Herbert covers both hands with his mouth, doing his best to stay quiet. Silent. He must be absolutely silent to win the game. Win the game and live. And hopefully save Mama, too.
He can't get the image of the man's blood soaked mouth out of his head, and he feels tears sliding down his face, over his hands where the cover his mouth.
Herbert sucks in a breath as the clock is pushed closer to the wall. Wishing he could be smaller, somehow. He doesn't want Mama hurt. He has to stay still, stay quiet. He has to win. Maybe the stranger will move on, look elsewhere.
Sharp ears can hear that terrified breath, even over the roll of thunder - his face splits in a wicked grin as he reaches out, placing his nails against the glass front of the clock and driving them forcefully downward. The resulting screeching sound is terrible.
He laughs at it.
"Isn't this fun?" Still singsong, a cat playing with a mouse just to be cruel.
"I know you're back there...how fast are you, I wonder, if you run?"
The nails against the glass make him yelp and cringe back against the wall.
"Do you want me to run, now? I'll run, fast as I can." For Mama, he'll run as fast and far as his feet will take him. All the way through the woods, if he has to.
A long moment of silence settles, the rain overhead the only sounds in the hall. It isn't clear, at first, whether or not he is even going to respond.
Then there is another bolt of lightning, casting his shadow, tall and cruel against the wall.
Followed by a roar of thunder...and the sudden wrenching of the clock away from the wall with impossible strength. It falls to one side, and there Kronid stands, still covered in Georg's blood, grey eyes flashing.
"I found you. Run," he snarls, the singsong gone in favor of a horrible, bestial growl.
Hebert shrieks at the sight of this -- this beast. This wolf that's invaded his home. Sharp claws and too many teeth and that snarl -- oh what a horrible thing it is.
And so he runs. Runs through the hallways and down the stairs, not daring to look behind him as he does.
The grin he had been wearing disappears at the shriek - it echoes down the hall, shrill and telltale, unmasked by the storm. He had hoped to keep this simple, but...well. It's excitement, anyhow, isn't it?
It would be very easy to catch up with Herbert right away, with his speed - and if the boy does look back when he gets to the bottom of the stairs, he will see the creature is right behind him, moving as though this mad dash is a pleasant jog.
Before he can jump down those stairs, however, a servant pops out of a nearby door...and in a flash, the vampire is upon him, clamping a hand over his mouth before burying his teeth in his throat. The man can't even scream as his blood dribbles messily over the bannister, down to the floor below.
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He can't get the image of the man's blood soaked mouth out of his head, and he feels tears sliding down his face, over his hands where the cover his mouth.
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And then he stops.
Right in front of the clock.
"Where, oh where could you be? You know...I could make you come out, if I wanted. But that would be cheating, wouldn't it?"
Turning towards the clock, he sets his toe against the base.
And he scoots it, just half an inch, towards the wall.
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He laughs at it.
"Isn't this fun?" Still singsong, a cat playing with a mouse just to be cruel.
"I know you're back there...how fast are you, I wonder, if you run?"
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"Do you want me to run, now? I'll run, fast as I can." For Mama, he'll run as fast and far as his feet will take him. All the way through the woods, if he has to.
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Then there is another bolt of lightning, casting his shadow, tall and cruel against the wall.
Followed by a roar of thunder...and the sudden wrenching of the clock away from the wall with impossible strength. It falls to one side, and there Kronid stands, still covered in Georg's blood, grey eyes flashing.
"I found you. Run," he snarls, the singsong gone in favor of a horrible, bestial growl.
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And so he runs. Runs through the hallways and down the stairs, not daring to look behind him as he does.
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It would be very easy to catch up with Herbert right away, with his speed - and if the boy does look back when he gets to the bottom of the stairs, he will see the creature is right behind him, moving as though this mad dash is a pleasant jog.
Before he can jump down those stairs, however, a servant pops out of a nearby door...and in a flash, the vampire is upon him, clamping a hand over his mouth before burying his teeth in his throat. The man can't even scream as his blood dribbles messily over the bannister, down to the floor below.
It's an opening. A small delay, but - something.