*A/N: This chapter will be told from the P.O.V of Willem Parse, "The Gatherer". This is the last chapter until I get back to Lara, so please read!!
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I headed back toward the mansion and glanced at my watch; it was almost time for the detonation. I had to time this perfectly, or all would be lost. I ran hastily to the front door and peered around the corner- no sign of Croft or anyone else- perfect. I entered the manor and slipped back into the shadows, ready to finish my mission. I was about to head to the hallway by the stairs when I cowered back into the corner. There was Croft, and she had a man leaning on her. I watched as she placed him down by the staircase and looked over to the glass room. She had spotted our little decoys and headed in their direction.
This was not how it was supposed to be! There was not supposed to be a man where I was to be escaping. Nevertheless, I had to get into that hallway, or suffer a horrific death. I waited until I found the opportunity- the man that Croft had placed by the stairs was looking intently at her backside, so I crept slowly in his direction. Let's hope that he really, really liked this girl. I needed that time! I was right next to him now; I could feel my heart beating in my chest. It pounded, my head pounded. I began to sweat, but made no noise.
My bravery had paid off. I had succeeded in turning into the hallway without being detected. Call that sheer dumb-luck! What happened to peripheral vision? I scoffed at that idiot that let me just slip right by. Now that was a moron!
I ran as quietly as I could, but quickly. I knew that the bomb was set to go off at any time now, and I had to get away. My legs almost gave out from beneath me as I sprinted down the long corridor, back into the basement. I planned to take the dumb waiter to the second floor; there was no thought in my mind about taking the stairs. That was suicidal.
It was a matter of minutes before I felt the ground shake and my ears pick up the distinguishable sound of explosives. 'That little nutter did it. I can't believe he did it.' I heaved myself out of the shaft and turned to my right where I was to continue down the hall where I hadn't yet been. As I walked, I imagined our victory. Though our losses were many, they didn't seem to matter to the commander, and therefore, they meant nothing to everyone else. Except me. I cared. It seemed as though I was the only one that hadn't been manipulated by their cause, and yet, I still walked around in the Croft Manor for them, surveying every goddamn thing. 'Oh 'yay' with the irony.'
Some time had passed after I heard the "Second Wave" invade the mansion. I had been to the rest of the rooms that I had found and made a mental copy of everything, and now it was time to leave. As I walked back toward the grand staircase I thought about that one man... the short one that I shared a van with. I never caught his name. Maybe it was because no one ever said it. I continued thinking about the odd little man and how brave he was. I, personally, didn't think that I would have the balls to do that.
I checked the situation before I reached the stairs. The sight was terrible. Little pieces of burnt flesh were strewn about; they were hardly recognizable among the rest of the debris. I heard a torch come out to my left; they were going for the gold. Now was the time when our mission would be complete, and somehow... I felt no excitement. Nothing. I walked solemnly down the stairs and made sure that the man that was behind the banister earlier, was gone. Suddenly, I heard deafening screams of agony and the sound of mechanical saws. My eyes widened in horror as I witnessed the huge robot in the glass room come to life and slice every one of my comrades to pieces.
More blood. Too much. Bones. Too many. I couldn't handle it. I panicked and ran toward the front door. Locked. 'Damn!' My head screamed at me in frustration. The doors would be locked until the commander gave the 'go ahead'. I was stuck in this blood-house for longer than I wanted to be. A thought came across my mind, "The basement!" There had to be a door out of there! Course there would be... it was a garage! I dashed down the long hallway, but my speed decreased as I heard more screams of pain from a room nearby. Crack! There was physical contact as well as the unmistakable sound of an M-16 being fired rapidly. I had to get out of there! I didn't want to be around for any more bloodbaths!
As I inched forward, a small click from a door in front of me sounded and I frantically looked for somewhere to hide. Nowhere. I ran back down the hallway, faster than I had ever ran in my life. Back into the shadows I went, not wishing to be seen by anyone. I hid in my little sanctuary and watched as the man that I had seen earlier limped into view. There was a new air to him, and I didn't think it was enlightenment. This look was of pure hatred and contempt; I was glad for my hideout.
I sat there for god knows how long. The battle had moved right in front of me, with two men gunning down my comrades that had been handicapped by Croft. One man had a shotgun... that was not a pretty sight. Some blood even reached me, splattering me. It was warm, very warm. All I could think about was getting out of there. But how? I just knew that they would soon find me, and that shotgun would be up against my head.
But again, luck found me. The man with the shotgun ended up grabbing Croft and hauling her off somewhere, while the evil one lugged himself up the stairs. A small creaking sound to my right told me that the third man left through the front door. I waited a couple minutes- that was all I could bear. Hastily, I ran out of that house, out of the gates and I collapsed into the trees, hurling. Everything that poured out of me was influenced by the grotesque images that I had witnessed that day, and it wasn't until a while later that I stopped. I groggily looked up at the sky and saw the darkest sunset I had ever seen in my life. It signaled not only that the day was over, but so were the lives of many a-brave men.
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*A/N: SO?!?! Did you like it? Now I will be getting back to Lara, Bryce, and Hillary! I promise that some lightheartedness will appear in the next chapter! (God knows this story needs it!) Anyway, PLLLLLEEEAASE review! I'm so review hungry here! As soon as I get 1 or 2 reviews, I'll update! How's that? Thanks for reading, and here's to the next chapter!
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I headed back toward the mansion and glanced at my watch; it was almost time for the detonation. I had to time this perfectly, or all would be lost. I ran hastily to the front door and peered around the corner- no sign of Croft or anyone else- perfect. I entered the manor and slipped back into the shadows, ready to finish my mission. I was about to head to the hallway by the stairs when I cowered back into the corner. There was Croft, and she had a man leaning on her. I watched as she placed him down by the staircase and looked over to the glass room. She had spotted our little decoys and headed in their direction.
This was not how it was supposed to be! There was not supposed to be a man where I was to be escaping. Nevertheless, I had to get into that hallway, or suffer a horrific death. I waited until I found the opportunity- the man that Croft had placed by the stairs was looking intently at her backside, so I crept slowly in his direction. Let's hope that he really, really liked this girl. I needed that time! I was right next to him now; I could feel my heart beating in my chest. It pounded, my head pounded. I began to sweat, but made no noise.
My bravery had paid off. I had succeeded in turning into the hallway without being detected. Call that sheer dumb-luck! What happened to peripheral vision? I scoffed at that idiot that let me just slip right by. Now that was a moron!
I ran as quietly as I could, but quickly. I knew that the bomb was set to go off at any time now, and I had to get away. My legs almost gave out from beneath me as I sprinted down the long corridor, back into the basement. I planned to take the dumb waiter to the second floor; there was no thought in my mind about taking the stairs. That was suicidal.
It was a matter of minutes before I felt the ground shake and my ears pick up the distinguishable sound of explosives. 'That little nutter did it. I can't believe he did it.' I heaved myself out of the shaft and turned to my right where I was to continue down the hall where I hadn't yet been. As I walked, I imagined our victory. Though our losses were many, they didn't seem to matter to the commander, and therefore, they meant nothing to everyone else. Except me. I cared. It seemed as though I was the only one that hadn't been manipulated by their cause, and yet, I still walked around in the Croft Manor for them, surveying every goddamn thing. 'Oh 'yay' with the irony.'
Some time had passed after I heard the "Second Wave" invade the mansion. I had been to the rest of the rooms that I had found and made a mental copy of everything, and now it was time to leave. As I walked back toward the grand staircase I thought about that one man... the short one that I shared a van with. I never caught his name. Maybe it was because no one ever said it. I continued thinking about the odd little man and how brave he was. I, personally, didn't think that I would have the balls to do that.
I checked the situation before I reached the stairs. The sight was terrible. Little pieces of burnt flesh were strewn about; they were hardly recognizable among the rest of the debris. I heard a torch come out to my left; they were going for the gold. Now was the time when our mission would be complete, and somehow... I felt no excitement. Nothing. I walked solemnly down the stairs and made sure that the man that was behind the banister earlier, was gone. Suddenly, I heard deafening screams of agony and the sound of mechanical saws. My eyes widened in horror as I witnessed the huge robot in the glass room come to life and slice every one of my comrades to pieces.
More blood. Too much. Bones. Too many. I couldn't handle it. I panicked and ran toward the front door. Locked. 'Damn!' My head screamed at me in frustration. The doors would be locked until the commander gave the 'go ahead'. I was stuck in this blood-house for longer than I wanted to be. A thought came across my mind, "The basement!" There had to be a door out of there! Course there would be... it was a garage! I dashed down the long hallway, but my speed decreased as I heard more screams of pain from a room nearby. Crack! There was physical contact as well as the unmistakable sound of an M-16 being fired rapidly. I had to get out of there! I didn't want to be around for any more bloodbaths!
As I inched forward, a small click from a door in front of me sounded and I frantically looked for somewhere to hide. Nowhere. I ran back down the hallway, faster than I had ever ran in my life. Back into the shadows I went, not wishing to be seen by anyone. I hid in my little sanctuary and watched as the man that I had seen earlier limped into view. There was a new air to him, and I didn't think it was enlightenment. This look was of pure hatred and contempt; I was glad for my hideout.
I sat there for god knows how long. The battle had moved right in front of me, with two men gunning down my comrades that had been handicapped by Croft. One man had a shotgun... that was not a pretty sight. Some blood even reached me, splattering me. It was warm, very warm. All I could think about was getting out of there. But how? I just knew that they would soon find me, and that shotgun would be up against my head.
But again, luck found me. The man with the shotgun ended up grabbing Croft and hauling her off somewhere, while the evil one lugged himself up the stairs. A small creaking sound to my right told me that the third man left through the front door. I waited a couple minutes- that was all I could bear. Hastily, I ran out of that house, out of the gates and I collapsed into the trees, hurling. Everything that poured out of me was influenced by the grotesque images that I had witnessed that day, and it wasn't until a while later that I stopped. I groggily looked up at the sky and saw the darkest sunset I had ever seen in my life. It signaled not only that the day was over, but so were the lives of many a-brave men.
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*A/N: SO?!?! Did you like it? Now I will be getting back to Lara, Bryce, and Hillary! I promise that some lightheartedness will appear in the next chapter! (God knows this story needs it!) Anyway, PLLLLLEEEAASE review! I'm so review hungry here! As soon as I get 1 or 2 reviews, I'll update! How's that? Thanks for reading, and here's to the next chapter!