The Darkness

The nightmare starts...

The names Jackie, Jackie Estacado. Cutting straight to the chase, I'm a hitman, working for my Uncle Paulie. Tonight, something happened...something changed. I carried out the hit, as planned. But now...dear Uncle Paulie...is after me.

Now, alot of things happened tonight. I killed a construction worker, I almost got blown up by a bomb planted by my dear Uncle. But something even stranger happened...

The time...

It's the eve of my 21st birthday. It's almost midnight. I'm on my way to my girlfriends house (after wiping the blood from my coat, of course). Then it happened...a bunch of my Uncle's men, jumped me in the graveyard. I did my best to defend myself, shot a few, and ran for cover in the public toilets.

I heard the bells tolling midnight, I could feel a change in the air....then I heard that voice...

"I'm coming Jackie....feel the Darkness..."

Now I was scared.

The bells finished tolling...a power unleashed within me. A monster...and thats not even a metaphor.

"Let me show you my power...use it, Jackie!"

Suddenly, the monster burst out...I wasn't myself anymore...snake-like, blackened monsters came from my body, tentacles stretched far and wide. I walked back into the graveyard, bullets hitting me, flying past my face. But the Darkness had taken over...the tentacles stabbed the guys shooting at me, the snakes ripped them apart. I felt the power coursing through me.

Then it disappeard. You see, this power only works in the dark....the light kills it. The streetlights made them go away.

Strange huh?

Jenny...

I know all this weird shit started happening to me, but I still had only one goal before I could think about this Darkness - Jenny. The most beautiful girl in the world, the one person I feel love for. The one person Paulie has a hit on...

I made my way to her apartment...this strange Darkness pulsed beneath my skin...but I had to warn Jenny...


Name : Jackie Estacado
Age : 21
Gender : Male
Description : <--- as the Darkness

<---- as himself

((Hope this is ok, hun))

Name: Jenny Costello
Age: 20 years old
Gender: Female
Description:
Other: Jenny was a happy youung woman with her life set ahed of her. She has a good job, a nice appartment and a boyfriend that she was in love with although she never said those three words. Kind at heart, Janny can be quite sharp is she wants to be however its rare.

(Of course hun, sure! )

Jackie shook his head as he walked through the Fulton Street subway. So many thoughts were rushing through his head. About Paulie, Jenny, this...thing...inside him...

He walked up the dimly lit steps, onto Jenny's street. How was he going to come clean? She didn't know about his jaded job. How would she react, knowing the guy was with was a murderer? For money? And that it was his fault someone was after her?

He reached the buzzer of her apartment, and pressed the button. He puffed, out of breath from exhaustion, and fear. But he had to stay cool, for Jenny.

Jenny blinked slightly from her doze as the buzzer sounded. She glanced at her watch and wondered who on earth it could be at this time in the morning. Standing up from the sofa, she used the remote to turn the mute on the TV- Some corny 1970's romance- and went barefoot to the door, her feet making small slapping sounds on polished wooden flooring.

She tiptoed and glanced through the peephole and smiled slightly when she realised who it was. Semi concious of the blue flanal pajama bottems and white tank top she wore, she pulled the door open slightly and smiled. "hat are you doing here at this time in the morning?" she asked with a chearfull voice.

Jackie took a deep breath before Jenny opened the door. Regardless of his fear and utter exhaustion, he couldn't help but smile when he saw her. "Jenny...can I come in...it's pretty important." he said, wanting to just walk into her flat and stay there forever with her. But that would not be possible during these circumstances.

Jenny's eye brow arched slightly in confusion. Questions came to mind that was over shadowed with worry as she stepped back and opened the door for him. "Of course..." she said gently, her voice was laced with confusion. "Are you okay?" she added, her green eyes glazing over him, taking in his appearence.

Jackie opened his mouth to answer, but found he could not lie and say he was fine. He took a breath, and walked into the apartment.

"Jenny, I know its late, and I know its probably not what you wanna hear now, but....well, I gotta tell you something. Something important." He ran a hand through his long hair, and shook his head. He didn't want to hurt her with his shady 'employment'. But how else would she be safe, unless he confessed.

"Did I ever actually tell you what I do for a living?"

Jenny's lips persed together in a frown as the thought nack, her arms crossing across her chest in slight irratation and she racked through memories. "You said..." she began softly, her eyes averted to the ceeling as she replayed the memory in her mind. "You said that you did odd jobs for people..." her eyes snapped back to him as the hands went to her hips. "And why can't this wate untill morning, Jackie?" she asked cooly.

Jackie looked at her mounfully, hating what reaction she would give. Because he knew it wouldn't be nice.

"Jenny, I...I'm a hitman." he said simply, and hung his head in shame. Now he said it, to his girlfriend, the full force of what he did came crashing down upon him. Hitman....that was a murderer who got paid. He was a low-life...he was disgusting. But he had to do this, for her.

Jenny looked at him for what felt like a very long time when it was infact a few momants however in that short space of time, a storm of emotions and expressions passed across her face untill it settled onto confusion. "You are a what?" she whispered, a look of dissbelief on her face. She couldn't have heard him right... she just couldn't have.

Jackie lifted his head and looked into Jenny's eyes, and saw her disbelief.

"Jenny, it's true, I am, for Paulie, my Uncle. Or at least, I was." then he launched into the story before she could say anything else, and poured it all out, about the hit tonight, about the bomb set to kill him, and then that he almost got killed by being shot at in a graveyard.

"But I had to tell you Jenny, I had to come here. For some reason, Paulie wants me dead, but he's got his sights set on you instead."

He finished, and breathed a huge sigh of relief. Whatever her reaction, he had finally told her. It felt like a weight off his shoulders. But the guilt slowly crept back in, not just for not telling her, but for his sordid past.

"I'm sorry."

Jenny looked at him and turned away, trying to keep the swell of emotions in check and hide the confusion that threatened to over come her. Her boyfriend was a hitman! She moved away from him and walked into the kitchen, grabbing a glass from the drainer and filling it with water. Leaning on the counter with her left hand, she took a fiew mouthfulls, her whole frame trembling in anger and confusion. She didn't know what to say to him.

Jackie watched her move into the kitchen, and his heart ached for her. She was such a lovely, caring person - how could he put her through this? Maybe it would have been better if they had never met.

As she drank the water, he walked very slowly up to her, and placed one hand on her trembling shoulder. "Jenny, I'm so sorry, but I had to tell you. I should have told you sooner, much sooner."

"No," Jenny snapped, slamming the glass on to the drainer and turned to him, ripping his hand away from her. "No Jackie, Its not that you didn't tell me somthing... Its the fact that you are a cold blooded murder for money!" She was almost screaming at this point and had to turn away taking deep breaths to steady herself. "And now this person's after me?" she questioned.

Jackie woud have preffered a slap across his face than hear her scream at him like that. He physically winced at her words, they stung him like a million needles.

"He...his name is Paulie, he's my Uncle." he said slowly, watching her closely.

"Her anger, her sorrow....so wrong ,Jackie. Don't let her talk to you like that....kill her!" The croaking voice said in his head, and Jackie grabbed his hair with his hands, willing it to go away.

Jenny frowned, a confused look on her face as he grabbed his hair. Despite her anger, concern passed across her face. "What the hell is wrong?" she snapped, crossing her arms over her chest.

Jackie looked up at Jenny's voice, and shook his head. "I don't....know..." he said, not knowing how she would react to the news of him having this odd creature infesting his mind!

"Jenny, we gotta go somewhere safe, let me take you to my Aunt's house, you'll be safe there." he said. changing the subject to more needful discussions, and away from talking about this monster.

"Fool! Kill her, you don't need her!

Jenny raised an eye brow and looked more then ready to pick a fight about it, but the look on his face told her that he was sensere. "Fine..." she growled, pushing past him. "And stay here hile I dress..." she yelled, going into her bedroom.

Jackie watched her leave the room, and sighed, moving towards the open window in her living room.

"This place reeks of innocence..."

Jackie shook his head, "Why me?" he said to himself. Walking away from the window, he slumped down on the couch and sighed again. This was going to be a long night....

****************************

Out in the shadows of the dark streets, men lay in wait for the girl in the apartment, guns ready to get her....

Jackie looked up at her, and smiled weakly. "Great, lets move." he said, standing up, and wrapping his long black coat closer around him.

"You can't escape the darkness. Even the blazing Sun gives into the darkness of the night..."

"We better get a move on, we gotta catch the last train too." he said, and instinctivley grasped Jenny's hand to lead her out of the room.

Jenny frowned as he grabbed her hand but made mo protests. However her movements were stiff and rather wodden. She followed quietly, jearking him to a halt as she switched of the telivison and the light.

Jackie felt Jenny tense, but was glad that she didn't let go. He led her through the apartment and down through the building.

"Careful Jackie...something is wrong..."

Jackie slowed down after the voice told him that...what was wrong?

Jenny's face turned into a frown as Jackie slowed down. "What is it?" she asked uneasily, looking around. She could see that he wasn't right.

Jackie pulled Jenny foward slowly. He tried to slow his breath so he could hear more clearly.

"Something's up...stay close to me babe, somethings wrong." he said, and realised he called her a familiar name. He cursed himself for saying it, and shook his head, annoyed at his stupidity.