Driving Down the Darkness

Fall From Grace

It was a good day.  The man's dark hair channeled sweat into straight streams, falling down to his cheek.  His breath came at quick intervals, though the tempo was not constant.  The music had called for a rall as the band rested, only the soft whisper of a timpani showed the change.  Inspiration flooded the eyes that sat there, trapped in the landscape before him.  Joshua Radcliff Jr. had learned the art of mountain climbing from his father.
    "Hello."
    The interruption had obviously not emenated from the red and orange surfaces which was cherishing the last praises of the twilight sun.  Looking behind him, Joshua Jr. saw a woman.  She had been noticed just as an exquisite painting is noticed by a blind man.  Recovering from the start and suppressing the shiver that had suddenly com over him, Joshua stood up to greet her.  As he did so the woman's strange appearance caught his eye.  More unusual was the fact that she was here with no vehicle.  She would have walked miles if she had parked in a lot and followed the rim of the cliffs.
    Getting a sufficient view of the woman's face, Joshua was startled. Her eyes were red.  Not the sandy red of the ancient rock surrounding them, but the red of two matching beads of blood.  Her hair was dark and long.  Completely black, almost as if it drained the light, or hid from it.  It fell half a foot below her shoulder, and Joshua was certain that it would be cold to the touch.  Of course that was nonsense.  A piece of tinfoil wouldn't cook an egg in this heat, it would vaporize it.  Yet incredible speed siezed the fragile process of desert cooling.  Though canyon would allow itself to come just above freezing temperatures,  the land was relinquishing temperature much too fast.  It must be the nearing sunset.  Joshua knew he was wrong, since the sun was still too high to change things this much.  Somehow it did seem quite dark, to dark for its current position.
    Focusing on her again, Joshua saw that the woman had a young figure, a thin physique, and was rather tall.  She stood several inches above the man.  She could not be called fair complected, as her skin was as white as snow.  Like snow, but without the sense of innocence.  This made a sharp, but somewhat enjoyable contrast against her clothing.
    She wore a coat that was a as dark as her hair.  The coat had black lace on the hand cuffs and as a collar.  A blood-red blouse was visible at the top of the coat, just under a brooch.  The necklace was a white gold tear drop with two stones inlaid.  Each stone was exactly half the shape, one black onyx and one dark carnelian.  Her skirt came to her feet and was solid black.  Inlaid along the left sleeve of her coat was a dragon, a very ornate red thing, ready to bite.  She had a very beautiful appearance, but a certain chill about her.  Her face defied her youthful curves.  Tight cheekbones and two menacing eyes created a stare that could scare a pack of starving winter wolves.
    "Hello," replied Joshua, "what brings you out here?"  His instincts screamed danger.  Joshua refused to see anything but the best in people, or to listen to fear.
    "Just... admiring the scenery.  Quite a thing isn't it?  The  power that it took to create it... such power in nature.  Wouldn't you kill for it?"  Hunger filled her eyes as she spoke,  shaking her voice.  Her every action was riddled with either temptation or attempts to satisfy it.
    "No, I don't think I would.  I don't see much use.  I have the power to enjoy life as it is."  The best in people.  Look for the best.  He repeated this in his mind as it was the only thing that could let him endure the laugh that followed his statement.  It was like a chuckle, but too sinister to call it so.  Evil doesn't chuckle.
    "Now, you don't know anything about life until you know about death.  Oh, poor boy.  What about death?  Would you die for power?"
    "I would once again have to say no."  The best. The best.  No chuckle: worse.  The hungry smile grew worse. Her face had become more sincere, more honest.  Joshua for once found himself wishing that someone would be less honest.
    "I thought not.  What would you die for? What would you kill for?"  She didn't even attempt to hide the relish that she felt in the word "kill".  Joshua struggled to listen to her, to even look at her.
    "M-my family."  He gasped, though the answer had come to him immediately.  He could hardly talk.  It was like her presence drained him.
    "Your family."  The pause was painful.  "If you could die for them, then you shall.  Come see this."  She led him to the ledge.  Joshua was having trouble walking.  "I need you.  You don't see power when you look at this."  She was, of course right.  Joshua saw the beauty of the landscape even through his rising discomfort.  "You don't permit greed in your heart.  Your sould is good.  If your family is what could motivate you to do what I need, then it is your family I will use.
    "No."  He could barely say it.  She smiled even more expressively, opening more of the greed in her soul.  Joshua was not in pain.  Such severe torment, tortured to the deepest part of him.  Joshua had taken a bath in sheer agony, soaking to the bone, to the depths of his mind.  She touched his shoulder.  He couldn't pull away.  She snaked her way down his arm to his elbow with one finger.  Either the path it followed was curvy and unusually elaborate, or Joshua couldn't tell what straight was.  When she removed her finger, Joshua could do nothing.  Nothing but shudder in fear, discomfort, and agony.  Shuddering as he collapsed.  This wasn't the direction he had hoped to fall to.
    It was too late.  Joshua had tipped over the ledge.  The last thing Joshua saw was day's final attempt to press back the darkness of night.  The beamy bright giant fell away to sorrow as the night claimed the things the sun had built.  The affection toward the canyons was replaced by an unclean appraisor.  A burning laugh echoed singing delight through them.  The land was not the same to Joshua.  Thunk.