Death of a Fallen One
Kurtis half-lay, half-sat against the wall, hand around the knife lodged in his stomach, eyes half closed, face set into a grimace. Lara crouched, wincing. Kurtis turned his head, and opened his mouth to speak. Instead, a soft gurgle came out, his stomach convulsed, and he bent nearly double, blood bubbling out of his mouth, a large pool spreading across his legs, the floor, seeping across the floor to touch the soles of Lara's boots.
The convulsion passed, and he sat up, gasping. He leant against the wall, eyes shut, panting.
Lara swallowed. She had seen some hideous deaths, some of which she had inflicted, but this..... "Kurtis? Kurtis, can you hear me?" Lara kept her voice low. Loud noises would only make him panic in his semi-consious state.
His eyes, that knowing shade of dark blue, opened, looking distant, he fixed them on Lara. His breathing had become a quick, laboured rasp, sweat had worked it's way on his forehead, and his hand that was clasping the weapon had become white.
She reached over and wiped away some sticky spikes of hair in his face, stained with his blood. She swallowed again, feeling slightly nauseous. "Kurtis, hang on, I will contact help."
He laughed at her. It came out as a choke, only recognizable as a laugh by the breif curling of the corner of his lips. "C--Croft... You... you know...... nothing..." Again the same laugh, and his face lost the amused look, and sank into lines of despondence. His breathing was slowing, and his eyes were loosing light. He choked back another convulsion, his neck muscles straining, he leaned towrds her.
Lara stared at him, waiting. He got close enough to whisper in her ear, and she heard, choked and gasping,
"Get Eckhardt... Ki-,"he was broken off mid sentence with coughing. Dark blood stained his lips, shirt, teeth. "Kill him, Croft.... Kill... the bastard...."
Lara realized her nostrils were flaring, eyes widening, jaw clenching. Kurtis Trent did not let go, but stared, while his hand slowly worked out the weapon in his stomach. "P-promise," another cough,"...me." He looked up.
"Yes."
The knife fell to the floor with a metallic cling, and he screamed. His head thrown back, eyes closed, neck corded. He screamed until he had no air left, and sank back, panting hard, like an animal close to death.
His breathing slowed.
His hand slipped off her arm.
His muscles relaxed
His head sank upon his chest, his eyes open, staring, full of wonder of the tomb.
Kurtis half-lay, half-sat against the wall, hand around the knife lodged in his stomach, eyes half closed, face set into a grimace. Lara crouched, wincing. Kurtis turned his head, and opened his mouth to speak. Instead, a soft gurgle came out, his stomach convulsed, and he bent nearly double, blood bubbling out of his mouth, a large pool spreading across his legs, the floor, seeping across the floor to touch the soles of Lara's boots.
The convulsion passed, and he sat up, gasping. He leant against the wall, eyes shut, panting.
Lara swallowed. She had seen some hideous deaths, some of which she had inflicted, but this..... "Kurtis? Kurtis, can you hear me?" Lara kept her voice low. Loud noises would only make him panic in his semi-consious state.
His eyes, that knowing shade of dark blue, opened, looking distant, he fixed them on Lara. His breathing had become a quick, laboured rasp, sweat had worked it's way on his forehead, and his hand that was clasping the weapon had become white.
She reached over and wiped away some sticky spikes of hair in his face, stained with his blood. She swallowed again, feeling slightly nauseous. "Kurtis, hang on, I will contact help."
He laughed at her. It came out as a choke, only recognizable as a laugh by the breif curling of the corner of his lips. "C--Croft... You... you know...... nothing..." Again the same laugh, and his face lost the amused look, and sank into lines of despondence. His breathing was slowing, and his eyes were loosing light. He choked back another convulsion, his neck muscles straining, he leaned towrds her.
Lara stared at him, waiting. He got close enough to whisper in her ear, and she heard, choked and gasping,
"Get Eckhardt... Ki-,"he was broken off mid sentence with coughing. Dark blood stained his lips, shirt, teeth. "Kill him, Croft.... Kill... the bastard...."
Lara realized her nostrils were flaring, eyes widening, jaw clenching. Kurtis Trent did not let go, but stared, while his hand slowly worked out the weapon in his stomach. "P-promise," another cough,"...me." He looked up.
"Yes."
The knife fell to the floor with a metallic cling, and he screamed. His head thrown back, eyes closed, neck corded. He screamed until he had no air left, and sank back, panting hard, like an animal close to death.
His breathing slowed.
His hand slipped off her arm.
His muscles relaxed
His head sank upon his chest, his eyes open, staring, full of wonder of the tomb.