Shards of glass resemble rain

Daylight to Darkness

Crash!!

Cale Henituse awoke to a huge ruckus throughout the manor.

-creak

With the door creaking open, odd for a house full of wealth, young Cale peeked through the crack made between the double doors, when rushed footsteps briskly passed by him in a hurry.

He knew that figure.

'Papa...?'

Swift and quiet, he bolted after the man, leaving the door ajar.

The hallway was dark and cold. Moonlight filtered in through the window panes.

A full moon.

Since ancient times, a full moon had always been labelled as an ill omen.

Absently thinking, he chased after the running adults. Silently, Cale creeped after his father's running figure.

"Count, right this way!" The head maid exclaimed. Her face was as white as a bedsheet.

What's going on...?

He did not know why, nor did he understand. He simply felt the need to hide, for this unpleasant feeling in his stomach tightened the moment he thought of calling out to his father.

Hurriedly, silently, they rushed through the dark manor, with only the bright moon as their source of light.

This is...

He came to a stop. Hiding at the corner, he peeked, eyes wide with both fright and curiosity.

Silver beams bounced off the crimson strands of his hair, the red and the white mingling with the trick of the light.

They had reached the foyer.

It was deserted.

He wondered, if he should also venture outside the doors of the manor.

'Won't Papa get mad...?'

Conflicted, he hugged his knees to himself as he rocked back and forth on his heels.

'Should I go or should I not?'

Weighing, thinking, half lidded eyes stared at the doors that were left agape, the cold night draft blowing in the halls oh so freely.

Woosh

'It sounds like a ghost.' He mused. Sighing, he stood up, ready to follow his father outside, when the servants' whispers reached his ears.

"--don't be silly, Liz."

"I'm serious! The Countess got into an accident, Annie. They said she will not be able to make it."

...What...?

Shattering, crumbling, young Cale's world came to a stop.

***

Cale ran.

It's a lie.

He ran through the gardens, where his mother's red roses were planted.

Mother might have just fainted.

He ran, past the hedges he was so fond of jumping on.

Lies.

Past the exclaiming servants.

It's all a lie!!

Past the downtrodden knights.

It's just mere gossip!