Rika nodded to the person, and closing her eyes, she blew out the candles, making the room return to its original darkness. Applause filled the room once again. After that people raised from their seats to congratulate Rika.
Just then, the camera started to shake.
At first Eri though the girl was the one moving it. But then she realized what was in motion was the place. A roaring sound suddenly came. Plates and wine glasses began dancing on the tables. A woman screamed.
“What the hell did you wished for?” shouted the guy sitting next to Rika. “The end of the world?”
“No!” Rika said, glancing nervously around. “Just that all of you live a long and prosperous life!”
“It's an earthquake, stupid!” the girl filming said to the guy. “An earthquake!”
Everyone started panicking. Some crawled rapidly under the tables while others rushed towards the entrance. It got blocked in no time. Paintings tumbled to the floor. The crystals of the chandeliers started falling like frozen rain. A lamp dropped from the ceiling, exploding into thousands of glass pieces.
Did I use too many started and began in the passage above? Is that the case, how can I rewrite the sentences without them?