y dont the pictures come out in the dark even when the flash goes off?

i take pics in the dark and the flash sometimes doesnt seem to always be bright enoughto capture the image leaving a black image on the screen.

That's usually because the photo is underexposed. Thing is that flashes on point and shoot cameras are designed primarily to work best on portraits and small groups. Therefore, outside of about 6-10 feet, the flash dissipates to the point of being completely ineffective. The camera, however, has already chosen a flash rated shutter speed and aperture setting and as such, you end up with the image you have - or lack therof. I'd recommend using the low light or available light settings and getting a superbright LED camera light to place on the camera (these usually screw into the tripod mount).