That sound . . . A sort of muffled, half music . . . I've heard that before . . .
France sits up in a sweat, panting, clenching the sheets. He heard that sound, that music, that alarming warning, before. Once upon a time . . . once upon a time, when he and the others almost died. That music . . . that sound is for the Thing, the Thing that was jokingly called Steve . . .
Oh no . . .
France's thoughts suddenly snap into perspective, his fear renewed as the volume of the sound increases. He faintly remembered one of his own visions he received while breaking the clocks.
Steve was at the end of a different hallway than the ones in the mansion. No, it wasn't the haunted mansion. It wasn't even a mansion, just a rather large and expensive house, on the edge of Paris, the house with several flagpoles, all bearing the French flag. Steve stood at the end of the hall, the hall where the bedrooms were. The hall where France was right now.
Suddenly, in the back of his head, the track plays again, getting louder.
France stumbled out of bed, adrenaline pumping through his veins, bolting for the door to lock it. If it was the last thing he could do, he would lock it. He had to. There was no option.
He reached the door, open barely a crack, just in time to get a glimpse of Steve's outside. He carefully closed the door, locking it as securely as he could manage. For comforts sake, he wedged the chair from the corner under the doorknob. He let out a small sigh of relief as the alarming music finally faded.
He sat on the edge of his bed, looking at his phone. Two thirty a.m. glowed across the screen. Despite the hour . . . should he call the other countries? Should he call for an emergency world meeting? No, last time this all started from a world meeting. That would only set the course again . . . but who to call . . .
He couldn't call Italy. Steve seemed to want Italy's blood more than any of the other nations. But, Italy was the one who knew the most about Steve and the effects of the time loops. The important question was if Italy's sanity would be able to pull through this one . . .
Could he call on Prussia for assistance? Prussia was one of his best friends, and was the first nation he came across when he had arrived at the first mansion. But, would he friend be able to help him now?
What about England? He knew the most about ghosts and demons and creatures of the such. Would England, with his dislike of France and knack for black magic, be of any use to France right now? Should he call England?
But Canada held his own before, in this situation. It seemed that Steve couldn't see Canada before, but he still had gotten hurt, hadn't he? Or was that an alternate past?
France hung his head, unsure of what to do. Who should he call? Was Italy really that useless? Would Prussia come to help him? Would England even listen? Could Canada help him?