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Chapter 48: A gentle push. (2)
==(Continuation of the previous post)==
"Estella started playing the piano. She is getting really good at it too, mama."
Herbert was proud of his little girl who ment the world to him. "I'm thinking of buying a grand piano for her."
"You spoil her too much."
"Perhaps." They both laughed and the colour returned to Violets thin cheeks.
"I am glad you are here son. Your visit gives me strength. I feel better already." Herbert kissed her forehead.
"You should rest, mama." He was sure he smelled something strange, something burning and walked to the door of the bedroom.
The door was locked, the handle did not move. "Henric? Henric, is this another one of your jokes? Henric?"
There was no reply, his brother stood outside and the flame sin the hallway had reached the second can.
A large explosion shook the house and shattered the sturdy door. Its handle hit Herbert against the side of the head and for a moment he saw nothing but bright coloured specs of light.
His mother yelled, she was too weak to leave the bed and the flames drew nearer. Herbert stumbeled to a wooden chair by the window and tried to lift it.
"Henric, please help us." He could hear his mother yell, her voice sounded distant, he was dizzy.
Herbert lifted the chair over his head and with all his remaining strength he threw it against the window. Neither chair nor window gave away.
Winters were very cold around these parts and people often had extra strong window for isolation.
Just before the flames reached the two unfortunate souls, Herbert could see the face of his treacherous brother in the window.
He smiled and waved them goodbye before he moved out of sight. The incredible heat started smoldering their clothes and their fur.
Herbert knelt down next to his mothers bed. The bed had caught fire and the situation was hopeless. They would die here, trapped like rats in a cage.
Fire starting eating away the flesh on his legs. His mother had passed away and had the horrible expression of a person who had died from fear on her face. Her sleeping gown was fully scorched and stuck to her body.
The skin up to her knees was a deep, dark black and Herbert threw up because of the horrible smell and the pain that shot through every inch of his body.
It was also the last thing he did. His eyes started melting and half of his face was eaten by the hungry flames and his heart beat for the last time.
The house lit up the night like a collosal torch. His plan had been perfect and he had shown them how clever he really was.
He still had the cigarette in his hand and took his last drag before throwing it away. The tobacco had never smelled this good before.
Both of the people who would leave him with an incredible amount of money were attenting a macabre barbecue party.
Tonight he was just Henric, nothing, but tommorow he would be one of the wealthiest men alive.
Herbert took his wallet out of his pocket and threw the empty thing in the soft grass. The perfect version of his conversation with the officers played through his head again, like it had done so often before.
"Yes officer, my mother was very ill. We came as quick as we could." He would cry and they would see how much he suffered from this terrible loss.
"I loved them and I tried to protect them. Those men came late in the evening and said my brother owed them money. I don't know how they found us here."
Descriptions of the men floated before his minds eye, two small time crooks who had once helped him get a shipment of fine cognac.
It would be their word against his. And he was a member of the Bane family, therefor his word was valued.
Henric walked over to a tree. Of course they would have beaten him up and left him for death, they were crooks, but they were smart enough to want to wipe out all of the evidence.
All he had to do was make sure he looked shaken up enough to appear dead and he smashed his face against the tree as hard as he could.
A sharp pain shot through his noise, this would have to look believable and he knew this was not enough. He smashed his face into the tree once more and chipped two teeth in the process.
He spat the shards out on the floor, his saliva was thick like a paste and red with blood.
Henric smashed his face into the tree a third time and with a sharp crunching sound he heard his own nose break.
The incredible pain made him dizzy and he threw up in the grass. "This wiv all be vorth it." He assured himself.
It only took one more try, he smashed his face into the tree and broke off half of one of his teeth.
His right eye was thick and sticky, the eyebrow invisible underneath the blanket of blood. He muttered a few incoherent things and sank down into his own blood and vomit.
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