Downfall

~Author's note: This is a work of fiction. Any similarities to actual events is purely coincidential. Once again this story is written to entertain, ONLY to entertain.
So no money or profit for that matter is being made from this. As much as I love Hellraiser, it does NOT belong to me, it belongs to Clive Barker. Now that I'm done ranting, enjoy. :p

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“It all started as a normal school day.

It was Monday, which meant first period started at 9.30.

I was waiting for Ariana to show up, and as usual she was late.

She had that tendency ever since her occult obsession began.

Then, just seconds before the bell rang, she came running towards me with books and backpack in hand.

She was wearing her usual black clothing that pretty much always consisted of black pants, black boots and a tight black shirt with her long brown hair hanging loose.

Her green eyes were sparkling, which meant she had found something of great interest again.

I asked what it was this time, but she merely smiled mischievously at me and said she would tell me later.

I knew then she had found something worth while again.

I noticed that during the first and second period Ariana wasn't focused on her school work at all.

In fact, she seemed to be completely lost in a book that only was about prophecies, myths and legends.

She wouldn't even look or talk to me.

When we got a 20 minute break in between classes, I finally managed to convince her to show me what caught her interest so much.

She hesitated at first but then showed me what it was.

The image that caught my eye seemed to be some kind of box.

It looked like it was made of solid wood, and it had the most intricate inlay I've ever seen made from brass.

It was beautiful to look at, but knowing Ariana I knew there was something else beside beauty.

The small piece of text beside it didn't help much either.

All it said was that it was called the LeMarchand Configuration or Lament Configuration, made by some a French toy maker called Philip LeMarchand.

Some said he was hired to make it by some rich noble during the 18th century, others said he must've been one of the most prolific, if not undiscovered mass murderers of his time.

There were even people who went as far as calling him an "architect of the damned".

Sounded like one cheery guy.

The only other thing the piece of text said was that the box promised the pleasures of either Heaven or Hell.

It sounded tempting, but a little hard to believe.

It was just a box right ?

There was just no way a simple wooden cube could deliver something that good from the other side.

I therefore just dismissed it as some story made up by someone with a overactive imagination.

The next day Ariana was unusually late.

It just wasn't like her.

Sure, she would show up only minutes or seconds before the bell would ring, but she was never late.

When she still wasn't there after first period, I started to get worried.

Maybe she got into a car accident, or maybe some sicko got to her.

Then, luckily, I saw her walking onto the school grounds with books in her arms and her bag on her shoulder.

She seemed awfully cheery too.

I immediately walked up to her and asked her what possessed her to be so late, but she never told me.

That really surprised me, since she never held secrets from me before.

It was late at night when my cell phone started ringing beside me while I was doing my homework.

The small display said it was Arianna.

She probably had something useless to tell me again, but I ended up answering it anyway.

I started by saying I was busy, my mind still half figuring out a math equation, but when I heard Arianna's voice, I was suddenly all ears.

She sounded terrified, and I could make out she was crying her eyes out.

She kept saying "they're here, they're here..." and "this is not real... it can't be real...".

To tell you the truth it really freaked me out BIG time, because if there was one thing I knew about Arianna it was she wasn't scared of anything.

I then heard her pleading for me to come and help her, but it was already too late.

The last two things I heard before the line went dead was a strange, almost demonic female voice saying she had "found her" and, the most disturbing sound which I will never forget, the sound of Arianna screaming.

Screaming...

Screaming for her life to be spared... to get some mercy... but not getting any...

God how I wish I could be there to save her...

But I wasn't...

I'm so sorry I failed you that day Arianna...

I'm so sorry..."


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"Doctor Radich's log, September 21rst, 5.32 PM

Patient 137 blames herself for her friend's sudden death 2 months ago.

Claims to have heard some kind of demonic voice during the last contact she had with her late friend Arianna.

This box she spoke of however, this... Lament or LeMarchand's Configuration, seems to have a key role in her story.

I must try to obtain some more information on this object."