The Darkness

Bright! Bright! It burns! The light burns!

As light bathed Kevin's face, he woke with a start, hitting his head on the glass above him.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow..." he groaned as he rubbed his eyes

After his cryogenic sleep, Kevin was expecting a group of scientists to greet him and tell him that everything was a success. Yet as his vision cleared, all Kevin saw outside his pod was a strange man and woman staring at him in shock. Even more strange was the lantern in the man's hand.

A little outdated, no? I mean, come on what year is this?

Kevin looked around. The scientists weren't letting him out!

He tapped on the glass window and said, "Let me out!"

The man and woman both jumped back in surprise as Kevin yelled, "I wanna get out! What's going on? Is the experiment done or did something go wrong?"

The man looked at the woman and began conversing with her, the contents of their conversation hidden from Kevin by the glass.

Kevin continued hitting the glass and said, "What's going on? At least give me an explanation!" the duo in response backed away from Kevin's sight.

Are they scared?

Kevin groaned as he felt around the pod, looking for any sort of tool.

Am I gonna have to break out of here?

Kevin took a deep breath and said, "I'll be fine. I'm a strong guy. I can get myself out of here."

He raised his arm and punched the glass.

Nothing happened.

As Kevin yelled out in pain, the light in the room dimmed, until the world faded to black

Damn it, why did I punch the f****** glass? I knew I shouldn't have done that.

Kevin, now in a daze, could see nothing but the darkness.

All he could hear was the sound of his own breathing. He panicked as he started to think about the situation.

Why did I wake up? What happened? How long have I been in this chamber? The experiment is supposed to last two years, but I'm not being let out, so is it still going? Who even are those people, anyway? They don't look like scientists.

Kevin felt a wave of fear wash over his mind as he remembered the last thing the head cryogenicist at Alcor Life Extension's research department, Doctor Richardson, said to him before he was put to sleep.

"Unless something goes wrong, we'll only wake you up when the experiment is over. Are you ready?"

The words which were supposed to remind Kevin to make sure he contacted his family and loved ones before his two year sleep now gave Kevin a sinking feeling as he continued to contemplate further.

Steeling his heart, Kevin took another deep breath and punched the glass again with his right hand.

The only thing achieved was pain

Kevin's heart raced. He was completely alone with the black silence.

In the silence, the only noises he could hear were the beating of his heart and the sound of his breath. It matched the abyss which was his sight.

A loud rumble filled the pod, Kevin's stomach was growling. It felt as if a knife were piercing through.

Why does it hurt so much?

His mind became foggy and Kevin found himself incapable of complex thought. After several minutes, Kevin found a headache to be among his many current afflictions.

His breathing became labored, and he had to concentrate to keep himself from passing out.

He looked up and reached up to feel the glass. His fingers were becoming numb.

The only way he could confirm his existence was through his hearing and feeling. He could feel the cool glass of the pod, the warmth of his breath, the cold metal frame of the pod, and the warm feeling of his flesh.

It was the only proof he had of his existence, but it wasn't enough. Kevin's conscience soon fell away.

***

Kevin woke up after an unknown amount of time

Have I been unconscious?

The first thing he noticed was his sore body. He was weak and exhausted. The last thing he remembered was the moment he punched the glass.

Kevin had never been this tired or hungry. The tightness in his muscles made it hard to move. He also had a terrible headache, which made his head throb as he struggled to lift it up.

Kevin lay in the dark of the pod, unmoving for a minute or two. He had no clue how much time passed. Standing or even moving was impossible, due to the glass.

Kevin reached out his hands once more, touching the glass. The glass was smooth and cold, like ice. Slowly, Kevin lifted his arms and placed them against the glass. He pushed.

Nothing happened.

Kevin pulled back and tried again. He pushed harder.

Still nothing.

He gave up, letting his thoughts drift to hypotheticals

If things were going according to plan, then I would've been put back to sleep, or at least talked to. I wouldn't be left here to die.

Kevin was lost in thought for a few minutes. He started to come to the painful conclusion that the people who put him to sleep had simply lied to him, or didn't care about him.

He needed to get out of the pod, but how? Now that he thought about it, he realized his entire time awake so far had been a series of how's.

How do I talk to them? How do I get out? How do I break out? How do I stay awake? How do I move? How do I find out what happened?

How... do I…. stay awak-

The land of dreams claimed Kevin once more.

***

Kevin opened his eyes to the darkness and was once again greeted by the familiar cold, cramped, metallic feeling of the Cyrogenic chamber. His head throbbed as he tried to remember where he was and what was happening. He could barely focus. His naked body felt icy and his head ached as if a hammer was pounding his temples.

He was so thirsty; his throat was dry like sandpaper

He tried to reach out to the glass in front of him, but he no longer had the strength

The beating of his heart echoed in the quiet

I need water

Kevin's body was in a state of panic. He was desperate, and his thoughts were running wild as he tried to think of a solution.

I need to get out. I need to water.

His body was too weak to support him, and his head was spinning.

"Please, someone anyon..ne."

Help someone!

Kevin looked into the darkness, seeing no one.

Kevin moved to try to break the glass. As he prepared a strike and kick to shatter the glass, he realized.

Even if I break through, the glass shards would probably cut me, and there's no one around to treat me if I start bleeding out. If I break this glass, I could die!

Kevin's head spun as he glanced at the glass, mind racing

What am I supposed to do?

Kevin took a deep breath, his body was so drained he didn't know what to do

His "vision" deteriorated

I need light

Kevin felt his consciousness fading, his last conscious thought was

Light?