(no subject)

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

Title: The darkness of it
Author: sharpes_hussy
Rating: G
Prompt: sense
Summary: Sheppard had wandered to the spaces below....

He had tried to sleep, but like so many other times when they had returned from off world it soon proved futile.
Sheppard left his quarters and taking the ladder two steps at a time, ambled into facilities control to see what was happening, but he soon realized it was just as bad as remaining in his quarters.
He wondered if he should just run, but then decided instead to take the transporter to the spaces below.
They had never really been accessed other than an initial look when they had
moved into Atlantis.
When he stepped into the transporter he hit the bottom button figuring it would be
only a matter of minutes before their dank darkness would make him seek the upper levels.
The door slid open and the air felt close, almost too close.
Sheppard stepped out into the darkness, only lighting provided by intermittent security lamps which left shadows in every recessed area.
It reminded him of the first time he had entered a hive.......and then
momentarily he was drawn back to the incident featuring Colonel Sumner.
It had been shocking initially as he had never seen anything like the Wraith
and never mind the 'queen'. She was something else and remembering her,
he momentarily shuddered.
The Wraith made the insurgents in Afghanistan look like munchkins in comparison.
As he wandered the passageways he was struck by how easy it would be to
miss a corridor and think you were somewhere else and. . .
Was it possible to get lost down here??
Patting his earpiece he felt some assurance.
After what seemed like too much time had elapsed, he headed back in the direction of the transporter feeling that perhaps he could now sleep.............

Comments

[scarlettandblue.livejournal.com]

You are amazing. You are always first!!!
And this was very atmospheric, and a little creepy too.
Just the thing for some before bedtime reading.

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

It is from personal experience.
Not the part about Atlantis, but about wandering corridors
late at night, only light coming from security lamps placed intermittently along the passageways.
Whenever I stood the duty, part of it entailed security/fire watch.
Wandering through the uninhabited spaces was entirely creepy given it was always middle of the night.....e.g. 3AM.
I mean what could happen given it was behind a secure perimeter???

[scarlettandblue.livejournal.com]

/it's that thing they say, write what you know.
No wonder it was so good.
Plus, you must be very brave!!

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

I did have my trusty government issued flashlight with me
:D

[scarlettandblue.livejournal.com]

Oh you were equiped were you?
Well then.....
piece of cake ;-)

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

**NODS**
Pretty much given it was a LED flashlight....
;-)

[scarlettandblue.livejournal.com]

Oh well that that is practically like having Ronon's blaster!!

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

No, Ronon would have been much more preferable to cover those areas at that time of the morning.

[stella-pegasi.livejournal.com]

I echo scarlettandblue, you always seem to follow your initial instinct and once again gave us a great insight into Sheppard. This gave such a sense of angst and how Sheppard has to deal with the experiences. Very nice.

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

Oh thanks so much. Appreciate it so much.......
I always have creative thoughts when it comes to Sheppard
:D

[sherry57.livejournal.com]

Beautifully written hon. Powerful and angsty although so few words. The night, memories, alone.....definitely the hardest moments.

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

Thank you for your kind remarks about my drabble
As I said earlier in reply to ScarlettandBlue, it came as a result
of old memories of wandering dark corridors when I was standing watch, something I really dreaded and it was particularly gloomy given the fact only light came from security lamps.....and then not that many.
I hated it.
I absolutely hated it each time I had to do it.
:-/
It brought to mind mom who said when she was a pediatric nurse working mids, 11PM to 7AM, at old Shriner's Hospital here in Portland, she would envision all sorts of vile things coming through the French doors off the garden....
She said she guessed it might have been from too many horror films........
:D

[sherry57.livejournal.com]

Night time.....my mum used to say and I totaly agree with her, that when the kids were sick, the night was always the worst with things always looking better in the morning with the light.
Also, with the worries I've had in the last few years, the monsters amways seem so much more frightening at night!!

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

Mom used to say that during the night there are more deaths in hospitals

"I've had in the last few years, the monsters amways seem so much more frightening at night!!"

Oh so true........
I recall when I was a kid that dear grandmother (maternal) let me sleep in my uncle's room
Initially I was thrilled but then noted immediately on one wall, directly across from my bed, was a 12 point buck, trophy, which had eyes that seemed to follow me anywhere I went in the room
AND if that was not enough, in that room was a closet that looked ominous even in daylight. The bedrooms upstairs were angled as the roof was pitched, so the closet had a shape to it that looked suspect to me.
Mind you, I was a mere child.
When I think about it now it is funny, but at the time it was hardly so............

[mific.livejournal.com]

Spooky - I like it! Not sure I'd sleep after that, though - John's made of stronger stuff, clearly. :)

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

**nods**
Our man of steel.........
:D

[titan5.livejournal.com]

I can see Sheppard wandering the darkened corridors like this. And I like the way the atmosphere paved the way for dark thoughts about Wraith and getting lost. Nicely done.

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

YES he would be very likely to do that when he is trying to sort something out......

Thank you!!

[lilyfarfalla.livejournal.com]

Oh man, the atmosphere you created here with the unexplored corridor and John thinking all of these terrifying thoughts. I'm pretty sure that "..." means he's stuck down there until Rodney comes and rescues him.

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

"...he's stuck down there until Rodney comes and rescues him."

With Ronon in tow no doubt......
:D

[lilyfarfalla.livejournal.com]

Yeah, who knows what's down there, potentially keeping John captive....

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

Yeah it was not inspected thoroughly when they initially assumed command of Atlantis
It could hold some very interesting species............
I imagine it being dark, dank, given it sat under water for sometime, NOT total immersion, but when something is underwater for sometime moisture tends to build up even if the spaces are fairly air tight....as was the case before the expedition accessed the spaces.

[hoktauri]

Thought I left a comment before, but I see I didn't. I really liked this, and I think it's interesting that Sheppard needs to remind himself of the "nightmares" that are part of living in Pegasus in order to be able to sleep.

Great stuff!

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

Thank you for reading it...I see him clearly doing that sort of thing even though it does not sound like something most would do.
I wrote it based on some experiences of my own.
When I was in the Navy and had the duty, part of it was conducting a 'security/fire watch' through secured spaces, ie everyone gone
for the day.
What I hated about it was they were so poorly lit. The only light came from emergency 'lanterns' positioned up on the walls which illuminated the area so it always cast shadows etc. I hated doing those security checks and was always relieved to be back in my regular spaces where there was adequate lighting and other people.
Sheppard was of course in the bowels of Atlantis...where they had not really been with the exception of their initial inspection when they first accessed her.