Darwin's Easter

It no longer mattered that Darwin's hands and feet were tied. He could not have moved them now anyway. His captors had him buried up to his chest. For what reason? Darwin could only guess.

They had never said a single word all the while. Even while abducting him three hours ago. They remained silent, save for the occasional grunts they let out while burying him.

Despite his age, Darwin was rational and sane, (unlike the four deranged and masked men burying him). He was always having to wait on the world of adults for something. He would just have to wait this out like everything else. Death or rescue, one or the other would save him soon.

They stopped piling dirt on to the hole Darwin was in when they reached a point just above his shoulders. With their shovels they packed the dirt down as tightly as they could. Darwin would of told them it had been tight enough ten minutes ago when it had been, but the clothe in his mouth made him want to puke when ever he tried to make a noise.

The sun was setting to his back. The shadow his head cast on the ground before him kept growing. The miles of hills that lay out in front of him began to darken, and the tall tower of solar panels that marked his underground village soon vanished, save for it's crown of pulsating red lights.

Being incapable of doing much else, Darwin did all he could do, look at his captors and wait for them to do something. His body was too tired to be afraid now. He started to notice things about his captors he hadn't earlier.

Their masks were made out of roughly tanned leather. Over their eyes were bug like glasses that looked more like goggles a child would use to swim with. They were tinted green, allowing no one to see the eyes behind them. The way they worked together made him think that even though they were not talking, there was a shared understanding between them. Telepathy? Not likely. But there was something.

Now the men started to move. Circling Darwin like a pack of wolves afraid their prize deer was going to prance away.

Waiting for something more to happen. Darwin thought back to his history class, how people used to believe in hell. A place of eternal torture, a damnation. No matter what they had thought up, fire, ice, brimstone, or torture, Darwin was sure that for him, this would be worse. Tied, buried, and gagged. Raped of expression.

Waiting Darwin began to listen intently to the sounds of the world around him. The wind was the hand, the tree was the harp, gently they made a song together. Darwin's ears rang in harmony. There were trains speeding through the evening in the distance. Sounds of footsteps circled him like he was in the center of some twisted cyclone.

The will to move was rising inside of him. He wanted to scream. He wanted to shout. He wanted to thrash and flail. The battle for his sanity, had begun.

"Alone," one nameless voice whispered, "we have traveled through hell."

Kill me, Darwin thought. Quit wasting my time and just kill me!

"I loved you before hell," said the voice.

"And after," growled another.

The night was now fully dark. The rolling hills covered in plain grass seemed to change shape.

"I loved you before loneliness, dreamt of you in hell," said the first voice (now behind Darwin instead of in front).

"But death's other kingdom had plans for us: has plans for you," said a voice to his left. It was making him dizzy. The voices spun around him as each of the men circling him began to talk.

"You have to feel,"

"But not touch."

"Hear,

"But not listen."

"You have to be dead while breathing," The first man said, bending down and removing the clothe in Darwin's mouth. All the movement stopped. The man was now staring him right in the eyes. "Darwin?"

Darwin didn't answer. He wanted to, but all his lips could do was tremble.

"Darwin!" said the man, more forcefully now.

"Y-y-yes?"

"There are things you have to experience before we are ready to play your role. Places you have to go. Pains you have to feel. We can not rob you of that pain. Do you know why that is?"

Darwin did not know why. But the masked man gave him no time to answer. So it did not matter if he had one or not.

"We need you. Humanity... needs you. Three days and three nights Darwin, an allegorical sum, that is how long you will be alone. Wait it out, overcome your hell, that is all we ask. Can you do that for us?"

"If I say no will you dig me out of here and take me home?"

The man just laughed, "The three days will bring fulfillment, molding you into the man you will be, or setting you on the path at least. The forth brings completion, and ultimately resurrection. I am sorry my son, it is only necessary."

The man talked like he was under the impression he was a loving dad spanking his child. It annoyed Darwin more than the speech itself. He wanted to tell the man something vulgar, but nothing came to mind.

"Don't you have anything to say Darwin?" the man asked.

"Not really."

"Okay then," the man said. He put the gag back in Darwin's mouth, and then he blind folded him. Lastly he put two objects in Darwin's ears.

Submerged in world of ringing ears and a sore neck, Darwin awaited his Easter.