Disclaimer: I own none of the characters that have appeared in the Tomb Raider games or movies. Plot belongs to me. No profit is made out of this.
Thank all you nice people who have reviewed. You really saved my day. Please do review and share your thoughts about my fic. Also propositions about the country or the place where the Halls are would be nice. Sorry about Winston in this one. I think he turned out to be very un-butler-like.
Footprints
Although he stared directly at the source of the voice and breath he saw nothing. Carefully he took a few steps back and felt the fingers reaching out for him like their owner couldn't move from its place. Kurtis stood there watching still seeing not a soul. He felt the coldness surrounding him and slowly crawling inside him making his breathing difficult. His brown hair danced slowly in the rythm of the thing's breathing. Then he heard it moving and found out he was unable to move. It sounded like it was dragging a wet piece of cloth behind it. Kurtis could see the marks of its wet feet forming on the floor.
"Kuurtiisss..."
His legs gave in and shortly after he found himself sitting on the floor. The footprints approached him and he noticed his breath had began to come out in the form of steam. The scream he had been holding back fought its way through and managed to escape his lips. His legs not being able to move he used his hands to back off but soon found out something solid behind him. A wall. The sickening sound of wet cloth being pressed against floor was all he could hear. The sound of the old clock ticking in the hall had faided long ago.
"Kuurtiisss..."
He could only stare his eyes wide from a shock. Cold sweat made its way down his back slowly and normally it would've made him tickle but now no sensation could grow stronger than the fear nestling in him. It felt like it squeezed his heart enough to let it struggle for a next beat. To him it felt like the blood in his veins had curdled or floated through them with little bits of ice in them. He closed his eyes finding himself unable to watch the nearing wet footprints. For a moment he thought it was his own breathing he heardbut the voice sounded like its owner had a very bad pneumonia. It was a wheezing sound, far from anything he had heard before.
The same cold and limp fingers touched his chin and lifted his face so that he was supposed to be watching the thing straight in the eyes. Another limp hand opened his eyelids carefully. Its touch made shivers rock Kurtis' body and rather hesitantly he opened his eyes. Nothing was in front of him like usual.
"Hiiictuure..."
It said with a raspy voice and Kurtis found it impossible to find out what it meant. Suddenly it made a shriek and for a moment Kurtis could see decaying teeth not more than a couple inches from his eyes. After it all remained silent, even Kurtis. He sat on the floor staring directly in front of him not sure if the thing had disappeared. His breathing was rapid and uneven.
That was the place where Winston found him that morning. The elderly gentleman stared at Kurtis in bewilderment and almost dropped the salver that he carried. On it he had placed a cup of tea and Lara's favorite - beans on toast. He carefully placed the silver tray on the table next to the bed Kurtis had slept in and opened the curtains letting in sunlight. Winston gaspes as he saw Kurtis in the bright light. Kurtis' face were pale like thay had either seen a ghost or not seen daylight in a year or two. There was scratch on his nose and he stared directly in front of him unable to move.
Winston crouched next to Kurtis looking him but it seemed like the younger man didn't even acknowledge his presence.
"Mr. Trent", he said patiently. Kurtis didn't seem to notice him. Winston waved his hand in front of the younger man's eyes but the irises didn't seem to be following the movement of his hand. He looked at the small flow of blood running from the scratch.
"Mr. Trent", he said louder and after thinking for a moment tapped Kurtis on the shoulder. This seemed to have the wanted effect of at least a part of it. Kurtis slowly turned his face so he could face Winston but his eyes still seemed to be staring somewhere beyond this world. As he faced Kurtis Winston noticed that the younger man's breath came out as steam. He also seemed to be trembling. Winston stood up and got the blanket from the bed and placed it carefully on Kurtis. After doing it he pulled out a chair and simply sat there.
It took a little while before Kurtis began to vome out of it. First he just blinked a couple of times trying to make his vision clearer and when he managed to see Winston's outlines he gasped and backed against the wall. Only when Winston spoke he managed to relax a bit.
"Did you...hear it?", Kurtis asked quietly glancing around like waiting something would jump on him as soon as he laid his defences down.
"Only thing I heard was You screaming, sir", Winston answered politely. "Though many hours ago the wind blew all the doors open. It was rather strange"
Kurtis now looked directly at Winston. "What do you mean 'strange'?", he asked rather straight and apologized it little later.
"No need to apologize sir" Winston replied. "It seems strange because if I recall correctly I locked them before going to sleep"
"You locked the doors?", Kurtis asked recieving a small nod as an answer from Winston. If Winston had locked the doors how could they open up simply because of the wind?
"There appears to be a scratch", the butler said nodding towards Kurtis. When the younger man looked puzzled Winston tapped his own nose. Kurtis slowly raised his hand to touch his nose feeling the grimson liquid bleeding from the scratch. It was only a minor scratch but what shocked Kurtis was the fact that it was there and he could only think of one thing that might have caused it. Winston noticed Kurtis' shocked expression and decided to stop pushing the matter.
"Ms.Croft sent me some of your belongings." Winston stated standing up and walking to the table next to the bed. He picked up a brown box and handed it to Kurtis whose blue eyes looked at it suspiciously. Slowly he took it from patiently waitnig butler. The packet seemed unharmed and apparently no one had opened it. He ripped of the tapes and opened the parcel revealing two items. The largest was his chiruqai, the weapon he moved through the air by using telepathy. There seemed to be a letter also. When he lifted the letter he noticed a small black and white picture. He picked up the picture leaving the other items untouched. It was a picture of a row boat and two people sitting in it. Father and son. He realized he knew the man in the picture. It was the very same man in than tin the picture in his wallet, his father so the small boy must've been him. He could still remember the fishing trip because it was the only one they had ever shared. What hit him hard was the realization that there had been no one except them and yet the picture was taken close to the boat like the one who took it stood next to the boat. The picture like the one that had preceded it was blurry like there would've been mist when it was taken. Kurtis stood up and went for his wallet. Soon he held the other picture in his hands also looking at the woman in the picture. She blinked once - twice.
Thank all you nice people who have reviewed. You really saved my day. Please do review and share your thoughts about my fic. Also propositions about the country or the place where the Halls are would be nice. Sorry about Winston in this one. I think he turned out to be very un-butler-like.
Footprints
Although he stared directly at the source of the voice and breath he saw nothing. Carefully he took a few steps back and felt the fingers reaching out for him like their owner couldn't move from its place. Kurtis stood there watching still seeing not a soul. He felt the coldness surrounding him and slowly crawling inside him making his breathing difficult. His brown hair danced slowly in the rythm of the thing's breathing. Then he heard it moving and found out he was unable to move. It sounded like it was dragging a wet piece of cloth behind it. Kurtis could see the marks of its wet feet forming on the floor.
"Kuurtiisss..."
His legs gave in and shortly after he found himself sitting on the floor. The footprints approached him and he noticed his breath had began to come out in the form of steam. The scream he had been holding back fought its way through and managed to escape his lips. His legs not being able to move he used his hands to back off but soon found out something solid behind him. A wall. The sickening sound of wet cloth being pressed against floor was all he could hear. The sound of the old clock ticking in the hall had faided long ago.
"Kuurtiisss..."
He could only stare his eyes wide from a shock. Cold sweat made its way down his back slowly and normally it would've made him tickle but now no sensation could grow stronger than the fear nestling in him. It felt like it squeezed his heart enough to let it struggle for a next beat. To him it felt like the blood in his veins had curdled or floated through them with little bits of ice in them. He closed his eyes finding himself unable to watch the nearing wet footprints. For a moment he thought it was his own breathing he heardbut the voice sounded like its owner had a very bad pneumonia. It was a wheezing sound, far from anything he had heard before.
The same cold and limp fingers touched his chin and lifted his face so that he was supposed to be watching the thing straight in the eyes. Another limp hand opened his eyelids carefully. Its touch made shivers rock Kurtis' body and rather hesitantly he opened his eyes. Nothing was in front of him like usual.
"Hiiictuure..."
It said with a raspy voice and Kurtis found it impossible to find out what it meant. Suddenly it made a shriek and for a moment Kurtis could see decaying teeth not more than a couple inches from his eyes. After it all remained silent, even Kurtis. He sat on the floor staring directly in front of him not sure if the thing had disappeared. His breathing was rapid and uneven.
That was the place where Winston found him that morning. The elderly gentleman stared at Kurtis in bewilderment and almost dropped the salver that he carried. On it he had placed a cup of tea and Lara's favorite - beans on toast. He carefully placed the silver tray on the table next to the bed Kurtis had slept in and opened the curtains letting in sunlight. Winston gaspes as he saw Kurtis in the bright light. Kurtis' face were pale like thay had either seen a ghost or not seen daylight in a year or two. There was scratch on his nose and he stared directly in front of him unable to move.
Winston crouched next to Kurtis looking him but it seemed like the younger man didn't even acknowledge his presence.
"Mr. Trent", he said patiently. Kurtis didn't seem to notice him. Winston waved his hand in front of the younger man's eyes but the irises didn't seem to be following the movement of his hand. He looked at the small flow of blood running from the scratch.
"Mr. Trent", he said louder and after thinking for a moment tapped Kurtis on the shoulder. This seemed to have the wanted effect of at least a part of it. Kurtis slowly turned his face so he could face Winston but his eyes still seemed to be staring somewhere beyond this world. As he faced Kurtis Winston noticed that the younger man's breath came out as steam. He also seemed to be trembling. Winston stood up and got the blanket from the bed and placed it carefully on Kurtis. After doing it he pulled out a chair and simply sat there.
It took a little while before Kurtis began to vome out of it. First he just blinked a couple of times trying to make his vision clearer and when he managed to see Winston's outlines he gasped and backed against the wall. Only when Winston spoke he managed to relax a bit.
"Did you...hear it?", Kurtis asked quietly glancing around like waiting something would jump on him as soon as he laid his defences down.
"Only thing I heard was You screaming, sir", Winston answered politely. "Though many hours ago the wind blew all the doors open. It was rather strange"
Kurtis now looked directly at Winston. "What do you mean 'strange'?", he asked rather straight and apologized it little later.
"No need to apologize sir" Winston replied. "It seems strange because if I recall correctly I locked them before going to sleep"
"You locked the doors?", Kurtis asked recieving a small nod as an answer from Winston. If Winston had locked the doors how could they open up simply because of the wind?
"There appears to be a scratch", the butler said nodding towards Kurtis. When the younger man looked puzzled Winston tapped his own nose. Kurtis slowly raised his hand to touch his nose feeling the grimson liquid bleeding from the scratch. It was only a minor scratch but what shocked Kurtis was the fact that it was there and he could only think of one thing that might have caused it. Winston noticed Kurtis' shocked expression and decided to stop pushing the matter.
"Ms.Croft sent me some of your belongings." Winston stated standing up and walking to the table next to the bed. He picked up a brown box and handed it to Kurtis whose blue eyes looked at it suspiciously. Slowly he took it from patiently waitnig butler. The packet seemed unharmed and apparently no one had opened it. He ripped of the tapes and opened the parcel revealing two items. The largest was his chiruqai, the weapon he moved through the air by using telepathy. There seemed to be a letter also. When he lifted the letter he noticed a small black and white picture. He picked up the picture leaving the other items untouched. It was a picture of a row boat and two people sitting in it. Father and son. He realized he knew the man in the picture. It was the very same man in than tin the picture in his wallet, his father so the small boy must've been him. He could still remember the fishing trip because it was the only one they had ever shared. What hit him hard was the realization that there had been no one except them and yet the picture was taken close to the boat like the one who took it stood next to the boat. The picture like the one that had preceded it was blurry like there would've been mist when it was taken. Kurtis stood up and went for his wallet. Soon he held the other picture in his hands also looking at the woman in the picture. She blinked once - twice.