Chapter 2 – The Darkness

"Karate was great today, but I'm shattered" Laura moped along the path trailing behind Alix who was half skipping half running.

"I'm not, I'm never tired!" Alix bounced along the pavement happily.

"I know it's inhuman!"

"Hehehehehehehe!"

"Can we just stop on this bench for a while?"

"Okay!"

Laura slumped onto the seat and Alix perched herself on the back of the bench with her feet on the seat. She started staring into the sky.

"Heyyyyy? What happened to the sun?"

Laura looked up to find a thick, black cloud had moved over the once before clear blue sky and covered it quite suddenly while they had been walking.

"Hmm… looks like there's gonna' be a storm!"

Laura stared up for a while and noticed it was getting increasingly darker quite rapidly.

"Laura, maybe we should try and get home before it hits. It's come quite suddenly hasn't it…?"

"Yeah, you're right… and I know it's strange isn't it"

They stood up and started walking again.

"Bah… it's getting windy"

Alix held her hands out in front of her with her palms facing upwards.

"Yeah… and I can feel rain… Dammit!"

"Let's take the shortcut through the woods… it'll be quicker and least we'll be sheltered from the rain if it gets heavier"

The girls made there way through the forest stepping over branches and logs as the smaller, sharper branches would snag at their clothes. The chilly wind grabbed at the girls' skin and whistled through the trees making the leaves dance crazily. The two girls could hear the rain getting heavier, a loud constant tapping noise drumming on the trees and leaves which sheltered them above. The sky and their surroundings were as dark as the night but it was still only evening.

"What's going on?"

Laura asked, calling out into the darkness. The rain and wind were getting louder, stronger and heavier as the storm moved right over them.

"This is weird"

Alix had her arms outstretched to make sure she didn't bump into anything. A flash of lightening lit up the whole sky both the girls faces and the towering trees around them became mischievous as though they were leaning in towards them ready to leap at them at any moment. Just as quick as the flash of electricity had illuminated the surroundings, everything was in the sickening darkness once more… A massive clash of thunder closely followed and Laura felt Alix jump next to her, she could only just make her out in the dark standing beside her. Then, Alix's outline slowly faded away.

"Alix…?"

Laura called out into the hollowness.

"Alix!?"

Laura tried calling out for Alix once more but she couldn't find her voice.

The darkness seemed to be almost… alive… as it moved in closer, engulfing Laura, everything went deadly silent.

Across the other side of the town, Jen, a bubbly seventeen year old with shoulder length, funky, deep icy blue hair was sitting in her front room sinking into her red leather sofa, one of her deep hazel eyes was hidden under her long sweeping side fringe, the other was glued to the television, she was smashing buttons on her games controller mindlessly. A large ominous figure sat slumped on the floor gripping his games controller, he had short messy blonde hair with ruby red streaks. His pale blue eyes were concentrating hard on the television also.

Suddenly the lights flickered once, and then went off all together along with the television and the game they had been concentrating deeply on.

"Oh great a power cut"

"Clearly Jen…"

Axel dropped his control and moved over to the window. Jen watched his silhouette move across the room not daring to move from her spot on the sofa, something isn't right, she thought. With all the power off the storm outside became even more vigorous to the two friends inside. A bolt of lightening lit up the whole room, making Axel's figure standing at the window look scarily demonic. As soon as the room was in complete darkness again a fierce booming strike of thunder was heard. Burglar alarms and car alarms all along the street started blaring out into the dark. The darkness crept in right around Jen; it was like there was another presence there with them.

"

Axel can you fee-…"

Jen started but stopped, realising that all the alarms outside had suddenly gone off… the storm still raged outside, but somehow it seemed distant. The comfort of the sofa below her had disappeared as if she was floating.

What is going on?

"Jen… where did you………"

Axel trailed off and Jen noticed that also the sound of the storm was fading… until… there was nothing.