gone, and being an only child, Danny started adventuring into the woods, at first only a little at a time, then further and further. His only friend, Jimmy, was 2 years younger then he, but had that same driving curiosity that Daniel had. He remembered talking to Jimmy earlier that morning, Jimmy had said "you shouldn't go back there man, lots of weird noises go on at night" Daniel just laughed at the younger boy taking his fear of the woods as any adult would to a child's fear of the boogie man. So Daniel set out, and was determined to give proof that there was nothing out there, and to show all the other boys that he was better then them, braver then them. Today was the furthest he had ever gone, the woods seemed to grow darker and more spread apart with each step he took, when he realized that it was starting to get dark he started back, but found out quickly he was lost. As the cold of dark approached, Daniel grew frightened, the tree branches were shadowed and seemed to reach for him. The soothing sounds of nature in the bright sunlight turned evil and malicious in the darkness. As Daniel picked his way through the bushes and trees of night he could hear a distant rumble, as if thunder were approaching. Confused and lost Daniel looked to the skies, noticing a swift wind entering and clouds approaching fast, Daniel grew even more frightened. For bout 10 minutes Daniel picked his way through the bushes and entwined trees, stumbling and battering himself unto exhaustion. To Daniel this 10 minutes felt like 10 hours, 10 hours of exhaustion, fear, and loneliness . After going deeper and deeper into the darkness and sobbing quietly he finally sat down, tears streaming down his face he thought he saw a faint red glimmer, just out of sight. Daniel wiped his eyes and looked again, his heart jumping into excitement that he found his way home. Daniel jumped to his feet in joy and started running as fast as his legs would carry him, tripping occasionally and cutting himself on the thorns that grew on the bushes, until finally he realized that the light was moving away, bouncing up and down back and forth. Though Daniel was cautious now, but he still wanted to get out more then ever, so he doubled his efforts. Until finally he found himself in a clearing, huge black trees loomed over him, dwarfing the small boy. These trees looked different darker, more like obsidian giants watching over a long dead necromancer. Once Danny stepped into the clearing a huge wave of illness washed over him, a bitter cold wind came by and snatched the boy's breath, making him flee back into the bushes. Aware that something bad was going on, like when his auntie Sheryl brought over her pretty cards, and would go in the back room with his mother and play with the cards, but this was 100 times worse. Daniel could not move, it was as if a giant shadowed hand held him in that spot forcing him to stay. Then he heard a sound, twigs and branches breaking, as if a wild boar was charging through the forest, and another boy, face shadowed by the darkened night ran out into the clearing, it was Jimmy! Though something was wrong, something about the young boy, usually mirthful and ready to smile at any provocation, Jimmy was now filled with fear, and it seemed was running for his life, and Daniel had no idea what of. Panicked fear in his eyes Jimmy ran right into the center of the clearing and just fell, didn't cry out or trip. He just fell, as if all traces of life were taken away, all movement seemed to cease. Daniel tried to call out but something stopped him, he knew for some reason that if he called then he might end up like Jimmy. Then the little black things came, and an image more ghastly then any book or movie played before his eyes, an image that will forever be echted into his mind, and played to him every moonless night. A blood curdling scream broke through the darkness, and a man woke up soaked in his own perspiration. Adjusting his eyes he was not in the woods, he was home, and in the sky was no moon or stars, just a black dull gloom that clinged to everything. Daniel climbed out of his bed and headed towards his bathroom, wishing to get the image out of his head he splashed cold water upon his neck and face. Daniel remembered that night, even 3 years after it occurred, it was engraved into his minds eye, what happened afterwards he only vaguely remembered how he got out, a man in a white robe, picked him up and had carried him out of those ghastly woods. His mother and father had found Danny wondering around, babbling about Jimmy, and black little things, they calmed him and finally had gotten him to bed. The next day Jimmy was missing, his parents worried and disturbed that he might of been kidnapped. So a search went on, for days then weeks then months, but nothing was found, Daniel tried to show everyone where he last saw Jimmy, but that spot was never found, all of the woods were searched and nothing in Daniel's description of what he saw matched. So after a year or so the search was given up and Jimmy's parents gave up hope with it. But Daniel never quit believing in what he had seen, that horrible night, he had tried but it was impossible. About 3 months after the search had ended and Daniel still ranting about what had happened, his parents took him to a psychiatrist, in hopes of bringing back his happiness, and his sanity. So for the next 2 years or so Danny had seen 5 doctors, but to no avail. So his parents came up with the idea to put him in a Psychiatric hospital, maybe that would help, it has now been a little over 7 months and Daniel has shown no change, the doctors even think that he might be getting worse. Daniel has been having dreams of a tall slim man in a white robe, carrying a staff, and muttering some strange, and alien tongue. Today, Daniel thought is my birthday, today I will end this, I am tired of this nightmare played upon my mind, over and over and over, each night worse and worse, a black climax that never seemed to come to the apex. NO MORE!. So Danny had a plan, he would steal a knife when supper was done and make the dreams go away, he thought anything would be better then this living hell. Once his last thought was crossing his mind the dinner bell rung, and he lined up with all the other kids, just like normal, and replayed what he is going to do, how and when. Daniel ate supper alone, as usual the other kids thought he was weird, prone to outbreaks of violence and unusual questions, they kept clear. Once he had eaten Daniel slipped the knife in his sleeve, since he had never tried anything like this before they didn't really check him, a quiet giggle escaped his mouth, Daniel fooled them, he will show them all that he is smart and not crazy, "Hey Danny whatchya doin there son?" came the deep rumbling voice of the head nurse, his name was Jake and his pearly teeth and quick humor gave Danny much needed shelter in his chaotic mind. Jake was the only nurse who gave any attention at all to Daniel, the others would talk behind his back and make jokes of him, they didn't think he could hear them, but those cold words would keep him lying awake in the dark, they would bite and sting as a whip would. Jake walked over and sat down next to Danny "Hey, you deaf" a broad smile crossed Jake's face as he gave a cheerful slap to Daniel's back, noticing the gloominess on Daniel's face, "What's wrong little man, food that bad", Danny couldn't help but smile, at the black man's joke. "Nah" said Daniel, "I was jus thinkin bout stuff, had another dream". "Oh.. well we'll get ya fixed up don worry bout it" ,a beep sounded and Jake looked down at his pager, " Crap I'm late again, gotta go Danny boy, take care and don be gettin in no trouble" , a small laugh was shared by both of them, and then Jake was off, running down the hall, cursing to himself. Daniel was having second thoughts about what he was going to do, maybe life isn't all that bad.. then the thought of having that dream again, and his mind was made up for good. The children and teenagers were escorted back to their rooms, and the lights were shut off. Daniel slipped the knife from under his sleeve into his hand, This he thought was the end of it, he had already wrote a note to his parents asking for forgiveness of what he had put them through, and one to Jake, he sure was going to miss them. Daniel cried quietly in the dark for about 30 minutes, and then took the knife and cut his wrists, the pain was excruitating, but began to be dulled after awhile, his last thought was of Jimmy and that he would soon see him. A loud boom sounded from the wall, and Daniel was waken, looking around he noticed blood covering his clothing and started to become alarmed at the sight, but he quickly remembered what he did. A tall slender man stood over him, the same one that had rescued him 3 years prior. Can it really be him thought Daniel, but before he could ask the question he was lifted up with suprisingly strong arms and this reality was shut off and left behind, as another rushed painfully to his eyes. Daniel awoke in a large green field, sunflowers and Indian paint brushes speckled the ground before him, am I dead thought Daniel. "No, you are very much alive young man", the sudden voice shocked and suprised Daniel, he looked up and found the man in white robes, staring at him, and smiling softly. "You were almost a goner, took a lot out of me to heal those cuts of yours, you should be a little more careful when playing with knives" the anger in the man's voice was barely evident to Danny. "How did we get here" asked Daniel. The old man laughed to himself, "Ya know I asked the same thing, you know what I got for an answer?" , Daniel in no mood for games, or tricks, said, "no I don't, I am not psychic, what was your answer?" , again the old man laughed, bringing the wrinkles on his face out more then before, "I was told that to know the answer I would first have to know the correct question, patience young Daniel, the fast witted are often the slowest to learn". Daniel thought this over, perplexed and wondered if he was dreaming", "no you are also very much awake, so to say" , "what do you mean?" asked Danny. "What I mean, is nothing what you think it means is everything". Danny angered by this allusive talk tried to get up, but when he pushed down on his hands it felt as if they were going to come off, "Careful you can still open those cuts up if you don't take it easy", the old man came to Daniel and helped him up, looking down Daniel noticed however that there was no sign of cuts upon his wrists, only a faint redness, Daniel wondered at this marvel, but snapped out of it with a bitterness, "ok if you wont tell me how I came here, or where we are then screw you I'm leavin!", "ok" the old man replied, "but where are you going to go?" quietly laughing the man stepped in front of Daniel, and slightly pushed against his chest, all of a sudden Daniel was sat down, gently but with enough force so that he would feel it. "Now, you have learned nothing since I have been away, it seems that the teachings have grown cold with time" a look of dissatisfaction crossed the man's face, and it seemed to Danny that the man was looking past him or into him. "Ahah, you have not looked upon the other dreams my boy, you have concerned yourself with the black part of it only, I had feared this might happen" Danny was now truly lost, how does this guy know my name, and if I'm not dead or dreaming how did I get here, where is here, and how does he always know what I am thinking???. Daniel looked up again and noticed the old man was staring blankly at him, "what?" said Danny with a note of impatience and anger in his voice, "what now?" , "I was checking something, I picked you correctly but, it seems it has already started, you were not ready for it, hmmm, do you happen to remember who I am and who you are?". Danny thought this was crazy, "how should I know who you are, and I am Daniel Koskey, something you evidently know, why?", another look of dissatisfaction crossed the old man's face, "Now tell me who I am" noticing the look of anger and helplessness on Daniel's face, the old man spoke a single word not of any language familiar to him, once spoken however Danny's frustration was somewhat alleviated and the old man asked him one more time to try, just try and think of my name. Danny thinking this was all preposterous was thinking of running from the man, until the man said once again "just try, that is all I ask from you right now". Danny reluctantly searched his mind, deeper and deeper, evading images and memories that held no answer, until finally he found a faint glimmer of something, a ball of white light, something that Danny had never before seen, but knew what it was. *Master Zorich???", a broad smile came across both of their faces and light seemed to gather around them, shining with a source all its own. "Yes I knew you were him, Danny you have finally remembered, the time has come Daniel, or should I say Jahku, son of Wizard Ve'nreech, for the light and dark to finally embrace for the last time, the end is near and we have much to do".