Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Back in Birmingham everything seems normal. Craig is sound asleep in his bedroom. The only sound is the outside world, cars rushing past on the gentle breeze. The train going past into the night. The usual drunk walking down the street. Everything remains calm. Everything remains peaceful on this night. Until Craig is suddenly interrupted from his sleep.
  A crushing pain is felt in his head. He tries to ignore it, turning over in his bed in annoyance, clutching his head in agony. Then from his bedroom door, a strange draining sound is heard from his bedroom door, like the sound of sand falling. Curiously, he raises his head off his pillow half asleep, rubbing his weary eyes. He lazily pushes himself off the bed, heading towards the bedroom door, his feet creaking the floor boards. The draining gets louder. Just when his hand reaches the door knob, the ringing stops.

Utter silence.

 Craig moves closer towards the keyhole peering though with one eye. The corridor is silent and dark, and then he hears a sound, like a wave or swarm. On the far end of the corridor ash starts to run down the far end of the corridor, covering the walls and floor as it spreads. Craig starts to back away freaked; the ash comes closer to his room, the sound getting louder.

 Silence falls once more

Craig is breathing hard, his eyes fixed on the doorknob that remains still. Several seconds pass, he gives a little sign of relief. The doorknob suddenly starts to blacken, spreading, turning into ash as it spreads, and covering the door. His room; his place of comfort is being invaded. The smoke spreads across the floor, turning all it touches black. In panic Craig searches for an escape, he quickly turns his bedroom window. With no options he rushes over to the window, ready to open it. Just as he’s got his hand on the window it starts to blacken instantly, making him jump back. With no options he jumps onto the bed quickly. Heading over to the other side of his room, away from the blackness. His panic increases realising more than half of his room has been enveloped in the all-consuming ash. He starts to sob, lowering himself against his bedroom wall, crying. In desperation, he starts shouting for his mother. The blackness is closing in on him. Then, darkness.

Craig’s mother meanwhile in bed suddenly hears screaming down the corridor. Instinctively she turns her head towards the noise. She heard screaming again before leaping out of bed running in panic towards Craig’s room. Shaking from adrenaline she grips the doorknob tightly with one hand before yanking it open. Instantly she’s hit with a wave of cold air, making her step back in surprise then in the corner she sees something huddled, crying. “Craig is that you?” she gets closer seeing a face riddled with fear instantly recognising it. “Oh god CRAIG!! Oh thank god!” She quickly runs over to him hugging him in comfort. “Jesus you’re cold, what the hell happened?” Quickly she wraps Craig in one of his jumpers, as he remains fixed into the corner. She holds him closely sobbing away silently.

 The next day Craig’s mum is packing Craig’s lunch. Wrapping sandwiches away in Clingfilm, ready to put in Craig’s lunchbox. She couldn’t understand what happened last night, it worried her deep down seeing her son in that state. He felt so cold in her arms when she embraced him. It just didn’t feel right.
While she’s thinking this she’s interrupted with loud bangs coming from upstairs. Knowing full well it’s Craig getting ready excitedly. She turns around hearing hurried footsteps going down the stairs. She steadies herself turning around seeing Craig running over to her full of excitement. She looks at his school uniform, adjusting his tie and shirt with care before kissing him on the cheek. “Hey mum do you want to see what I did today?” with a beaming smile. She moves her head thinking of her options. “ohh why not” giving a smile, much to Craig’s delight. He runs back upstairs in a hurry, ..He runs back down with a piece of pencil-smudged paper, handing it over to his mum. She looks down about to praise him before her smile fades. In the picture she sees a drawing of a creature almost humanoid, except it’s built up of pieces. Each piece has been drawn in a different shade...
   She looks disturbingly at the picture before looking to Craig’s innocent looking face. “When did you do this?” she asks demandingly filled with concern. Craig pauses, putting his finger to his lip. “umm I don’t remember drawing it” he answers. Frustrated she starts to walk away with the picture. “Please can I have the picture back?” he asks sadly. “No” she answers, “I’m taking this to work, and something like this isn’t good for you”. “but please...” Craig replies, moving towards her, “can I have it back?” Angrily she spins around, “Craig for the last time no!” His face suddenly wrinkles in anger, “GIVE IT TO ME!!” He shouts, his voice sounding deep and loud. She steps back in shock looking at Craig’s returned face, after just feeling Craig’s strange behaviour. “Come on let’s take you to school” she answers, trying to keep her mind off her son’s response.

On heaven Lemionas is walking through the corridors of heaven when he suddenly stops walking looking into the air. What is this… feeling, Lemionas utters in concern. One of the angels walks past Lemionas noting his worry. “Hey Lemionas, are you alright?”, he questions gripping his shoulders. Lemionas turns noticing the angel looking back into the air, “Yes I’m fine although I don’t know about earth”. “What do you mean?”, the angel replies, “Earth seems alright”. Lemionas shakes his head, “No…I feel a presence on Earth, something’s going on and I don’t like it”.

 Her car pulls in just outside Craig’s school the sound of kids playing fills the air. Arrived at their destination his mother turns towards Craig. “Have a good day Craig, don’t be causing any trouble now will you?” Craig shakes his head, giving her reassurance. “Good and please... please don’t go talking about last night or our little conversation okay?” Craig gives a little reassuring nod, a smile reaching both his ears. “I won’t mum”. In response she kisses her son’s forehead, before letting him go. “I’ll come to pick you up when you’re ready!” she shouts through the car window. Craig quickly turns waving frantically, watching her car drive away from the school.
   With her gone he turns his attention to the school now completely changed. The whole area looks like the aftermath from a great fire, everything has turned ash like. Even the wire fencing itself has changed. He looks to his right seeing two swings moving on their own accord with no riders, bits of ash flake off. He turns his attention back towards the school, seeing kids playing casually in this hellish place. Bits of ash blow away in the wind. Nervously he heads towards the school building, meeting one of his friends, up above the school bell rings.
  Craig walks inside the school, looking at all the walls blackening then looking at the students walking down the corridors completely oblivious to this. He then stops still looking at something in the mirror, seeing himself blackened like a burnt body from a fire. He continues to look at it in fascination moving towards it. “Craig , don’t you have a lesson to go to?” Craig sharply turns around looking into Miss Davies irritated face. “Umm yes” “Well then better get a move on then” Craig quickly spins around only to find his reflection has gone back to normal.
   Craig follows Miss Davies till she beckons him into the classroom. “I found Craig he was lost, sorry for your time” she replies. “Thank you for your help” the teacher replies in kind.

“Now everyone”, please take your seats” the teacher announces, looking to the classroom. Craig walks inside looking around the room distracted and uncertain he wants to be here. “Craig please can you sit down?” Craig suddenly awakens startled. Quickly he heads down the row of seats before pushing himself into his chair. “Now everyone please can you open your books to page 18” the teacher announces raising her head. The classroom fills with the sound of murmurs and book pages opening, Craig himself opens his book going through the pages.
   As he turns over page 16 he suddenly notices some ash on one of the pages, as if it were burnt. Craig watches in fascination mesmerized. “Craig... Craig?!” distracted he quickly faces his teacher looking full of concern. “Craig, is everything alright?” He sheepishly looks back at the book only to find the ash has gone before in guilt looking to his teacher. “Yes teacher”, he replies solemnly. Hearing his response she now looks back to the class. Craig looks back frantically to the page only to find it still normal.

“Now can everyone please continue reading where you left off last week. To yourselves please” Craig watches everyone start looking at their books and with little option looks back to his book. He follows the lines of words in his head. As he’s reading he suddenly hears something around the room. His head swivels suddenly finding himself somewhere else. Confused he looks at a room seeing a young man dark combed hair back looking out into the night, his hand blackening. A bird flies over towards this man before he quickly grips it, the bird tries to fly away only for it to turn into ash. The man then quickly looks at Craig his own face ash like, his one eye glowing with fury. Craig suddenly starts screaming falling off his chair dropping to the ground, the teacher suddenly stares at Craig as everyone looks at him in concern. “Craig, what’s happening?.. Craig?” He then falls then everything turns black.

 At work Craig’s mother is sitting at her work desk, drumming her fingers out of sheer boredom against the work surface. Every now and again she looks towards the clock hanging on her office wall, keeping track of time. Frustrated she turns her attention towards her workbag containing Craig’s drawing. She pauses nervously before hesitantly reaching towards it, lifting open the top. She reaches inside, trying to feel the creased piece of paper. She finally finds it under her hands before pulling it out.
  She looks at it once more, trying to find something within the picture. Her gaze falls directly at the creature’s eyes, seeing it’s eyes full of malice. She looks deeper into the eyes, it’s. Her attention is immediately diverted as her office phone rings. After the second ring she picks it up, pressing it to her ear.
  “Hello, this is Judith who’s speaking?”  she asks politely. “Hiya I’m Sandy from your son’s school. I’m matron here and your son has had a blackout at school during lesson”. Judith’s face suddenly drops, hearing these dire words; she raises the telephone, stuttering into it. “I’ll be right over” Without hesitation she slams the phone down, grabbing her coat.

Judith pulls in at the school immediately getting out of the car before hastily running into the school reception. “Hi my name’s Judith. I’ve been told my son’s had a blackout at school” The women leans forwards, looking at her. “Craig’s mum isn’t it?” Judith shakes her head enthusiastically. “Yes he’s just in the waiting room”. “Thank you!” Judith replies hastily running towards the waiting room. She bursts insidr seeing Craig, his head slowly rises hearing her footsteps. “Ohh thsnk god you’re alright”, she whimpers.. “When did the blackout happen?” Judith asks. “I can’t remember...” Craig replies. “It happened at the start of school, during history” Judith looks up seeing the teacher from Craig’s lesson, “poor little guy was screaming crazy. Never seen anything like it” Judith turns towards the teacher, “I’m giving your son a week off. Get him checked at the doctors” Eva’s mum nods without question leaving the school.

Author's Note

ignore grammar problens