Annika padded across the hall like a small child. She had always been afraid of thunderstorms, so it didn't matter that she was already fifteen. A violent rumble of thunder made the floor tremble and Annika winced. How could Marc sleep with such a noise? Raindrops pattered against the window panes like large, hard stones and the wind furiously drove through the chimney, whistling and howling. Annika opened Marc's door cautiously. As peaceful as a lamb he lay in his bed while lightning flashed across the sky and gusts of wind swept across the land and the trees bent and twisted like submissive slaves. Annika slipped under the covers and snuggled up to her boyfriend. He turned to her. And Annika jumped out of bed screaming.
The otherwise warm, fawn-brown eyes were narrowed to slits and they shone bright green in the night. The thunderstorms were reflected in them.The mouth was twisted into a mad grin that grew wider and wider, and the nose had taken on a flat, snake-like shape that was breathing heavily in and out as if it were difficult to breathe. "Hello!" said a cold voice, short and choppy. Annika ran and slammed the door behind her, but while she was locking her own she knew it was pointless. Slow steps heralded the creature's approach, a crazy, cackling laugh boomed in her ears and her eyes were blinded by the thunderstorms, which now flashed almost continuously across the sky and made her room eerily bright. The steps stopped. The laughter stopped and the wind eased, the room got dark because the lightning in the sky had disappeared and the thunder suddenly stopped as if he had forgotten how to roar and plunged the house into icy darkness and merciless silence.Annika tried in vain to turn on the light; The power had probably gone out, but now that the thunderstorm had largely subsided, she took courage again and unlocked the door. About two meters from the door, Marc was curled up on the floor, whimpering and moaning, and clutching his pajamas with his hands right where his heart was. Annika rushed towards him. "Marc!" she called and shook him, not for long, because he only groaned louder and began to scream: "No! Stop that! Stop it, please, stop it!" Annika let go of him and he looked straight into him the eyes, which were no longer green and cold and full of madness, but brown and warm and filled with pain that Annika could hardly bear. "Marc, what ... what happened to you ... what ..." She broke off. Marc closed his eyes; he whimpered, moaned and screamed no more, he just lay there quietly and breathed long and deep in and out."The devil was in me," he said, barely audible, but in a clear voice.