The Devils Room

Her cries scream louder and louder and louder. Echoing through the halls. I don't know if it's more painful, for me or for her. She sounds like someone is tearing away her limbs. I can't bare it. I push my hands harder against my ears, my eardrums throb from the pressure. I look around. I've always hated this house, with the way the walls are warped, where the carpet is frayed, the stench of what could be stale bread or clothes. Neglect. This used to be a home, my home. Now it's just a house full of dust.

The pathetic light bulb could barely light up a shoe box, more sound was coming from it than light. I turn and look out this scratched window, I see an open field surrounded by dark silhouettes of trees, which sway in the heavy gales. Leaves flailing everywhere, up down, up down, side to side. One collides into the glass giving me a fright. I notice a few sprinkles of rain dot on the glass, running down and chasing each other, then the clouds really start to open. Quite fitting.

After realising my sister had stopped crying, I take my hands away from my ears. It was eerily quiet. Not comforting at all. I wanted to see if my sister has recovered so I make my way to exit the room with my fluffy pumpkin slippers and dressing gown. Making a rather long and stretched crrreeaaak on a certain spot wincing at the sound.

As soon as I step into the hallway I felt frozen in my place. It's like I hit an ice wall. The air surrounding me was a sensational factor of cold. Not natural. Nothing was natural about this. The atmosphere made the hair on the back of my neck stand up on edge and I could feel goose bumps all over my body. I could also feel a lump stuck in my throat. Every sign to turn around and get out of here. But that's my little sister through that door and she is everything.

I force my leg to cooperate with me and I move forwards at slow pace, being extra cautious. The gloomy hallway had but a few pictures of relatives; "Auntie Sylvia, Auntie Lisa, Uncle Richard", I mumble as I walk by to feel more at ease. I miss them all. This used to be a pleasant house. Beautiful. Neighbours and friends would walk in and out and enjoy our company. Then I suppose it inherited the wrong owners after a while.

The closer and closer I got to the room, the more I felt uncomfortable. My eyes were dry and itchy, my chest felt like it was being crushed, I could barely breath. But I ignored all
these signs and paused a couple feet in front of the 6 foot oak door and prayed;

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not
let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

I slowly turn the brass doorknob and click open the door. I push it moderately and peeked in to see my dad standing up with his hand on the bed post carrying his weight and my sister sitting up in her bed with her head in her hands and her tangled brown her drooping over. She is sobbing so quietly. My heart aches. I bring myself forward.

"Dad? Is everything okay now? Can we t-take her home?" I stutter.

As I just finished my sentence, my dad collapsed on the floor with an aggressive thud. His head tilts towards me and his hazel eyes were rolled back into his head with his mouth gaping open. A little shriek escaped my lips as I was overwhelmed. I sprung into action and joined him on the floor,

"DAD! Dad! Can you hear me? Please say something, please!" I choked.

I felt his chest, neck, wrist anything to find a pulse. But I was useless at this. I began to panic, tears were flooding my eyes. But he always told me to 'stay focused', so I then held my ear against his lips to hopefully find a sign and I could feel a faint little puff of air tickle my ear at a normal pace. Thank you God. But I have to hurry him out of here it could be anything. I quickly get up and walk over to my sister on the bed, I breathlessly say,

"Katie! Katie please don't cry. We-we have to leave, Dad's not well he-"

An eruption of white noise and demonic screaming filled my head and burned my ears. I felt a force not enforced by my sister and I was flying to the other side of the room till my head smacked the far wall. A ringing was brought to life in my left ear. It felt like I had split the back of my head in two. Dazed, terrified and confused, I look up to find my sister in her long white sleeping gown and long straight brown hair dangling over her face and I could only just see her features which looked back at me with a dark matter.

I am petrified. Never has my sister made me feel like a victim. I kept my gaze on her as she slowly kneels down in front of me never breaking contact. I look right into her as she gently caresses my thigh as if to comfort me and she speaks with a shadow of her melodic voice,

"Ouch, that must of hurt." And giggled, which caused a sensation in the air to give me a
feeling of nausea.

"Why did you do that K-Katie?" I spluttered. I think I had blood in my mouth.

I wanted to cry. I had no idea what was happening or why. This surely is a dream.

"I didn't do that. My friend did... and my friend doesn't like you." She clarified and her voice echoed and bounced off each wall. She was not who I bought up all these years. My little Katie was gone. I was dealing with a stranger.

I felt my eyes getting heavy and rested them for a brief second and my sister had changed positions and was standing in the middle of the room looking down at me. The rain appeared to have got heavier and I could hear faint thunder in the background. Looking at my sister made my skin crawl. And realisation hit me, she is who we all fear.

"You're not my sister." I scoffed. "You're the fucking Devil."

Katie looked at me through her long brown hair and laughed,

"No..." She pitched quietly in her melodic voice. Then her voice dropped a few octaves into a unrecognisable deep demonic voice. "But my friend is."

Invisible clawed hands wrapped around my ankles and dragged me into the middle of the floor as I screamed in terror, trying to grab onto anything, nails scratching along the floor and with a 90 degree angle I shot up and was dangling from the ceiling, unable to move my legs. I was whimpering. I was not going to live. I whisper to myself,

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

I look towards the floor and see my sisters face staring up at me, this time without her hair covering her face. I could see her. Her eyes were pitch black, not a single reflection found and her smile was stretching beyond human capability, almost to her ears. Tears were dripping upwards off my face and landing on Katie, but she did not flinch.

"If you're going to kill me, do it now." I sobbed.

Katie then held a sincere face.

"I wouldn't be that kind." And resumed smiling.

She walked out the room. Not another word nor an explanation. And slammed the door. I screamed. I did not know if she would return or return with death. I suppose it's the anticipation that gets us all in the end.

But for now, I was left dangling from the ceiling of the Devils room.

E.T.