POV: Darren

"Yo, Darren!"

Darren turned at the sound of someone calling his name to see TJ jogging up to him. TJ pulled his dark, reflective shades from his eyes and placed them atop his wavy, light brown hair.

"What's up?" Darren asked.

"Aren't you coming to the party, man?"

"What party?"

I have no idea what he's talking about, Darren thought to himself.

"Kaycee's party, dude! C'mon, you don't remember? She invited you specifically, in person!" TJ looked a little worked up.

Darren racks his brain trying to think of any time recently when he spoke with Kaycee in person, but he draws a blank.

I think I would remember if someone as beautiful as Kaycee came up to me.

"Sorry, man, I don't remember..."

TJ sighed loudly, clearly frustrated for some reason. He put his hands on Darren's shoulders and looked him in the eyes.

"Darren, bro, you're never going to get a girlfriend if you don't get your head out of the clouds," he said, admonishing Darren.

A girlfriend? That's the furthest thing from my mind... I have way too much on my plate to even think about that kind of relationship. And why would Kaycee of all people be interested in me?

"I'm not gonna be able to make it to any parties, TJ," he explained, "I've got work tonight, and I need to figure out a way to get some extra studying in too; I have finals tomorrow, after all."

"I know, I know, but... No way you're skipping out man! You're the smartest guy I know, you'll ace the finals no problem," TJ said, dropping his hands back to his sides. "Plus, this is the last big hurrah before the year is over! Call in to work just this once!"

"I don't even understand why someone would be having a party the night before finals..." Darren muttered.

"Most people's finals are over, Darren. Only people who take twice as many classes as everyone else are still taking finals."

Oh yeah, I forgot about that...

"It's not that big of a deal. You could do the same if you wanted to," Darren said, trying to reassure his friend.

"Look," TJ said, "You're my best friend, even though you're a huge nerd. We haven't really hung out in so long that I'm starting to forget what it was like. We used to have fun!"

"Yeah, that was before everything changed," Darren said. TJ knew what he was talking about. "I'm only working so hard because I have to be able to support my family... My little brother and sister depend on me for everything now that our Mom and Dad are gone."

TJ looked away for a moment and his face turns pensive, a look of hurt passing through his eyes, before saying, "I understand, I do. I loved them like they were my own parents..." TJ trailed off, rubbing his eyes.

He continued, "I just know that we're about to go into the world, and all of this," he motioned to the college campus around them, "isn't going to be a part of everyday life anymore. I just don't want to miss out on the fun while we still have a chance to have it, you know? Especially with everyone going our separate ways soon..."

Darren nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I get it."

Well he sure knows how to tug at the heart strings, doesn't he? I suppose it wouldn't hurt to go, if only for TJ's sake. I've never called in before, and I know I'll pass the finals tomorrow with no problem.

"Fine," Darren said, "I'll go-"

"Yes!" TJ shouted. "You're awesome dude!"

"But, I'm not staying all night!"

TJ's face shown with utter excitement, and it was contagious. "Totally understandable, bro. This is gonna be sick! I'll call you later!" TJ shouted the last bit as he jogged away, undoubtedly going to recruit more friends into going with them.

Still, something didn't feel right to Darren.

Did Kaycee really invite me to this thing? How could I space something like that?

A bad feeling settled in Darren's gut as he continue walking, as if warning him about the course of action he'd just agreed to. Something was... off.

Later that night...

The nagging feeling in Darren's gut hadn't left him all day. In fact, it felt even stronger as he walked toward the front door of Kaycee's sorority house. He looked around the front yard, filled with people drinking and laughing. They didn't seem to notice anything amiss.

Several bright lights lined the front of the house, throwing the front yard into a stark contrast against the depths of darkness surrounding it. Darren didn't know if his eyes were playing tricks on him or not, but it seemed like the shadows were moving out of time with the breeze.

He looked up, but there were no stars in the sky; none that he could see, at least. The leaf covered branches, sprouting from a couple of old oaks in the yard, swayed back and forth above him in the wind, casting those eerily moving shadows at his feet.

The three story building was alive with activity inside as well as out. Darren could hear speakers thumping loudly from where he stood on the sidewalk looking in.

What am I doing here? And what the crap is this feeling?

The party was beginning to get louder as the first few drinks of the night started to take their toll. But the party-goers weren't so far gone yet as to be sloppy and falling over drunk. Darren debated turning around and walking back to his dorm, but he knew TJ would have a fit if he did.

I wonder where he's at. I haven't seen him since he caught up with me earlier outside the Art building on campus, and he didn't tell me where he'd be once I arrived.

Darren took a deep breath, steeling himself for the inevitable descent into chaos. He still couldn't get rid of the eerie feeling crawling through him.

He walked forward on the small stone path leading up to the front porch of the sorority house, dreading every step he took. The people around him were pretty much oblivious to his presence, the only sign of anyone noticing him being a couple of completely disinterested glances thrown his way.

He climbed up the stairs and stepped onto the massive front porch, then walked through the open front door. The atmosphere was immediately suffocating, but he pushed through the crowds anyway. He squeezed through the bodies, trying to keep his anxiety down at a manageable level. 

Eventually, Darren made his way into the expansive kitchen, where there was a little more room to move and breathe. He looked around at the few people mingling there, but TJ was nowhere to be seen.

Not knowing what else to do, He took a seat at the large, vacant table in the far corner of the kitchen. He inhaled deeply, and exhaled forcefully, trying to release some of his irritation. His chest hurt, though, and he felt the need to breathe deeply again, as if he wasn't getting enough air. He continued to breathe heavily, and more rapidly, as the pain in his chest grew.

He looked around, wanting to tell someone, anyone, what was happening, but he couldn't speak. The lights appeared to be moving, and dizziness racked his brain as he tried to focus. He began to worry that he might be dying, such was the pain. 

Is this how it ends? I'm going to die? Really? Here, of all places?

Suddenly, Darren heard broken voices near him, "Hey- okay-? -wrong?" 

He managed to lift his head from where it fell onto the table. He didn't remember that happening. 

He sees TJ next to him. He tried to speak, but all that came out was garbled and incoherent noises.

"-911! Call-!"

That doesn't sound right...

Suddenly, Darren's entire body seized as the worst pain he'd ever felt erupted inside of him. He tried to scream, but to no avail. It felt like he was being burned alive from the inside out. There was no way for him to know how much time had passed… All he knew was the pain. He just wanted to die. He needed to die. Darkness and nothingness surrounded him, and everything was gone…

The nothing around him abruptly shifted, and Darren found himself standing before a throne unlike anything he could have ever imagined. Rainbows of living color swirled around this throne and the Great King that sat atop it. There was no question in Darren's mind as to Who this was. He could not see the King's face, but he suddenly felt that he shouldn't be trying to.

He threw himself to the ground in prostration, forgetting all about the pain and darkness that had been enveloping him moments before. The sapphire ground below him was somewhat translucent, but he intuitively knew that nothing could break this stuff except for the King Himself.

A deep rumbling shook everything, Darren included, as the moving rainbows surrounded him, flooding into him and filling him with warmth.