Trails of Intertwined Stars: Chapter 74

~Chapter 32: Percy's Punishment~

Leora sobbed, softly and miserably in bed; hiding herself under the covers. Percy put his belt back on, unfeeling in sympathy or anything. He wasn't going to get any more lessons out of her today, that much was clear. Percy leaned on the edge of the desk, looking down at her blanketed form.
"You're lucky I'm not the kind of man to go all the way with punishment," he said flatly," Now, go to bed. And don't even think about telling your brother what happened."
Leora nodded, weakly, not facing him. She simply whimpered softly in pain. Percy sighed, running a hand through his hair. He pushed himself up from the desk and made his way to the door, pausing with his hand on the knob.
"Goodnight, Leora."
Leora did not respond. He left the room, closing the door behind him. As he walked down the hallway, he couldn't shake the image of Leora's tear-stained face from his mind. He knew he had gone too far, but he couldn't help himself. He went to the drawing room, feeling the urge for alcohol to take the events off his mind, so decided to ring the bell for one of the servants. He waited a good ten minutes, leaning back on the divan reading the week's latest newspaper. He frowned, casting his gaze towards the door, suspiciously. No servant arrived. He rang it again. Still nothing. He decided to go to the kitchen to investigate why they weren't coming. He knew guests weren't exactly allowed to go to servant areas, but he felt that Henry would allow this as an exception.

Percy's footsteps echoed through the empty house as he made his way down the steps into the servant's kitchen. The kitchen was dark, the stove cold. There wasn't a servant in sight, which was bizarre. Usually there was always at least one servant lingering around in the kitchen each minute of every day. Odd. It wasn't his problem though; it wasn't his manor, the servants could be up to anything and it wasn't up to him to punish them. He decided to just help himself to liquor since it was there on the counter. He poured himself a glass of bourbon and drank it in one gulp. The liquid burned its way down his throat, numbing his senses. He poured himself another glass, and another, until the bottle was empty and his head was spinning.
"Where is everyone?"
A loud whistling noise pierced the silence of the kitchen; making Percy gasp and spin around. It came from an old, open pipe by the counter, which travelled from the nursery to the kitchen as a way for the servants in the nursery to signal to the ones in the kitchen that the kids needed something. The nursery, however, hadn't been used for years; it was last used when Leora was little. If there was a whistling noise that meant that someone had spoken through it. Maybe a servant was in there and got trapped? It was odd though. Percy could have sworn the pipe was blocked up in the nursery once they'd closed it off, so nothing could make a noise to signal the kitchen.

He stumbled towards the staircase, taking the steps two at a time. The nursery was on the second floor, tucked away in the back where most of the old things lingered. He went to push on the door, but found it locked up tight, as it had been when Henry had given him a tour of the manor. With great effort, he put his shoulder into it, bursting the door open. Inside, the nursery was dark. All the furniture was covered in sheets. The room evidently hadn't been used in years. There was no sign of anyone, just a dark, untouched room. Percy spotted the plug, which was supposed to block off the tube, and was discarded on the floor beside it. That was a relief. It had probably just been the wind that made the noise which signalled the kitchen. Percy let out a sigh of relief, running a hand through his hair. He turned to leave, but paused. He didn't feel right not putting the plug back in. He went to pick up the plug to put it back in the pipe. The door, which he'd forcefully, opened slammed shut loudly. Percy spun around, startled. The room was now pitch black. He fumbled for the light switch, but nothing happened. The power was out.
"What the hell is going on?" He muttered, his voice echoing in the empty room.
He went to try the door, but found it was somehow locked. That should have been impossible; he wrenched it off its hinges! How had it, not only gotten back into place, but also locked itself? Percy's heart began to race as he realized he was trapped. He tried the door, pulling and pushing, but it wouldn't budge. He was locked in the dark, empty nursery.

"Damn it!" He shouted, slamming his fist against the door.
There was a loud, deafening 'thump' behind him. Percy twisted around, eyes wide as he searched the darkness. The plug had fallen out again. The sound seemed to echo in the darkness. He knew he had just put that plug back in. Someone or something must have removed it again.
"Who's there?" He demanded, his voice trembling slightly despite his efforts to remain calm," Show yourself!"
The plug made a high, whistling noise, but nobody was in the room with him. Maybe a servant in the kitchen had noticed he was trapped and trying to talk to him to make sure? He could determine it by putting his ear to the pipe and listening out. Percy cautiously approached the pipe, ears pricked. He leaned down and put his ear to the cold metal. On the other end there was the noise of human breaths. However these breaths were dreadful. They sounded as if they were choked by something liquid in their windpipes. It was disturbing and horrific. Percy's blood ran cold as he heard the breaths. They sounded... distorted. Choked. His skin crawled with dread as he realized this was no ordinary servant.
"Wh-what is that?"
There was a loud, aggressive thump on the door; Percy spun back around, his eyes wide. His heart pounded in his chest. The thump sounded heavy. Deliberate. As if someone - or something - had just slammed their body against the door from the other side.

"Whoever you are, this isn't funny!" Percy cried out.
There was a giggle outside, like a kid's. It was probably a teenage servant pulling a prank on him, bored from house chores and wanting to torment a tenant of the manor. Percy let out a sigh of relief, anger replacing his fear.
"Alright, alright, very funny. Now let me out."
He waited, expecting the door to open. He heard the pattering of feet. It sounded like the servant was running back and forth, as if panicked. Or maybe playing? He wasn't sure. He couldn't make out who it was from just the keyhole. The figure was dark and too quick. Percy's anger fizzled as he heard the pattering feet. Whatever game this was, the servant was taking the joke way too far.
"Hey! Whoever it is, talk to me!" Percy yelled.
Then he heard a horrific noise. On the walls outside, as the figure ran, he heard the scraping of nails against the wood. It made him feel sick to his stomach. His heart began to race again as he realized this might not be a prank after all.
"Oh gods... What's going on out there?" He muttered, trembling.
The whistling from the pipe started again, more violently; and the scraping of nails and giggling became louder and more manic. Percy backed away from the door, ears ringing with the cacophony of sounds. His mind raced, trying to come up with an explanation. A rational explanation. But there was none. None that didn't involve something supernatural.

"Stay back..." He warned, but he was terrified and paralyzed to the corner in fear.
He felt a sharp pain that made him cry out. Percy looked down at his arm, eyes wide. Five red scratches marred his skin. He whipped his head back up, staring at the door in terror. Whatever was out there, it could touch him. It could touch him without truly being with him. Or was it with him? He wasn't sure anymore. Everything was oh so disturbingly wrong. He hissed in pain as another set of claws raked across his chest. He stumbled back, hands flying to his face as he felt something cold and wet drip down his cheeks. Blood.
"Get off me!" He shouted, flailing his arms, but there was nothing to hit.
Then, suddenly, clear as day in his ears; he heard a voice. Clear as day. Strong and furious.
"I hate bullies."