Yin and yang depict balance, duality. It shows that there is no light without darkness, no darkness without light, and ultimately, they add up to zero.
Nothing is good, nothing is bad, nothing is anything…
But… What happens when the darkness overtakes the light? What happens when everything is engulfed in the inky garbage that seems to affect everyone’s life? What happens when we’re swallowed by the dark?
-–
If everything is truly in balance, if I’m the representation of darkness then Anais was my light. She always had a smile on her face. Always radiated positivity, that sort of up-beat demeanor that attracted everyone like flies to her light.
Anais was, by all accounts, the definition of perfection. Stellar student, funny yet thoughtful, kind yet strong, and beautiful. Her hazel eyes, fair skin, her wonderful figure—I still remember seeing the wind mess her long, silky, auburn hair for the first time. The moment I fell in love with her.
I don’t know what did it, but the feeling was mutual, we’ve been—were… we were together for 3 years. And everything was wonderful. Aside from any normal spats which she usually ended up being the bigger person in, we had a prosperous relationship…
But where there is light…
-–
It was about 8 months ago when I first saw it. I was taking care of the dishes that night when she came down the stairs. Hearing the creaks of the steps, I looked around, hands still in the sink and a smile began to creep onto my face… but it was abruptly stopped
Near the top of her head, wrapped around the temple was a darkness. And peeking above her head was that face… that awful, awful face.
Two large circular white eyes and a smile… an inhuman smile larger than possible, sharp teeth filling the hole in an unnatural manner. Seeing this struck a bolt of fear through me. It felt as my stomach would crawl out of my mouth and run to the next town over
“How’s the dishes”
She said as brightly as ever, that beautiful—somewhat teasing—smile on her face.
As she said this it brought me back to reality, I lightly shook my head and it was gone. It was late and I’d just assumed I was tired so I didn’t say anything… What I would give to go back. I mean, that wasn’t natural, it must’ve been a trick of my eyes, the light… it must’ve been a trick
-–
A couple weeks went by before I saw it again. We were hanging out with some friends getting coffee when I saw it again. She was chuckling at some joke one of our friends had made and as I looked at her, there it was.
Larger than last time. The smile bigger, the dark creature now reaching down to her shoulders, wrapped around the sides her head. The creature was inky black, and at the same time, it was transparent. It captured my gaze—I couldn’t look away
“What’s wrong, Tom?” Our friend, Sherry said, jolting me back
“Staring at your girlfriend in public? Not enough at home, eh?” Said Sherry’s boyfriend Jim
The creature was gone once again. I made up some excuse about zoning out because of a project at work since it seemed that neither Sherry nor Jim could see the black creature that was wrapped around Anais’s head
-–
Over the next 7 months the creature would continue to pop up, every time seeming to grow a bit larger, and every time I would see it for a little bit longer.
For the most part, it didn’t make sense, there was no pattern, but I noticed that something would change whilst I was looking at it. Although I never actually saw the creature get bigger. only appearing bigger in the intervals that I saw it, I noticed that its smile would get larger.
I also noticed that as time went on the creature would wrap itself around Anais’s arms, her legs. It would control her, make her do—or not do—things. And it seemed to be affecting Anais although it seemed she didn’t notice the creature. Her temper had been getting shorter, and she seemed more frustrated, more annoyed.
Many times when she would be planning to go out I saw the creature appear and stop her from leaving out the door. Whenever she would try to do something she enjoyed, she was happy for a moment before the creature appeared and stopped her. Going so far as to remove the small smile from her face.
-–
As the creature… the demon… I don’t know, to this day I still wonder where it came from. To this day I wonder what I could’ve done to exorcise this beast from Anais’s… from my Ana’s being.
*deep inhale*
We were arguing a bit more in this time. Anais’s temper seemed a bit shorter and we’d get into more spats, and every time we did I saw the demon’s smile get larger than the already inhumane size it was.
Now, *I* was usually the bigger person. Even so, I thought it was just me getting what I’d deserved for always being the stubborn one, maybe she was finally getting tired of my obduracy. Nothing was wrong, just me starting arguments… just me.
-–
Two days ago we fought again… this time some things were said… on both sides.
Before she stormed out of our shared home I saw the creature. It had fully engulfed her from head to toe. It had wrapped itself around her entire body. Although the creature’s, what I can loosely call head was usually peeking from above her head, this time… it took over her face. The smile stretching literally from ear to ear. With those sharp teeth and those eyes—those horrific white eyes. They obscured the beautiful hazel eyes of my Ana.
-–
After she stormed out this time I resolved myself to fix whatever issues we were having. I would confront her about the demon, we would go wherever we needed to get help, whether that be a doctor, a priest, or the devil himself for all I cared
The next day—yesterday, I went out to buy chocolates, flowers, the normal things, y’know. I went to her apartment and knocked—no answer. I tried texting—no answer. I called, and from across the door, I heard her phone ringing.
As fear bubbled in my stomach I got out my spare key to her apartment and when I opened the door—oh god, when I opened the door
The creature, the monster, the demon… the darkness, it permeated the house. The moment I opened the door and looked inside the demon filled the entire living room. Those deep white eyes staring at me with that… with that god-forsaken smile threatening to swallow me whole…
But it seemed like it was trying to lead me somewhere, so gathering every bit of courage I followed its trail of darkness into the bathroom…
“Oh god, no no no no no. ANA! ANAIS!” I screamed as I saw her in the bathtub soaking in her own blood. My heart dropped, and I started wailing. After an hour of breaking down, I finally called the police, doing my best to squeak out anything
“M-m-m-my, my—I think, my g-g-g-girlfriend k-ki-ki-died.”
After the officers got there and tried to question me they quickly filed the death as a suicide. But no, I knew better, I knew so much better.
When I got home, I went to wash my tear-stricken face in the sink. When I looked in the mirror… there it was. I didn’t see my face, no, no, I saw the demon, on mine, on my being now.
I knew it. I knew my Ana would never do something like that, she would never. As I write this the demon has took me over and tied a noose. This message is the last bit of pity that its giving me before it takes me the same way it took my Ana…
Before it reunites me with my beautiful Ana… Before it takes me into the dark