Date: Fri, 1 Oct 1999 06:23:59 EDT
From: DivineGlow@aol.com
Subject: Into the Darkness 2-resend

Ok, here it is. Round two. Thanks to all those who sent me mail. I tried to
write back to all of you and will continue to do so. Remember, you guys
keep me writing. If you see some stylistic changes it's because I am trying
to get better with my writing. Hope I don't throw you off to bad. Ok. I
wont keep you long. Here is the story...


Into the Darkness: Chapter Two

Rusty sat up quickly to find himself in his tub.  His first thought was the
one he could rationalize easiest. The voice inside his head tried to tell
him 'It was just a dream'. The voice shut up when Rusty looked around to
see that the water in the tub was red and he still held a razor blade in
his hand. He dropped the razor in shock and then checked his wrists. Not
cut, no blood, not even a scar. 'A second chance'. Those words echoed in
his mind. "But where do I start?" this he said out loud as he stood up and
got out of the tub. "I always thought that love found you, you don't just
go on a quest for it."  He began to move to the shower and stop when he
thought about what he had just said.

"But that is just what I have been told to do..." He yelled in frustration,
knowing that nobody would hear or care. "What makes me so special?! Why
couldn't it have been someone else's soul!!"  He felt his knees go out from
under him and fell to the cold marble. His drive to live was still gone. He
just wanted to stay there. Never move again. But it was the chill from the
marble floor that reminded him of It. That thing that tried to take him
away from what little he had left. If nothing else, he would not let that
thing win. Even if it meant that he had to force someone to love him that
void take him.

Both of his hands hit the marble floor with a hard slap that echoed loudly
through the room. The force of the blow a physical manifestation of his
newfound determination for life... and love. And it seemed that every time
he had a direction planned, fate would decide to hit him with another curve
ball. He found himself on his feet way faster than expected. It looked like
he had hit the floor with enough strength to push him back on his feet. The
new dents in the floor and the waves of darkness were still emanation form
the impact area led him to the conclusion.

"Nicodemus had said that my soul could affect changes but this is a bit
over the edge." He thought for a moment and decided that his ponderings
could at least wait until he had cleaned off the blood from his body. He
got into his shower and began to clean himself off. The warmth of the water
on his skin helped to drive the memories of It from his mind; it also
helped him begin to formulate his plan. He had to rethink his image. He
knew his fellow teenagers well enough to know that they don't read books,
only covers.  It isn't who you know, to them; it's what you wear and where
you got it. He had to make himself attractive. He began formulating ideas
on how to look and noticed that all his ideas were coming up
black. Everything was black. 'Guess that part is still there' he thought,
'so I have to think of a way to make black look good. A grin crossed his
face as he came to a conclusion. "Come Monday, people are going to see a
whole new Rusty Sanders..."

He spent the rest of the weekend putting together his new attire, the new
him... again. And when it was finished he couldn't have been more proud of
himself. Monday morning he stepped out of his car feeling like a whole new
person. He was still in all black but he lost his grungy, I don't really
care look. He had on a pair of dress shoes, which were well polished. His
pants were a nice pair of slacks, leaning a bit close to the tight side. A
leather belt with a sterling silver buckle was holding them up. That had
cost him. He had on two shirts. One was a normal, tight, black t-shirt; the
other was a black silk button up shirt that was over the first and was left
totally undone and un-tucked. Toping it all off was a brand new pair of
Bolle mirror shades, his hair which was pulled back into a smooth ponytail,
and a grin like a that of a predator cat.

His smile grew when he noticed how many people had stopped to stare at
him. He could hear their whispers but couldn't make out what was being
said. He was just happy to be having a different effect on his peers. He
went to class as normal and even his teachers noticed. The fear everyone
felt was still there, but now with a dash of curiosity. They wanted to know
who Rusty had turned into. It was at lunch when the first group of people
approached him cautiously. Three females who he knew were part of the 'in'
walked over to his empty table like they were dared. He began to have
flashbacks of the movie 'Clueless'. 'Ironically fitting' he thought while
trying to hold back a chuckle. Rusty didn't even bother to look up, trying
to play like he was much cooler than he really was. The apparent leader and
spokes person began the conversation.

	"Hey...um.... aren't you Rusty Sanders?"

	"I am unless someone stole my name." He still didn't look up.

	"We...uh...didn't recognize you in your... new look." He decided to
toy with them.

	"That is because I am in disguise..." That caught the blonde for a
loop.

	"Uh... yeah...well, like...a few friends were...uh wondering if you
want to eat with us."

	He knew instantly which table to look at. If not because he had
seen where these three hot air storage plants sat at, then because the
whole table was staring at him. He looked at their faces briefly and then
finally to the three in front of him. He was about to politely wave them
off when he had a weird feeling. A melodic voice whispered in his
ear..."Go..." He hesitated a moment, and then covered.

	"Yeah, sounds cool. I will be there in a minute."

	The three walked back to the table like giddy
schoolgirls. Wait... they were giddy schoolgirls. Rusty sat for a second
and debated on whether he would really let himself become entertainment for
the popular people. He heard the voice again, this time more
insistent. "Go."  He looked up at the ceiling thinking, 'Ok, I'll go. Thank
you Obi-Wan.' He stood up with his tray and moved softly over to the 'table
of the trendy'. With a slight flair of the dramatic, he set his tray on the
table and flushed his silk shirt out behind him, almost like it was a
cape. He knew they would think he just didn't want to sit on it but they
would notice the dramatics as well. He wanted to keep the guessing.

	There was a long moment of silence after he took his seat. Rusty
decided to take the time to review his opposition. There was the three that
had asked him over, he still couldn't remember their names. There was James
Denny. Everyone knew him. Star sports player. He was on all but three teams
in the school. Nobody knew how he managed that feat but most everyone
agrees that he bribed the coaches. He was the son of a very powerful
businessman. A direct competitor to Rusty's parents. There was also Susan
Harper. Rusty often found himself staring at her a lot. He attributed that
fact to her bright red hair that looked incredible on her.

	To his left was a blonde by the name of Karren. Captain of the
cheerleaders. Need we say more? Rusty didn't know her last name, and he was
grateful. She was giving him dirty looks every time he saw her. He never
cared. Then there were several others that he didn't recognize but knew
they were the cream of the crop from the school, mostly juniors and
seniors. He didn't think that was saying too much.

	"So to whom do I owe the honor of the invite?" Rusty spoke softly
on purpose. The blonde next to him retorted immediately. Using a great
amount of contempt in her voice. It obviously wasn't her. He still didn't
care.

	"Does someone want to translate that?" Everyone rolled their eyes.

	"He wants to know why he is here, Ms. Future English Major." was
the response from James across the table. "We were a little curious about
you and wanted to know some more about who you were. You never talk to
anybody. You are like a ghost. So we decided to interrogate you."

	"You keep saying 'we'. Did you all vote on me?"

	"Actually, yes we did. And in case you were wondering it was a ten
to one vote." Rusty considered saying something to that but decided against
it due to close proximity. "There are a lot of stories about you. I wonder
how many were true." Rusty only looked at the speaker with an evil
grin. 'Uh...so are the stories true."

	"I never said I would volunteer for an interrogation." He had no
reason to answer any questions they had come up with.

	"We are only trying to be friendly. You can ask us anything you
want right back." Another person jumped in.

	"Is it true that you are stinking rich?"

	"And if I was?" He knew it was a test. He also knew it was both a
game and a trap. But he decided to play along, for now.

	"Uh...I don't know, just wondering." He loved making them say
'Uh...'

	"Yes, I can hold my own financially. But I am not the only one."
His eyes had never moved from James. He knew whom the ringleader was and he
wasn't going to be intimidated because he was out numbered. With most
groups, especially in high school, if you take down the leader, you take
down the group. This was a social war.

	For the next fifteen minutes they asked him a lot of random
questions. He always retorted with an enigmatic answer that chalked up
another 'Uh...' for his team. And that was when things got interesting. A
new figure moved to sit at the table. When he sat at the table directly
across from Rusty, the dark teen tried to place a name to the face but was
unable to. The newcomer wasn't really paying attention and was surprised to
look up and see his reflection in the black sunglasses. For that short
instant you could almost feel the tension in the air as these two stared at
each other. Rusty was merely curious as to why this person was having such
a reaction. He felt it seemed less like fear and more like shock. He looked
into his eyes searching for some sign and he instantly felt his own
self-hatred. He was looking into eyes as green as his, no...as green as his
used to be.

	From the other side of the table there was quite a bit of shock. He
couldn't believe that Rusty was actually sitting across from him. It was a
Dark One right here in front of him. Was he looking for me? Did he know...?
There was just something not right about this situation. It couldn't have
been just coincidence. Little did he know that it was one of the few honest
coincidences in life.

	"So are two going to kiss or what?" Their thoughts where shattered
by the voice of Karen. They both shot her a downright malicious glare and
responded in unison...

	"Excuse me?" They looked to each other with momentary astonishment
then returned to glaring at Karren.

	"The way you two were staring at each other... You looked like you
were going to kiss or something." The newcomer was the first to retort.

	"I bet you would love to see that wouldn't you?" His glower turned
to a grin.

	"Shut up, Gus." She laughed along with several others waiting the
expected response. Rusty was the only one not prepared for it. He looked at
"Gus", knowing there was some kind of inside joke at his expense. For a
moment he was silent then his eyes shot open and Rusty saw wisps of red
energy began to flow around the young frame. Rusty could feel the anger
flowing out him. There was no more laughing but Karren was still
smiling. "Gus" stood up looking right at her and spoke with a quiet before
the storm tone in his voice. Rusty could barely hear him.

	"Listen well, Karren, for this is the last time I will tell
you. My... name... is... not... 'Gus'!" The last sentence grew louder with
each word and was a full-blown yell at the end. Rusty and to slide back his
seat due to the intense feelings he was receiving and Karren wasn't smiling
any more. "I vow that if you call me that one more time, that there shall
not be a day that goes by when you don't think of me and feel a deep fear
in you heart! Do I make myself clear?!!" Karren only nodded. 'Gus' took a
step back, paused for only a second, and then left the room. The only sound
being that of his footsteps on the floor and when he left the room was as
silent as a tomb. Everything had stopped.  Karren soon started laughing
again, several others joining her. Now Rusty was getting angry. He turned
to Karren and spoke firmly.

	"Look! If that is how you feel you need to treat others, then I
don't want to be associated with you. Some day your 'Holier than thou'
attitude is going to be thrown back in your face and you will feel like the
smallest person on this planet. Enjoy your hollow life." And with that he
stood and left the cafeteria. He was about to go to his looker and get
ready for his next class. He spotted 'Gus' turning a corner. Curiosity got
the better of him and Rusty decided to follow him. He tailed him through
the schools empty hallways until they got to a place near the gym Rusty had
never seen before. It was a small storage area near the locker rooms. 'Gus'
went inside not knowing Rusty was almost right behind him. He sat into a
corner trying to hold back his sobs. A deep internal pain that only he
would ever feel.

	Rusty sat in a shadow by the door, watching the other teen weep
silently. He felt a great amount of sympathy. He knew what it was
like. Having so much pain, and not a person willing to give some honest
help. He knew where his feelings were leading but he wasn't sure he liked
the destination. He knew that for the first time in a long time, he was
going to try and make a friend. His own soul depended on being with others
and someday finding someone to love. And here was someone so like him in
that aspect, and yet strikingly different. Now that he actually thought
about it, they looked like exact opposites. 'Gus' was dressed almost
entirely in white. His shoes and pants were all white, with a light gray
shirt and a nice white trench coat. Rusty began thinking to himself 'How is
it I never noticed someone like him before?' He shook the thoughts from his
head and cleared his throat loudly.

	"Are you going to be ok?" He tried to sound as peaceful as
possible.

	"Who...who's there?" 'Gus' looked around the room to find where the
sound came from.

	"I'm right here." Rusty was in plain sight, or so he thought. By
this time 'Gus' had stood up.

	"If you are trying to mess with me, I would suggest otherwise right
now."

	"I was just curios if you were going to be ok. You looked a bit
shaken up back in the lunch room." With those words Rusty stepped out of
the shadows. 'Gus' let out an audible gasp and took a fighting stance.

	"You...? What are you doing here? What do you want from me?"

	"Easy there pal. I was just making sure you were ok. I don't want
to hurt you."

	"Yeah. Sure you don't. You expect me to believe that?"

	"Why don't you tell me why you think I would want to hurt you?"

	"You are a Dark One, are you not?" It was Rusty's turn to gasp. 'He
knows!'

	"Wait a minute. You have the wrong ide..." Rusty was cut of by a
wave of white energy that hit him square in the chest and knocking him
against the wall. His glasses flew in a random direction and he slid down
into a seated position. He clutched his chest on reflex and was surprised
at the lack of pain.

	"Come on! Get up! I have taken down way stronger than you!" All
rusty could do was sit there. He had never been in a fight before let alone
one where energy waves were involved. He couldn't think of any thing he
could do except sit there and pray for his life.  'Gus' walked right up to
him, picked the teen off the floor by his neck, and slammed him back
against the wall.

	"Either you are a new One, or you are very stupid, or you came here
to die. Probably all three. It doesn't matter that much to me." He raised
his fist to deliver the final blow and paused. He looked into Rusty's eyes
which were freed from the glasses. They were like all the others... but
there was something else... 'Gus' couldn't place it. But there was
something there. He lowered the very confused teen to his feet.

	"I thought you were going to kill me?"

	"I changed my mind. I don't feel like killing today."

	"Or is it that you just don't feel right about killing me? I saw it
in your eyes" 'Gus' turned away and took a few steps.

	"I don't know. You are different from the others of your kind."

	"My kind? What exactly is my kind?"

	"Either you are really new to the Darkness or you weren't paying
attention when you died. Once again probably both." There was a great
amount of contempt in his tone.

	"As I was trying to say, you have the wrong idea about me. I am not
who or what you think I am. I don't even know what a Dark One is." 'Gus'
turned to face him.

	"I don't get it? How could you not know? How did you become one?
You must know that." Rusty smiled.

	"Actually I think I do, but it is a long story. You might want to
get comfortable."

	So Rusty explained everything. From when the "Change" began, to
when he killed him self, his encounter with the Darkness, and his rescue at
the hands of Nicodemus. He retold everything up to the point of his
revival.

	"I have heard of the name Nicodemus, he is one of the great heroes
of the War."

	"The War? What's that?"

	"You know, the Ageless Conflict, the battle between the Light and
the Darkness, good and evil."

	"Oh. That War. Don't I feel stupid?"

"Yeah. Stupid newbie." They both laughed. It was an interesting
situation. Here they were, to child warriors on opposite sides of the
longest battle in existence, laughing together.

	"I still don't know your name, all I know is what Karren called
you, and I am not that daring...yet..." This brought on more chuckles.

"My name is Augustus. But most of my friends just call me August."

"I think I will stick with Augustus. I don't think I quite fit into the
friend category yet."

"I don't care. In truth we are on the same side. But your battle with the
Darkness is inside of you. I am just you basic frontline grunt on this
world."

"But we are all doing our part..."

They sat and stared at each other for a long time. Almost an hour. They
felt like they were staring into an emotional mirror. Two child warriors,
one isolated by choice, the other by necessity. And both were willing to
take that first step into change. What they were looking for was right
there in front of them, staring back at them, they just didn't realize it
yet. They didn't go back to class that day. They just sat and talked about
life, death, the War.  They were like every other human, trying to see just
where they fit in the big picture. From a distance two beings smiled. One a
smile of hope, the other...well...have you ever seen a tiger smile before
it strikes?



Yes! The love story begins. All comments and criticism are welcome. If you
have any suggestions on where you would like the story to go from here
(besides the obvious) go ahead and let me know. Who knows, I might use your
ideas. Stay tuned for Chapter 3 ina bout a week... I hope...

DivneGlow@aol.com