Hunter: Begin Again

Twenty Three.

"Hello Hunter. How about we play a game?"

"Don't you think you're a little old for games?" I answer with bravery I didn't know I actually had considering my current situation. 

Moving closer, I take a seat in the chair, proceeding to put my boots up on the edge of his desk and pick up the wooden doll Kayta disappeared into. Shaking it a few times, the inner figurines clang together and the whole thing heats up. In warning perhaps, but I don't care and toss it from hand to hand, while he sits there amused as he watches me.

"What were you thinking? Monopoly? I bet you cheat in that though so you can't be the banker. Snakes and Ladders? Checkers?"

I look at him expectantly and twist the doll as if I'm going to open it, but don't.

"Then again, what about Poker? I bet you've got a killer game face."

"You could say that, Hunter!" He smirks, sitting back in his chair. He doesn't say much else.

It's then I notice the small fireplace to the side and getting up, I walk curiously around the room, stopping by it. The flames look real enough. So real, I can feel the heat from them as they dance around. Perfect.

"Nice painting." I muse, staring up at the image hanging over the fireplace. It's nothing amazing. Just some old fox hunt scene, that is actually really out of place considering how modern everything else is.

Looking over my shoulder, he hasn't moved. Well apart from one eyebrow that has risen slightly on the right side of his face. He has to know what I'm about to do and dropping the doll into the fire, I step back as it hisses and spits out black flames. The shrieking sound is almost banshee like and rather than reprimand me, Dracula laughs.

"I'd like to see how you are in poker Hunter, if we played for money I am sure I will become a wealthy man."

"Doubt it. I don't have much money."

"You are a Bunting, no? I'm sure that isn't true," he gets up then, the noise finally gone and I dare to look back into the flames. The doll is little more than bits of ash. "Does that make you feel better? Revenge for your vampire friend?"

"Yeah it does, but not as good as this will!" 

I treat the iron poker that stood beside the fireplace like one of the samurai swords, swinging it around with precision as my instincts don't let me down. Dracula's presence is strong, making it easy to locate him and with a grunt of effort, the metal slides into his chest. Unfortunately for me, I mess up one tiny detail and miss his heart.

He staggers backwards and growls, his hands instantly going to remove it. So I get the other one, and as he blocks me, I still manage to get it just under his rib cage. Either way, it should stop him long enough for me to get out of here.

"I'll take a rain check on that game, thanks!" Running out the door, I go the way Kayta led me and the living room leads into a library set up. Down a corridor and taking a left, I finally see something resembling a front door.

It's locked and hearing the thud of steps coming behind me, I knock off the bonsai tree on the table beside it and smash it through the window. I'm not staying in this house or messing around anymore and with the glass gone, I climb out. The only thing I stop for, is to break the legs off the table in the process and keeping one wooden stake in each hand, I start to run.

The street is well lit, and the neighbourhood is rather nice. I didn't expect to find myself in a high civilian area, but can only use this to my advantage. I get off the road and seeing the one dark house in the street, creep up their driveway. If I can get to a phone, I could call, well anyone and go from there.