WINNER OF THE OCTOBER 2016 TMNT COMMUNITY AWARDS!

Disclaimer: I don't own the ninja turtles.

A/N: Katsaridaphobia is the fear of roaches.

"Hey, Master Splinter said not to leave the lair."

Raph glanced over his shoulder at him and waved a dismissive hand as the four small turtles trotted down the sewer tunnel. "Chill out, Leo. It'll be funner to play hide and seek in the tunnels. There ain't no good hidin' places in the lair anymore."

Leo frowned. "I don't think this is such a good idea." Even at the age of nine Leo had already developed a need to watch out for his brothers. And going off on their own in the tunnels was not his idea of being responsible.

"Aw, come on, Leo. This is going to be fun!" Donnie said from behind him.

Mikey trailed just behind him, clinging to his arm. He didn't like this idea much. "It's scary out here. I want to go home."

"Oh, quit your whining, Mikey. It was your idea to play hide and seek." Raph turned a corner and they found themselves in an old abandoned subbasement.

"Yeah, but I didn't want to go wandering around the sewers either." Mikey continued to whine, but no one heard him. They were all staring around the room. There were dozens of places to hide - shadows, pipes, nooks and crannies. Things they could hide on top of and under. It was the perfect place to play hide and seek.

"Wow! This is awesome!" Donnie's eyes were as wide as saucers. His mind was already swirling with plans of where to hide.

Leo folded his arms with a small smile. "I have to admit this does look pretty cool. You did good, Raph – for once."

Raph ignored the slight dig. "So, who's first?"

"Not it!" Don, Leo, and Raph chimed all at once.

Mikey groaned. "Guys, that's so not fair." But by the time he'd finished his statement all three of his brothers were gone. They had disappeared into the shadows of the subbasement. He sighed and began a silent countdown to thirty.

The subbasement apparently had belonged to some type of apartment complex, because there was broken furniture, and different odds and ends scattered around the area. Don found an old set of lockers which he hid inside of. Leo meanwhile found some pipes to climb up and was hiding near the ceiling. Raph, who'd only been there once, was being a little more exploratory than his brothers. He found an old office with a large desk in it. The room was dark and he grinned to himself. Mikey will never find me here.

As he crossed the room, the floor creaked and sagged beneath. He paid it little attention as he heard Mikey call out. "Ready or not! Here I come!" Raph hurried forward and slipped beneath the large desk, muffling a snicker.

Mikey slowly weaved his way around the piles of abandoned furniture and knickknacks, searching the shadows for his brothers. A soft noise drew him towards a set of metal lockers. He leaned forward pressing his ear against one of the doors. He could hear the small noise again and flung open the door, hoping it wasn't just a rat. But instead he found Donnie, who had hand pressed over his mouth. He removed it only to release a loud sneeze.

"I found you!" Mikey squealed happily. He smirked. "That was way too easy, bro."

"That's not fair!" Donnie whined back. "You would never have found me, if it wasn't so dusty and yucky in here."

Mikey waved a hand at him with a laugh. "No way bro. I'm just that good." He turned and looked around the room. "Now, I just have to find Leo and Raph." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. His blue eyes sparkled as a thought occurred to him. Leo liked to climb things. That meant he was probably hiding somewhere up high. He grinned as he spotted something dark move along the pipe. He started in its direction, Donnie following dejectedly behind him.

Leo stilled his movements as he watched his younger brothers approach his position. If he stayed still enough, Mikey might miss him. The two young turtles stopped just beneath him and he held his breath, trying not to make a single sound. But when the water balloon hit him square in the face, he let out a little squeal of his own, nearly falling off his perch. "Mikey!"

Both Don and Mikey were laughing at him. "Sorry, Leo, but you are way predictable, bro."

Don chuckled. "You're out Leo. You might as well come down and suffer the consequences with me."

"Wait, I still have to find Raph."

In the small office, Raph hid beneath the old desk listening as first Mikey found Donnie and then Leo. He pressed both hands over his mouth trying to muffle his amusement when he felt something tickle his leg. He knew what it was from experience and brushed the bug away. Suddenly, the floor beneath him groaned and he felt his heart race. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

He shifted his weight ever so slightly and there was a loud crack beneath him. Yep, definitely a bad idea! He moved to scramble out from beneath the desk, but it was way too late. The wooden floor beneath him collapsed and he cried out as he tumbled into the darkness along with the heavy wooden desk. He landed hard on a slimy cement floor, the wind being knocked out of him. He started to move, but the heavy wooden desk landed on top of him. The thing had to weigh several hundred pounds as it pinned him to the grimy ground.

He grunted trying to draw in a breath. Something was crawling across his hands and he brushed them away. He did a mental body check. Nothing felt broken, but he was pinned to the ground by the heavy desk across his shell. He turned his head, looking up at the slightly lighter area above him where the floor had given way. He took a deep breath. "Guys! Leo!"

Outside, in the main part of the basement Leo and Don had been following Mikey around rather aimlessly when they heard the horrible crash in the other room. All three automatically ran towards the sound. They skidded to a stop just outside the door.

"Raph?" Leo started to take a step inside, but Donnie caught his arm.

"Wait, Leo!" He pointed at the floor. "The floor is rotten. You could fall in."

Mikey clutched at the door-frame. "Oh, no! You don't suppose Raph fell down there, do you?"

Leo and Don exchanged worried looks, before the older brother cupped his mouth and called frantically. "Raph!"

"I'm down here!" Came their brother's distant reply.

Leo started to take a step, but Donnie caught his arm again. "I'm lighter than you." He turned to his younger brother. "Mikey, you hold my ankles and Leo, you hold his. You can pull us back, if you need to."

Leo gave a small nod and they each took ahold of the other, before Donnie slowly crawled out towards the hole in the floor. The floor creaked and groaned beneath him, but he vigilantly pulled himself to the edge. "Raph! Are you okay?" He couldn't see anything in the dark gaping hole beneath him.

Raph paused before answering to swat at something crawling across his head. "Yeah, but I'm pinned! This stupid desk is too heavy! I can't get out!"

Don pulled a small penlight from his belt and shined it down into void. The blackness was so thick, that the light barely reached the bottom. But he was able to just make out his brother's shape beneath a massive wooden desk that was now half smashed. He could also see something scurrying around. At first he thought it was rats, but then he realized with a stomach turn that they weren't rats but dozens and dozens of cockroaches. The floor under Don gave a loud crack and he gasped. Leo was fast enough to yank his brothers backwards as the abyss grew unexpectedly.

The three tumbled out of the door in a heap. Leo's heart raced as he clambered back to his feet. "Raph! Raph! Are you okay!"

There was coughing and then a distant reply. "Yeah!"

"We're going to have to go get Master Splinter, Raph!" Leo called down. They couldn't see anything, even with their keen eyesight, the pit was pitch black. He knew they had to get their father, but he hated leaving Raph alone. "Will you be okay?"

"Just hurry up will ya!" Raph clawed at his neck where little legs prickled him.

"Okay, we'll be back as fast as we can!" Leo grabbed Mikey's arm and pulled him towards the tunnel they'd come in through. Donnie hurried just behind them. They needed to get back home as soon as possible. But after several turns in the tunnel, Leo stopped.

"What's the matter?" Don asked.

"I'm trying to remember which way it is." Leo examined their surroundings, but was clueless.

"You mean you don't remember!" Don's eyes went wide.

Leo glared at him. "Do you!"

"No! I was just following you guys!"

Mikey put a hand on each brother's chest. "I remember."

"What?" Leo and Don said in unison.

"I have a great memory." Mikey started off down the tunnel.

"Should we follow him?" Don looked after his brother skeptically.

"What choice do we have?" Leo hurried after Mikey.

Meanwhile, Raph squirmed where he was pinned. Now that his brothers were gone, the silence was all consuming. Except for the constant scurrying noises. The feel of things crawling on him only intensified without the distraction of his brothers. He could feel things trying to get inside his shell, pressing against the sensitive skin. He covered his ear-holes, where he could hear scratching against the thin membrane that protected his inner-ear.

He could feel the spiny tickle of things climbing all over his legs. He kicked his feet uselessly. Even down there he could feel the things trying to intrude into his shell. He ground his teeth, keeping his tail locked over the hole in his bottom shell. But their scratching was constant. Something brushed against his lips and he swiped at his mouth, crushing the roach.

The sickly smell of urine and feces came from the smashed insect, making his stomach roll. And still they crawled on him, rubbing their slick oily bellies across his skin and clawed at the flesh around his neck and under his arms. They wanted inside him. They wanted to squeeze between his shell and flesh, to burrow into him.

Raph gagged and regretted it instantly as they things tried getting into his mouth. He wanted to withdraw into his shell so bad, but he knew with as many as there were crawling on him, he'd surely pull some in with his appendages. He clawed as his face where little feet scurried across his eyes and head. He wanted to scream as the incessant scraping noise came again to his ear-holes. He could only image what they'd do if they got past the thin flap of flesh.

Raphael felt his chest contract. It felt like he was suffocating in the pitch darkness, drowning in a sea of roaches. He was helpless pinned under the giant desk and slow panic began to set in.

Are they coming back?

Where are they?

Father! Leo!

Donnie!

Mikey!

Anyone!

HELP ME!

When they were close to the lair, Leo sprinted ahead. "Master Splinter! Master Splinter!"

The rat appeared quickly at the sound of his son's cry. "Leonardo, what is happening?" Spotting Don and Mikey behind him, he frowned. "Where is Raphael?"

"We were playing hide and seek." Leo started.

"And Raph fell in this big hole." Mikey extended his arms out as wide as he could get them.

"He's trapped down there, Master." Donnie finished.

"Quickly, show me where he is!" Splinter commanded as he gathered a rope and a flashlight from nearby. He pointed a finger at Don and Mikey. "You two stay here! Donatello, look after your brother!"

Donnie wrapped an arm around Mikey, who let out a whimper, as they watched Leo and Splinter rush back out the door.

Raphael couldn't fight the tears as they trickled down his cheeks. The sensation of things swarming across him was just too much. The acrid smell of their little bodies felt like it was seeping into his skin. He whimpered, trying to cover his ears, mouth and eyes. And still they crawled and still they clawed. Distantly, he thought he heard his name and the flash of light through his clenched eyes.

As they neared the old abandoned basement with the gaping hole, Splinter could already hear his son's whimpers. The sound broke his heart. It was filled with fear and pain. It made him move even faster. Snatching Leonardo up into his arms, he ran. He no longer needed the child's directions to find his wayward son. When at last they reached the room, he quickly tied off the rope and shined the light down into the darkness. His guts twisted at the sight. Little could be seen of Raphael, his lower half was covered by a massive desk, while the top was covered by a living blanket of black-brown insects. "Raphael?" There was no response, which only put him more on edge.

Leo trembled where he clutched the door-frame. "He was okay when we left."

Splinter did not respond, instead he leapt into the darkness. There was the sound of crunching as he landed. He flicked the light around and the roaches scattered in every direction. Splinter's heart sank at the sight of his toughest son. Raph's eyes were clenched closed and tears streaked his face. He made a sound like a dying animal. And once again he did not respond, even to the light.

"I am here, my son." He touched Raph's head gently and the turtle shook violently beneath him. Splinter let out a small growl. Dropping the flashlight, he grabbed at the desk, which was trapping his son in this horrid place. At first the four-hundred-pound desk did not move. With another growl of rage, he thrust it away. It flew across the space like it was made of cardboard to shatter into pieces.

Hundreds more roaches scattered as they were exposed to the light. Splinter knelt beside his son, brushing away the straggling insects and searching him for major injuries. He had many scrapes, but nothing series. And yet, Raphael barely moved, his face scrunched up in fear. Slowly, Splinter lifted him into his arms.

"Raphael? Raphael, look at me. Open your eyes."

Very, very slowly one of Raph's eyes opened just a crack and then they flew wide. "Father!" He wrapped his arms around Splinter's neck and began to sob hard.

Splinter held him tightly, his ears turned back in distress. "It is alright, my son. I am here."

Leo, who'd used Splinter's rope to get closer to the hole, watched with wide horrified eyes. His brother seemed traumatized. He watched as Splinter spoke softly to Raph, telling him to hold on tight. Which was rather pointless as the young turtle had a death grip on him. Leo scooted back to the door as Splinter climbed the rope, bring his brother back to safety. Raph was covered in a layer of grime and filth, and he was visibly quaking from head to toe. "Raph?" He asked softly, but his brother did not respond, his arms in a vice lock around their father's neck. Leo looked up at Splinter, who was gently cradling his brother. "Is he okay, Master?"

Splinter let out a heavy sigh. "He is physically uninjured, but he has experienced a metal trauma. It may take some time before he is well again."

Leo gave a small nod as Splinter turned to lead the way home. He glanced over his shoulder at the pit of squirming vile roaches that covered the ground like a living carpet. He swore he'd never let something like that happen to his brother again. He'd always be there to protect him. And he was, even when the nightmares came night after night for weeks on end. He'd curl up next to Raph and promise to keep the roaches away.

A/N: Ugh, I'll never be able to look at a roach the same way again...Ewwwwaahhh!

Happy Halloween!