The Descent of the Devil

CHAPTER 1

Dark clouds slithered in the sunny sky. The light lingered for a moment before going out of the lamp which set on Camilla's desk. Following that, the hall lights went off too.

Camilla pushed back her chair and stood up, 'Mom. . .' her voice trailed off as she ran out of her room.

'What's happening?' Harry, her seventeen year old brother, was standing by his bedroom door too, squinting, trying to adjust his eyes to the sudden darkness.

'Who's that?'

'Ouch!'

'You stamped on my foot!'

'I cant see!'

'SHUSH! Everyone stand still. I'll get the emergency light,' Mrs Muller said aloud. She moved cautiously in the hall and felt her hands on something big. She fiddled with the buttons and soon a shower of fluorescent light filled the living room. 'There.'

Camilla made her way to the living room window. 'Its drizzling,' she informed, her voice, dull was suddenly electrified as she spotted her. 'Monica!'

'What?' Harry said.

'Shes coming here,' Camilla went to the front door and yanked it open. Monica, her oldest school friend, who lived just across the street from Camilla's cottage, looked a little startled.

'I saw u coming,' Camilla explained. She suddenly felt breathless.

'Oh,' Monica sighed. She hung her head weirdly. Behind her, the other kids of the town were gathering. Women were whispering to each other looking scared.

'Why do you look so . . .' Camilla frowned. 'So sad?'

'Huh?' Monica's dark eyes stared unfocusedly. 'Do I?'

'Yup.'

'So do you,' she said her deep black eyes still staring unfocusedly.

Camilla stared at her friend. Deciding she was not mental, she shook her by the shoulders. Monica shivered and looked up. Finally their eyes met. But Monica's usual happiness was gone. She looked depressed all of a sudden.

'There's gloom in the air,' Monica said tonelessly staring at Camilla. Her voice sounded hollow and smooth. The wind blew her wavy hair around her face but she didn't push them back. She slowly lowered her gaze and turned around. She started to walk across the street to her own house, breaking into small groups of people. She walked as if she was sleep walking. She seemed to be in a trance. Camilla stood there by her own door, staring at Monica's back. She wondered what was suddenly wrong with her.
Finally she sighed and turned back to her own door. The light was back. Her mum held her head in her hands. Harry was playing with his stop watch.

'Uh mum,' Camilla said dully. 'I think im going to be sick. I feel all shaky and I just . . .'
But she couldn't complete her sentence. Cold air seemed to pierce her eyes, her mouth, her nostrils, her ears and her entire body. She was falling into a swirl of white fog, her head was throbbing with pain she clutched her hair and screamed and screamed until everything went blank , until the white layer changed into black and her mind came back to the present, weak and shaking, she hit the ground and passed out.