Before The Fall (An Aron Angels Prequel)

BEFORE THE FALL:

  An Aron Angels Prequel

  Also by the Author:

  A World Without Angels

  Ashes to Ashes

  Gifted

  Trouble

  A Hairy Tail

  Dark Eyes

  Cinderella is Evil

  Before The Fall: An Aron Angels Prequel

  JAMIE CAMPBELL

  Copyright © 2013 Jamie Campbell

  Jamie Campbell asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

  This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the author.

  CHAPTER 1 - LEILA

  It’s funny how you know when it all starts, when it’s the beginning of the end. It’s not an act that is so shocking you have to believe the world is ending, but something barely imperceptible to the human eye.

  It’s the way people speak to each other like they have no patience for what they are saying, it’s the way cars don’t stop at crossings to let people pass, and it’s the way you stop planning for the future because you don’t believe there will be one. It’s the small things that add up, multiplying until they are insurmountable.

  Leila Loudon thought about the beginning of the end as she stood in the window of her family home. The street was normally quiet during the day, nothing much ever happened in the cul-de-sac. But that was before it began.

  Now, she watched as five men broke the window of the house across the street. They used stakes taken from the garden to smash the glass pane. It was daylight and Leila was certain she wasn’t the only witness but they didn’t care. Even if it was being televised live across the world, the men would still continue their pillage.

  Instead of dashing into action to try to stop the men, all Leila could do was be thankful it wasn’t her house they targeted that day. It was probably only a matter of time, but at least it wasn’t today. Tomorrow was never promised anymore, but at least she would have one.

  “Dinner, Honey,” Matilda Loudon, Leila’s mother called from the dining table. She hurried over, glad to be torn away from the window.

  The family sat at the table, dad Matthew and sisters Emily and Kate made the family complete. It all seemed so normal but one look at the plate told them otherwise. Instead of a hearty meal, the plate contained a few vegetables and a clear soup. They were the few food items Matilda was able to grow in the backyard.

  The markets and some stores were still open, but only for a few hours each day. Once closed, they boarded up their windows and put the stock under lock and key. Some even lived with their inventory, guarding it with their lives. The weapons trade was thriving.

  “Dad, how do you think it’s all going to end?” Kate asked, raising the topic they were all thinking but not discussing. That was Kate for you, always the big mouth.

  “I don’t know, Sweetheart, but we’ve got each other and that’s a lot more than others. So as long as we stick together, we’ll be fine,” Matthew replied diplomatically. The subtle look he exchanged with Matilda spoke so much more about how worried he really was. It didn’t go unnoticed by Leila.

  “Maybe the police will be able to regain control or something,” she offered, trying to remain positive. It was bad enough being cooped up indoors all the time, let alone with a depressed family. They would soon drive each other crazy before they were harmed by someone else.

  “Exactly!” Matthew exclaimed. “We have to have faith that the authorities know what they are doing. Everything will get resolved, we just have to be patient.”

  “Or we could all die,” Emily added.

  “Do you have to be so morbid?” Leila asked, rolling her eyes.

  “What? I’m just telling the truth,” Emily shrugged. “Someone’s got to be honest around here. This whole situation sucks.” She stabbed at her potato like it was about to attack her.

  “Let’s move on to nicer topics,” Matilda said gently. “Leila, it’s almost your seventeenth birthday. How would you like to celebrate?”

  Leila hadn’t even thought of it. A small part of her doubted whether she would even make it to her birthday. With so much violence going on in the world, it wasn’t an unreasonable thought.

  “I guess it will just be another day,” she replied. It wasn’t like she could have a party or her friends over. The walls around her were her prison, they just didn’t have barbed wire. They couldn’t even get the ingredients for a cake, let alone candles to blow out.

  “We’ll think of something special to do.” Matilda smiled across the table, her eyes filled with pain for the situation.

  They finished their meager meal and did the dishes in no time. It was back to waiting, expecting something terrible to happen at any moment.

  Leila retreated back to her bedroom, the window facing the street. She stood, looking out. The five men had finished their raid on the house. Leila prayed the owners were left unharmed. There was a small chance, anyway.

  The men walked casually from the house, their arms laden with goods. Leila ducked behind the curtain, hoping they wouldn’t catch her spying.

  One of the men stopped in the middle of the street. He stared directly at Leila, his gaze fixated on her. She couldn’t move, her body frozen in place.

  As if in slow motion, the man pointed to his own eyes and then to Leila. He mouthed something, she didn’t know whether she got it right but it looked like he said ‘You’re next’.

  He was called away by his accomplices and managed to tear his gaze away from Leila. She felt a chill run through her veins as he did.

  CHAPTER 2 - JEROME