sluggish attack

Once he had gotten coffee, he turned around and made his way to the bookstore. As soon as he crossed the road, a weird feeling came over him. He stopped on the sidewalk. He felt dizzy and disoriented, suddenly wanting to do nothing but rest, he sat down. He began to question his actions. He didn't know why he bothered, he wanted to just sit there and not get back up. He felt as though all of it, his job, his life and his calling were pointless. He started to just feel sluggish all of the sudden. As if nothing he would say or do made a diffrence. It didn't matter, nothing mattered. He sat there for a good twenty minutes before he tried to focus. He had almost given up all hope before he thought long and hard about it.

He knew better than that, he was usually a happy go with the flow sort of fellow. What had come over him? He was full of energy most of the time, he had ambitions, needs and wants. He enjoyed life. What was the matter? He wondered. Slowly he began to come out of this strange little funk. He slowly forced himself to get up, knowing this lazy behavior wasn't who he was, and not who he wanted to be. He knew better. He stood, grabbed the coffee and walked the block and a half to Merlin's Trunk. He needed to talk to her as soon as it was possible.

When he walked into the bookstore he scanned the the inside, until he saw her. Jenna was at the counter talking to a few customers. He nodded to her and waited until she had finished. He walked over to her in a swift manner. She could tell by the look on his face something wasn't right. He looked worried even a little spooked. She knew something had gone on with him, by the looks of it very recently.

"Hey there, how are you?" She asked.

"I don't know, but can we talk?" He asked her, handing her one of the cups of coffee.

"Oh thank you, I'm glad you came in. We can talk, let's go to my office." She suggested, wanting to know what was bothering him so badly. He looked pale and frightened.

He followed her to the back of the store and the two went into her large office. He locked the door immediatley.

"What happened to you?" She asked sensing it wasn't just a bad day at the office.

"I'm not sure what happened to me, but it was weird." He replied, taking a sip from the cup.

"Go on, tell me everything. " She replied sitting down in her leather office chair.

"I was just fine after work went to get the coffee, crossed the street and all of the sudden I felt hopeless. It was like nothing mattered and I couldn't move for a while. I had no energy, no desire to do anything. After a good half hour I just seemed to snap out of it." He explained to her.

For a long moment of inner silence she sat there, like she was thinking. She stared at him for about fifteen minutes as he drank his coffee, half nervous as to what she might say to him.

"Well, what do you think it is?" He asked her practically fidgeting.

"I know what it is." She replied, shaking her head.

"Tell me, please." He asked in a tone of desperation.

"I believe that you have been touched by darkness." She replied.

"Could you explain?" He asked, not sure as to what in the free world she meant.

"The demons are screwing with you, already." She told him in a simple manner.

"Do you really think so? Which one?" He asked

"Yes I do and I think it was the demon that influences sloth."

"What do you mean?"

She took a deep breath and told him what she thought.

"This demon of sloth influences mortals to have a hopeless feeling, a lack of energy or need to acomplish anything. This one will make you feel as though you don't matter and everything you might actually do is pointless. Of the seven demons, he's almost harmless but can keep you from reaching any of your goals with self doubt and self loathing." She explained.

"How do I fight that?" He asked with wide eyes of panic.

"You did the best thing possible. You got up and came here." She replied.

"Thank you for helping me." He told her.

"You're welcome."

"Now what do we do?" He asked her.

"Now we hit the books, we need you to know as much as you can about the rest of them." She replied.

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