Intrusion

How did I not see this side of the hammer before? There weren't as many scuffs. Looking at the other side, I realized the symbol was not two arrows. It was something different.

Gunshot. What was going on? With the hammer firmly between my grip, I ran to the door and peeled out. Servants were rushing in and out of rooms.

Something had to be wrong. There must be a shooting. Now?! I had only been here...A clock hung inside Eon's study. Five o'clock. I'd only slept for an hour.

Whatever. I'd only been here two hours and something bad was already happening. This is why I can't stay at Diablo Manor.

A shriek could be heard. It rang through the halls, followed by more gunshots. Staying in the library would be the best choice. No, it was too open. There wasn't any place to hide. What about the wine cellar? Bad choice. It could be locked. Whoever was here might be trying to steal the wine.

Eon could help me. He would know a safe place to hide. I took a deep breath and scurried across the hall. It was likely Eon would be in his bedroom.

Part way to Eon's room, I froze. His door was open and there was blood outside the room. Oh my God.

Eon's room was empty. No body in sight. What if he was wounded? What if he was lying dead somewhere else?

That was it. The only way out of here was the front gate. If I opened that, I could escape the shooters and Eon. I could get out of here once and for all. And go where?

Screw it. I was getting to the gate.

The front steps made my journey seem so long. Just thinking was wasting time. I nearly tripped flying down the stairs. By the time I regained balance, I was greeted by something worse.

Eon was furious. He looked like he was about to explode.

"Where were you? I thought you were dead!"

"Me? There was blood in front of your empty room!"

"I thought it was your blood! You know I can't trust you yet. Sneaking out of your room was asking for punishment!"

Something interrupted our heated conversation. A gun was pointed at Eon's forehead.

A man with black hair greeted me.

"My, my. What do we have here? You're a pretty lass, aren't you?"

The man clamped his hand around my mouth.

"Better not scream. I need to work in quiet." The man took his hand off my mouth, turned to Eon, and said, "I never did finish the job from last time. Apparently, the kid I shot was not Eon Diablo." The man payed his finger on the trigger.

It was a good thing he didn't notice the hammer in my hand. Idiot. The spine makes a cracking noise when something hits it. A loud wail came from the crumpling black-haired man. He growled and fired the gun. Now I was the one who crumpled.

Blood stained my dress. Pain engulfed my waste. Eon jumped on the man and struck his face. The man must have had a lot of strength left. He punched Eon, who rolled over. Huffing, the man stood up and shakily and aimed his gun at me.

Seconds later, he cried in pain. A piece of wood thrown by Eon hit him in the head. However, it wasn't just any piece of wood. It was the handle to the hammer. Now, it looked decayed and rotten.

No time for confusion. The man pointed the gun at Eon. So, I did the only thing I could think of and tackled the man. His gun flew through the air. My nails dug into his face.

"Stupid girl! I'll kill you for this!"

I could see the hammer head laying on the ground. The man yanked at my hair as I grabbed the head. With a swift motion, the hammer head collided with the man's face.

I always wondered what getting shot would feel like. It burns. Badly. You can feel the hole. You can feel the emptiness that fills it. You can feel the life slipping away from it.