“The Dark One”

Sable McPherson

“CHAPTER ONE”

Dylan Halo laughed hysterically as she and her best friend walked the aisles of Wal-Mart. Today was such a good day! No one could change that… except for her friend and the dull attitude she had.

“Oh, come on, Rosie,” the twenty-one-year-old complained. “Brighten up.” An idea came to mind, and her grim became wider. “Do you need to take one of my happy pills?”

“You know how I am about that, Rogue.”

“I know. Can’t take anyone else’s medication but your own,” she recited. “But, Rosie, you can’t be moping around all the time. Be happy. Like me!”

“And get suicidal when you don’t have a happy pill. Like you.”

Dylan raised an eyebrow, thought over it for a while, then smiled and nodded. “Yep!”

“You know, you need to get off those pills. I’m worried about you.”

“And I’m worried about you. Look, Rosie, stop moping around. The Black Plague isn’t going to get me.”

She didn’t even know Rosie was so worried about this Black Plague. It’s been bothering her ever since she moved down here from… Oklahoma, was it?

“Not a black plague. Just… death.”

“Well, Rosie, I know the perfect cure for you.”

“What?”

“Happy pills!” she said, shaking the bottle of prescription medicine.

Her friend sped up with a growl, leaving Dylan next to the pharmacy area.

“Was it something I said?” she shouted after her friend.

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Rogue won’t even heed her warnings. But that was typical of her, right? She didn’t care about what other people say unless it was about her. Then that’s when the trouble begins.

But Rose Alexander’s depression couldn’t be deal with “happy pills.” That was like saying you can fall off the Golden Gate Bridge and still live.

Rose headed towards her favorite thinking spot: the ice cream aisle. She longed for the day that she could take her own spoon, got to Wal-Mart, take out a tub of chocolate, and eat it without paying for it. Then, when you’re checking out, that will be the time you will pay for your ice cream.

Too bad it didn’t work that way….

Rogue Halo had only been her friend for two weeks, and Rose was still feeling protective. She didn’t want her only friend to go away. Everyone else did. It was almost as though she were the curse.

But look at the bright side. She could get two tubs of ice cream and she and Rogue could crash in the middle of the living room and enjoy themselves.

“If Rogue doesn’t destroy the house because of a sugar rush,” the twenty-year-old muttered. She sighed. “She’ll probably decide to have Dr. Pepper and ice cream!”

She reached for the tub of ice cream in the freezer aisle, and her hand crashed against someone else’s.

“Sorry,” the man said, smiling and taking a step back. “I didn’t see you.”

“I’m sure you didn’t!” she snapped.

He gave her a blank look. “Uh… I apologized.”

Rose knew she sounded could-hearted, but it was the only way to keep this darkness from taking away someone else close.

Sometimes she wished the darkness would go ahead and take Rogue.

The man continued to smile. “I think that’s the last container. You can take it if you want.”

And he was going to continue with this sweet talk? Most people would just back away after the first harsh word had been said.

“Well, then, why didn’t Rogue disappear?” she muttered to herself.

“Rogue?” the man asked.

“Uh….” Rose tried hard to come up with an excuse. “Oh, that’s just great. I left Dylan in the pharmacy. If I don’t get there quick, Dylan might think that all the medicine is candy. You can take that. I’ve gotta go rescue her….” She inched away from the still-open freezer and bolted down the aisle.