Dark Matter

//this was written as an entry to the Middlebury Bread Loaf Writers Conference (associated with Robert Frost and George R.R. Martin!), of which I was accepted! Its the first short story I am publishing here, and as it stands, it is currently unfinished. I hope to add onto it and polish it in the future.

Dark Matter

There are things we cannot see. This is a statement provable by science. Something not provable by science, however, is what those things are. Those of the Wicca faith refer to it as the “Supreme Deity,” Catholics call it the “Holy Spirit,” and science calls it “Dark Matter.” These are all names to explain the same thing, the same phenomenon. An attempt to explain the unexplainable. The things we cannot see.

Much like the psychic ability called “The Shine” in Stephen King novels, there are people who can connect deeply to other worlds, worlds made of Dark Matter. When Dark Matter is portrayed in modern science, it is shown as something untouchable, something that cannot interact with those on our plane of existence. But Dark Matter is matter that can interact with our world on a plane other than physical, laced thoroughly with evil, negative particles that can’t be touched by modern science. Those with great psychic abilities can see it; I can see it.

I’m saying all of this because of what I’ve seen, and what I’ve experienced. When people are angry, when people hate, I can see a cloud of Dark Matter forming around them. It appears as a cloud of negative energy, particles charged not just with more electrons than protons but charged with the opposite of all that is good in the universe. Eating away at their happiness, their honorable thoughts, and attacking their conscience. It’s like a virus, obliterating the good in humanity.

About a week ago, my flatmate was brought to the police office for GBH. I bailed him out, only 50£, nothing terrible. But what I saw at that jail will haunt me for the rest of my life. Or rather, what I couldn’t see at that jail. There was a man in the corner, his aura so dark his face was invisible to me. It seemed as though anyone who went past him would walk as far away as possible, much like when a middle class person sees someone homeless on the street. A natural aversion. You know they’re there, but out of fear or guilt you choose not to acknowledge them.

I was walking to work, and I noticed an aura that was almost connecting to other people’s. It was as though it was sentient, reaching out and pulling at the darkness around the crowd. There was one couple, sharing a drink by the canal. The seemingly sentient aura reached out, and pushed the couple over the railing and into the water. It appeared as though the evil person had pushed them, but he never made physical contact. That was the first time I had ever seen the darkness directly interact with our world.

The people being pushed into the water represents something minuscule, something unimportant. The couple just went for a small swim in the middle of July. But the hatred should not be able to touch our world, should not be able interact with us. But humanity is becoming ever more evil, and the darkness more powerful with it. More directly able to affect the environment. Hatred attracts hatred, and the darkness attracts more darkness.

That which we cannot see frightens us, and that which we cannot explain frightens us. But nothing should frighten us more than everything. The collective, the combined fears and hatreds of all people. The collective power of the darkness is growing stronger and smarter. Eventually, it could envelop everything. I’m writing this as a plea for the world, because perhaps if our hate grows smaller, so will the darkness become less powerful.