Chapter One: The Journals *~* Heba POV *~*
I walked into the apartment above the game shop, my friends following behind me, laughing about something said just a few moments prior. I was about ten o'clock at night, and all of the house lights were still on. We had gone out to eat around lunch time and then headed to the arcade before going to the laser-tag and dueling arenas. I picked up a folded sheet of paper that was standing on the small table next to the door, no doubt from grandpa about something.
Boys,
I've gone to Egypt for another dig. I'll be back in about two months. Yugi, you are to run the shop. Heba, be sure to help pull your weight around the house. See you boys when I get back. Oh, and Happy Birthday. Your gifts are on the kitchen table.
~ Grandpa
I walked into the kitchen, only to stop in my tracks. As promised, there are gifts on the table, but I can tell none of them are for my brother, the card sitting next to them baring only my name, and the cake – no doubt made by Yugi himself – also bore only my name on it. The others filed into the kitchen, wondering what I'm looking at, a few of them positioning themselves around the table to make room for everyone.
"Disgusting," Téa scoffs. "Doesn't show up for his only brother's birthday and thinks this will make up for it? Pathetic if you ask me."
"We are twins you guys," I say, trying to defend him. "Maybe he had his own plans. I… I'm going to go check on him. Why don't you go make yourself at home in the living room." I head upstairs to Yugi's room and open the door, finding my brother lying face down asleep on his bed, his favorite pen gripped loosely in his right hand, which was resting on an open composition notebook, three more stacked next to him in, what I knew to be, chronological order, oldest on the top. The only way I could tell was by the color of the book, remembering which ones he worked on first. The red one on the top, then yellow, next green, and finally purple, the one currently open.
I was content with merely taking the books from the bed, along with the pen, and putting them on his desk when the open pages caught my attention. Carefully picking it up, so as not to wake my brother, I take it and the other three notebooks out to the living room and sit next to Atemu.
"Whatcha got there Heba," Joey asks, leaning on Seto's shoulder.
"They're notebooks," I say, flipping through the one Yugi was working on, feeling more and more horror struck the more I read. It must show on my face because Bakura (red), Malik (green), and Marik (yellow) take the ones on my lap, Atemu the one from my hands.
"Anything making you look like that must be good," the three say. Atemu merely shakes his head before flipping through the latest book. By now, I've – or rather, the journals – have captured everyone's attention.
"Hey, listen to this!" Malik exclaims. "It's so gory!
#52: Russian Roulette
The funest way to go, perhaps, would be Russian roulette. The adrenalin rush from bringing the gun to your temple, the teasing *click* of each empty round of the barrel, the anticipation of hearing the final shot ring through the arena, or, more than likely, abandoned warehouse. Location undisclosed, of course, so no one interferes. And of course if I survived the first round, I'd have to go again, with a new location. Can't have the dead bodies piling up, now can we?
Now, for some reason, I've always envisioned either Bakura Akefia or Malik Ishmal on the other side of the table. Perhaps even a three way roulette to make things more interesting. I'm sure that they wouldn't mind. After all, they seem to loathe Yami, and me now that I think about it. Wouldn't it be fun for them to watch their enemies Hikari fall into darkness, raise the gun on themselves and smile, pulling the trigger with a final chuckle? Though what if they were the ones to have final shot? If they knew that one of them would pay the price for our little game. Oh, I'm sure they would simply redirect it towards me anyway, if they knew that one of them would lose. They'd be bloody gits for doing so, but I can't say I would be upset with them. Hell, I'd probably laugh at this point, looking whichever one of them held the gun in the eye, giving a final taunting, loving smile to my knight in shining armor. Oh the looks on their faces would be priceless! Could you imagine it, you two twisted psychopaths?
Of course, my question would be what would they do afterwards? Behead me and send my head to the once prince? Use my blood as paint to commemorate the moment? The possibilities are nearly endless, and I'd hate to scar poor Ryou, or Marik, for that matter. Let's add a twist to our game, shall we? Two small posts, the raging ocean, and, instead of us holding the gun, one of you would do the honors, whichever one of you wasn't facing off against me. Now you're asking me, "But Yugi, how would that work with Russian roulette?" The answer is simple. We dodge the bullets. Now of course, with your excellent aim boys, it will be difficult. Sharp rocks at the base of our feet if we fall off, blood in the water attracting sharks, and of course hand to hand combat would surely spice up the fun. And, best of all, no way to scar either of my old friends with their weird mementos.
So what do you say boys, up for a game?
"Damn Yami," Bakura laughs. "Your Hikari is dark. I'm starting to like him more and more."
"How about this one about Kaiba," Marik cackles.
#31: Kaiba's Blue-eyes
I won't say I haven't thought about having a shadow creature take me, because I have. A lot. And, how poetic would it be, to have my – sorry – Yami's greatest rival's Ka finish me off. Of course, my Ka creatures would pitch a conniption about it, but such is death. Of course, having the Blue-eyes destroy my soul wouldn't kill me. I'd fall into a coma like state, admitted to the hospital by one of the few people who still care for me. And, after a year or so when the doctors give up hope of me waking up, they'll ask my Grandfather if he wants to take me off life support. Of course, he'll yell at the doctors and keep me on as long as he is able, or until Heba or someone else convinces him it's time. It won't really matter though. No one truly cares enough to find me before then anyway. Not in time to save me, anyway. I'd slowly starve to death, or die of dehydration. Or perhaps, if one of my Ka felt pity for me, they'd come forth into the real world and destroy my body as well. But, this isn't something I could ever ask them to do. So, I will forever keep quiet, and hide my silent cries for help from those I used to consider friends.
"Damn, that's depressing," Joey says.
"This one's worse," Atemu says, adjusting his position to have his arm around me.
#76: Jumping
Jumping has been a way to die since people wanted to end their own lives. There were two months in particular that I truly considered it. And every night for those two months I'd climb to the top of Kaiba Corp's building, stand on the edge of the roof, and look out over the city skyline. And every night Lord Anubis would come and talk to me. I'm not sure why he would speak with me but he did, and I found it comforting.
"Are you planning to jump, young one?" he would ask.
And my answer was always, "Not tonight Anubis, maybe tomorrow." That is, until the last night. That night my answer was different.
"No, my friend, I don't plan to jump." And, for once, I felt like I mattered. I had someone to talk to, someone who wouldn't abandon me at the first chance they got. And so, from those two months, I gain a friend that I can talk to every day. When he asked once, why I decided not to jump, I gave him an answer along the lines of 'can't have Kaiba scooping someone off his sidewalk', or something of the sort. Truthfully, I could care less about Kaiba in that moment, or anyone else. I didn't jump because Anubis had reminded me that someone still cared for me. And that was enough for me, enough to keep me from jumping. Though, I still wonder about the cliffs. How it would be beautiful to see the white water at the bottom, concealing the sharp rocks that would no doubt do their job on the first try. Or, on the rare chance that no rocks be present, the feeling of the cold ocean water filling my lungs, the salt burning my eyes, the chill of the night air if I somehow manage to break free of the pounding waves. But, then I remember that I have someone to talk to. Maybe, maybe I won't feel the need to end my life anymore.
"Well if that's not depressing, I don't know what is," Ryou stated.
"What, are you doing," I hear from over my shoulder.
"Yugi!" I yelp, jumping up off the couch and whirling to face him. "Wh-what are you doing? Is everything okay?" He raises a brow, glancing at the book in Atemu's hands, and then the other's spread around the room.
"Any particular reason you're reading my journals?" he asks, gently taking the one from Atemu, flipping through it. "Or reading them aloud, I should say. That's really not like you Heba. You're normally so against snooping, so what brought you to looking through these?" He voice became contemplative, detached, even, his eyes looking intently on the pages in front of him, though occasionally flickering in my direction for a few moments. "Of course, I can't really blame you. Finding something like this in your room would definitely cause some concern, but me, on the other hand. Why would you care, about what I write? That's the real question isn't it? So tell me, Heba, what prompted you to look in the first place?"
"Umm…" my brother's gaze in penetrating, spearing me to the ground unable to move, to think. "I… I umm… I just… sort of… saw it, I guess, and wanted to look through them. You've always put so much detail into your writing."
"Hmmm," he replied, pursing his lips slightly. He walks around the room, carefully taking his notebooks back from each person who has one, and stops at his doorway.
"It would do well for you all to remember, that the next person who touches these journals, will face a wrath that would make going to the Shadow Realm look like a comfy stay at Kaiba mansion." He steps into his room, hand on the doorframe, and pauses, looking over his shoulder for a second. "And give my regards to Mokuba, if you will, Kaiba. He's one of the few who still seem to notice that I exist." With a final click his door is shut and locked, every one of us sitting (or standing in my case) in a shocked silence.
"Is it just me," Atemu starts. "Or is his calm anger ten times more frightening than his loud anger?"
"You've seen nothing," I say, suppressing a shudder. "When he's really pissed, he'll be happy. It's terrifying, mostly because he has this glint in his eyes, letting you know that whatever hell you thought you were going to face for something, it's going to be a thousand times worse."
"That sounds horrifying," Bakura says, eyes wide and pale faced.
"I agree," Malik says, nodding seriously. "But, I made a copy of his notebooks with shadow magic, so we have some entertainment."
Giving an evil cackle, Marik grabs one of the books and flips to a random page before reading it to all of us.
