World

World

Audio by Paper2Audio

World

of

Darkness

Document: April 2024 — J. MYLES (the locker)

Ah... look who decided to return. Back so soon?

I'm Dr Feywil.

Take a seat. Please. Though I must ask... are you ready for what comes next?

When we last left our friend Josiah, he was sitting in the twisted, smoking wreckage at the race track. Peer pressure is a fascinating, dangerous thing, isn't it? A few careless words, a sudden surge of adrenaline, and suddenly you're behind the wheel of a car you had no business driving... hurtling toward disaster.

And then... the crash.

But it wasn't the collision itself that twisted the knife, was it? No. It was what happened after.

Josiah looked out through the shattered glass, expecting screams, sirens, panic... but instead, he watched Michael step forward. And with a single, subtle shift of reality—a supernatural chill in the air—Michael made the entire crowd forget. Just like that, the horror vanished from their minds. Dismissed. Sent home like nothing ever happened, leaving Josiah alone in the quiet ruins of a tragedy no one else was allowed to remember.

Which brings us to what happened next...

Listen very carefully now.

Josiah rests still, deep slumber inside darkness. He grunts strained as he wakes, as he shifts he could feel the familiar aching pain all over his body from the earlier car wreck but this time the pain felt muted. He feels the static of darkness before he opens his eyes, his breath reverberating, the conscious low oxygen and lack of wind, the flat surface he's lying on, swallowed by darkness. His mind was dizzy, feeling like he woke from sleeping for a week. Then he opens his eyes, it's pitch black dark. He moved his hands and legs around the darkness cautiously, feeling around how far the darkness extends till he touches something.

It wasn't far.

his hands met a flat board,his breath hitched sharply.

he scratched it, tested what material, his knees had little room. He was in some kind of container, wooden perhaps.

Then he remembered the party, the car crash, the crowd..that… changed, and the rockstar, Michael who stood like orchestrating a crowd before he blacked out.

Josiah then felt a familiar sensation, it was familiar but new. A surge of a strange strain in his veins all over, he felt different, wrong. His heart hammered harder now like a drum in his ears. But how?

Then

Sounds of sharp methodical steps on creaking wooden floors.

Josiah froze, his head snapped to the sound, holding his breath.

Moving in direction he couldn't point where yet other than it was on his right side.

He laid on his right side and stared at the direction towards the steps, he forced himself to stay still, he felt his voice give quietly and he then clamped his hand over his mouth He squeezed his right fist tight, the other gripping over his mouth tighter, his fingers pressinging into his jaw.

... step,

Step,

step, he heard.

" i.. can't tell how far that is... am I dead? why am i-... are they gonna hurt-..” he thought.

Then the steps sounded like they were going away he heard.

What felt like a minute, maybe 3

He didn't know how long he was still, staring at the same side. But he didn't dare move.

but then he hears something, talking, kinda far off sounding muddled through the container.

He heard…

one voice…?

two voices…

Maybe one female and one male, he thought.

Man: “ -yeah ill be ok. I'm sticking by this.everything is handled.”

Woman: “you've been in here for awhile now. Do you need anything?

Man: “No, I'm fine. It's just going to be a few weeks, see how things go. Make sure not to come up till I text you.

Woman: “ok. I'll do it for you. Here's your dinner.”

Josiah gently raised his hands to the top, he thought against it with dire resemblance but his hands kept moving anyway. He pushed lightly, no budge then a little more effort he got it to move. First thing he saw was light, moon light perhaps coming from the left side he couldn't see the source yet. He carefully moved his head up slowly. He saw a non lit wooden room, kitchen, and table in the far side of this small room. But there's an oak coffin next to him. At the right side of the room he saw the corner, an open door is partially open, orange fluorescent light from another room.

It was where the conversation was. But he couldn't see anyone.

Man:...

Woman;...

the door closed.

Josiah froze. Instincts screaming at him to shut this container again, to hide.

Then Michael came around the corner. Wearing beach wear. Eyes immediately finding Josiah's. The moonlight that shined from behind josiah, the window, showed michaels eyes shined like glass.

“ You're finally awake.” Michael said.

Josiah stared frozen, he swallowed

“...”

'...where am I? Why am I here?”

“ You're in my attic. You'll be staying here.” Michael responded, flat, casual.

“ What happened?” josiah

“ you died. I changed you so that you would survive. Your friends, family know that you died on the highway.

I sent your urn, money. They had your funeral a few days ago. You were unconscious for 8 days..”

Josiah stared, he squinted at him like a deceiver or threat but it fractures into despair. He looks down at the floor then his hands. “ I- what? I died?..” He said it like he was mourning himself.

“ but im here”

Michael says “ you are kindred now, i changed you.”

He sat in the chair by the table and offered his hand to the opposite side chair.

“ What's kindred?” Josiah mutters.

“ vampire, if you prefer. “

He shook his head, squinting in disbelief,. “ vampire? Are… you joking?”

“ No. Not at all. Notice how your heart doesn't beat, you don't need to breathe, your skin has lost considerable fat and color.”

He puts a hand over his heart, his legs buckle and falls on a knee but he feels like breathing out of habit. But feels like he's breathing through water, like it's not normal to breathe , like he doesn't need to.

His hand pressed above his heart, banging against his chest, it's harder to breathe.his gaze stays on his harm that he laid on his chest.

“...But… I feel my heart…it's thumping.”

Michael narrowed then returned casual, like matter of fact.

“ a unique gift my blood shares, you inherited it.”

“ notice have you cracked the oak coffin of yours.”

His hand gestures behind Josiah to what the container was, a coffin.

Looking at it now, the edge where he held it is broken from a powerful grip.

“ You can't return to your old life, you will only bring them danger. You have 2 choices. I kill you quickly, you won't feel it, return to the grave or… continue to live and I teach you the ropes.”

" ...wow... I'm dead?... that means…All I hoped for... s' Just gone... And you're saying I can stay… but I have to adjust?...

Michael responds grimly, “yes, there's a beast inside you that will be with you your whole existence as you live.”

Then Josiah responds

“Is there a better path? Or am I just stuck as… a monster?”

Michael leans forward on his chair looking down at Josiah.

“It is not all lost, you can fight the beast, as I do. I can train you if you would like. But this will not be easy. Life will be hard and you will feel and be tempted to be a monster that lives inside you.”

Josiah clenches his fists, lip quivering mixed with bitterness and loss and fragile determination.

" …..Then......”

“then……..”

“I'll stay.”

I understand I'm gone… but you if youre-… letting me-…. to teach me-…. I'll stay….be better…. To try ill- ”

Michael got up. “ Then it's settled. Grab yourself a blood pack, you may warm it up in the microwave if you wish. You'll need it.”

Michael walked down a hall into a closet.

Josiah's eyes stayed on Michael's back, seeing him glide-walk casually like he was weightless yet his foot still made the familiar sharp steps from earlier, till he entered a walk-in closet at the hand of the left side of the room.

Josiah froze there, then glanced to the opposite side of the room, where he had the conservation with the woman earlier. He looked down then ahead, where the fridge was on the right, a counter top and sink towards its left. A microwave sat right next to the fridge.

He didn't move. He was shaking. Conflicting sensations. To breathe yet told he cant. “ hes.. A monster… if he really is a vampire.. I-.” he whispered and shook his head.

“Just get the- fridge.” he said slowly to himself.

He looked back at the closet. Staring at it for a minute.

Then he felt the veins inside pump harder a fraction, a reminder.

His breath hitched , it snapped him out of his stupor. He looked down at his hands. Then the fridge.

He then stood and walked to the fridge carefully. His hand stretched out for the handle then hesitated then opened the door.

You have reached the end of the text.