Marcus pressed himself flat against the wall when Leon approached. He was unsure of what the man would do, and he was afraid he would hurt him, push the stake in further, or do something else. He was sure Leon was going to kill him. Maybe he really was a monster, and maybe he would never be better. And Marcus had accepted that. So, of course he would be terrified.Â
But then, Leon removed the stake swiftly, causing Marcus to half gasp, half exhale, more blood oozing out of his jaw. It hurt almost more than being stabbed with it, almost like having a painful organ ripped right out of him. Blood spurted out of the hole in his gut, and he stood there, briefly, trying to figure out whether he could maintain that position. He had to get out of here. But, it hurt so terribly. So, instead of walking it off like he usually would, he slumped to the floor, back against the wall, and his head lolling to the side, eyes half-lidded. His body shook, he panted and wheezed. His insides burned. Usually, he’d feel the wounds healing almost immediately. But this…it was as if the silver was still in there, eating away at his organs and muscle. His palms still burned, the shiny broken wounds facing upwards toward the ceiling. He couldn’t leave like he wanted. He couldn’t even stand let alone run. He was trapped here, for the moment, completely at the mercy of the monster holding the stake.Â