Black Blood

[Machtri]

The boy whimpered in her arms. Quietly, he began to whisper his tales of the basement. "I-it was never clean down there. It smelled like bad meat a-and pennies. I could see a lot of animals in cages like mine, too. Every night, the mad man would come stomping down the stairs to bring each and everyone of us food. It wasn't a lot though. Mainly bread and water. E-every night, the mad man would also take one of the animals and keep them from moving on a table. Then he'd t-take a big knife and cut the animal into different pieces. And then, he'd take th-the parts and put metal on them. Carefully, he'd sew the animal back together with metal and everything and do something with sparks. When he was done with the sparks, the creature would breathe again. That didn't happen every time, though. When an animal wouldn't breathe again, the mad man would rip the animal to pieces with his hands and the room would smell like meat and pennies worse. I wouldn't sleep for months but I didn't see a clock so I wasn't sure. Sometimes, the mad man would arrive angry already and choose one of us randomly and start tearing them to pieces." Simon started to shake, "The scariest is when the mad man chooses two of us and mixes us together with metal. Then that one doesn't come back the same. Ooooooooh, I don't want to not be me." Simon began to whimper again.

 

[ConverseGhost]

Scared stiff by the stories Simon told, she stopped. Who would do such a horrid thing? Was this a story, though? Could he have been scared and have thought this happened? "S-Simon...Simon, that's horrible. But it's not possible. You couldn't kill someone then turn them into a robot. That's crazy..." she spoke softly, looking at him with confusion. "My dad could tell you all about the Human body," she nodded.

 

[Machtri]

"B-but it's true! When it was my turn, I saw the mad man's knife go through my legs, my arms. I couldn't move." Simon moaned. Simon began to shake harder as he continued, "But suddenly, I opened my eyes and the sparks had sparked. When the mad man was happy with me, he started to unbuckle my arms and legs. Then, I kicked over some bottles he had on a shelf and the liquids made a big boom at his feet. I quickly ran away while he couldn't see. There was a lot of smoke." Suddenly, Simon pressed into Klair, tears now streaming down his face. "Now he's going to tear me up for running and making him angry."

 

[ConverseGhost]

Klarissa blinked and hugged him tightly. Was that the boom? Her heart dropped and her eyes watered. Her father..."No...my father's the only one in this house. He'd never do that to anyone. My father is kind-" her voice broke and she sobbed with him. She cried out of fear, scared that this could be true. Yet, she held Simon, a boy she didn't know, and comforted him.

 

[Machtri]

A thought suddenly crossed Simon's mind. Wait, what if the madman is happy with her? What did he do to her that made him happy? Simon began to feel around Klair's shoulders, looking for the rigid scar of stitches. To his surprise, her shoulder's were smooth. "Why don't you have scars?" Simon asked, his voice cracking after crying."The madman is happy with you, why else would you live up here instead of down there? What did he do that made him happier than having an animal breath again?"

 

[ConverseGhost]

Klair blinked, shivering as he grabbed her shoulders. That was...rude. "S-Simon!" she shook his hands off. "Simon, my father, nor any other man, has tried to cut me open. My father is kind and he would never hurt you. Neither me. Please, we must go talk to him," she pulled on his arm.

 

[Machtri]

"NO!" Simon yelled. Instantly, he put his hands over his mouth. A few moments later, heavy footsteps could be heard downstairs beginning to walk up the stairs.

 

[ConverseGhost]

Klarissa's eyes widened and she pushed them both under the clothes, fearful of her father as of the moment. Even though she didn't believe the stories, she was going to hide from him. If what he said was true...

 

[Machtri]

The steps made their way down the hall, checking each room. Doors opened and closed and the steps continued on. Finally, the footstep made it to outside Klair's room. Simon could hear the door open slowly. A low, male voice quietly called out, "Klair? Klair?"

 

[ConverseGhost]

She wanted badly to leap out into her father's arms but she also knew he'd back hand her for pulling down her clothes. Gripping Simon's arm, she stiffened up, hoping he'd be just as quiet as her.

 

[Machtri]

(Is this payback for being non-advancive with the plot before? xD )


When the voice received no response, the heavy steps walked over to Klair's bed and pulled back the covers. Finding nothing there, the voice grew panicked, "Klair? Where are you, Klair?" The steps quickly left the room and receded down the hall.

 

[ConverseGhost]

Hearing him leave, she sighed in relief and hugged him. "We'll be safe...but we need to figure this out. I can't think that father would ever hurt people..." she whispered. "Was that the man's voice that hurt you?" she looked to him.

 

[Machtri]

Klair's voice fell upon deaf ears. Simon was white as snow and his eyes wide as an owl's. His body was so rigid, it shook as he held the clothes to his chest. That was too close. Too close to death. Too close to being torn apart. After a few moments of Simon being silent, he shot up, ran out of the closet, to the window, and tried lifting the heavy pane.

 

[ConverseGhost]

Fearful that he'd hear him, she yanked him away from the window. "Stop!" she whispered harshly. She could tell he thought her father was the man that wanted to kill him. "Simon, that window doesn't work. My dad closed it up," she whimpered.

 

[Machtri]

The fear began to make Simon lose his mind. Simon suddenly grabbed Klair's hand and ran out the door, and into the hallway. I have to run! Why am I taking Klair? To save her! But, if we get caught... In the distance, Simon could still hear the mad man's voice call, "Klair? Why are you hiding from me? Klair!"

 

[ConverseGhost]

Klair yelped noisily and ran with him, now dragging him. Her father would scream his head off if he saw her like this. "Simon, where are you going?!" she cried out, tears forming out of fear once more.