July 2000 Challenge Story: Write a story beginning with "The darkness was impenetrable, it surrounded and suffocated him."
The darkness was impenetrable, it surrounded and suffocated him. He desperately wished he could light a torch, but the fire had gone out and he didn’t want to risk waking Hercules. So, adding the dark to the long list of things that terrified him, the Jester gathered up his belongings as silently as he could and began creeping away from the campsite.
“And where do you think you’re going?” The voice was not the friendly baritone of the demigod. It was a voice that was all too familiar. He didn’t want to, but he made himself turn and confront it.
“You,” he whispered in shock. Memories of the man had been haunting him ever since he’d come to this world, and now it appeared that the ghost was going to join in as well. The figure that stood in the middle of the campsite was not altogether solid and was bathed in an ethereal glow, but it was unmistakably Iolaus. He crouched for a moment beside the slumbering Hercules, looking on him with a fond smile, before rising and approaching his quaking double.
“You’re not real,” the Jester said desperately, trying hard to convince himself of that fact.
“That depends upon your perception. I could really be here, or I could be a figment of your imagination. Either way, I’m not leaving until you listen to me.”
“Please, just leave me alone.”
“What are you doing sneaking away in the dark like this?” Iolaus asked, ignoring the plea. “You know it’s not fair to Hercules to leave this way.”
“I don’t want to go,” the Jester confessed. “Hercules has been a good friend to me. The best friend I’ve ever had. The only friend.”
“Then why are you doing this? You know it will hurt him.”
“I’m doing this for him as much as for me. Sometimes when he looks at me, I see such sadness in his eyes. Let’s face it, I’m a constant reminder of what he’s lost.”
“We’ve been through a lot together,” Iolaus said softly. “Things I can’t even describe. But those experiences created a bond between us. Stronger than blood. Stronger than soul. There just aren’t words for what we meant to each other. He’s never going to forget that, or stop missing it. But I’ve known Herc a lot longer than you. I probably know him better than he knows himself. And I can guarantee you that whatever relationship you’re forming, it’s based on who you are and not on who I was.”
“Who I am?” the Jester said bitterly. “I’m a coward with the face of a hero. Why would he waste his time with me unless I looked like you? I can’t even tell him this to his face. Instead I run away in the middle of the night.”
“Oh, stop it,” Iolaus admonished. “Just because you’re scared doesn’t mean you’re a coward. Cowards give into fear and run away from their responsibilities. That is not who you are. It’s ok to be afraid, as long as you can meet the challenge when you have to. You’ve proven that just by coming here. It took a lot of guts to leave everything you’ve ever known behind and step blindly into a new world. No coward could’ve done that.”
“There was nothing for me in my world, and I’m not sorry I left. But, I don’t think I belong here either.” The Jester stared at Iolaus who was casually leaning against a tree, arms folded across his chest. Even from beyond the mortal realm, everything about him emulated confidence and bravery. “Everywhere I go, people think I’m something I’m not. I wish I could be like you, but how can you replace a legend? I‘m not even half the man you were.”
“You still don’t get it, do you? Just because you don’t have the same qualities that I had, doesn’t make the ones you do have wrong. You are your own person, and all you have to do is be true to yourself. I think you’ll see that no one will ask anything more of you than that. You’ve been living in my shadow because you’ve put yourself there, and it’s time to step out and let me go.”
“Maybe you’re right,” the Jester said slowly.
“Of course I’m right,” Iolaus replied, a bit indignantly. “And you might want to stick with Herc. As far as friends go, you can get any better than him.”
“I’m sure he’d say the same for you.”
“You’ll be fine,” Iolaus told him, giving him a sly grin. “But I can give you a piece of advice that might help you adjust. You only need one thing to feel right with the world.”
“What’s that?”
“A pretty girl.” The shy Jester blushed slightly. “Trust me. I KNOW I’m right on this one. Nothing like love to give you something to fight for.”
“Well, you may be on to something there,” he laughed.
“Iolaus?” The Jester spun around to see the form of Hercules sitting in the darkness. “Who are you talking to?”
“Oh. Nobody.” He turned back to where his counterpart had been moments before, but only saw the blackness of the night. “Myself, I guess.”
“Are you all right?” There was a note of concern in Hercules’ voice.
“I’m fine,” the Jester replied, returning to the camp and easing himself down to the hard ground. The demigod remained sitting, trying to see him through the shadows. “Really, Hercules, I’m ok. Go back to sleep.” After a moment, his companion relaxed and was soon entranced in slumber once more. The Jester however remained awake, replaying in his mind the conversation that he’d had with his alter ego. Finally, he convinced himself that it must have all been a dream. Yet, the darkness of the night somehow didn’t seem as threatening anymore. And as he eventually drifted to sleep, he couldn’t help thinking that the love of a pretty girl really didn’t seem like such a bad idea.
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