Footsteps echo through a dark hallway, "We have to run! Now!" a young boy screams out as the footsteps grow louder and closer. Three young children try to run further and further away from the noise. They don't know what it is that chases them, but they know it's dangerous. As it closes in on the children, they can feel the air around them getting colder and colder. "When did it get cold? I can see my breath." The only female in the group spoke in almost a whisper. The trio darted around a corner and into an opened door. One of the boys closed the door quietly behind them. While the other boy grabbed the girl by the hand, pulling her close, he placed a hand over her mouth. "Shh we don't want it to find us so be quiet ok? We will get you out of here" the boy whispered in her ear. The girl grabbed the boy, hugging him tight, her body shook with fear. She tried her best to keep it together. The three hid in what seemed to be a study, there were old bookshelves lining the wall, dusty, empty and practically falling apart. The boy who guarded the door looked around the room. It appeared to be a dead end, they had no place to run now.
The three sat and waited for the footsteps. But they never came, it was if they, and the thing that was attached to them, vanished without a trace. One of the boys checked his watch, it had been at least twenty minutes since they hid in the room. 'Where is this thing?' he thought to himself. They waited in complete silence for the thing that hunted them, but still nothing. After a while they started to relax a bit. The girl slumped to the floor, exhausted from all the running and excitement. "...Are we safe?" she asked in a whisper. The boys looked at each other. "I think so but let's keep our voices down for now." the one closest to her spoke in a whisper. The one by the door walked over to the girl slowly and sat next to her. "By the way My name is Ben and this here is Max, What's your name?" Ben asked with a smile trying his best to comfort the poor girl. Just before the girl could reply, the footsteps began again. This time coming from above them. "How the hell.." Ben whispered looking up. He could see dust coming down from the ceiling as if whatever it was was walking on the ceiling above them. "Let's slowly and quietly get out of here" Max whispered to the others. Ben helped the girl to her feet, slowly trying not to make any noise. The room around them began to get cold again. Ben made his way to the door and opened it slowly. Unfortunately this time the door decided to creak. "Shit..." he whispered.
Laughter began to echo throughout the room "Hehe Haha Hehe Haha, come my little dears" an old man's voice came from above them. Ben felt a cold breeze from behind him, but before he could react to whatever it was a hand grabbed the back of his neck. The grip was tight and ice cold. A man dressed in a grey suit appeared behind Ben. "Ahh, I got you little shits now. I've been chasing you little morsels for a few hours now, it's exhausting even for me." The others stood there frozen in fear. The man smiled at this sight. " Ahh yes that's the look, it's a start but not what I desire for you three." the man chuckled to himself. Ben could feel the man's grip getting tighter. "Let me go you prick...what, do you have a thing for kids? Are you a pedophile or something?" Ben tried to mock the man but his voice was shaky at best. The man laughed again and picked Ben up by his neck with one hand. Ben squirmed trying to escape in vain. "Haha, I like your spirit kid, but don't you know whoever enters my house never leaves? I thought my legend was enough to scare away children , but yet every once in a while some dumb child tempts fate and enters Bradwell Manor. I bet you all did it on some silly dare haha" The Man scoffed at the children. The girl slumped to her knees shaking with fear. "Please mister let him go!" She pleaded with the man.
The Man gave her a wicked smirk "No. It's been far too long since I've had more than one toy to play with. I think I'll save you for last girly" The Man ran his finger nails over Ben's face scratching it slightly. Ben froze in complete horror. "Wh-What the hell do you think you are doing? Let me go!". He gathered up a bit of courage and tried to kick the man. "Ah you really are a feisty one aren't you?" he laughed at Ben's attempts to fight back. Ben tried once more to swing his leg and was able to get in one kick, but to no avail. The man grabbed it with his free hand, digging his sharp nails deep into the skin. His fingernails felt more like claws cutting deeper into the skin. He ran his nails up his leg further now as blood began to seep through his pant leg and run down it. Ben screamed out in pain as the man laughed. "Leave Ben alone you Bastard!" The girl screamed as loud as she could. The Evil Man stopped and stared at the girl, an evil grin on his face. He seemed to be satisfied with her response, and removed his nails from Ben's leg. "Now that, Girly, is the response I love the most. Desperation, knowing there is nothing you can do to save your little friend's life! Ahh it's absolutely wonderful!!" The Man practically sang with sickening glee in his voice. "But now the game's over kid...Say goodbye to your friend" The Man thrust his hand into Ben's lower back. Ben felt a sharp pain then cold in his back, he tried to move but he couldn't, his legs didn't respond. Blood spattered on the ground below him. Max and the Girl cried out his name. "Ben, No!!" tears started to stream down their faces. Ben started to lose consciousness, but fought it the best he could. He was able to move his right arm and grab a hold of the man's hand keeping it inside of him. "..Run..I got him.." Ben choked out the words begging the others to escape. "What the Hell, How can you move?!" The Man said, trying to remove his hand from Ben's back. Just then, before the kids could move the doorway exploded behind Ben and the Man. This sent Ben flying forward, freeing him from The Man's death grip. Ben had landed face down in front of Max and the Girl. The Man didn't seem fazed by the explosion, in fact it looked as if the only one who was affected was Ben. The Man was still in the same spot, and was now facing the destroyed doorway. The room flooded with light, and a dust cloud filled the doorway. The room started to catch fire from what Max could tell. But he couldn't tell where the fires were coming from. It looked as if that explosion somehow engulfed the entire room but somehow left them unscathed.
"Well that didn't really go as I planned" a voice came out from the hallway. An older gentleman walked out from the smoke, with a cigarette hanging from his mouth. "Are you kids ok?" The Gentleman asked, ignoring the evil man for a moment. The kids looked at him dumbfounded, while Ben attempted to roll over to see what the commotion was. Max snapped out of it and tried to help his friend. "Ben help is here, hold on!" he said looking at all the blood. The sight overwhelmed the young child, but he steeled his resolve and attempted to roll his friend over. The Girl rushed over to help "It's ok now" she said, trying not to cry. The gentleman turned to the Evil man "Ok now Lets do something about you" he said after taking a long drag off his cigarette. "Who the Hell are you!? And How dare you interrupt my fun! Do you know who I am!?" the Evil Man spat. He was confused and seemed a bit scared of this new intruder. The Gentleman just smiled and threw his spent cigarette on the ground. "I'm just passing through, I don't really give a shit who you are and you don't need to know my name...you wont be alive long enough to remember it anyway" he said with confidence in his voice.
The two children were able to roll their friend over. Max held Ben's head while The girl held his hand to comfort him. Ben could feel himself getting cold. 'Am I dying?' he thought to himself. He looked up at the Girl, her long hair flowing behind her and her blue eyes full of tears. Her hands felt warm, and comforting to him. He felt at peace "thank you" Ben spoke in a weak voice practically choking. Blood was starting to fill his mouth now, he was barely holding on. For the first time he could fully see her face, tears were streaming down leaking from her bright blue eyes. He stared at her for a few moments as she spoke to him but he could barely make out her words.. He smiled at her then looked toward the man who was trying to save them. " Ad inferos apud te excludunt in maligno positus! Igneus est scriptor tenebris lux coeli perdere!" The Gentleman shouted. The room went pure white and Ben could hear the Evil Man scream just before he lost Consciousness.
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A teenage boy jumped up off his couch in a cold sweat. "What..who.." he looked around the room surveying the scene. It was well past midnight, the entire room was dark except his TV, which was showing a rerun of some 30 year old sitcom. "It was just a dream" he muttered while looking around. "That was 6 years ago, why am I still having nightmares about it..." he sighed, slumping back on the couch. "Everything OK Ben?" a voice came from behind him. It was his younger sibling Robin. His scream must have woken her up. "Yea I'm ok Robin, just a nightmare. Go get some sleep." Ben said shutting off the TV. His sister just nodded and returned to her room. Ben sat in silence for a few minutes. "What the hell was all that back then? Who or what was the guy who attacked us, what happened to him, who was the older man who saved us...and who was that girl? Where did she come from…" Ben sat puzzled, bothered by that incident that changed his life 6 years ago. "This year I'll figure it out, all of it. Even if it kills me"