"So...nothing was taken?"
Lara stared at the police woman in front of her.
"No."
The police woman - PC Nelle - wrote something down on her pad, and stepped into the wrecked room.
"All this stuff," she gestered around her. "This is yours, isn't it?"
"Yes." Lara frowned.
"Okay."
Hillary appeared next to Lara. He had been the one that called the police, and Lara hadn't been to best pleased with him.
"Stupid Butler." the voice said. Lara sighed. It was back again. That voice....it didn't even sound like her. It had yesterday, but now it seemed to have it's own characteristics. It was smooth and calm, and deeper than her.
"Would you like some tea, madam?" Hillary asked PC Nelle.
"Er...no thanks, sir." PC Nelle clicked her tounge. "I'd better get back." she turned to Lara. "Miss....Lady Croft, we'll be investigating this further. We'll get back to you."
"Thank you." Lara turned to Hillary. "Hillary, show PC Nelle out, please."
"Certainly." Hillary bowed slighty, and touched PC Nelle lightly on the shoulder. "This way, madam."
Lara made her way to the kitchen to find Bryce sneaking about in the fridge.
"Lunch will be soon, Bryce." Lara told him, closing the fridge door. Bryce whined and sloped out of the room.
"I'll make lunch for you, Lara." said Alex, who was sitting at the dining table with Pimms, reading a magazine.
"You can cook?" Pimms asked him.
"Yep." Alex smiled, puffing out his chest, proudly. "Can you?"
"No." Pimms laughed, nervously. "I was terrible at it at school. One time, I accidently set fire to one of the curtains in the home ec. room. It got completely burnt out, and couldn't be used again for ages."
"Oh...really?" Lara made a mental note never to leave Pimms alone in the kitchen.
"That Pimms...a total idiot." the voice whispered, as if it was scared it could be heard by Pimms and Alex. Lara frowned. She had to agree. But she liked Pimms, and Alex. She enjoyed having them staying with her, and after all that had happened at the Tomb of Ten Thousand Shadows, she felt close to them.
"It's okay, Alex." Lara smiled. "Hilly makes lunch. It gives him something to do between...making breakfast and making dinner.
"What a boring pratt." said Alex. Well, his mouth moved, and the voice said it.
"Hilly is not a boring pratt!" Lara gave him a horrible look. Alex looked shocked.
"I didn't say that. I said 'Okay then.'."
"Oh." Lara frowned. "Okay."
"Are you alright, Lara?" Alex had a worried look on his face. Lara sighed.
"Yes." she started walking out of the room. "I'm going up to my room."
*****
"Who are you?" Lara demanded, addressing the voice. She paced back and forth in her room.
"I told you." the voice replied calmly. "A well-wisher."
"How...why am I hearing you?" Lara asked.
"You're insane."
"I am not!"
"What other explanation do you have?"
"I..." Lara was at a loss. She was mad. After all, only mad people here voices in their head...don't they?
"I'm tired." She decided. "I need a good rest."
"Sure."
"I'm not going to listen to you." Lara told the voice. "You'll be gone in a couple of days."
"Sure. Sure I will."
"You will!" Lara shouted, angry at him. Yes, she had determined; the voice was male. It was deep and smooth, and didn't sound like a woman.
"Lady Croft?" Lara heard Hillary outside the door. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, just...er.." Lara looked around desperately. "Er...reading a play!" she went to the bookshelf and selected "Shakespeare: The animated tales" from it. She sat on the bed and opened it.
"Okay." Hillary paused for a second. "Lunch is ready."
"Be right down." Lara called, and tossed the book on her bed. She opened her bedroom door and followed Hillary downstairs.
*****
"Night, Lara!" Alex called to Lara across the landing.
"Yes. Good-night, Lady Croft." Pimms added. Lara smiled, and waved at them both.
"Good-night Alex, Good-night Pimms." She watched them go into their seperate rooms, then went into hers. Hillary was there, stacking more clothes in her wardrobe.
"Sorry, Lady Croft, just putting some more clothes in."
"That's okay." Lara smiled. She felt good. The voice had stopped talking since lunch, so she felt like her old self. She sat on her bed and watched Hillary again.
"Hilly..." she began.
"Yes?" Hillary asked, head inside wardrobe.
"Do you ever get bored?"
"Bored, ma'am?"
"Bored of living here and buttling for me."
"Of course not, ma'am. My life is here."
"But wouldn't you like to go off, get married, have kids...?"
"You are the only woman in my life, Lady Croft. And I never cared for children."
"Creep." said the voice.
"Oh, come on." Lara was persistant. "Surely you want to lead a normal life, sometimes?"
"Normal?" Hillary looked slightly hurt. "My life is normal."
"Oh no it isn't." said the voice. Only he was using Lara's mouth, and Lara said the words herself.
"I think it is." Hillary paused from his clothes-stacking and looked at Lara. "Anyway, even if it isn't...I enjoy it."
"Sad." muttered the voice. "Don't you think?"
"Yes, I think it's sad." Lara muttered back. She noticed the shocked and deeply hurt expression on Hillary's face and felt guilty. He'd heard her. Why didn't she say that? She didn't think his life-style was sad!
"Oh, Hillary, I'm sorry!" she told him. "Really, I am."
"It's alright, ma'am." said Hillary, in a pained kind of voice. "These things sometimes just...slip out."
"But Hillary, I don't think you're sad!" Lara protested. "I don't know why I said it."
"Maybe you thought it out loud." Hillary replied.
"But I didn't!" Lara cried.
"Yes, Miss Croft. Now," Hillary turned to go. "If you'll excuse me, I will retire to my room."
"Yes, Hillary. Sorry again!" she called after him, as he left the room. She collasped on her bed. What had she done? Poor Hillary, he was so hurt.
"I'll apologise tomorrow." she decided. She got ready for bed without anymore disturbances from the voice, and settled down to sleep.
*****
Lara knew something was wrong, the minute she woke up. Her night had been filled with many mad dreams...distored faces, screams, bodys wrapped in chains. It was all so hazy now. But she remembered the image, no, it was more of a feeling, before she woke up. Total happiness. But not the good happiness. An evil happiness, such as being proud when you hurt someone, or feeling good after seeing somebody die. A bad kind of happiness.
But now she was awake, and not happy anymore. In fact, Lara was scared and distressed. She knew something was wrong. She didn't know why, it was just a feeling. But she had to get up, get up now.
Running out on the landing, she crashed straight into Alex, who came out of his room and appeared in front of her. She quickly picked herself up and started running again, but Alex caught her arm and spun her around.
"Lara, what's wrong?" he asked her. "Why are you running?"
"Nothing, Alex. Really." Lara tried to struggle from his grip, but he was strong.
"Lara, don't lie. You look scared stiff." He told her.
"Alex...somethings wrong. I don't know what, but it is. I have to go, I have to..."
"Have to what?" Alex asked.
"Have to check...on him."
"Who?" Alex looked confused. "Bryce? Pimms?"
"No." Lara sighed. "I don't know. I mean...I..." It suddenly clicked.
"Hillary!" she cried. "Have to get to Hillary!"
"Hillary?" Alex almost laughed. "Why?"
"I don't know." Lara muttered, breaking free of Alex and tearing down the hall to Hillary's room. She stopped outside to catch her breath. Alex was right behind her as she opened the door, and saw him before she did. Lara stared a few seconds at the empty bed before her. She heard Alex gasp, and her eyes wandered around the room, the bookshelf, the wardrobe...then to the window sill. She cried out.
Hillary was slumped on the window-sill, blood trickling from his mouth. He was dead.
Lara stared at the police woman in front of her.
"No."
The police woman - PC Nelle - wrote something down on her pad, and stepped into the wrecked room.
"All this stuff," she gestered around her. "This is yours, isn't it?"
"Yes." Lara frowned.
"Okay."
Hillary appeared next to Lara. He had been the one that called the police, and Lara hadn't been to best pleased with him.
"Stupid Butler." the voice said. Lara sighed. It was back again. That voice....it didn't even sound like her. It had yesterday, but now it seemed to have it's own characteristics. It was smooth and calm, and deeper than her.
"Would you like some tea, madam?" Hillary asked PC Nelle.
"Er...no thanks, sir." PC Nelle clicked her tounge. "I'd better get back." she turned to Lara. "Miss....Lady Croft, we'll be investigating this further. We'll get back to you."
"Thank you." Lara turned to Hillary. "Hillary, show PC Nelle out, please."
"Certainly." Hillary bowed slighty, and touched PC Nelle lightly on the shoulder. "This way, madam."
Lara made her way to the kitchen to find Bryce sneaking about in the fridge.
"Lunch will be soon, Bryce." Lara told him, closing the fridge door. Bryce whined and sloped out of the room.
"I'll make lunch for you, Lara." said Alex, who was sitting at the dining table with Pimms, reading a magazine.
"You can cook?" Pimms asked him.
"Yep." Alex smiled, puffing out his chest, proudly. "Can you?"
"No." Pimms laughed, nervously. "I was terrible at it at school. One time, I accidently set fire to one of the curtains in the home ec. room. It got completely burnt out, and couldn't be used again for ages."
"Oh...really?" Lara made a mental note never to leave Pimms alone in the kitchen.
"That Pimms...a total idiot." the voice whispered, as if it was scared it could be heard by Pimms and Alex. Lara frowned. She had to agree. But she liked Pimms, and Alex. She enjoyed having them staying with her, and after all that had happened at the Tomb of Ten Thousand Shadows, she felt close to them.
"It's okay, Alex." Lara smiled. "Hilly makes lunch. It gives him something to do between...making breakfast and making dinner.
"What a boring pratt." said Alex. Well, his mouth moved, and the voice said it.
"Hilly is not a boring pratt!" Lara gave him a horrible look. Alex looked shocked.
"I didn't say that. I said 'Okay then.'."
"Oh." Lara frowned. "Okay."
"Are you alright, Lara?" Alex had a worried look on his face. Lara sighed.
"Yes." she started walking out of the room. "I'm going up to my room."
*****
"Who are you?" Lara demanded, addressing the voice. She paced back and forth in her room.
"I told you." the voice replied calmly. "A well-wisher."
"How...why am I hearing you?" Lara asked.
"You're insane."
"I am not!"
"What other explanation do you have?"
"I..." Lara was at a loss. She was mad. After all, only mad people here voices in their head...don't they?
"I'm tired." She decided. "I need a good rest."
"Sure."
"I'm not going to listen to you." Lara told the voice. "You'll be gone in a couple of days."
"Sure. Sure I will."
"You will!" Lara shouted, angry at him. Yes, she had determined; the voice was male. It was deep and smooth, and didn't sound like a woman.
"Lady Croft?" Lara heard Hillary outside the door. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, just...er.." Lara looked around desperately. "Er...reading a play!" she went to the bookshelf and selected "Shakespeare: The animated tales" from it. She sat on the bed and opened it.
"Okay." Hillary paused for a second. "Lunch is ready."
"Be right down." Lara called, and tossed the book on her bed. She opened her bedroom door and followed Hillary downstairs.
*****
"Night, Lara!" Alex called to Lara across the landing.
"Yes. Good-night, Lady Croft." Pimms added. Lara smiled, and waved at them both.
"Good-night Alex, Good-night Pimms." She watched them go into their seperate rooms, then went into hers. Hillary was there, stacking more clothes in her wardrobe.
"Sorry, Lady Croft, just putting some more clothes in."
"That's okay." Lara smiled. She felt good. The voice had stopped talking since lunch, so she felt like her old self. She sat on her bed and watched Hillary again.
"Hilly..." she began.
"Yes?" Hillary asked, head inside wardrobe.
"Do you ever get bored?"
"Bored, ma'am?"
"Bored of living here and buttling for me."
"Of course not, ma'am. My life is here."
"But wouldn't you like to go off, get married, have kids...?"
"You are the only woman in my life, Lady Croft. And I never cared for children."
"Creep." said the voice.
"Oh, come on." Lara was persistant. "Surely you want to lead a normal life, sometimes?"
"Normal?" Hillary looked slightly hurt. "My life is normal."
"Oh no it isn't." said the voice. Only he was using Lara's mouth, and Lara said the words herself.
"I think it is." Hillary paused from his clothes-stacking and looked at Lara. "Anyway, even if it isn't...I enjoy it."
"Sad." muttered the voice. "Don't you think?"
"Yes, I think it's sad." Lara muttered back. She noticed the shocked and deeply hurt expression on Hillary's face and felt guilty. He'd heard her. Why didn't she say that? She didn't think his life-style was sad!
"Oh, Hillary, I'm sorry!" she told him. "Really, I am."
"It's alright, ma'am." said Hillary, in a pained kind of voice. "These things sometimes just...slip out."
"But Hillary, I don't think you're sad!" Lara protested. "I don't know why I said it."
"Maybe you thought it out loud." Hillary replied.
"But I didn't!" Lara cried.
"Yes, Miss Croft. Now," Hillary turned to go. "If you'll excuse me, I will retire to my room."
"Yes, Hillary. Sorry again!" she called after him, as he left the room. She collasped on her bed. What had she done? Poor Hillary, he was so hurt.
"I'll apologise tomorrow." she decided. She got ready for bed without anymore disturbances from the voice, and settled down to sleep.
*****
Lara knew something was wrong, the minute she woke up. Her night had been filled with many mad dreams...distored faces, screams, bodys wrapped in chains. It was all so hazy now. But she remembered the image, no, it was more of a feeling, before she woke up. Total happiness. But not the good happiness. An evil happiness, such as being proud when you hurt someone, or feeling good after seeing somebody die. A bad kind of happiness.
But now she was awake, and not happy anymore. In fact, Lara was scared and distressed. She knew something was wrong. She didn't know why, it was just a feeling. But she had to get up, get up now.
Running out on the landing, she crashed straight into Alex, who came out of his room and appeared in front of her. She quickly picked herself up and started running again, but Alex caught her arm and spun her around.
"Lara, what's wrong?" he asked her. "Why are you running?"
"Nothing, Alex. Really." Lara tried to struggle from his grip, but he was strong.
"Lara, don't lie. You look scared stiff." He told her.
"Alex...somethings wrong. I don't know what, but it is. I have to go, I have to..."
"Have to what?" Alex asked.
"Have to check...on him."
"Who?" Alex looked confused. "Bryce? Pimms?"
"No." Lara sighed. "I don't know. I mean...I..." It suddenly clicked.
"Hillary!" she cried. "Have to get to Hillary!"
"Hillary?" Alex almost laughed. "Why?"
"I don't know." Lara muttered, breaking free of Alex and tearing down the hall to Hillary's room. She stopped outside to catch her breath. Alex was right behind her as she opened the door, and saw him before she did. Lara stared a few seconds at the empty bed before her. She heard Alex gasp, and her eyes wandered around the room, the bookshelf, the wardrobe...then to the window sill. She cried out.
Hillary was slumped on the window-sill, blood trickling from his mouth. He was dead.