Famer's Story-writing debate tournament Round#1 Famer VS Kinesis

Devastation reigned across New York. According to later news reports, and as was observable from overhead helicopter shots, the destruction was confined to a rough cone shape that began in Central Park. The damage spread outwards as if someone had fired some giant metaphysical bad luck shotgun across the city. Of course, if one were to compare this to a certain photograph taken a few seconds before it all began, one could match up the affected areas and the scenic view of New York from the picture.Jonathon stared out the window. The sky, clear a moment ago, had filled up like a bruise with dark clouds. Ominous rumbling sounded from above. Something was coming, he knew. Something that would claim thousands - hundreds of thousands - of lives. He had brought this devastation. He needed to stop it. He called his sister back.The tone sounded. Once, twice, three times."Come on sis, come on." he murmured desperately under his breath "Please...""Jonny!" He heard his sister yelling as the call connected, terror in her voice. "Something terrible is happening. The trees are all-""Sis, I need you to do something. Don't question it, I'm serious. You trust me right?""I-of course I trust you." his sister said frantically "but-""I need you to break that camera you brought with you. Smash it on a rock, whatever. Just destroy it.""What? The camera? But...""BREAK THE FVCKING THING CAITLIN! I said no questions!" Jonathon yelled, with as much anger as he could muster. He didn't know how much time they had. People were probably already dead."Alright, alright." Caitlin said, sounding shocked. The phone didn't cut off, but the sounds from the other side were more muffled. He guessed she put the phone into her pocket."Okay, okay, think Jonny think." He massaged his forehead with his knuckles. "What do I know so far?"The camera killed living things, and destroyed non-living things. He knew that much. But it wasn't that simple. The picture of his grandma had included her bed, part of the wall, background stuff, as well as her. But only she had been affected. So, perhaps only the subject of the photo fell under its curse. The thing, or things, that were its main focus. But that didn't help. After all, his dad had taken a photo with New York as the subject. In the worse case, the entire city might be cursed."Jonny?" He heard his sister again."Have you broken it?""I took it off dad, but it won't break! It's not even scratched, no matter how hard I hit it. I swear it's made of steel. Jonny, weird things are happening here in the park. The trees have all gone brown. And people...I think people are dying. An old woman just got attacked by her own dog. And someone else just fell over, like they had a heart attack. Dad's trying to give him CPR.""Caitlin, I know this sounds crazy, but the camera...the camera is cursed. Remember the photos we took? Grandma died right after. So did Rover, and our plum tree. Everything you take a photo of-""Oh my God." Caitlin sounded awed."What is it?""The buildings...the skyscrapers...they're being hit by lightning. Why are the clouds only there?""Caitlin, it's the camera. You have to find a way to break the camera."There was silence from the other end. In the background, he could hear people shouting."Anything you take a photo of, right?" She said after the pause."I-well, kinda, I think so, basically.""I've got a mirror in my bag. It's for makeup and stuff.""What does that have to do with-" He stopped. "Oh."Will that work? He thought. It might just break the mirror, but if the thing that breaks is the subject of the photograph..."Okay, do it. Take a picture of the camera with itself. Listen, I'll come over there okay? See you in a bit."Jonathon looked up suddenly, hearing something. No, a noise had stopped. The constant rumbling from the sky had died down. Wait, why had it stopped? Caitlin couldn't have destroyed the camera yet. He walked to the window and looked out, hoping to see a clearing sky. No such luck. Or was it? He could see a light in the clouds. It looked like-The lighting blasted apart the street below him. He saw the house opposite explode into flames. A woman, one of his neighbours, ran outside in terror. Lightning never strikes twice. The second bolt killed her instantly, as though punishing her for daring to attempt escape. He reeled back from the window. Nowhere was safe - the picture must have included this area of New York too. He knew his family was in Central park. He had to get there, to make sure the camera was destroyed. He shoved the phone into his pocket and ran downstairs.Getting a taxi would be pointless, he knew. The inner city was full of traffic at the best of times, and the chaos would cause traffic jams all over. He burst out of the front door and ran at full speed down the streets he knew like the back of his hand, heading for central park. The grim reaper followed him. He avoided death desperately, bad luck trying to end him at every turn. He jumped desperately out of the way of an overturned FedEx truck at one traffic light, the doomed driver sliding into a shop entrance before exploding spectacularly. A mad looking man with a scraggly beard attempted to hold him up with a knife, before tripping and slitting his own throat. Lightning struck everywhere, destroying houses and burning shops, but never quite hitting him. Others weren't so lucky. As he reached the park, the worst the curse had managed were cuts and scratches.Caitlin was staring at the camera, fascinated. While the chaos raged around the park she only had eyes for the concentrated weirdness going on in front of her. Upon taking the picture of the camera in the mirror, the thing had let out a screech like an enraged cat and cracked across the lense. She had quickly dropped it and back away a few paces, remembering the lightning. If that thing was struck with her holding it...Her foresight saved her life. What destroyed the camera was not lightning, but a stray bullet. For where, she did not know, but guns were hardly rare in New York so it was not surprising that the bad luck had taken advantage of them. The camera exploded from the apparently high caliber shot, pieces scattering everywhere.In that moment, the clouds melted away like a bad dream. The man Caitlin's father had been attempting to recussitate before gasped, his heart restarting itself. The trees in the park regained a little of their colour. Many were dead for good, but the curse appeared to be lifted. She heard her brother's voice calling out for her and turned around. "Caitlin! Caitlin!" he gasped, catching up to her. "Is it over?""Yeah" She murmered, a sense of release overcoming her "I think so.""NO." The voice that rang out was terrible. Like a killer toying with their prey, offering them the chance to save themselves, knowing nothing could be more enjoyable than watching its hope die."YOU HAVE RELEASED ME. I AM GRATEFUL. I WILL ALLOW YOUR SURVIVAL, FOR NOW."Jonathon and Caitlin looked around, searching for the voice. It seemed to be coming from the shattered remains of the camera."THIS WORLD IS RIPE FOR MY ARRIVAL. THIS CITY WILL ONLY BE THE BEGINNING. I HAVE FED ON THOUSANDS OF LIVES THUS FAR, HIDING IN HUMAN ARTIFACTS, STEALING LIVES WHERE I COULD. HUMANITY HAS BEEN MY PREY FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. BUT NOW, I HAVE FED ENOUGH. I AM READY TO TAKE FLESH AS MY OWN."Thick black vapour began pouring out of the broken camera parts. They seemed to melt and twist as the black smog poured through the air - straight towards Jonathon.He took a step back, his mouth gaping in surprise. Then the smog poured into him, filling his nostrils and mouth. It worked into his skin, turning it black, changing his form. But the worst thing wasn't the physical invasion. He felt it sliding into his mind, overridding his consciousness and taking over his thought processes. The thing was operating him like a robot. He felt the thing open his mouth. "NOW THEN. SHALL WE BEGIN?"