Hide and Seek

Chapter 37

Fear is exceptional. It is what makes us human.

*NARRATOR'S POV*

Edith grins at Louis, no noise escaping her mouth as she does and Louis finding no strength to

look away from the glint created from her saliva and blood covered teeth. It was hard to

distinguish with the exception of this moment, when her lips were parted and the red stain was

visible.

He gasped and built up the momentum to scream too late, for she had already begun dragging him

towards the door. She didn't need him here, nor did she have it in her to kill him purposefully. If

he left without trouble then there would be no harm done to him.

"Harry!" Louis' lungs ached as he hit the ground, completely out of control and helpless.

He couldn't see what was dragging him towards the exit, but it had a firm grip on both his ankles

and felt dead to the touch. He coughed and felt like every vessel of his was about to burst from the

collision pressure, except it didn't and that was just mildly worse.

Harry was there, only he'd been thrown to the floor as well and was currently trying to regain

some focus. He saw Louis too late, and the door shut before he offer any aid. Louis was locked

outside in the dead of night, noisy crickets and unexplained rustling surrounding him.

Harry was within, now numb with exertion and zero expertise. He kept reassuring himself that

Louis was okay because the banging continued. Until it stopped completely, giving way to a

terrifying and choking silence he couldn't stand. That left him in the lurch.

He ignored the stifling whispers in his ear and took a large step towards the door. What appeared

before him would normally stop him in his tracks, have him obedient and pliant but his priority

was anew and something he adored to the core. It angered Edith to see him concerned about

someone who knew nothing about him more than a month ago so she growled and blocked the

door from his vision.

Harry spun around, searching desperately for the front door but it was nowhere. Just walls and

windows. He continued forward nonetheless.

Stop this.

Harry ignored her. Louis, that's what mattered. He couldn't hear Louis' banging or screaming and it scared him.

Listen to me, my son-

"I am not your son, Edith." Harry spat. He's never spoken to her that way and now he didn't fear

the consequences.

You have grown stubborn and frivolous, Harry. He is not important.

Harry ran his hand across the wall where he was certain the door had been. He couldn't feel any vibrations, received no indication that Louis was on the other side except his gut instinct.

He is mortal and stupid. I? I can make you powerful.

"I do not want that. I want to live and die." Harry spoke to the wall. "I want to be weak and