Arisu [ #JustWriteIt - Horror - Complete ]

Chapter Six - Divided, We Fall Alone

"No sooner the story's end rolled off his tongue,
Had the bell tower's piercing screams rung.
Warning of danger soon to come."

His hand outstretched to reach thin air. Murmuring ethereal words, he made a gesture towards the door.

Click.

The rusty lock undid itself.

Coryn adjusted his posture, cuddling up close to a dusty corner, unable to muster strength to unwind the cobwebs from his tawny hair.

The door violently slammed against a wall, hinges rattling with so much force, so much force that it broke away.

The wind didn't howl. It shrieked; a terrible sound that twisted around the attic, the type that attacked your ears, the kind to establish a groundwork of horror.

That door slowly tipped sideways, too slow to be true. Its grave reality was brought to the surface with a reverberating crash.

Coryn covered his ears and cowered.

Blades were scraping against the wooden floor. Softly. Ever so softly.

He tried to suppress his shivers. No matter how hard he tried... Those memories were surfacing, leisurely rising and falling like bubbles in a lava lamp.

It wasn't hesitating.

Then again, it wasn't on guard either.

His one and only chance was opening in front of him.

Coryn rose, but only to a crouch. Had it taken the bait?

His golden-brown cloak was draped over the windowsill, mimicking the form of someone who was trying to escape.

The wind brought it billowing to life and the broken lantern sat inside as a weight.

It was a blur through his hazy eye, stalking towards the window with predatory confidence.

His opportunity was the sand that fell so silkly through one's fingers. It was slipping away before he could grasp it.

Coryn pulled himself up from his hiding place. He calculated the distance. He was exactly ten meters from the doorway. It was only five meters away.

The cloak was a taunting shimmer in the moonlight as it whipped around in dance.

He sprinted.

It sprang.

The cloak fell into a river of nighttime wind.

Six meters. Four left to go. He hadn't accounted for the fatigue of his legs. Could he still make the run?

Needles were burying themselves in his tender heel. It sensed the silent pain, drawn closer to it even.

Coryn's heart thudded to a stop.

He realized his failure, just a fraction of a second before registering a painful yank on his ponytail that sent him hurling backwards.

It's one of them.

His lower body hit the floor with a thump.

It's just toying with me. It wants to feast on my fear. Otherwise, it would've already killed me...

Dazed and hurt, he didn't offer any resistance. No frenzied attempt to get up - no petrified scream - not a silver of fear.

Going against every natural instinct he had, Coryn relaxed his muscles and fell. Feigned unconsciousness.

Be limp; be still. Breathe slowly. Shiver, don't whimper... I have to bide my time for now. Just... Just until I know what I'm up against...

[C-Cliffhanger, anyone? These chapters might be too short, but isn't all life? If you like reading, contribute a tiny star to the cause. With love, from Phantom.]