The Raven's Reflection

Chapter 21 - Unwelcomed

Wednesday evening approached and Kinsley stood in the kitchen in just her normal tank top and shorts, dancing a little bit to a tune she was humming softly. While making dinner for herself, there were suddenly four heavy knocks at the front door and she froze. She wasn't expecting anyone, and no one they knew ever knocked that hard. Even Samuel wouldn't knock so loudly since he had a key to let himself in if there was an emergency. She panicked since it was evening and had the lights on, and therefore knew whoever was outside would be aware someone was home. Before she could turn towards the bedrooms, she let out a scream as the door exploded inward and shards of wood flew everywhere.

"It's impolite not to answer the door when someone knocks," a man's voice growled with a sadistic grin behind it. The darkly dressed figured stepped into the home and looked about, smirking as he smelled the delicious aroma of meats and vegetables being pan fried. He turned his gaze into the kitchen and saw the young girl on the floor on the far side of the room, trying to come to her senses and get to her hands and knees.

"Who..." Kinsley began to try ask with a groan. Her head and shoulder were filled with a hot searing pain, realizing she must have hit hard against something. She gasped as a hand closed around her throat and lifted her to her feet with ease, her wide eyes taking in the sight of the man holding her up. Everything about him was dark, like he was covered in shadow, but she could tell this was the man who Kurt came to tell Cerno about. She tried to cry out but nothing could escape her, not even air...and that's when she realized she couldn't breathe in, either.

Hmm, this one's cute. Best to knock her out and come back for her...enjoy her a little longer when I have time, Kinsley could hear him think to himself. As Kinsley still struggled in his grasp, he chucked her through the doorway that lead into the hallway. Her body crashed through the closed hallway bathroom door and laid motionless on the ground. "Where are you, kid? I know you're here," he called out. He started down the hallway and opened the farthest door, realizing no one was inside. Turning back into the hallway, he opened the door on the right, grinning seeing Cerno's body laying perfectly still in the bed. There was no way he was just asleep with all the commotion he'd caused so far. "Drained? Oh come on now, you've made this too easy."

Just as the man started to hoist the still unconscious and limp Cerno into the air, Kinsley let out a yell as she implanted a kitchen knife into the middle of the man's back. Cerno crumpled to the ground as the man yelled out, his yell filled more by anger from being stabbed rather than from being in pain. She backed away from him, panting hard as the dangerous figure turned on her again. Turning and running from the room, she stopped at the end of the hallway to make sure he was following her...and follow her, he did.

"I'll kill you, little mouse," he growled, his body seeming to grow bigger as it radiated the darkness that enshrouded him.

As she turned to run again, wanting to get the man as far away from Cerno as possible, something grabbed her ankle and caused her to trip. She grunted as she hit the floor hard and gasped as she was suddenly being pulled back toward the hallway. "Help!" she cried at the top of her lungs hoping someone, anyone, would be able to hear her through the open door.

"You guys did a nice job of hiding this place," he growled. More of his black, shadow-like limbs wrapped around her body and flung her around the room, banging her against many of the walls and creating as much damage as he could...to both the room and to Kinsley. Finally, he threw her down on the dining room table and grinned hearing her let out a rather wet, pain-filled cough. He could see most of the fight drain out of her body again almost instantly. "No one's coming to help you," he snarled, sharp white teeth shining through the shadow as he leaned over her. He felt her trying hard to fight back against him as he drew in close, her fight switching back on like a light switch. "You're mine," he growled as he bit down fiercely on her neck.