Contagious

I think that the darkness is contagious. I think that after a while of living in the bleakness, the negative side of things...I think it simply swallows you whole. It moves quietly like a serpent crawling over your soul. It looks into your face. It sees into your eyes, what it wants. The darkness has no name but it seeks to steal yours away and make identity for itself. There is no light within the darkness for darkness is pure...and the light is tainted.

 

My fingers twine together and I pull my knees up and underneath myself. I look over at the boy who sits beside me.  I brave to speak.

 

"I am different from the others. I think that is why I am here, alone."

 

He just stares for a moment. "I like different."

 

I find the statement funny because he has no idea just how different I am.

 

I move away before my darkness gets on his skin. I imagine it lifting from the surface of my flesh and intertwining with his big thick fingers. I imagine him glancing down, seeing the darkness and shaking his hands frantically. This makes me laugh.

 

The boy looks at me and creases his forehead. I stifle a giggled underneath my fist.
 
Are you okay?”

I shake my head and giggle again. “Nope, never have been.”