Page 5 of Red

slept until Jonas started the ritual.

  There the man searched everywhere, rolling tables, drawers, sculptures and even looking for the key close to the large window that made the gray sky illuminate everything inside.

  After almost sure that the furniture did not contain anything, Edgar began to remove the sheets and mattresses, trying to find the key just at the place where the kidnapped have been.

  After the sheets, he lifted the mattress and saw a drawer under one of the beds, containing a large volume, a dark cloth, folded.

  Edgar hurried and pulled that drawer without fear of making noise, believing that the way to freedom was close, then he took that volume in his arms and tried to unfold the black cloth.

  To his surprise and horror, the fabric rolled, twisted, unfolded before his eyes and appeared as Red in what was once a lot of fabric.

  Edgar has forgotten that his pursuer was a doll and able to bend without feeling any pain, even enough to disguise as a piece of black cloth.

  Now it made sense the noise he heard while still had not opened the door.

  Red moved that drawer there to make this trap, and due to the position he was, it was impossible to run to any of the doors.

  Edgar was one of the more athletic among his teammates, then he took his last chance to run in the opposite direction that the figure showed up, with those immense black holes for eyes.

  The man jumped over the window and clung to it when opened, getting suspended by it, which was made of a durable metal and high enough to allow Edgar to mount on the tab that was now out of the mansion.

  With the heart jumping, he made desperate hand signals to Red, asking him to hear what he had to say:

  "You said this was a game and when someone got out it would end ... Then, look at me, technically I'm out of the house, even hanging on the window, I'm not anywhere in the house. The game is over for me!" .

  Red stopped thinking for a second, then said:

  "If you know what is a game, then you know that you cheated... And my rule was for those who left the mansion through the door and not the window ... So I'm thinking about the best way to punish a cheater .. . ".

  Edgar shuddered and began to beg in so many words that even he could not understand what was saying, possessed by fear of what would be of him ina few seconds.

  The losers of the "game" died, but he was now worse than a loser.

  Red slowly approached the window, looking at the details carefully, then ran his finger up the joints and used one of his bracelets to choose an appropriate blade.

  Instead of hurting Edgar, Red placed the blade on the screw of the window and began to spin the little piece of metal.

  Edgar shouted, fearing what would happen to him, but could not escape.

  "Who never used a knife to unscrew something?" Red joked, removing the first of the screws holding the window.

  He quickly went to the next and removed it as well, causing the window to lose stability, tip down and break the other junction, falling with Edgar of the highest tower of the mansion.

  The man's scream faded as he fell, ending with a loud crack and a red blur, but the metal window rolled on, hitting the edges until ended above the greenhouse, breaking a glass.

  While Red felt stronger after his second hunt, the young group heard the sound of breaking glass in the greenhouse, so very close, almost over their heads, resulting in despair.

  Involuntarily, all retreated into the corner, knocking several books in despair.

  Linda, holding the scream, hugged Vanessa, who held together with Lisa while Kazuo was aiming the gun toward the hideout door, believing that the enemy was in the greenhouse, looking for them.

  So they remained in that position for a long time, trying to hear anything from the ground above, but nothing would make more sound , since it was only a broken glass.

  At the other end of the house, another one of Jonas followers was hidding under the big table, more hidding than looking for the key.

  His name was Luke and his tactic was to stay hidden under the table as he watched the surroundings, looking for some small object that resembled the key.

  From the beginning of the search, he did not dare to go beyond this spot, which became a kind of hideout.

  He heard the noise of other deaths and felt increasingly trapped in this gap.

  The room being long and narrow, with a very large table, was difficult for anyone to see him between the legs of the chairs, but now that someone else had been attacked, he felt it was time to rethink the survival plan.

  Lucas did not join the Jonas out of curiosity, in the end he never cared about the hidden side of things, but he was someone "lost" in the world, without a close family and lazy to try most of the opportunities of life.

  The first time he really tried, ended just as he was now, under a table, trying to survive a crazy doll.

  The current despair made him think out of control, until a last thought was more rational than others.

  He was near the kitchen, so it was just a matter of climbing a few small steps to the other room to access countless sharp objects, perfect for defense.

  Lucas took a last bit of courage, then ran out of the room up to the kitchen walking so low that looked like a dog.

  Once he climbed the stais, he saw the huge selection of knives and an empty kitchen, with everything clean and in place. It even seemed that the place was out of the rest of the mansion, as a place of peace.

  He took one of the knives then kept it tight in hand, ready for a possible fight, and now he had no more desire to return under the table.

  But what would be the best way to defend against a doll?

  He felt no pain, but should have some kind of weakness, maybe even a weak joint or defective tissue that formed the body.

  For some reason, in the center of the doll and in the head, it had organic traits as signs of blood and bones.

  Perhaps the center of his chest, like humans, was fragile and holded some kind of heart.

  The center of the chest, however, would be kept by the arms and blades he carried.

  While planning and simulating blows in the air, Lucas tried to remember all the fights he watched on television, in films and competitions.

  As the chest would be protected, he had more chance advancing against the puppet and trying to hold his body to cut the tissue and structures one by one, leaving only scattered parts still functioning as a disassembled robot.

  In the kitchen there would be no element of surprise for lack of extra entries, making the scenario of a future battle with both armed and without excessive tricks.

  Lucas then waited preparing for the arrival of his opponent, as he considered impossible to find the key of the mansion before being killed by surprise.

  It was better there, fighting with everything he had, trying to survive.

  As the minutes passed and his mind got used to the idea, he began to feel the approach of someone, and would soon would see the shadow of the gruesome creature coming from the stairs.

  Little by little Red rose, looking at his opponent without hiding. No element of surprise, ready to fight for his macabre game.

  "Red, your game gives you the right to hunt each of us, but does not prohibit us to resist ... So here in this kitchen, you will try to take my life ... But just try ...".

  Said Lucas determined, squeezing the handle of the knife in his right hand.

  Red stood in the opposite corner and took one of his blades, the same size as used by Lucas.

  Inside, the creature always wanted something like this, with more excitement, more commitment to the hunt.

  He felt more motivated to fight than simply scare someone and tear its flesh as if it were wet paper.

  Without delay, both stepped forward, striking the air with the blades passing close to the body, With full speed they had hard time avoiding the knife blades, with hands crossing to reach the face each other.

  In a quick and surprising move, Lucas managed to hi
t his fist on that ghoulish face in the most satisfactory way possible, with all his might.

  Red took a step back from the impact, but Lucas's hand winced in pain after the strike.

  The head of Red, big and round, was too hard, without any trace of skin or flesh, only a large stone like formation that could be calcium.

  The impact made room between them, giving a second pause in the clash.

  "You see? In my situation is a bit difficult trying to fight like a man, because my body is very different from you ... And as you struggle for survival, giving the best, I still can not do the same, maybe just admire your commitment to survive ... ".

  Said Red, without any damage after the impact.

  Lucas thought it was just pride of the doll, and he might be pretending not feel any pain.

  Building on the momentum, believing in victory, the young man lunged at the creature, cutting and striking regardless of the sore hand.

  This time Red seemed discouraged, without motivation, already knowing he would win, then even allowed his opponent to move closer than normal.

  When Lucas realized, his blade sank in the middle of the doll, where he never imagined hitting, since he was thinking about grabbing the body instead of reaching its center.

  The chest of macabre figure really had blood, now dripping down the blade, but the creature did not give pain signals.

  Red, however, felt increasingly more ghost and less doll, as if freedom was near as the blood inside his body spread through the floor.

  He did not know why, but being hit by Lucas made him better than before.

  Removing the knife, the creature lunged at his opponent, who was now pale to see he really had