Here is some more:D
Harper ran as he'd never run before. Faster than he'd run from either the Magog or the Nietzscheans. He shot through the corridors as if the Devil himself was after him. As far as Harper was concerned he could well be. He rounded a bend, there seemed to be far more corridor than was likely given the size of the house. Sure it was a huge mansion but Harper felt as if he'd run miles.
He stopped to catch his breath, as he did a large bat flew over his head. He watched in a panic as the bat stretched, grew and changed. Once again the Count stood in front of the small human. Harper didn't have enough breath left to swear even briefly. He turned on his heel and ran back again. He heard the Count's unearthly laughter coming from somewhere very close behind him.
Just as his last reserve of strength was depleted an opening appeared in the wall beside him. An arm reached out and grabbed Harper pulling him through the doorway. There was a grinding noise as the huge slab of stone realigned with the wall. Harper looked at his rescuer; it was the little servant girl. She put a finger to her lips and signalled to him to follow her.
Harper was so pleased to see her that he followed without question. For a self-proclaimed genius he certainly made a lot of mistakes. They walked through gloomy cobweb laden tunnels for what seemed like hours. The tunnels twisted and turned and Harper lost all sense of direction. He would never be able to find his way back to the doorway.
The girl was carrying some sort of torch. Its flame flickered and guttered adding to the general spookiness of the surroundings. Unidentifiable things flew past them getting tangled in their hair and flapping against their faces. Harper didn't want to know what they were, he was just happy that they weren't bats.
They came to an area of the tunnels where water was running down green slimed walls, it was slippery underfoot and Harper almost fell more than once. The girl strode on ahead as sure-footed as Harper was clumsy.
They finally came to a huge wooden door. There was a large rusty key in the lock and the girl turned it and opened the door. The room beyond was well lit and Harper squinted in the unaccustomed glare.
Waiting in the room were the Count's ten sisters. Harper turned to leave and found his way barred by the servant girl. She slammed the door shut and locked it from the inside.
One of the sisters came forwards; she patted the girl as if she were a favoured pet. "Clever little thing," she said. "But where is the other one, the big one? Go girl and find him, this one will never satisfy all of us, he is too small."
"Hey," Harper drew himself up to his full 5' 6". "Have no fears, Harper is the love god. Trust in the Harper and you won't be disappointed."
He'd noticed that the ladies did not appear to have fangs, perhaps they weren't vampires. That didn't make sense though because if the Count were a vampire then surely his sisters would be too.
One of the other sisters came up and pinched his arm. "Not a lot of meat on him girls but needs must, he will make a tasty snack while we wait for the other one."
Harper shivered. "What do you mean a tasty snack, you're not vampires so why do you want to make a tasty snack of me."
"Foolish boy," the first sister sounded suspiciously like Tyr. "Of course we aren't vampires, whatever made you think that? Our brother is a vampire but we aren't." She started to laugh and the others joined in. Their laughter was the most hideous sound that Harper had ever heard.
"If you aren't vampires," he stuttered. "What are you?"
She stopped laughing long enough to say "Ghouls, of course, what did you think we were?" The evil cackling continued and as it did their faces began to change. Their teeth grew longer and pointed and their skin began to turn grey. Their lustrous black locks fell away leaving scabrous bald heads.
Harper was so scared he thought he would die on the spot. He could almost feel his heart stop. He realised that he was still wearing his tool belt. He pulled out the largest screwdriver he owned. He wasn't going down without a fight.
He mustered up the very last reserves of his courage. "Come on then," he screamed at them. "If you want me come and get me."
The ten ghouls started to advance on the terrified engineer.
TBC
Harper ran as he'd never run before. Faster than he'd run from either the Magog or the Nietzscheans. He shot through the corridors as if the Devil himself was after him. As far as Harper was concerned he could well be. He rounded a bend, there seemed to be far more corridor than was likely given the size of the house. Sure it was a huge mansion but Harper felt as if he'd run miles.
He stopped to catch his breath, as he did a large bat flew over his head. He watched in a panic as the bat stretched, grew and changed. Once again the Count stood in front of the small human. Harper didn't have enough breath left to swear even briefly. He turned on his heel and ran back again. He heard the Count's unearthly laughter coming from somewhere very close behind him.
Just as his last reserve of strength was depleted an opening appeared in the wall beside him. An arm reached out and grabbed Harper pulling him through the doorway. There was a grinding noise as the huge slab of stone realigned with the wall. Harper looked at his rescuer; it was the little servant girl. She put a finger to her lips and signalled to him to follow her.
Harper was so pleased to see her that he followed without question. For a self-proclaimed genius he certainly made a lot of mistakes. They walked through gloomy cobweb laden tunnels for what seemed like hours. The tunnels twisted and turned and Harper lost all sense of direction. He would never be able to find his way back to the doorway.
The girl was carrying some sort of torch. Its flame flickered and guttered adding to the general spookiness of the surroundings. Unidentifiable things flew past them getting tangled in their hair and flapping against their faces. Harper didn't want to know what they were, he was just happy that they weren't bats.
They came to an area of the tunnels where water was running down green slimed walls, it was slippery underfoot and Harper almost fell more than once. The girl strode on ahead as sure-footed as Harper was clumsy.
They finally came to a huge wooden door. There was a large rusty key in the lock and the girl turned it and opened the door. The room beyond was well lit and Harper squinted in the unaccustomed glare.
Waiting in the room were the Count's ten sisters. Harper turned to leave and found his way barred by the servant girl. She slammed the door shut and locked it from the inside.
One of the sisters came forwards; she patted the girl as if she were a favoured pet. "Clever little thing," she said. "But where is the other one, the big one? Go girl and find him, this one will never satisfy all of us, he is too small."
"Hey," Harper drew himself up to his full 5' 6". "Have no fears, Harper is the love god. Trust in the Harper and you won't be disappointed."
He'd noticed that the ladies did not appear to have fangs, perhaps they weren't vampires. That didn't make sense though because if the Count were a vampire then surely his sisters would be too.
One of the other sisters came up and pinched his arm. "Not a lot of meat on him girls but needs must, he will make a tasty snack while we wait for the other one."
Harper shivered. "What do you mean a tasty snack, you're not vampires so why do you want to make a tasty snack of me."
"Foolish boy," the first sister sounded suspiciously like Tyr. "Of course we aren't vampires, whatever made you think that? Our brother is a vampire but we aren't." She started to laugh and the others joined in. Their laughter was the most hideous sound that Harper had ever heard.
"If you aren't vampires," he stuttered. "What are you?"
She stopped laughing long enough to say "Ghouls, of course, what did you think we were?" The evil cackling continued and as it did their faces began to change. Their teeth grew longer and pointed and their skin began to turn grey. Their lustrous black locks fell away leaving scabrous bald heads.
Harper was so scared he thought he would die on the spot. He could almost feel his heart stop. He realised that he was still wearing his tool belt. He pulled out the largest screwdriver he owned. He wasn't going down without a fight.
He mustered up the very last reserves of his courage. "Come on then," he screamed at them. "If you want me come and get me."
The ten ghouls started to advance on the terrified engineer.
TBC