Forest of Fear - The Demon Child

<p>FOREST OF FEAR<br>By 1998 four years after South Africa finally achieved democracy hundreds of thousands<br>of destitute South Africans still lived in squalid squatter camps spread across the country.<br>San Diego squatter camp or informal settlement is situated on the western boundary of<br>Johannesburg. Themba Legs Gwala the under-nine sprint champion at his school lives in<br>the San Diego squatter camp near Johannesburg with his dad and mom and five-year<br>old sister Gugu. His best friend eight-year-old James Chomp Bafokeng ravenous food<br>consumer and his parents also live in the settlement and the two boys witness the poverty<br>and hardships that the residents have to endure: no electricity no proper sewerage system<br>and no running water winter snow summer torrential downfalls and the danger of runaway<br>shack fires. Other characters in the settlement include Misses Ntombi Zondo the settlement's<br>Sangoma who is dedicated to preserving the myths and legends of Africa and enthrals Legs<br>Chomp and Gugu with her wonderful stories Mister Bongani Cele the retired illegal gold miner<br>who has spent most of his life searching for the non-existent treasure in abandoned gold<br>mines Misses Lerato Nonyana the retired school teacher with her stories about African<br>urban legends Mister Calvin Tembe the Mozambican mayor of San Diego striving to help<br>the illiterate residents Mister Joseph Amin the Ugandan law student who helps Mister<br>Tembe with the resident's legal matters and Constable Edward Luthuli the settlement's<br>lazy incompetent policeman. Amidst all this the serial killer watches silently.</p><p>THE DEMON CHILD<br>Bruno Berger living in Johannesburg South Africa is cruelly abused by his parents during<br>his formative years and develops a hatred for his fellow beings that dominates his life.<br>Throughout his young life he has been ridiculed and betrayed. He meets Conrao Connie<br>Amores another abused student at his school and the two young boys plan to eliminate their<br>tormentors especially their parents. On the day that they've agreed to begin their revenge Connie<br>commits suicide and Bruno is left to continue with their mission on his own. Bruno kills both his<br>parents and then goes to his school mainly to wreak revenge on Lucy Brentworth his main<br>tormentor during his schooldays. Unable to kill Lucy Bruno kidnaps her and holds her hostage<br>only to find out that Lucy is also the victim of child abuse. The two young people decide to team up<br>escape from the police and go on the rampage robbing a business killing Lucy's abusive<br>father as well as Connie's parents. Captured by the police after a car chase Bruno is found<br>guilty of several crimes including murder and kidnapping and incarcerated in a Child Detention<br>Centre while Lucy denying all Bruno's claims of a joint conspiracy is placed on probation.<br>Obsessed with Lucy's betrayal Bruno swears revenge. This is a story of the triumph of love<br>over its real enemy; indifference the turning away from those in need. It's the story of<br>the influence that one person's love can have on another; the transformation of an individual<br>filled with hatred and revenge into someone who can express love and compassion.<br> </p>