Worth Living For - My Novel

            The following is an excerpt from my novel-in-the-making, Worth Living For. It's still rough, but I thought that you guys might like to read it. : )

            It was dark. From the moment I regained consciousness, I knew that this darkness held power. It was much more than the lack of light; it was a substance, and it was draining the life out of me.

            I sat up slowly, as though moving through a thick fog. Where am I? The words bounced around in my mind as I strained to see through the darkness. My head was pounding, my hands trembling. I pressed them against my knees in an attempt to steady them. I was scared.

            C’mon Nick, keep cool. I chided myself. Get up. Walk around. Figure out where you are. And find a light.

            I shakily got to my feet, my arms stretched out in front of me. I took a shuffling step forward, then another. My arms continued to probe the darkness, but they came in contact with nothing.

            As I walked, I could hear a faint whispering, like wind. But as I listened, it twisted into a fiendish laugh. It raced up my spine and tingled in my ears. I placed my hands over them to try and block out the sound, but to no avail.

            Something latched onto my throat. I desperately clawed at my neck, but nothing was there. My throat continued to constrict - I could hardly breathe. I dropped to my knees on the hard floor, gasping and choking for air.

            “Let go!” I whispered, my voice hoarse.

            The invisible fingers loosened their grip. I greedily sucked in air. I’ve gotta get out of here, I thought to myself, heart pounding. I got to my feet again and continued to walk through the darkness.

            There was another chuckle, deeper than the first. It was followed by a whole chorus of them all around me, taunting me with their wicked glee. Blinking lights flickered on and off in the black, disorienting me. I stumbled forward, then staggered back. My head was reeling, my ears thrumming, my body weak and trembling. The air was so thick…I could hardly breathe.

            Oh God, get me out of here! My mind cried.

            There was an ear-splitting shriek from one of the voices. A gush of air slammed into my chest, knocking me to the ground. I could hear wings, pulling whatever creature through the air. I remained where I was, mouth dry in terror.

            God, please-

            Something ripped through my chest. I let out a scream of agony and fell back, hitting my head solidly against the hard floor. I gasped frantically for breath as I felt the thing moving around inside of me. It was like a horrible dream, where someone else comes and takes over your body. Only this was real.

            The creature stilled in my chest, and I was suddenly filled with intense, burning anger. I jumped to my feet and began screaming and swearing and cursing God. My fists flew through the air, which was growing thicker by the second. I could feel sweat pouring down my face, and my breathing was ragged. But I continued to yell and swear like a madman, trying to soothe the incredible rage. I felt like a monster; out of control, beyond the realm of reality.

            My first collided with something solid. I staggered back, gripping my hand. Blood dripped from between my fingers. I took a deep, shaky breath, trying to steady my heart-rate. I felt…empty. No anger, no creature, no words. Just…empty.