Tony, lately, had taken to not leaving his room until he absolutely needed to. Although some weeks had passed since his attack on Mimmi, Kevas's threat still hung fresh in his mind, and his always-strong sense of self-preservation had kicked into overdrive as of late.
Which was why, when he had opened his door this time to find himself facing the executioner's block, he immediately slammed his door shut. Stumbling away from it, he glanced around the room for anything he could use to block the door, just in case, and settled on shoving the night stand in front of it.
He didn't really need anything out there, anyway. He was fine in here.
He had been sitting on his bed, but at the thump on the door, he leapt up, eyes widening.
Whoever was there could knock on the door until their hands were bloody stubs- he was not going to open that door. Shaking, he sits slowly on the bed again, trying to steady his breathing, trying to think. He'd gotten himself out of worse before.
"Go away. I'm, ah- I'm busy. I'm terribly sorry, but I can't have any visitors at the moment. Maybe another time. Just, uh, just not now. So, um. Goodbye."
It's half-hearted, but it's the best he can do at the moment.
The Headsman doesn't knock again, nor does he make any sort of reply at all. Ten seconds of tense silence pass.
Then, absolutely everything drops out from under Tony, revealing only a black abyss beneath. Downward it slopes, smooth and without a curve, until it spills out onto the green of the executioner's block.
As he's suddenly dropped into blackness, Tony lets out another yelp, which is quickly cut off as his breath catches in his throat. He finally lands in an untidy heap on the block, glancing around in a panic.
Oh, good- stairs! Not caring whether it will do him any good, not even thinking about it, he scrambles up, taking a few lurching steps towards the stairs as he steadies his legs, before breaking into a desperate run down them, not looking back.
Hard luck, Tony. It's no easy feat to avoid the headsman. The figure behind remained stationery, not even bothering to grab for Tony as he fled. Instead, a second headsman, a doppelganger, appeared in front of the fugitive and made to seize his arm.
"Shit!" Tony jerked himself to the side, but it was too late- he felt the doppelganger's hand close around his left forearm, felt a sense of cold fear spreading through him. "Oh, god, no. Oh, god, no, please don't do this. Please."
Unmoved by his begging, the doppelganger stepped, turned, and tried to force Tony's arm up behind his back while turning him back towards the block.
There, the original headsman stood unlocking a circular steel frame, the size of a small barrel. The two that locked at the top of the frame sprang apart, and it stood, for the moment, wide enough for a person to crouch and crawl into.
As he felt his arm being twisted behind his back the reality of what was happening, what was going to happen, set in, and his heart beat faster, his mouth going dry with fear, and when he spoke, there was clear desperation in his tone. "Please."
Realizing words aren't going to work this time, Tony tries other tactics- dragging his heels, attempting to yank himself out of the doppelganger's grip, anything- deciding that any attempt was better than no attempt.
But no attempt is going to succeed. As soon as the doppelganger had Tony in front of the steel frame, it would shove him down, down and forward to force him into kneeling inside the currently-open circle.
The then the original would start to force the arms together, closing the vice.
He didn't truly start panicking until the vice started closing. At first when he saw the Daughter, he'd simply been grateful that he wasn't being hanged again, especially since he didn't have his pipe anymore. That line of thought quickly dissipated as the arms began closing tight around him, and he squeezed his eyes shut, taking in a shuddering breath, hoping and praying that whatever this thing did, it wasn't going to squeeze him to death.
It would not squeeze him to death. It would not even hurt, at first. The headsman cinched the contraption tighter, just enough to compress Tony into an uncomfortable little ball of limbs.
And then he stood back, folded his arms, and glanced at the gathering crowd.
His part in this was done. The degree of Tony's punishment, from here onwards, would be up to them.
Which was why, when he had opened his door this time to find himself facing the executioner's block, he immediately slammed his door shut. Stumbling away from it, he glanced around the room for anything he could use to block the door, just in case, and settled on shoving the night stand in front of it.
He didn't really need anything out there, anyway. He was fine in here.
Reply
He does not reach Tony for many minutes, but when he does, his presence is announced with the hard thump of his fist against the door.
Reply
He had been sitting on his bed, but at the thump on the door, he leapt up, eyes widening.
Whoever was there could knock on the door until their hands were bloody stubs- he was not going to open that door. Shaking, he sits slowly on the bed again, trying to steady his breathing, trying to think. He'd gotten himself out of worse before.
Reply
One last chance, Tony.
Reply
It's half-hearted, but it's the best he can do at the moment.
Reply
Then, absolutely everything drops out from under Tony, revealing only a black abyss beneath. Downward it slopes, smooth and without a curve, until it spills out onto the green of the executioner's block.
Reply
Oh, good- stairs! Not caring whether it will do him any good, not even thinking about it, he scrambles up, taking a few lurching steps towards the stairs as he steadies his legs, before breaking into a desperate run down them, not looking back.
Reply
Reply
Reply
There, the original headsman stood unlocking a circular steel frame, the size of a small barrel. The two that locked at the top of the frame sprang apart, and it stood, for the moment, wide enough for a person to crouch and crawl into.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
The then the original would start to force the arms together, closing the vice.
Reply
He didn't truly start panicking until the vice started closing. At first when he saw the Daughter, he'd simply been grateful that he wasn't being hanged again, especially since he didn't have his pipe anymore. That line of thought quickly dissipated as the arms began closing tight around him, and he squeezed his eyes shut, taking in a shuddering breath, hoping and praying that whatever this thing did, it wasn't going to squeeze him to death.
Reply
And then he stood back, folded his arms, and glanced at the gathering crowd.
His part in this was done. The degree of Tony's punishment, from here onwards, would be up to them.
Reply
Leave a comment