4.

'What are we all waiting for?' Darkness speaks to a room stunned into silence from having witnessed a shocking and gruesome demonstration. 'This evening is a celebration and will be treated as such. ... My merchants of shadow will go forth from tonight, spread my word and ensure my victory ... I will have this world and all that is in it.'

Eerily quiet, the ensuing silence is broken by another voice, that of Majella Smith.

'You'll have me be a merchant of shadow?' she asks loud enough for the whole room to hear clearly as she steps forwards to stand next to the remains of one who is no older than herself.

'You, my dear, are the only one yet to give herself freely. I have no doubt that you will go forth from tonight alongside each of your eight sisters and ...'

'Sisters? Eight of them? These girls are not my sisters ...' she says with her right hand held out towards the seven who are grouped together, Nancy Ellis is still standing next to Majella. She had yet to re-join the other seven from having moved forwards to speak with Majella. 'I have but two sisters, one of whom is no longer living, and I imagine that you'd have me thank you for that. If my ability has been gifted to me by you as you have already told, then with it I had foreseen my sister's death and it came at your hands ... perhaps not directly, still it came from your demand. You must have known I would never join you and my sister's death would ensure I fight against you for as long as I can.'

'Just one moment little lady and we'll set off tonight's festivities ...'

'Really?'

'This is a ball and a ball ain't a ball without dancing. Any of you refusing a dance will have me to deal with and that goes for you Miss Smith ... maestro please ...'

The on-stage musicians, as frightened as they are, will not dare to refuse a command from he who is lord of darkness, so music tentatively begins and it takes a few seconds before it can become anything resembling a tune.

'I did say dance ... didn't I?'

Attendees scramble to find partners, most do, and like the musicians fearing for their lives, attendees ensure that dancing begins. Some cannot help but dance, a compulsion has gripped them such is the power of Darkness. If compulsion does not move people, then fear does, Majella however, stands still, remaining in a moment of anger. Sammy Fontaine has come to her with the intent of bringing aid, maybe calm her somewhat and he stands just a few feet in front of her, something else happens entirely.

'Miss Mitchell ...' speaks Darkness loud enough to be heard over the music. '... You now have my permission to inform Miss Smith about her ... sister.'

Anna looks up towards her father and smiles, 'with pleasure.'

She walks slowly, indeed taking pleasure with every step. With her smile constant, Anna can't help but release a laugh when she arrives to Majella's position.

'You stupid girl ... you cannot fight darkness ... you are of darkness. You must obey him. With your gift ... your gifts, surely you know the inevitable is coming, haven't you seen it already? Ask Sammy, he knows the truth. He also knows what happened to your blood sister ...'

Saying nothing, Majella looks at Samuel as Anna continues to speak. Majella had not seen Sammy in the vision of her sister's death; this does not mean he had not been present.

'It's Sammy's fault your sister is dead ... didn't you know that?'

'That's not true.'

'Of course it is Sammy, no point in denying it. Abigail Smith was in your company when she died, was she not?'

'Is that true?' Majella asks of Sammy.

'I was with her yes, but ...

'But what?'

'There is no but ...' Anna continues. 'If Sammy had not made himself known to Abigail, if he had not suggested a visit with a murderer, well, let's say ... Abigail would still be alive today ...'

'Sammy ... I trusted you ...'

'Majella Please ...' he says in an attempt to explain to her that she is being manipulated. 'Don't you see ... they are trying to take advantage of you ... I would never hurt you or your sister ... I tried to help her ...'

'Help her? Sammy ... my sister is dead.'

An anger is building in Majella and it is bubbling hotter by the second, they want her like this, and they are winning. Paul Malone is watching on and it is in this moment that something clicks. It more than click, it hits him like a brick to the face. He realizes just who Majella Smith is. She is the reason he retired from boxing as a champion, she is the reason why he still has the use of his eyes. He called off a championship match not on doctor's advice but on her advice. He owes her and must help her if he can though it may already be too late.

Paul Malone can see that Majella Smith has clenched her fists, a pain within her is about to explode. Anger, pain, and the will to fight are things he knows well. He begins to move to her, picking up speed as he moves and yeah, he is too late. Majella Smith lets out an almighty roar and that almighty roar is being aimed at Samuel Fontaine.

Something is being unleashed in this moment, something which has been unleashed before. Thing is, in that previous moment Majella was unaware of what she was doing. She is still unaware in this moment bur it soon will be clear that what is occurring is of her doing.

Sammy's face turns read but not because of a roar coming his way but due to that roar itself. He feels a heat rise inside himself and he, his being as a whole, bursts into flame as if he has been doused in accelerant and someone has thrown a match on him, not completely unlike the burning man at the boxing event.

Not wasting any time, Paul Malone is quick to bring aid to Sammy Fontaine, putting out the flames as quickly as possible. The damage, however, has been done. Majella Smith places her hands on her face in shock at what she has just done. Like a realization having hit Paul a moment or so ago, so too has a realization hit her.

Sammy has been nothing but a friend to her, he had been a source of strength for her in a place that could easily have broken her and now she does this to him. The how she done this can be questioned at another time, for right now Majella is soon at Sammy's side as he lies struggling on the floor.

'Someone call an ambulance' Paul begins to shout out.

The music has stopped. All hell begins to break loose. So many are looking to escape this building, Darkness looks on having got what he wanted, he has made his announcement, he has unleashed his shadow on the world, and now time has come to sit back and enjoy the oncoming chaos. To a corner he has moved to, hiding in shadow, appearing as if he has vanished or has left the room, but in that corner, he will wait and watch the beginnings of that chaos, sure in how infectious it will become.

Darkness, he does not have a want for mass death on this occasion, not in the immediate vicinity. If anything, he wants all those here to survive, he wants them to tell of what they have seen, he wants their aid in spreading his madness, so he makes no effort in hindering anyone's escape, in fact he makes escape easy.

'What have I done?' Majella says, still at Sammy's side.

'Don't worry about that now' Paul tells her. 'What's this gentleman's name?'

'Sammy ...'

'Let us help Sammy, alright? We'll do what we can for him until help arrives ...'

There is panic, there are screams and there is chaos though people are indeed managing to leave. Through the chaos Tanya Ferguson sees Maxene, she knows now is still not the time for talk, Tanya must leave the building and live to hopefully go on and make a difference somewhere down the road. Greta Turner sees her daughter Lonnie and she too knows that now is not the time to confront her little girl, or she who was once her little girl.

Something similar occurs for David Roux; his sister is and always will be his sister. He will leave this building on his own though he will see his sister again and he would be willing to bet his life on such happening. As it is of course, Maxene, Lonnie and Ruby are just three of the nine daughters of Darkness.

Hazel Watt's, having kept quiet for so many years, is being drawn in to get answers though she will not get them on this night, at least not in the way she hoped. One of the nine girls is Lexi Hansen, someone Hazel had encountered many years ago, on the day a best friend died. In fact, it was that girl who told Hazel not to seek answers and strangely, to Hazel, this girl has not aged a day. Staying quiet she may have been for many a year, this may change going forwards. Before her own departure from this evening, Hazel will have a most odd experience.

Cassandra steps forward, she briefly touches Sammy, not enough to do anything impactful but providing enough to see his survival until help arrives for Cassandra needs to vacate the premises. Her proximity to Darkness is not good for her.

Despite that proximity and what it is doing to her, she will be among the last to leave the building. She shares a glance with Majella before moving on alongside a man in robes, here and now is not the place or time for her to ... influence anything, nor is it a moment for Cassandra and Majella to converse with one another.

'C'mon ...' Anna Mitchell says to Nancy Ellis. 'Time to get out of here.'

'No. I'm not going anywhere with you or any of the others. I'm staying with Majella.'

'... As long as you know you are making a decision you will regret.'

'We'll see ...'

Soon Sammy will be carted off in the back of an ambulance, his life hanging by a thread. Paul Malone will make arrangements for himself, Majella and Nancy to follow onto the hospital.